Dear Diary, Paradise Awaits

Chapter 11

     The group had settled in a comfortable discussion as they finished eating. They seemed to joke amongst each other as the air filled with light hearted small talk. Amber let out a long sigh as she leaned against the picnic table.

     "I can't believe we are all 20z Well, except Tyler you old buffoon. Of course you're 21. Ohh my poor teen years! All waisted away. Now I'm still single~"

     Tyler looked at her in amusement. "You're single for a reason you know."

     Amber glared at him in annoyance as she huffed at his words, setting her chin against the palm of her hand. "I could totally snatch a guy if I wanted. I had way more dates back then than you did! If only they were just alive."

     "You had more dates because you were single, I was taken and still getting date invites." Tyler responded. He had been with Harper since the first year of high school, so he hadn't dated any other girls.

     "No, I definitely get more than you." Amber retorted.

     "Prove it!" Tyler counteracted.

     Amber huffed as she looked around, trying to think of a way to prove herself before her eyes settled on Ryan. "Fine. Let's have Ryan settle it. Ryan, you think I'm pretty right? If you wanted to, you would date me, right?"

     Ryan chuckled at her words as he nodded. "Amber, I would totally date you if I was into girls." He said light heartedly.

     Amber exhaled in victory as she held up her hand in victory.

Tyler, who had caught Ryan's words, cocked his head as he looked at him. "Not into girls? Are you into older woman then?"

      Ryan realized he had just unknowingly outed himself. Yes, he could go along with it and say that he meant he was into older woman, but he felt like there was no need to lie to his friends. He doubted they would judge him for being gay anyway.

     "Um..." Ryan said hesitantly, "I'm actually into guys." He said as he chuckled in nervousness.

     His friends all looked surprised as they looked at him, and Ryan made sure to catch Gale's response, which seemed to only hold surprise and luckily no disgust.

     "Ha!" Amber exclaimed. "So that's why you kept staring at Leon during 6th grade! I knew something was going on!" She laughed out.

     Ryan felt his entire face heat up as he grew embarrassed. "Shut up!" He squealed. The rest of the group did not need to know about his crush in middle school.

     Amber was now inconsolable as she rolled back and forth, wheezing as she almost died. "You-you gave him chocolate for Valentine's Day, and-and when he asked why- HA Ha, you said it was from your sister!!" She wheezed as she hit the picnic table, and Ryan felt embarrassment as he remembered that day. He had chickened out of giving away his confession present and said that it was from his sister. Who would have known a week later Leon would be dating his sister, and they would be together even up to the zombie apocalypse.

     "You ended up getting your sister the boyfriend you wanted. You're so silly." Amber finished as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.

     Ryan was now beat red as he rose from his seat, and heading over to the car. "Whatever! I would so not date someone like you if I was straight Amber. Tyler was right!" He threw behind his shoulder.

     He heard Amber stop laughing and a snicker came from Tyler as he began to make fun of Amber. Ryan secretly felt happy that the group had taken it so greatly, as they had all began laughing at Ambers retelling of Ryan's embarrassing middle school ages. Amber and Ryan had attended a different middle school than the rest, making them two closer than the others.

     Ryan settled in the very last row, holding out his hand to bar Amber's way as she went to climb back there with him. "I am totally not sitting with you. Not after what you just pulled."

Amber pouted at him as she settled into her original seat behind the passenger seat, huffing as she crossed her arms. "Fine! Gale can just sit with you then. I guess you two can be better friends since you have something in common."

Ryan cocked his head in confusion as Gale settled next to him, not catching the meaning of her words as Gale went to explain. "I came out as gay to them a year back." He said.

Ryan blinked a couple of times in surprise, his eyes widening as he realized the meaning behind the words. Before he was able to say anything though, Amber looked back at them. "Hey! You better not steal my best friend. You two aren't allowed to date, okay?" She said.

Ryan jumped in surprise to her words, but Gale's next words made him feel pity for himself. "We obviously aren't going to date. It's not like suddenly sharing the same preferences is going to make us get together." Gale huffed out.

Ryan felt saddened by Gale's words, but still couldn't help but be relieved that Gale was also gay. It at least gave him a better chance than when he was straight.

Ryan settled into his seat comfortably as Tyler took over the driving position and started the car. Harper was in the passenger seat and Patrick sat in the seat behind the driver spot. The small lull of the car going across the road soon made Ryan feel tired, and he fell into a blissful sleep.