The Perfect Boy in the Shadows

Chapter 23, Thank You For Waiting

-Grayson-

I was about to drift off to sleep when I heard knocking on my hospital door.

"Come in!" I hollered, pushing myself up into a sitting position. The door was slowly pushed open, and in walked a dirty blond haired kid that looked only slightly younger than me. I recognized his face and was almost sure he had been to my house before, I just couldn't place exactly where he was from.

"Uh... hi," he smiled sheepishly, looking at my hospital bed.

"Hey."

"I heard what happened..." he mumbled sitting next to my bedside. I nodded.

"Well... you might not remember me, but I'm the neighbor that lives a few doors down from you, I'm Will," he said. 

"Ahh, yeah... I remember you, Will!" I smiled, suddenly remembering that we had played legos a few times at my house when we were younger.

"So... why did the jerkface who did this to you do it in the first place?" he asked, his brow knit with confusion.

"Well..." I shuddered a breath, remembering what happened last time a shared my secret, "I'm gay..." I breathed out, leaning back into my pillows.

"Wait... seriously?" he asked, looking surprisingly awestruck. 

"Yeah..." I replied sheepishly.

"You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that!" he squealed, leaning in close to my face. I gasped in surprise. Was he really gonna...

He kissed me square on the lips. It felt amazing. I've never had a guy kiss me like that before... I was speechless. By the end, we were both gasping for air. 

"Oh my god... are you...?" I began, unsure where to start.

"Gay too? Yeah, yeah I am," a huge grin spread across his face. He had a cute smile too. I loved him already.

"Not to be stalkerish or anything... but I've actually been watching you for awhile. I've been wanting to get to know you more... but I just haven't had the courage or opportunity to ask, yknow? I've... actually started to develop a crush on you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. I was still a bit shocked from all this news at once, but I still found words to respond.

"Yeah, I do know how you feel... I've been so afraid of coming out of the closet... and look what happened when I finally did!" I said, gesturing to my body.

"Mhmm... well, I just gotta say... I'm SO unbelievably glad that you're okay... I-I don't know what I would've done without you," he said, blushing slightly.

I blushed hard right then. I mean... really hard. No one had ever said something like that to me, and it really meant something. Even though I was in a lot of pain, Will being there just made all my worries disappear. 

"I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't found me..." I mumbled, looking up at him.

"Thank you Grayson... thank you for waiting for me," he whispered quietly. I smiled, feeling this warm glow in my heart.

"Of course... something inside me told me there was someone else out there... but I was always afraid about how long it would take for me to find them," I replied. Will and I talked for hours until he said he had to go for a baseball game. Was it really already that time of year for baseball? It was funny how far I'd come this year... starting with dating Lily, to having a crush on Jack, to getting beat up, to now... where I think I might actually have a chance with my dreams coming true. Soon there will be final exams, and then school will be out. It'll be summer time, and I'll hardly see anyone anymore.  Everyone will go there separate ways for a few months, then we'll all reunite again. Although I was almost positive that next year will be different, because Will is going to be at the same school as me, and we can probably find times to meet in the halls. We'll find all of Lily and Jack's secret shortcuts, and maybe even double date sometimes. It's funny how both Jack and Lily's first kiss happened in a hospital room, and mine did too. Hospitals can sometimes bring sadness, but you also have to remember all the joy that hospitals bring... like newborn babies and bringing people together. Will brings out the important things in my life, like love and friendship. And I hope it'll stay that way for a long time, because now I couldn't imagine a life without him.