Bounce Back

Chapter 31

Tyler's POV

Ryan wasn't at school the next day either. He sent me a couple texts telling me that he was still feeling really sore. In some ways I was sad because I liked having him around but I knew that it was better that he got better.

I hadn't mentioned to Ryan but we had a math test today. I knew that I had it under control with the amount of work that I had done with him previously. In fact I was still confident after I came out of the room which was unusual.

I had training afterschool so as soon as the bell rang I packed up and headed towards the gym. Coach was working us particularly hard with our State competition coming up soon and for all us Seniors it would be our last games with the team.

James was already in the gym so we grabbed a ball and started taking lazy shots at the hoop as we waited for the rest of the team. Neither of us moved much as we alternated shots before Coach called us all together.

We started to warm up together. It wasn't long before we started running actual drills. Coach was really pushing us and by the end we were all exhausted. James approached me as we headed out of the gym together.

"Do you want to go and get food?" he asked, bumping our shoulders together.

I kind of wanted to go and see how Ryan was doing but James and I hadn't managed to spend as much time together since I was studying more so I didn't want to turn him down.

"Sure," I agreed.

We headed into the locker room together and we both changed quickly. I had a couple of guys that I wanted to talk to first so we waited a couple of minutes for me to do that before heading out.

"Are we going to our usual place?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded at me which I knew was coming. We continued to talk about the team as we headed out of the school gates and to our usual café. We both knew what we were going to order so it didn't take long for us to be seated.

"I feel like we haven't hung out in ages," I commented.

"Yeah, but that's because you are studying all the time," he teased.

"At least I'm not going to fail maths," I laughed.

He laughed as well and for a moment we didn't say anything.

"How come you are spending so much time with them?" James asked.

I paused for a minute because I wasn't sure what I was going to tell him. He looked at me but didn't say anything else to me which gave me a minute to collect me thought.

"It's easy to work with them and it means that I get a lot of work done," I said slowly.

I looked at me and I knew that he knew that I wasn't telling the complete truth but he didn't say anything for a second.

"There is something else though?" he asked.

I wasn't sure what to say. I don't really know what James would say if I told him about me and Ryan. I don't know what he would think because I've heard the comments and he and the rest of the locker room.

"Ryan's been really good to talk to and he helped me figure a couple of things out," I said vaguely.

"What things that you couldn't talk to me about?" James asked.

I paused once again and I realised that I should tell him.

"I realised that I'm gay and then we started dating so he is my boyfriend," I admitted.

James stopped moving at all and I had no idea what he was thinking. Our food arrived on the table in the silence and we started to eat without saying anything. I didn't want to be the one to start the conversation back up again so I didn't say anything.

"Are you fucking serious?" he harshly whispered.

"Is that what you think about it?" I asked.

"I don't know what to think about it because you've never said anything to me," he snapped.

"I couldn't say anything because I wasn't sure what you were going to think."

He scowled slightly and we continued to eat in silence. At this rate I was going to be leaving as soon as I was finished because this was awkward and I didn't want to spent any more time with him with this is what he thought.

Once I finished I stood up to head out and James followed me out.

"If that is what you think then I don't want to talk to you," I told him honestly.

"I'm not homophobic," he protested.

"Well, you sound like it."

"I'm just surprised. You had never mentioned anything before."

I shrugged and it didn't both saying anything. James continued to follow me and it took him a couple of minutes to realise that I wasn't going home.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to see Ryan so you can either come or go home," I told him honestly.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at me.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yes. He's my boyfriend and is in pain at the moment so if you want to continue this conversation we can do it tomorrow," I told him.

He nodded and headed off towards his house after telling me that he would want to continue this tomorrow. I now wasn't far from Ryan's house so I started to walk faster so I got there in a couple of minutes. I knocked on the door and Mrs Moore smiled at me.

"Tyler, it's good to see you. Ryan's in his room," she told me.

I nodded and headed straight up there. Ryan smiled brightly at me and I joined her on the bed.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think I should be good for tomorrow," he smiled.

I curled up beside him and he knew that I wasn't feeling great.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"I told James about us and it didn't go well," I told him.

I then explained my conversation I had with James and Ryan wrapped his arm around me tighter and we stayed like that.

"It's not your fault," he told me.

I nodded because I knew it but it still hard to hear it because James is my best friend.

"Forget about it for today and talk to him again tomorrow," Ryan told me.

He nodded and curled more around me. His head was resting on my shoulder and instead of talking about James we talked about happier things. I felt my eyelids shutting and without meaning to I fell asleep next to Ryan.

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The Wise One