AN: I do not own anything recognizable

Chapter 13

Despite Cyrus's best efforts to get TJ out of his mind the previous day by hanging out with Buffy and Jonah, the end result of the day was just too much for him to handle. Of course Kira would be the one to ruin things between him and TJ again. Cyrus began to believe that there was no one else better for the job; at least, he hoped there wasn't because he didn't want any more trouble than there already was.

That night, Buffy's and Jonah's support was simply white noise to Cyrus. He knew that they were just trying to be supportive of him, but he was stuck inside his own head. He looked back on how after he went to the park and saw TJ and Kira together, he cried himself to sleep. He couldn't help but wonder if TJ was feeling this too. Did TJ miss him? Did TJ feel any remorse whatsoever? Was TJ actively trying to make him jealous?

It weighed on Cyrus while he tried to figure out what was going on in his boyfriend's mind. Did TJ even still want to be with Cyrus?

It was a Sunday that Cyrus spent deep in antagonizing thought. Realizing that this was the second weekend in a row that he had no thought on his mind other than TJ, he knew that he needed to do something about it. He couldn't live like this. He needed to give himself space. He tried, but he ran into TJ in the park. He needed not to feel like he couldn't even go out without toxic thoughts about his relationship intruding on his good time.

That Sunday night was family dinner night with the parents with whom Cyrus lived. They liked to do that every so often to catch up and make sure that they all stayed close. They believed that eating meals together was a great way to do that.

At family dinner, Cyrus came up with an idea that might actually help him get his mind off of TJ this time.

"Have either of you ever been skiing?" he asked out of nowhere when his parents were in the middle of a conversation about something else; Cyrus wasn't even sure what it was, because TJ was on his mind. That's how he knew he desperately had to get away from the situation for a while.

The two of them looked at each other, confused because of how irrelevant Cyrus's question was to their conversation.

"Um, no, I've never been," Sharon, Cyrus's step-mom, said. "Why do you ask?"

"Dad, have you ever been?"

"I've been once, but too long ago for me to remember very well," his dad, Norman, responded.

"I was thinking that we should plan a ski trip!" Cyrus exclaimed.

Norman and Sharon exchanged puzzled glances. They knew their son. Skiing did not seem like a thing he would just want to do, given how little he invested himself in physical activity.

"What made you interested in skiing?" asked Norman.

"It's just something I've never done before. I want to try some new things," Cyrus replied.

Norman and Sharon glanced at each other again, but this time it was out of their own curiosity and desire to try something new. They both shrugged. They were also both pleased at Cyrus's sudden excitement for doing things unfamiliar to him, as they know that is something with which he had struggled before.

"Why not?" Sharon said with an accepting shrug. "Sounds like a lot of fun."

"We can get on that within the next couple of weeks and figure out what we want to do," said Norman. "There should be a lot of good places for skiing in January."

"Actually," Cyrus added, with a bit of hesitation because he knew he was about to make an odd request, "Can we go next weekend?"

Norman and Sharon were again taken aback by this. They didn't anticipate Cyrus's haste. The topic just seemed to come up out of nowhere, and they didn't know what to make of it. Why was Cyrus so eager to go skiing, and why so soon?

"Well, you have school," Sharon reminded him. "I was thinking we could leave on a Friday when you were off, and come back on Sunday evening."

"What if I missed school on Friday?" Cyrus asked, as if it were no big deal.

"I don't really know how we would feel about you missing school," Norman was apprehensive about the idea. "Besides, why do you want to go next weekend as opposed to any other weekend?"

The real reason that Cyrus wanted to go on a trip was because he wanted to get out of town so that he didn't have to worry about TJ. He knew he would have to go to school all week and see TJ in his English class, and he was dreading that. In fact, it was one of the reasons he really wouldn't mind missing school that Friday. Cyrus didn't even care if they went skiing. He just wanted to do anything other than have to think about his fading relationship with TJ. A ski trip was just the first thing that came to mind. It would be wrong to say that the idea hadn't interested him before, though. He had never been, and he felt like it was something he wanted to try.

Of course, Cyrus wasn't out to any of his parents yet, so he couldn't tell them that this was all about TJ. They knew TJ was friends with Cyrus, but they didn't know that they were dating. Cyrus had to fabricate some sort of a reason why he wanted to go skiing in the immediate future that wouldn't make his parents suspicious that he was keeping something from them. He decided that he would appeal to their professions as therapists and said that he needed something for his mental health.

"I've just been really stressed out lately," Cyrus replied to his dad. "I've been having a hard time at school." It wasn't really a lie. There was truth to everything Cyrus was saying.

"What specifically is bothering you?" Sharon asked.

"It's just a lot," Cyrus responded, having to cover up a little, "being at a new school and only knowing a few people. Sure, I'm still with friends, but it's just a strange environment. I just feel like I need to get away from it, and the sooner the better."

"How have you been doing on your homework?" Norman asked with skepticism.

Cyrus believed that his dad asking this question was a good sign because he wouldn't have asked if he didn't start to consider Cyrus's request. "Great! It can be stressful, but I'm staying on top of it." Knowing that his parents would want more, he said, "and I can get my homework for the weekend from my teachers and finish it early! Anything that I don't finish before Friday, I can do on Sunday night when we get back!"

Norman and Sharon exchanged looks yet again. Once they broke eye contact, Sharon turned to Cyrus, "We're not making any promises, but your father and I will talk about it."

"And your mother and I will talk about it," Norman chimed in, acknowledging that this was a decision he probably shouldn't make without Leslie.

Cyrus smiled, "Thanks, just let me know."

They finished their dinner, and Cyrus was hopeful. Even if they didn't end up going on the ski trip, at least he could keep himself under the illusion that he would have something to look forward to at the end of the week. If nothing else, it gave him something to think about besides TJ.

The next day at lunch, Cyrus told Buffy about his conversation with his parents.

"A ski trip sounds so cool!" Buffy reacted.

"Well, I don't know if it's actually happening yet," said Cyrus. "There are still a few hoops to jump through."

"Well, for your sake, I hope it does happen," Buffy sided with Cyrus.

"Me too," Cyrus agreed. "But what do I do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have to go to class after lunch, and TJ is in it. I don't know if he saw us or if he knows if we saw them. Should I say something? I feel like I shouldn't. But what if he wants me to? How can I know for sure if he even-"

"Cyrus!" Buffy interrupted, "Worrying about that isn't going to do you any good right now. Just carry on with your day."

Cyrus's shoulders slumped like they usually do after he tenses up and is brought back down to Earth. "I really need this ski trip."

"Yes, you do," Buffy agreed.

Although Buffy was right that worrying wouldn't do Cyrus any good, that didn't stop Cyrus from worrying. He went to his English class, and it was awkward. He saw TJ look over once, but he chose not to acknowledge it. He hoped that TJ would come up and talk to him. He hated feeling so apart from his boyfriend, even when they were so close.

To make matters worse, their English teacher announced that they would be working in groups that day. They got to choose their own groups. Cyrus, while desperate to work with TJ, needed to know that TJ still wanted him. He knew that it wouldn't work if he just went up to TJ and asked to be in the same group. He was even afraid that TJ might get mad.

To Cyrus's disappointment, TJ decided not to be in a group with Cyrus. Little did he know that TJ also wanted Cyrus to come to him. They somehow didn't even make eye contact that day.

Cyrus went home at the end of the day, feeling like he had just had his heart ripped out. It was the same feeling he had after seeing TJ with Kira on the basketball court in the park, only this time it wasn't as bad because he already knew that feeling.

Unbeknownst to Cyrus, his four parents – Sharon, Leslie, Norman, and Todd – all talked to try and figure out what was going on with Cyrus and if getting away would really help him. Since Sharon and Norman were at home, they pulled him aside when he got home and talked to him.

"Cyrus, we first want to know that everything is okay with you," Norman said after they told him that the group of four all talked. "We want to make sure that if you're struggling, you know you can talk to us."

Cyrus needed to take a moment before responding to that prompt. He still wasn't ready to come out to them. It's not that he didn't want them to know; he figured that at this point, any less than positive reaction would only weigh on him more, and he didn't need another thing on his plate.

He opted for what he believed was the safest way to respond with a half-truth. "I'm okay. I just feel really weighed down right now. I can't really focus on anything, and I think it's because I'm trying too hard. I just need to force myself to get away from my stress for a little bit."

"Well, Cyrus," Sharon began, "you have to know that stress is a part of life, and you can't always escape it. Sometimes you just have to power through."

This response from his step-mom disappointed Cyrus. He really thought he would be able to convince his parents about this ski trip, but at that point, it didn't seem like it was going to happen.

When Cyrus thought this, his thought process was interrupted because Sharon wasn't quite done. "However," she said, giving Cyrus back a bit of hope, "in this situation, we know that this is all very new to you and we want to help you out as much as possible."

"So," Norman dovetailed off of Sharon's comment, "the four of us decided that this trip would be good for you."

Cyrus lit up upon hearing this decision. He would be able to get away for the weekend and not have to worry for once.

"Todd and your mom are busy this weekend, so we're going to take you," Norman clarified.

"Plus," Sharon clarified, "your father and I thought it would be a good family bonding experience."

"Just make sure that you ask your teachers for the work you need to make up on Friday like you said you would," Norman chimed in.

"Of course!" Cyrus agreed, just delighted that he would get this chance. "What can I do to help plan? I don't want you to have to do it all yourselves."

"You've got a lot going on, it seems," Norman said. "We'll take care of everything."

Cyrus was fine with that. He was just glad that he was going to get the getaway that he needed.

The next day was awkward again in English class. There was more group work, and neither TJ nor Cyrus picked each other. They still didn't make eye contact, even throughout the rest of the week. Cyrus got through their ignoring each other by thinking about the exciting ski trip that his parents were planning for the weekend. That truly was going to be a saving grace for him.

On Thursday, when more details of the trip were planned out, Cyrus went to talk to Buffy at lunch. He lit up more than Buffy had seen him light up since being yelled at by TJ. "If I'm not here tomorrow, take a guess where I'll be," Cyrus said smugly with a smile. It was a smile that Buffy hadn't seen since Cyrus teased her about Marty when they first became a thing.

"Your parents said yes to the ski trip?" Buffy asked excitedly.

"Yep!" Cyrus actually looked happy for the first time in a while. "We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Well I'm glad that you get to do that," Buffy said supportively. "This is your chance to just let go of it all for a weekend."

"I know!" Cyrus said. "And I'm excited, too! Also kind of nervous," he said with a sudden shift to the tone he had when Jonah first tried to teach him how to skateboard. "Do you think I'll be any good at skiing?" he asked Buffy casually.

Buffy just responded with laughter. She was just happy that her best friend would get to be happy. It had been a while, and it took a toll on Cyrus's general quirkiness, which is a part of Cyrus that Buffy missed dearly. It seemed to show itself quite a bit in this interaction, which pleased Buffy greatly.

When Cyrus, Norman, and Sharon left the next morning for the trip, Cyrus could not be more ecstatic. He was so excited to try something he had never done before. Norman and Sharon knew that it was the right decision to make the trip when they saw Cyrus's quirkiness come back that morning. They had also noticed its absence for the past couple of weeks.

When they got there, it was around lunch time, so they grabbed a quick bite to eat. Afterwards, they checked in at the ski resort and began their weekend retreat.

As they saw signs directing them to each slope with varying degrees of thrill, Norman asked "so where should we go first?"

Cyrus and Sharon looked at each other and simultaneously said "bunny slope," with a nod and a laugh. Neither of them had ever been skiing before, and with the options being the bunny slope, beginner slope, intermediate slope, and expert slope, they opted for the one that was deemed the easiest.

They all went along to the bunny slope. As they got off of the ski lift, Cyrus noticed it was about the time when he would normally be doing his writing warm-up in his English class. He began to think about TJ, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted and that maybe he should talk to TJ.

Instead, he turned his phone off. He decided that thinking about TJ was a slippery slope, and not the kind he wanted to experience on his ski trip.

Thinking of the words "slippery slope," Cyrus then began to freak out. Not about TJ, but about skiing. He looked forward. The bunny slope was so much bigger than he thought it was going to be. Even though it wasn't that steep, the only direction he could get himself to see was down. He froze in his tracks. He was afraid to move lest he fall over and hurt himself. It wasn't until he started whispering to himself that Norman and Sharon noticed there was something off.

"Cyrus?" called out Norman. "What are you whispering?"

"Prayers," Cyrus muttered, obviously petrified, "you know, just so I don't die."

Cyrus, now thinking about more existential threats to his life than TJ, began to whisper more to himself, "Dear God, if you do decide to take me, just know that I've been nothing but good in my life. Please remember that on judgement day-"

"Cyrus!" Sharon stopped him from his worrisome praying. "You're going to be fine! We'll be right here by your side the whole time!"

"What if I fall?" Cyrus worried.

"Then we'll be right here to pick you back up," his dad assured him. "That's what family does, isn't it?"

Cyrus took a deep breath, and together they slowly made their way down the hill. Norman helped both Cyrus and Sharon make their way down the slope because he knew a little bit from his last time skiing about how to stop and how to use the poles. They discussed all that before they started down.

Despite Cyrus's near panic attack at the top of the hill, he had a blast. Not once after his fearful prayer did he think about TJ. They stayed on the bunny slope for the remainder of Friday and even for a good chunk of Saturday. While none of them went anywhere near the intermediate or expert slopes, they did advance to the beginner slope. Of course, when Cyrus got to the top of the beginner slope for the first time, he was worried his lunch would come up while he went down. His dad and his step-mom once again helped calm him down and showed him a great time.

They did a little bit more skiing on Sunday morning. Cyrus enjoyed every second of it. He didn't think about his stress. He didn't think about his situation with TJ. He didn't think about the fact that he would have a bunch of work to do when he got back home before he went to school the next day. He didn't think about anything that weekend that didn't cause him joy. Cyrus just had such a great time. He didn't once pick up his phone while staying at the ski resort, not even to charge it. Instead, he took every opportunity to connect with Sharon and his dad. He was so grateful to have such amazing people looking after him. They put him as their first priority, and they made sure that he was okay at whatever cost. They even planned this ski trip for him because they knew how down he was feeling, even lacking context! They got him through so many of his own personal obstacles in life and in this trip.

Cyrus's weekend was one of the best he ever had. He experienced pure joy for the first time in weeks. Not only that, but he bonded so much more with two of the most influential people in his life, realizing that they cared for him and were going to be there for him no matter what.

Chapter 14 Coming Soon!