Conan The Dandelion (Boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 24: Normal People

It's decided. We're going with Darker ;)

My heart broke a little when writing this chapter.

A summary of my toxic relationship with writing: building characters I love then breaking my own heart.

🌻🌻🌻

“I think we should take a break,” Ryan said, sitting down on the stage. He cracked open a bottle of water and handed it to me, but I shook my head. I sat down beside him at a comfortable distance, watching him tilt his head back and drink. As he raised his chin, his jawline sharpened, and his Adam's apple bobbed at each gulp.

"You're very handsome," I told him. Ryan choked on his water, getting his shirt all wet. He turned his head, coughing while hitting his chest.

"Are you okay?" I frowned.

"Yeah," he rasped between coughs, wiping his wet lips with the back of his hand. "I just wasn't ready for you to say that. I never am."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

I needed to be more careful with my compliments. They seemed counter-productive. Ryan and I had been rehearsing at our university's theatre room the entire afternoon. He helped me with my lines and gave me many acting tips, like how to avoid stuttering or what to do with my hands while speaking.

“You’re really good at this,” I told him, dangling my feet over the edge of the stage. “How long have you been acting?”

“Since middle school,” he admitted. “I was one of those geeky theatre losers who was into literature and poetry."

"I love literature and poetry!" I beamed, and he chuckled.

"Not many people did in middle school. I was bullied a lot for it," he smiled sheepishly.

"Bullied for having a passion?"  

“For having an unpopular passion. That, and I was overweight. It didn't help that I wore thick square glasses. My entire appearance screamed 'hit me,'" he laughed darkly. "Books and plays were my only friends back then."

Ryan's sad past surprised me. We've only met recently, and the rare moments we saw each other, there were always girls around him, and he seemed to have many friends.  Everyone loved and admired him. He had a great personality and the looks to go with his talent.

Then I reminded myself that you never really knew anyone. You knew fragments of them, the parts that they wanted and you to see, but there was an entire realm you didn't know of and perhaps never would.

"After I graduated, I told myself that I'd start fresh. I ditched the glasses, put in some contact lenses, and started hitting the gym. I went on crazy diets the summer before my first year in uni," he said. "Now, people treat me differently. I'm no longer seen as the geeky nerd who likes acting, but the handsome student with a hot passion for playwrite. But I'm still the same person, glasses or not."

I could hear the sadness in Ryan’s voice. 

"Sorry, I must be boring you with my lame childhood stories," he chuckled.

"No, I think it's very nice of you to share something about your past," I said. "I admire you for that. I wish I could do the same."

"You're the only one in this school who knows," he smiled shyly, his blue eyes twinkling.

"I am?"

"Yeah," he said. That made me feel special, so I tried to think of something I could share with Ryan.