The Coming Out

Advice

It was the Afternoon, Carson went to see his friend Lily. She had always been there for him, and he knew he could trust her with anything. He sat down on her couch and sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked, looking at him with concern.

"It's Ivan," Carson said, his voice shaking. "I've been in love with him for years, but I don't know how to tell him. I don't want to ruin our friendship, but I can't keep these feelings bottled up anymore."

Lily nodded sympathetically. "I understand how you feel," she said. "But you have to tell him. You'll never know what could have been if you don't take that chance."

Carson nodded slowly. "But how do I do it?" he asked. "How do I tell him without making things awkward?"

"Well," Lily said, "you could try writing him a letter. That way, you can express your feelings without having to say them out loud. It might be easier for both of you."

Carson thought about it for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "It still feels risky."

Lily put her hand on his shoulder. "Carson," she said gently, "you'll never know what could have been if you don't take that chance. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't tell him how you feel."

Carson knew she was right. He took a deep breath and stood up. "Okay," he said, determination in his voice. "I'll do it. I'll write him a letter."

Lily smiled at him. "That's the spirit," she said. "Just remember, be honest and respectful. And if he doesn't feel the same way, don't take it personally."

Carson nodded and left Lily's house, feeling both nervous and excited. He went home and sat down at his desk, pen in hand. He wrote and rewrote the letter several times, trying to get it just right. Finally, he was satisfied. He sealed the letter in an envelope and went to bed.

He was ready to confess whenever the time was ready. He was for sure to confess before spring break came along so if some shit went down, he wouldn't have to go to school and embarrass himself in front of Ivan. 

As for Riley and Cole...

-----

Riley had been crushing on Cole for months now, but she was too nervous to tell him. She had no idea how he felt about her, and the thought of confessing her feelings was terrifying. She decided to turn to her closest friends, Ava and Sophie, for advice.

"Guys, I need your help," Riley said, taking a seat next to them at their favorite coffee shop.

"What's up?" Ava asked, noticing the anxious look on Riley's face.

"I really like Cole, and I want to tell him, but I don't know how," Riley admitted.

Sophie grinned. "Oh, this is exciting! We can definitely help you out."

Ava nodded in agreement. "Okay, first things first: have you talked to Cole much?"

Riley shook her head. "Not really. We've had some conversations, but nothing serious."

"Alright, well then we need to get you two talking more," Sophie said. "Try and find common interests and strike up conversations about those things. The more you talk to him, the more comfortable you'll feel."

Riley nodded, taking mental notes of their suggestions. "Okay, that makes sense. But what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Ava smiled reassuringly. "You won't know unless you try, right? And even if he doesn't, it's better to know than to wonder what could have been."

Sophie chimed in, "And who knows? Maybe he does feel the same way, but he's too shy to say anything."

Riley felt a little better. "Okay, so what's next?"

"Well, once you've talked to him more and feel a little more comfortable around him, you can drop hints about your feelings," Ava suggested.

Riley looked skeptical. "What kind of hints?"

Sophie grinned mischievously. "You know, flirt a little! Make him feel good about himself. Compliment him, laugh at his jokes, and see how he responds."

Riley blushed. "I don't know if I can do that!"

Ava put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be too obvious, just be yourself and show him you're interested. If he likes you, he'll pick up on it."

Riley nodded, feeling a little more confident. "Okay, I can do that. But what if he still doesn't get the hint?"

Sophie shrugged. "Then you might have to be a little more direct. But that's okay! Just be honest and tell him how you feel. It's scary, but it's the only way to know for sure."

Riley took a deep breath, feeling more determined than ever. "Okay, I can do this. Thanks, guys."

Ava and Sophie exchanged a knowing look, silently cheering Riley on. They knew she was strong enough to confess her feelings, and they were excited to see what would happen.

Riley knew she was ready to confess but she needed advice from someone close to Cole. She would text her ex-boyfriend, Ivan but she wasn't sure telling her ex-boyfriend that she liked one of his friends was a good idea. So, she texted Carson. 

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something. I kinda need advice. Could we meet up somewhere? I promise it wont take long :)"

"Of course. How about the park?

"Sounds good."

----

Riley and Carson had been best friends since they were kids, and they were both going through similar struggles. They were both crushing hard on someone and didn't know how to confess their feelings. So, they decided to meet up at a local park to chat.

Carson arrived first and was pacing nervously when Riley walked up. "Hey, Carson! You look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

Carson laughed nervously. "I am! I'm about to confess my feelings to Ivan."

Riley's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's great! When are you going to do it?"

"I was thinking tomorrow at lunch," Carson replied. "But I'm so nervous. What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Riley put a comforting arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry about that. Just focus on telling him how you feel. And hey, I'm here for you no matter what happens."

Carson smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Riley. What about you? Have you talked to Cole yet?"

Riley sighed. "No, not yet. I want to, but I just can't seem to find the right moment."

Carson nodded understandingly. "I know how that feels. But you should tell him soon. Life is too short to hold back your feelings."

Riley smiled. "You're right. Maybe I'll tell him after school tomorrow."

Carson grinned. "That's the spirit! We'll both confess our feelings tomorrow."