The flower in my throat

Sorry...

Ray: Emma I'm sorry.. I'm making it awkward between all of us. Sorry

Emma silently sighed at the message giving a slight look of worry to ray, sighing again when he looked away. She started typing a message, smiling when Norman sat down and she leaned against him, making sure he couldn't see her phone so Ray could type everything he wanted to and not have to try hide something incase Norman saw. Emma whispered to Norman to tell him to just ignore they were texting and she was sorry. Norman smiled at her, kissing her forehead. Ray gave off a small cough, gaining Emma's attention but just told her to leave it.

"Water just went the wrong way"

"If you say so"

Emma knew she wouldn't be able to get Ray to admit it but started to believe she may know who he liked. She finally sent the message so she could talk to ray in a comfortable way with him

Emma: you haven't ray, not with me at least and even if it is. We can fix it but why do you say that?

Ray: Emma not only have I now got the flower disease as you called it but I can tell it's different between us ever since the chat last night

Emma: oh the whole coming out thing but not really

Ray: yea, Norman's tone changed and he moved seats today in class

Emma: I'm sure he was just surprised to read that ray and it's probably nothing. Look I'll keep an eye out and see if there is something he'd hiding but don't worry

Ray: I guess

Emma smiled at Ray and turned her phone off, placing her hand over her boyfriend's and ray forced himself to hold in a cough and swallow the petals. He checked the time seeing they still had half an hour of lunch so started quietly eating trying to ignore the petals in his throat. The more the two in front of him flirted, the more sick Ray felt. He got up and walked off to the bathroom, violently coughing up more flowers into the toilet. Sighing in frustration when he noticed blood had joined the petals.

After a while, he finally stopped so got up and walked out. Norman and Emma had gone looking for Ray, the white haired boy finally finding him.

"Ray are you alright?"

"I'm fine Norman"

"It's just you raced out so we were really worried"

"I'm fine"

"Ray. Please don't do this, you not fine I can tell. Just tell me the truth please"

"No Norman. I can't okay. I can't tell anyone because I know it's shit thing to do"

"Ray if you tell someone it will help you. You can find a way to stop this"

"I'm fine Norman, now can you move so I can go"

"Ray.."

Ray sighed before slipping past Norman and went to the office. The receptionist noticed how pale ray looked so immediately called his parents and told him his dad would pick him up. Ray waited in the office seeing his dad's car pull up so got up and walked out. He sat in the front and waited for his dad to start the car. The started driving home, Leslie starting a conversation

"You okay?"

"I mean apart from overthinking and coughing up more petals and blood. I'm doing great"

"Blood this time you say?"

"Yea?"

"So it's getting worse already"

"I guess"

"Well it's your choice what you do about this. But don't suffer with this for too long if you know who you like. Doesn't feel the same"

"He doesn't but I just don't want the surgery yet"

"Alright and how do you know that for sure?"

"He's dating someone and I can tell he doesn't like the same gender"

"So it's Norman?"

"....yea"

"Well thank you for telling me Ray. I know what's it's like to like your best friend and being scared to ruin things"

"I have though"

"What do you mean?"

"Well yesterday on the chat, I have with the two. I corrected Emma because she was saying about my crush as a her so I corrected her to him and Norman's tone changed"

"Right. I'm sure it's not what you think. Maybe he was just responding quickly as he got busy"

"Yea I guess"

Ray went silent for the rest of the drive home. Once home he immediately went to his room, sat on his bed and played music through his headphones.