Against All Odds | Tyrus

23. Acceptance

❝It was hard to watch his unrequited feelings for Jonah grow, unable to reassure him that his crush liked him back. But with TJ, Buffy felt she could tell Cyrus that his crush — or boyfriend — liked him back tenfold.❞

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“Where are we going?” Cyrus asked.

“Not telling,” TJ replied.

“Mr Kippen, please, tell me where we're going.”

TJ vigorously shook his head, but his father shrugged, “Sorry, TJ. He said please. I gotta answer him.”

“You're going to ruin the surprise, dad!” TJ scoffed.

“It won't be much of a surprise soon... We're here.”

The car came to a gradual stop as TJ's father waited to turn into the parking lot of a large building. Cyrus leaned into TJ so he could get a better look through the window. Once the car was parked, they rushed outside.

“What is this place?” Cyrus asked.

“An indoor amusement park.” TJ draped his arm over Cyrus's shoulders, “I thought, since it's getting colder, we should do something indoors. So, I looked up what we could do that's inside, but most of it was either sports-related or a cliché. We can save movie theatres and restaurants for a future date. The first date, however, needs to leave a lasting impression!”

“You're so thoughtful,” Cyrus gushed, wrapping his arm around TJ's waist.

The two of them went inside; though not before thanking TJ's father for the ride. The inside of the building was more of a glorified arcade than an amusement park. The rides were small — which Cyrus was grateful for — and there were a lot of carnival games. TJ dragged Cyrus around from one ride to the next, avoiding any that spun or moved fast as per Cyrus's request. They only stopped to have lunch: hamburgers and fries. TJ was sure to ask that the cook not add cheese to the burgers, impressing Cyrus.

After they finished eating, they decided to look at the carnival games. They ignored most they passed, but Cyrus's pace slowed when he saw a large, stuffed dinosaur — a prize for a basketball shootout game. TJ noticed Cyrus staring and pulled him towards the game.

“How much to play?” he asked the staff member behind the stand.

“Five dollars,” she replied.

He took out his wallet and gave her the money. “You ready to win that dinosaur?” he asked Cyrus, giving him a basketball.

“What? Me?” Cyrus asked.

“Yeah, you. I already paid, so now you gotta play.”

“Why can't you do it?”

“Because I want you to.”

“But you're the basketball player. Aren't you required by law to show off your skills at these kind of games?”

“Well, you're the dinosaur enthusiast, so you have to win a dinosaur every time you see one you like.”

“Can't you win it for me? I'm just going to waste our money trying to get that thing while you actually have a chance.”

TJ smiled warmly, “Remember when I said you could win anything if you tried? Well, I meant it. And I want to prove it to you now.”

“I've only successfully thrown a ball into a hoop once in my life, and it was a total fluke. There's no way I can do this!”

“Not with that attitude,” he said, resting his hands on the back of Cyrus's to help guide the ball. TJ's torso pressed against Cyrus's back. “Look, I'll help you out, but you're still winning that prize yourself. I know you can do it.”