I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for this hella late update. But I'm incredibly sorry and I will try to do better. Hope you guys haven't given up on me!
Disclaimer: I do not own Jessie.
Chapter 16: Can't Stop Smiling
"Alright everyone! That concludes today's group session. Have a great weekend and I'll see you next Friday." Tiago smiles that huge smile at the inhabitants of the room, looking overly happy as per usual.
Everyone in the group session collectively gathers their things and stands up, some stopping to talk to each other, while others rush out the door. On a normal day, Ravi would be part of those people who leave right away with no desire to stay in the room longer than necessary. But he's been pondering over this moment all day, and there's a small amount of courage in him that he's grasping to as he walks over to where Grayson Sinclair is talking to Sam a few chairs away from him. Unfortunately, Ravi didn't get to sit with Grayson today (he's going to pretend he's not at all disappointed by that) since both seats next to him were occupied by Sam and Riley (he's going to pretend he's not at all jealous at how she kept leaning into Grayson). But that doesn't deter him from approaching the older teen. He walks up to Grayson just as he and Sam say bye to each other, and Grayson turns around, somehow aware that Ravi was approaching.
Ravi tries not to get flustered under the million-dollar smile Grayson flashes. "Hey Ravi. How'd you like today's group?"
Ravi grins back (but it probably looks creepy). "H-hey," and his voice cracks. As expected. "Uhh, it was…" I'm not entirely sure how it was because I was too distracted by your hazel eyes and how your muscles show through your shirt and how Riley kept touching your arm! "…riveting." He doesn't know how convincing that sounds but he Grayson seems to buy it. "Actually, I wanted to give this to you." Ravi reaches inside his bookbag and pulls out his finished copy of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. "I finished it last night and you said you wanted to borrow it so…"
Grayson has a slightly awestruck look on his face as he takes the book from Ravi. "Thanks Ravi. I can't believe you remembered…" A soft smile grows on his face as he turns the book over. "I can't believe you finished it already either."
Ravi blushes. "Y-yeah I sometimes read really fast." He meets Grayson's topaz eyes for a second before blushing even harder and looking away.
"Well, I really appreciate this." Grayson's dimple cuts through his cheek as he bends down to stuff the book in his bag. "And I'm guessing the anonymous pen-pal wasn't an old man in a shed." He jokes.
Ravi breathe-laughs (why does that always happen around Grayson). "No, it wasn't."
Grayson straightens up. "Alright I think I'll enjoy this book ten times more then." They lock eyes, Ravi feeling so drawn to Grayson that he trembles. And then Grayson bites his bottom lip and Ravi has to forces his eyes to look away as his cheeks darken. He hopes that Grayson doesn't notice. "Do you maybe wanna hang out for a while? You know, if you don't have any other plans or anything?"
Ravi's eyes grow wide as Grayson's words register in his brain. "Y-you want to hang out? With me?" The smile doesn't falter from Grayson's face as he nods. Ravi can't help but think that this must be some kind of sick joke, or that someone his pranking him because why not humiliate him in front of the guy he likes? Because there's no way he can be lucky enough to hang out with Grayson twice because Grayson voluntarily wants to hang out. He just can't be that lucky.
But nothing in the basketballer's expression tells Ravi that he's joking. Only sincerity. Ravi's cheeks remain dark, but he nods vigorously. "Yeah, s-sure. We can h-hang out, yeah."
It's only then that he realizes that the room is nearly empty, the only people still there being him, Grayson, and Tiago, who seems to be lingering waiting for the two boys to leave, and quite possibly listening in to their conversation (the smirk he's trying to hide makes it seem so). Grayson seems to notice too that Tiago is eavesdropping and the atmosphere begins to grow awkward by the second. Grayson gestures to Ravi for them to leave, and Ravi shoots a quick text to Jessie letting her know that he's going to hang out with Grayson for a while.
She responds with a winky face emoji.
Ravi's face resembles a tomato.
The two boys walk out of the hospital into the crisp fall afternoon. The 5:30 sunlight does a decent job filling the air with warmth, but there is still a chilly October breeze in the air. Ravi zips up his hoodie as a breeze causes him to shiver. It's slightly colder than it was when he first arrived, but nothing too drastic. It certainly doesn't bother him since he actually enjoys fall weather more than any other weather. It sure does beat the insufferable Indian heat he grew up with.
"How do you feel about taking the train?" Grayson turns to him.
Ravi nearly trips over his shoes at the sudden question. "Uhh, I've taken it a couple of times, but I'm not really used to it. Why? Are we taking the train?" Ravi does his best to suppress the building anxiety he's getting from the idea of having to take a noisy, crowded, humid, and unsanitary moving deathtrap. Being the son of Morgan and Christina Ross meant never having to worry about public transportation. Until now perhaps…
Grayson nods. "Yup. Are you okay with that?" Ravi's face must have fear written all over it.
"Oh yeah sure." Ravi lies. "I take the train all the time…"
Grayson chuckles. "No, you don't."
"No. I don't." Ravi laughs with Grayson. "But I think I can handle it." His anxiety is telling him to abort the mission because this is most likely going to turn out disastrous, but a different part of him is telling him to go with Grayson, because when is he ever going to get the chance to be alone with him again (besides when they have to work on their Astronomy project which doesn't count because that's obligatory!)?
"Alright, let's see how a rich kid handles the New York City underground." If Ravi didn't know any better, he would think that Grayson is flirting with him.
Grayson leads him down the steps for the "1" train and shows him how to buy a metro card (it's no surprise that Ravi doesn't know how). Ravi passes through the turnstiles, and right away, he feels uncomfortable and claustrophobic. The subway is way too warm, and there are way too many people running around him. He's bumped into at least ten people before they reach the platform for the train. But Grayson keeps giving him a reassuring look to make sure Ravi's okay, and the building panic dissipates. The platform isn't as crowded, though the open space where the train tracks are makes Ravi blanch. But once Grayson squeezes his shoulder and asks him if he's okay, he's able to push away how close he is to the edge, and how easy it would be to fall (or jump) in.
They wait about five minutes before the train arrives. In that time, they watch a subway performer play piano renditions of Smooth Criminal and Bohemian Rhapsody. Grayson puts money in the little hat the man has in front of his piano and Ravi follows suit, more or less because Grayson did so first. He's surprised at how the performer helps him to forget that he's nauseous from being underneath New York, and jumps a little when the train zooms by. The two of them rush on as people come off the train. It's not as crowded as the platform, but Ravi opts to stand up for the ride because everything is giving him anxiety really but standing makes him less nervous. The ride isn't long, and they get to their destination within ten minutes (of course, Ravi is too focused on staying calm to pay attention to where they get off). It's not until they're back on the street and Ravi can breathe fresh air again that he realizes they're in—
"Central Park?" he turns to Grayson curiously.
Grayson nods as they cross the street. "One of my favorite places in the city. I love coming here in summer and fall, especially since there's always stuff to do and the weather is perfect for it." He looks at Ravi and Ravi thinks he sees a hint of panic in his hazel eyes. "You like the park, right? I mean, I assumed you do since you live close…"
Ravi nods frantically. "Yes of course. I used to come here all the time." That fact is true. He's always loved coming to Central Park, especially when he was younger. He has fond memories of Jessie taking him and his siblings to the playground multiple times and enjoying running around and playing with other kids his age. But at some point, he stopped going. He's not sure when. And he's not sure whether it's more because he outgrew it or because he lost the desire to. Ravi tries to think of how many things he used to love doing that he lost the desire to do. There's too many to count.
He's completely sure that Grayson doesn't know any of that. He's never even told him so there's no way he could know. But for some reason his heart warms up at the fact that this is where Grayson brought him.
They enter the park a few bikers and runners pass by. "Good because if we're gonna be friends, you have to be up to going to Central Park all the time with me." Grayson says. "It's a requirement. Ask anyone." Grayson begins to walk ahead, and Ravi almost forgets to follow along because he's pretty sure Grayson just said that they are friends.
They start walking through the "Mall" (it still baffles Ravi that this is what America calls the pathway through the park), passing by all types of people sitting around, rollerblading, having picnics, walking dogs, and making out, which gives Ravi second hand embarrassment. Each time he would accidentally spot two people locking lips, Ravi's cheeks would heat up and he'd focus all his energy on his black converse. They pass under Bethesda Terrace where they stop to watch a guy performing a magic show, which both Grayson and Ravi find to be mediocre and have to stifle a laugh when the magician pulls very cheap looking flowers out of a beat-up hat. They continue to walk, conversation coming naturally to them much like it did that Wednesday during lunch.
They continue to walk as the sun begins to set. The fallen leaves, decorated in different shades of red, yellow, and orange, blows by them on the ground as the wind takes them. They pass through Strawberry Fields, where activity is still a buzz. A group of break dancers have attracted a decent sized crowd with their flips and tricks. The two boys stop for a minute, but the smell of curry and lentils and other Indian spices catches Ravi off-guard, because how often does one smell Indian delicacies? He turns in the direction the scent is coming from and is surprised to see a small cart somewhere off to the side selling Indian Samosa's. Grayson sees the look of surprise on Ravi's face, and grabs his wrist and drags him over to the cart (and Ravi's faces grows very hot). Grayson buys them each a Samosa, though he looks at the small pastry skeptically.
"Are you going to eat that?" Ravi says after finishing off his (which tasted just like India).
Grayson blushes and Ravi's heart skips a beat. "Yeah it's just… I've never had it before and trying new food hasn't always been my favorite thing."
Ravi smiles because Grayson looking flustered like this must be one of the cutest things he's ever seen. "Just try it. It's really good I promise. And if you don't like it you can just give it to me."
Grayson nods and takes a bite of the Samosa. Then his eyes widen. Then he takes another. Then another. The Samosa is finished in four bites.
Ravi giggles and Grayson buys more.
The small trip winds down as they reach Gapstow Bridge, the sky slowly turning a dark blue since the sun has disappeared. A few stars peek through the thick clouds along with the silvery moon. They lean on the ledge of the Bridge, watching people in boats pass by in the pond, along with ducks, fishes, and a few turtles.
"Waxing gibeous." Grayson says. Ravi turns to him, having been distracted by the sky above them. "That's what the moon is right now, right? That's the lunar phase?"
"Yeah." Ravi smiles, remembering the first time Grayson came to the penthouse and Ravi could barely form intelligible words. "You remembered."
"Of course, I did." Grayson states. "How could I forget when I had an awesome teacher help me remember it?"
Ravi is almost disappointed until he realizes that Grayson isn't talking about Mrs. Houts. "Oh. I-I'm not much of a teacher…"
"You're too humble sometimes." Grayson chuckles, throwing some bread crumbs he brought into the water. "I wonder what they're gonna do with the animals when it gets cold." They both watch the ducks hungrily swim around for the bread crumbs.
Ravi shrugs. "The animals are moved somewhere else I think. I can't really remember what happens to them."
"Do you want to feed them some?" Grayson holds out the bag of bread crumbs to Ravi. Ravi nods as he sticks his hand in the bag. He brushes Grayson fingers as he pulls his hands out and ignores the tingle that runs up his arm and down his spine. He's not sure whether Grayson felt it too because judging by his expression, he either didn't or is doing a better job at ignoring it than Ravi is.
Ravi throws the bread crumbs in, and they watch the ducks dive after the food, smiling and laughing at the bliss. When was the last time Ravi could say he felt anything near bliss?
They stand there in a comfortable silence for a few moments, watching the calmness of the pond water, scattered with fallen leaves and lily pads. They've spent about an hour in the park, not doing much of anything but still managing to have a fun time. Every moment spent with Grayson makes Ravi feel like less of an awkward mess and more comfortable, even if it's only a little bit. He remembers how Grayson hinted at the notion that they're friends, and after today, Ravi feels perfectly confident in saying that he and Grayson are very much friends. Even if that is all he'll ever be able to call him.
"I think this is one of my favorite parts about this place." Grayson brings Ravi out of his thoughts. "Coming here to feed the ducks. It's kind of a tradition with my family actually. Every year on the first day of summer, my entire family has this picnic barbeque thing. We ride bikes, play games, run around. And at some point, my cousins and I have this duck feeding contest to see who can feed the most ducks. We've been doing it ever since I moved here, and it's probably the stupidest thing ever, but I can't imagine a year without it."
Ravi shakes his head. "That doesn't sound stupid." He wishes he had something like that. A tradition he enjoyed or looked forward to every year, or something he can recalling loving in the past few years. "It actually sounds like a lot of fun."
Grayson just shrugs. "Not a lot of people think that. I told some friends about it, and even brought them along. They all said it was boring so I just stopped bring people that aren't family."
Ravi considers his words. "It's not boring. It just takes the right person to appreciate it."
"Maybe you're right." Ravi watches as he crumples up the empty bag. "Like, I guess I see why some people might think the duck feeding part isn't exciting. It's just throwing bread in water, right?" He runs a hand through his chocolate colored loose quiff. "But nobody really understands what that really means to me. Feeding the ducks. And I don't really expect them to but…" He trails off.
"What does it mean to you?" Ravi unconsciously shuffles closer to Grayson.
Grayson looks out into the water, as if caught in a distant memory. "I was eleven when I first came to this park. Fresh out the Bronx. I'd barely been to Manhattan as it is, and Central Park was always a place I thought about going to, and saw pictures and videos of, but never believed I'd actually get there. Like Disneyland, or Paris or something. My uncle brought me here one day because he knew I'd never been. He likes to remind me of how my eyes bugged out of my head when I saw how big and beautiful this place is." Grayson smiles to himself at the memory. "And we spent the majority of the day here. On this bridge feeding the ducks." Grayson pauses, looking at Ravi with the most sincere look in his eyes. Ravi can't look away but is forced to when Grayson looks out at the pond again.
"And I remember," Grayson continues, "that day there was this small family of ducks. A mother duck, and like three or four little ones. And there was a small turtle following them too. He was kinda just swimming around with them. Nothing too serious. But my uncle said to me, 'you see the mother duck right there? She's taking care of her ducklings like any mother would. But you see how she's also taking care of the turtle? Even though he's not her kid? You see how she loves him and welcomes him into her family? Amazing isn't it…'"
Ravi feels a tug in his heart at the similarities of what Grayson said and how he felt when he was first adopted. But he doesn't say anything.
Grayson laughs. "They were honestly just swimming around and not really doing anything. And my uncle was probably just talking out of his ass. But I got what my he was trying to say. And it really meant the world to me."
Ravi wants to say something. He wants to add to everything Grayson just said. But he still harbors the ever-present feeling of anxiety at the thought of talking about how he feels, and voicing his inner secrets and demons. Not only that, but who's to say Grayson will even care? Who's to say that Grayson won't brush him off and dismiss him? Even if they are kind of "friends" now?
Also, Ravi has just realized how the proximity between him and Grayson has grown smaller, and how his arm is almost touching Grayson's. He feels the blood rush to his cheeks as he shivers.
"Are you cold?" Grayson asks, noticing the shiver.
Ravi shakes his head. "No, no I'm uh, fine." He doesn't move, and neither does Grayson. Instead, Ravi musters up the same courage he had during group and takes a deep breath. "I, uh, I actually know what you mean. A-about the, uh, duck thing." He's stuttering and can't bring his eyes to meet Grayson's topaz eyes, but he continues. "When I was first adopted, it was hard for me to believe that a family that barely knew me would accept me. Sometimes it still is…" Ravi pauses. "But they did." He finally looks up at Grayson who gives him a smile. Ravi smiles back, his heart feeling lighter at being able to say all of that.
A silence falls on them again, as they stand by each other, watching the water. Finally, Grayson breaks the silence again. "When was the last time you came here Ravi?"
Ravi turns to look at him before the question registers. "I don't know. Maybe when I was twelve or thirteen."
"How come you stopped coming? If you don't mind me asking." Grayson quickly adds the last part after witnessing how Ravi's demeanor completely changes when he asks the question.
Ravi stares back down at the pond, biting his lip as he remembers how happy coming to the park used to make him, and how free he felt being able to run around and play like a normal kid after not being able to do anything enjoyable in the orphanage. He remembers how, like Grayson, he's eyes grew wide upon seeing how extravagant Central Park really was compared to the pictures he's seen. It used to be one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Ravi also remembers when those feelings abruptly changed. It was around the time when he would constantly come home from school, the darkness of his mental room eating away at him at a rapid pace as he failed to fight back hot boiling tears. It was around the time when he broke open a random disposable razor he found and started etching small cuts in his arm, letting the disgusting, addictive euphoria of the self-made wound distracted him from everything else. It was around the time when he first ever considered the option of taking his own life.
He doesn't realize he's clutching at his left arm, at the spot the protruded scar is located, until Grayson places a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Ravi slowly brings his eyes up to pools of topaz, their softness bringing him comfort he didn't realize he needed. Looking into those eyes makes him want to be open with Grayson, and let him in. Those eyes tell him that he can trust the older teen, that despite how confusing and mentally exhausting life gets, that fact will always remain a constant.
"I, uhh," Ravi clears away the crack in his voice, "I used to come here all the time when I was younger. With my family mainly. We were all young at the time and only really came for the playground because Luke, Emma, and Zuri used to complain about the rest of the park. But some days, Jessie would take me around the rest of the park because everything about New York amazed and excited me, and I just wanted to explore everything and take it all in. And I wasn't able to do much of anything in India, so being here made me feel free. And happy for a while."
Ravi takes a deep, shaky breath. "I don't remember exactly when things changed. It was a slow gradual process, I guess. But at some point, I just lost motivation to go anywhere or do anything. Coming here didn't fill me with excitement anymore, but nothing really did anyway. Instead I just felt numb to most things. And gradually, nothing had meaning anymore…" Ravi takes another shaky breath. "…because it felt like my life stopped having meaning…"
There's a lump in his throat preventing him from saying anything else, but at the same time a small weight lifted off his shoulders. He doesn't have time to register how he feels yet because a soft voice says, "Your life has always had meaning." And a warm hand cups his cheek, brushing away the tear he hadn't realized he shed.
And Ravi is suddenly drowning in pools of topaz, sinking further into the brown and golden specks. And his cheek warms where Grayson is holding it still, his thumb lightly brushing it. And there's this invisible thread that feels like it wants to pull Ravi closer to Grayson even though they're already really close, far closer than friends should be. And the day has been close to perfect, walking around the park, laughing at the magician, eating Indian Samosa's and feeding the ducks, so why not make it more perfect—
The shrill and abrasive sound of a ringtone going off causes them both to jump. Ravi rapidly blinks, as if waking up from a dream. Grayson fishes his phone out of his pocket as Ravi takes a second to shuffle away from him, the closeness suddenly making him feel uncomfortable.
"Hi tía… I'm hanging out at Central Park with a friend… uh huh… I'm coming home now… okay… love you too tía… bye." Grayson pockets his phone, the slightest red ting staining his olive skin. "That was my aunt. I was supposed to be home thirty minutes ago." Grayson chuckles.
Ravi smiles. "I should probably get home too before my family gets worried about me."
Grayson nods. "Lemme walk you home."
"Wha—, n-no you don't have to." Ravi splutters.
Grayson's smile penetrates the darkness. "I insist Ravi." Something about the way Ravi's name rolls off Grayson's tongue gives him chills. He nearly trips over when Grayson swings an arm around him and they start walking because his knees are so weak. And on top of that, he's still feeling the incredible high of being so close to Grayson, and almost potentially kissing him (cue the blushing). He doesn't know if Grayson can feel it too though. He's sure Grayson doesn't.
The walk to Ravi's building is short, quiet, and comfortable. Within minutes they're standing in front of the building, and their perfect night officially reaches an end. They say their goodbyes, and Ravi heads upstairs, his shoulders still sensitive from the feeling of Grayson's arm around him, and his cheeks sore from how wide his grin is. He can't help but wonder what would have happened had Grayson not gotten a phone call. Would they have kissed? Would Grayson have realized what was happening and moved away from Ravi as quickly as possible?
Ravi is still smiling when he walks out of the elevator to find his siblings huddled together in deep discussion. Well, he doesn't initially realize how deep their discussion might be because in his Grayson induced giddiness, he rather loudly says, "Hey guys!" to which Luke, Emma, and Zuri jump apart from each other as if electrocuted.
"Uhh, are you guys okay?" Ravi stops in his tracks, his smile dropping as his face morphs into an expression of confusion.
"Of course!"
"Why do you ask?"
"We're definitely not being suspicious!"
They all speak at once. Nope, not suspicious at all. Ravi just quirks an eyebrow at them. "Okay?"
"So, how was group therapy Ravi?" Emma asks, in a horrible attempt at changing the subject and trying to seem casual.
Ravi shrugs and sits on the edge of the sofa, dropping his bookbag on the ground. He'd be lying if he said he remembered much of anything from group. It was all going as well as expected until his sense of smell locked on whatever it is Grayson uses to make himself smell like a golden covered heaven. Ravi was rightfully distracted for most of group, but he'd rather not share all of that with his siblings who have no idea of his sexual preference. "It was okay I guess. Nothing special really. It's getting more tolerable though."
"I thought it ended at 5:30." Luke checks his Apple watch. "Why are you home so late?"
Ravi answers absentmindedly as his phone buzzes with a text from Dana. "It did end at 5:30, but Grayson and I decided to hang out, so we went to Central Park—"
Ravi is cut off by Zuri choking on whatever she is drinking and coughing loudly and dramatically. Luke pats her on the back as she coughs and struggles to steady herself. She's practically red in the face despite her dark complexion. "You and who?" She manages in between breaths.
"…me and Grayson?"
"Grayson Sinclair?"
"Do you know any other Grayson?"
The expression on Zuri's face is like a cross between a blowfish and a lit firecracker. She looks just about ready to explode with either happiness or intense anxiety. Ravi inches away from her because he's not sure why she's acting like that, nor does he want to find out why.
"Okay, this has been a great conversation and all, but I think I'm going to head upstairs to my room." Ravi grabs his bag as he stands. He waves and starts toward the stairs.
He doesn't miss how Luke mutters, "Way to play it cool," to Zuri under his breath, nor how Emma huffs in frustration. Ravi just shakes his head as he walks up the stairs. He can't concentrate on the odd behaviors of his siblings when he can't get the near perfect evening he's had out of his mind.
Ravi is abruptly interrupted from his history homework Saturday night by the shrill ringing of his phone. He almost doesn't believe it's his phone that's ringing since he never get's calls (he literally has two friends) and all his siblings are home so who in the world would be calling him? He checks his phone thinking that it's one of those scams calling about a resort him never stayed at or car insurance, and nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees the caller ID. His face somehow pales and turns red all at once, and he scrambles to throw aside his history notes, and manages to drop his phone twice before finally answering the call.
"H-hello?" He stutters, his voice cracking ungracefully.
"Blue is Bram!" Grayson's overly excited voice comes through the phone.
"…huh?" Ravi is vaguely aware of what he said but can't fully focus due to the fact that his heart is racing and his mind is spinning because Grayson freaking Sinclair just called him!
"The person Simon has been messaging is Bram!" Grayson say's again, and Ravi can most definitely hear him smile. "It was Bram all along!"
It takes Ravi a whole five seconds to realize what Grayson is talking about. "Wait, you finished the book already?" Ravi almost forgot about the book Grayson borrowed from him. He's barely remembered anything since he keeps replaying their… hang out (that's what Ravi has to call it since he can't call it a date) over and over in his head. He only stopped thinking about it maybe twenty minutes ago when he started his homework. And now, he's thinking about it again. Great.
"Heh, yeah I did." Grayson chuckles. "You were right. Blue definitely isn't a creepy old man in a basement trying to kill teenagers."
Ravi does the breath-laugh again. "Y-yeah I, uh, I told you. I can't believe you finished it already." Especially since it took Ravi a whole year.
"I started reading it as soon as I got home last night and couldn't put it down because it was so good." Grayson explains. "I think I went to sleep at maybe 4 A.M. because I was so invested in it. My aunt cursed me out when she woke up to use the bathroom and saw me still up and everything, but it was honestly worth it."
They both laugh. "Well I'm happy that you enjoyed it as much as I did."
"Yeah. Thanks for lending it to me. I still can't believe that it ended up being Bram the entire time. I didn't see that coming at all."
"…I actually figured out it was Bram before the end of the book."
"Really? How?"
Ravi shifts so he's lying down. "Some contexts clue's. And the protagonist never focused as much on him as anyone else he considered to be Blue. And I knew the author would make it the last person you would expect it to be."
"Huh. I wish I thought of that. At first I thought it was Cal Price or maybe one of the football players that kept bullying him."
"Why them?"
"Isn't it proven that many homophobes are actually gay themselves and bully other gays to mask their true feelings?"
Just hearing Grayson say the word "gay" makes Ravi's heart jump and his cheeks darken. "Though that may be true, I doubt that's the type of story the author was trying to portray. It's supposed to be one of those feel-good type of stories."
"That's honestly better insight than I could ever have." Ravi blushes harder at the compliment. "I was looking online and saw that there's a movie based on this book. Have you seen it yet?"
"No, but I've heard that it did well, and it portrayed the book well."
"We should probably watch it one day."
Ravi's phone slides right out of his hand and drops right onto his chest. He fails to hide his yelp as he scrabbles to pick it back up and press it back to his ear, ignoring the dull throbbing he now feels in his chest. "Oh! Um, yeah, s-sure. We, uhh, w-we should definitely do that one day together. Y-you know, if, uh, if you really want to as long as it's not inconvenient or anything and whatever…"
"Ravi you're rambling." Grayson laughs. He's pretty sure his face can't get any hotter than it is at the moment because it might as well be competing with the gates of hell.
"S-sorry." Ravi mutters.
"Hey, don't worry about it. But listen, I gotta go. I'm supposed to be watching my little cousins and I think they're fighting over something stupid. I'll see you Monday, yeah?"
Ravi nods rapidly, forgetting that Grayson can't see him. "Yes, of course! Definitely."
They hang up the phone. Or, Grayson hangs up the phone while Ravi keeps it pressed to his ear for a whole two minutes with the goofiest of smiles on his face. He finally removes the phone from his face and looks at the recent calls just to make sure he didn't imagine the conversation. Sure enough, clear as day, Grayson's name and number is right there as the most recent call. Ravi feels his cheeks stretch more as his grin widens, the cliché feeling of butterflies fluttering in his stomach ever so present. He's barely able to understand why on earth someone like Grayson Sinclair would ever want to be his friend, let alone hang out with him and talk to him outside of school. But here Ravi is, lying in his bed after just talking on the phone to the handsome, hazel eyed teen. Here he is, actually feeling comfortable around Grayson, instead of feeling incredibly awkward and insecure. Here he is feeling like maybe he's not a burden to everyone he knows. Coming to this realization is like talking a breath of fresh air for the first time after being held under water. It's like seeing the sun for the first time after being trapped in a dark room.
It's refreshing.
There's a knock at his door and Ravi, not really noticing it, says, "Come in."
Jessie opens his room door. "Dinner is ready—" Jessie pauses when she notices the giddiness on Ravi's face. "You look incredibly happy."
Ravi's eyes snap to Jessie, finally realizing that he isn't alone anymore. "Huh? Oh, I was just reading something funny." He lies.
Jessie nods, seeming to buy it. "Alright, well dinners on the table. Come down whenever you're ready, okay?" She smiles at him and closes his door. There was once a time when she would just yell for him to come downstairs rather than coming to his room to get him. There was one a time when Ravi would be in his room for hours without anyone coming to check on him, including Jessie.
Ravi shakes his head and gets up. He can't think about that at the moment. He just got off the phone with Grayson Sinclair. Grayson freaking Sinclair.
And he can't stop smiling.
I already have some of the next chapter written out so hopefully I can get that up soon. Thanks for reading guys! I love you all so much!
-Bye Felicia