42. End

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Tyler began to get ready for Wyatt's show he had been invited to. The music played loudly throughout the empty house. Tyler had bought a huge home in the affluent neighborhood him and Wyatt would sneak out to. He had a view of the lake.

...

He parked his McLaren a minute away from the gallery; it was so packed that there wasn't even enough parking in the actual parking lot.

He put his hands in his pockets as he walked up the block, unsure of what to expect. There was a huge sign that read,

'Nostalgia' a photographic exhibition by Wyatt Navarro.
Two days only.

Tyler opened the glass door, it was pretty packed, but the gallery was so huge that there enough space to move around.

He made his way around slowly, looking through the photographs that were enlarged on the white walls. T noticed a picture of his old bike under a tree in their old neighborhood.

"I think he's symbolically trying to show his rough childhood. Maybe the bike is symbolizing himself and the tree is his photography passion that got him through it.." The old guy with a beret told an older gentlemen next to him as they held up wine glasses.

Tyler scoffed, rolling his eyes at how stuck up they seemed. Not everything had to have such a stupid deep meaning.

He continued to walk around before he came towards a crowd that gathered along the most enlarged picture in the whole gallery. It was center of attention and main focus. Tyler immediately recalled it. He stood in surprise.

It was the picture Wyatt had taken of him the first few days they met. Tyler riding on a bike during the sunset. It brought back so many memories.

'Boy on a Bike' the label read.

"What do you think?" A familiar voice came from behind him.

"I never thought I'd see myself in a gallery," Tyler replied.

"It's my favorite picture i've ever taken." Wyatt looked at it behind the crowd of people that admired it.

"You must be the one in that picture," a tall, model-esque boy approached them. "Wyatt told me about you. How you guys were best friends."

Tyler wondered who he was before he noticed their matching rings.

"I told him it was my favorite," Wyatt replied.

"Yeah, it's mine too," Tyler said, eyeing Wyatt as he cleared his throat.

Tyler understood Wyatt had to move on. He was happy for him, but deep down, he still couldn't accept his own sexuality. It's been years, and although he'd hook up with other boys in secret here and there, it felt impossible to deal with it in the limelight.

"You guys, you guys together?" Tyler pointed at their rings.

"Mhmm. Since junior year of college right?" The boy asked Wyatt.

"Yeah. Time flies huh?" Wyatt smiled. He couldn't keep his eyes off Tyler though.

"It does."

For a moment, Tyler had finally come to the conclusion that he no longer loved Wyatt like he used to. He of course would always have a special place in his heart, but he had since moved on. It didn't hurt seeing him with someone else, surprisingly enough.

The kiss they had yesterday was great, but it didn't feel like fireworks, or summer, or anything he remembered it should feel like. Their time was finally up, and Tyler felt relieved for once.

"I'm glad. You guys look good together," T smiled at them, "I'm gonna go look around a little more."

"Take your time," Wyatt nodded, as T began walking towards the other side of the gallery.

He stopped in front of a picture of people skating. No one he recognized.

"You skate?"

Tyler looked next to him, a freckled boy with a beanie on. About the same height.

"Yeah, you?"

"Mhmm."

"That shirt is crazy," Tyler noticed the N.E.R.D shirt tucked into the boy's jeans.

"My favorite band," the boy smiled.

They spent a few minutes talking about their favorite songs by them before the boy looked at his watch.

"Shit, I gotta go," he cursed.

Before he did, he took the phone out of Tyler's hand, immediately putting in his number.

"Call me sometime?" the boy asked, handing him back the phone.

Tyler nodded, smiling lightly. He watched as he left. T looked down at the phone.

Austin.

Tyler smiled to himself, realizing he could've met someone special.
Instead of saying goodbye to Wyatt, he decided to leave. There was nothing more to talk about. They no longer had the same spark; he was with someone else.

Tyler looked at him one last time as he made his way out. He realized that maybe, just maybe, it was finally time to accept who he was.

Garden Shed: Tyler, The Creator and Wyatt Where stories live. Discover now