A Scenic Connection (BoyxBoy)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

After playing volleyball for what seemed like hours, Alex, Sam and the other girls came back and everyone agreed they were hungry.

It was starting to get a little chilly since the sky continued to stay cloudy as the evening approached.

I quickly helped start another campfire so that we could roast hot dogs again and hopefully some marshmallows too.

"Okay, so we're definitely playing again," April was babbling to everyone. "Because seriously we started off good until Tyce joined in. I can't believe we lost!" Tyce just shrugged.

"I didn't think I was that much of a help," he replied.

"Just having the teams be equal makes a huge difference," Zaiden told him. I agreed. The fact that another person was there to help get the ball was huge.

Although Tyce had been friendly while we played, he had mostly avoided me since then. I wanted to yell at him and tell him to stop confusing me, but then I figured that would only make things worse.

Sam and Alex kept to themselves with Brooke, Chloe, and Izzie, basically splitting our group into two. I hadn't seen Tyce even talk to any of them, so I was confused as to what was going on there as well, since he was with them until late last night and all.

"So..." Hadley said, trailing off as she took a seat beside me.

"So," I repeated, looking at her.

"How about if you and I and maybe some of the others try going swimming again tomorrow?" She asked somewhat nervously. I shrugged.

"That should be fine." She looked at me for a long moment.

"Have you guys," she said, referring to Tyce, "talked at all yet?"

No," I said flatly. She nodded slowly.

"Well, you know, it would help.." She started.

"I know," I cut her off. I sighed. "Sorry, I just don't wanna talk about it anymore. It seems like that's all we talk about."

"I got the hot dogs out if anyone wants one," Zaiden announced, motioning towards the table. I was grateful because it ended my conversation with Hadley. It was almost as if her and I didn't even know what to talk about anymore.

"Hey Zai? Would you mind cooking me one? I always burn mine," April said, looking at him. He smiled back at her.

"No problem," he replied. I slight smile tugged at my lips. It was obvious that they liked each other.

Tyce silently walked over to the table and stared at the food, as if wondering if he really wanted some or not. I decided to go over there.

"Not hungry?" I asked quietly. He shook his head.

"Not really. I ate some snacks after volleyball, and plus I don't think the hangover did anything for my appetite," he explained. I nodded.

"Well you should try to eat something," I said as I slipped a hot dog onto a stick.

"Yeah," he muttered. There was thunder off in the distance.

"I'd hurry if you decide you want one," I told him. He just chuckled.

Pretty much as soon as everyone finished eating, it started to rain. Luckily it was nighttime anyway so we all hurried off to our tents.

"Dammit!" I cursed as I fumbled with the zipper on the flap to the tent. Tyce was right behind me. It was starting to rain hard now, the droplets pelting our bodies and hitting the tent hard.

I finally got the zipper to work and ducked under the flap and into the tent, careful not to get my bed wet. Tyce slipped in behind me and zipped the flat shut as quickly as he could.

Luckily, my shorts weren't wet , just my back and shoulders, so I sat down on the air mattress and sighed.

"It's really pouring at there now," Tyce observed as we sat there in silence listening to the water pelt the tent outside. It was getting louder.

"Yeah, good thing we ran over when we did," I replied. I unzipped my black nike bag.

"What're you doing?" Tyce asked, looking at me curiously. I shrugged.

"Might as well change since my shirt is wet and we aren't going back outside for the night," I told him. He rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip. "What?" I asked. He rolled his shoulders slightly.

"Nothing," he said a little too quickly.

"Just tell me," I sighed.

"There's nothing to tell," he said. I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"Don't do that," I said, shaking my head.

"Do what?" He asked quietly.

"You know, maybe if you were honest, at least we'd both understand each other," I told him. He huffed. "...or not."

"It's not that," he mumbled. "I just don't know exactly what to say."

"Well neither do I," I said. I waited for him to talk, but when he didn't, I decided to press him. "Why'd you do it?"

"Huh?" He asked confused.

"The kiss. Why did you do it? You know I almost thought for a second you were worried you messed up, the way you said sorry and all and were literally freaking out, but something changed when I kissed you back." I let it all pour out, I couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth as quickly as possible. Tyce hesitated before answering.

"Look, I-I. It just felt like the right thing to do. In that moment, it's just where things were headed..." He trailed off. I nodded for him to go on. "I wasn't expecting it. Any of it. Maybe I just got scared," he said, looking down at his hands as he sat cross legged on the other side of the mattress.

"Well that makes two of us," I replied. There was silence for a long moment before I spoke again. "Do you still want to be friends?" He furrowed his brow.

"Of course. I don't wanna stop being friends with you, that's not what this is about." He replied. I bit my lip. "There's obviously something there.." He trailed off, watching my reaction nervously.

"Are you gay?" I asked bluntly. He looked at his hands again. I waited.

"Yes, well I don't know," he stammered.

"Yes you do," I said, looking at him expectantly. "It's okay." I looked at his face.

"I don't care what anyone else thinks," he continued, "and I won't deny being gay, it's just I don't want to jump into something I'm unsure of."

"I get that. I mean I didn't even want to come on this trip, let alone expect to make new friends, or kiss one of those friends," I said, laughing a little. "I won't lie, I was upset. Not so much about the kiss but the way you were afterwards. Like, not only did you confuse the hell of me, but then you avoided me, and to top it off came back here last night drunk. I understand if the kiss was a mistake and you didn't mean anything by it, that's fine. But don't act like I didn't have any feelings about it that mattered," I said in an even tone.

"I'm sorry about all of that okay? I really am. Of course how you feel matters. We should've just talked," he replied, shaking his head.

"You mean instead of going off and getting drunk afterward?" I chuckled, smacking his shoulder. He smiled.

"Yeah about that, I don't even know what I was thinking. I've never behaved like that before. I'm very sorry," he told me.

"It's okay. Thank you...for apologizing," I said. I couldn't help but look at his cute face as he spoke, noticing his perfect lips and his gorgeous eyes. I mentally slapped myself for not focusing more. I took a breath and looked down at my own hands. Tyce's weren't too far away. Before I could even think about anything else, he reached out and clasped his hand with mine.