camping trip (randy short story)

chapter 6

Andy's POV
I walked to school the next day. Brook had choosen my outfit and it was a good choice. I was wearing black, ripped jeans, a white shirt from puma with a rainbow collar and muff. To that, I had my rainbow adidas. I felt like myself for the first time in a while.

I was met by the boys when I arrived at my locker. They all smiled at me, probably liking the smile on my face. People knew I was gay and they didn't have a problem with it. Or if they did, they didn't say anything. It might be beacuse of my friends, always being with me or maybe people just accepted me. I was a likeble guy, I at least liked to think I was.

"Let's get going" Sonny said and we followed him towards english class. It was the first class of the day and also the first class of the year. When we entered the classroom the first thing I saw was the signs on the desks. They had names on them. Oh no.

"Like you can see, I've decided where you're going to sit this semester" Mrs Robinson explained. "You always sit by the same persons and it's good to mix it up every now and then"

I looked after my name and I closed my eyes and let my head fall back when I saw it. Beside the name Ryan Beaumont. He wasn't there yet, so I walked there and sat down. I had to keep my attitude. I wasn't going to let Rye affect me. I was stronger than that. As soon as he walked in, I began doubting. His eyes went to meet mine immediately and his face was unreadable. But he sat down beside me, without a word. My friends had their heads turned our way and they glared at him. I shook my head to them, to make them stop. I didn't want Rye to understand that they knew it all.

It was hard not to think about that we actually had had sex. His tounge had been in my mouth and my hands on his body. I didn't look at him but I could feel that he looked at me from time to time. If anyone would ask me what Mrs Robinson was talking about, I wouldn't have an idea. It was hard to concentrate when I sat beside him.

"Hey Andy" he suddenly whispered. At first I thought it was just my imagination, but when I turned my head to look at him, he was already looking at me. "You know that.. you and me were just a summer flirt" he sounded so inseacure about what he was saying. It was more like a question.

And I could not believe it. He hadn't said a word to me all summer and now this. A summer flirt? He was an absolute dickhead. My head turned back forward beacuse I couldn't stand looking at him. The mouth I had kissed just told me that it had been a flirt.
Even though we had been a 'summer flirt', using his own words, I could feel his stare on my for the rest of the lesson. When the bell rang I hurried to my friends.

"I need to tell you something" I said to them and I realized I might have been sounding too serious as they looked at me like someone had died. "Okay calm down no one is dead"

"Just tell us" Brook said, always impatient.

"Did you know that Rye and me were just a summer flirt?" I asked them.

"Did he seriously say that?" Jack sighed and I nodded. "He's stupid"

I almost laughed beacuse it all was so stupid. If we had been a summer flirt, why was it so hard to just snap me back? He could've told me that earlier. And what about the boyfriend part. I hadn't forgot everything that had happened. I hadn't forgot what he had said.

"I'm sorry but Andy here is my boyfriend, so keep your hands off him"

Was that something you said about your summer flirt? Maybe you held hands and cuddled every damn night? Jack was right, Rye was a coward. He could just admit that he had felt something for me beacuse I knew he did. If I hadn't already waited all summer for him, I would give him time to figure it out but he had had time. And he had wasted it on completely other things.

Instead of thinking about that anymore, I convinced myself I should move on. Like I mentioned earlier, I knew who was gay and not. It wouldn't hurt anyone if I talked with Harper in my art class? And Daniel was always an option. Even Blake was a possibility. Neither of them were Rye, but I pushed that thought aside. Instead, I put in my airpods and started troye sivan. With 'lucky strikes' in my ears I walked to my next class.

At lunch, I was relieved to finally sit down with the boys. I noticed how some people looked more than usual at Brook and Jack, probably not having expected them to end up togheter. And I had to admit that they were cute togheter. It was better that they were togheter for real, than when they flirted without realising it. That had been annyoing.

I had a feeling of being watched throughout lunch. When I looked around the dining hall, I didn't see anyone special, until I spotted him. Of course, he was sitting at the table beside ours, but Sonny had been in the way which explained why I hadn't noticed before. He stared a little but too much since I just had been his 'summer flirt'.

His friends were loud and messy. I wouldn't say that they were super popular, but that wasn't something I kept track off.

"Andy. He's staring" Jack said, not very quiet. But I didn't care. I just sighed.

"I know"

There wasn't much I could do about it. He obviously didn't dare coming out to his friends and that wasn't my thing to do. If he rather lived in denial, that was fine by me, beacuse I didn't need him. I didn't need him. I did not.

Before next class I needed to visit the bathroom. I hurried off against the toilets and into a stall. I did my buisiness and was about to walk out when I heard someone walk in.

"I thought about something" I heard a voice say and I realized it was Harvey's.
"You know the trip this summer"

"Yeah" Rye answered. My heart began beating faster beacuse a) it was Rye and b) they were talking about the trip. The trip.

"What really happened between you and that Fowler guy?" Harvey asked and my breath hitched, making me let out a sound. But they didn't seem to hear me.

"It was nothing. I was just flirting and one thing led to another" Rye explained and I could hear his hestitation. His voice sounded different.

"So you had sex?" Harvey asked but he didn't sound judging, more curious. Still, Rye sounded almost afraid when he answered.

"Well- um yeah"

"Was it any good?" Harvey asked.

"Yes- I mean no.. or yes"

"I'm not going to judge you Ryan. Nothing wrong with trying new things" Harvey said and it felt like he meant it. I couldn't see his face but it felt genuine. Maybe Harvey wasn't so bad.

"It was nothing special" Rye before changing the subject. Soon after, they left. They left me with a lot to process. I was pretty sure Rye was lying, I had meant something more to him. At least I thought so, I hoped so. But it seemed like Rye was afraid. It was hard to understand why. Harvey seemed supportive about it. Maybe his family was homophobic? I didn't know and I couldn't decide if I should find out or if I should ignore it.

I don't have anything to say really, so I'm just gonna leave it there. I hope you like the story so far :)

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