The Ribbon Campaign

thirty || of strength and pride

"My parents think I'm in the library," Caiden explains when Ryan opens the front door. Bryce and I watch from the top of the stairs as Caiden drops his backpack onto the tiled floor resulting in a bang from what I'm guessing are the heavy books in there.

Ryan whistles, picking up the bag with slight struggle, "Jesus Caid, what do you have in here? A dead body?"

"Hopefully your dad's," Bryce comments, just to grunt when I elbow him in ribs.

Caiden just laughs and shakes his head, "No, just some books my parents think I'm studying with." Ryan opens the backpack and looks through, taking out a Bible and holding it up with a raised eyebrow. Caiden chuckles, "Oh yeah, my dad wants me to 'review my life choices' through this." He rolls his eyes, taking the thick book from Ryan and flipping through the pages. "I don't really mind reading it, it has some really great morals and stuff. Plus I kind of grew up around it. Just gets me angry why he wants me to read it."

"Has he used the whole 'it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve' line on you yet?" Bryce asks.

I almost punch him for his bluntness but luckily Caiden just grins and says, "Not yet, but I'm waiting for it."

I'm surprised by how happy Caiden seems. The first couple of days after being forced to come home Caiden seemed to have been stuck in a depression. Now however, he's glowing. It's been almost a week and Caiden is still practically living at our house. He's always over when Bryce and I come after school, and if not then he and Ryan are meeting somewhere. His parents never know exactly what he's doing, which only seems to make Caiden happier. Every time he tells Ryan what lie he told his parents his face seem to brighten. I don't think it's the concept of lying that's making him happy, but more like that in some sort of way he's standing up to his mom and dad and not letting them dictate his life.

Bryce throws his arm around me, grinning broadly. When I had first explained the situation to Bryce, he had been furious but was quick to offer me comfort, which I'm grateful for. He also was quick to offer support on the shelter idea (which Maurice dealt with quickly and is already looking into beginning the business). I smile at him, leaning up to kiss his cheek. God, he's so amazing. And handsome.

"Are you hungry?" Ryan asks Caiden. "We have tea and pizza."

"Weird combination," Caiden laughs, latching onto Ryan's hand. "I'll just have tea."

Bryce and I move over to make way for them to go into the kitchen. Bryce then unravels his arm from around my shoulders and takes my hand instead, leading me up to my room.

"Where's Fiona?" he asks.

"Staying at this after school science program. Basically it's a hundred dollars for her to play around with scientific looking things from the dollar store, but she loves it so whatever," I tell him, rolling my eyes. Bryce chuckles, kissing me before plopping down on the floor, taking me down with him.

Bryce laughs, lying down on the floor as I sit beside him, our hands linked. "So guess what?" Bryce says.

I laugh. "What?"

Bryce's eyes shine, "Three months sober today."

I raise an eyebrow. "Damn, Bryce. You sound like an alcoholic barely getting through rehab." We laugh a bit before I say, "That's amazing, though. I know it must have been hard. Do you even still talk to any of your friends?"

Bryce bites down on his bottom lip, his green eyes staring at our interlocked hands. "Only a couple," he admits slowly. "Liam and Brad a bit. But that's it. The rest just kind of dropped me after I quit coming over every weekend to get drunk with them." Bryce purses his lips. "But that's okay. If that's the case then they're not my real friends."