The next day, Ryan met Chad on the baseball diamond.
"Hey, Coach" Ryan smiled. Chad smiled as well, pleased with his new nickname.
"What do we do first?" Ryan asked, picking up a stray ball and throwing it into the air.
"We warm up, get our heart pumping" Chad told him.
"We could jog around the diamond" he suggested. And that's what they did. Both where quite fit. Chad from sport and Ryan from dancing so neither got tired or too out of breath.
"Right, good, now we could do some throwing and catching" Chad said, once they had run the diamond.
Chad threw the ball to Ryan, who caught it. That was pretty much all they did.
"We can't do anything else, because we can't start a game, there aren't enough players" Chad told Ryan, "next lesson, we'll do some hitting, now that's do a cool down" Chad thought for a moment before saying, "that's run around the diamond backwards"
"What?" Ryan asked, frowning.
"We did it once in basketball, it is so fun, come on" Chad told him, pulling him over to the first base. The touch itself encouraged Ryan on.
"Now run" Chad ordered him. It was weird and awkward, but lots of fun. Chad run in front of him, facing him, telling him where to go.
"This is strange" Ryan told Chad.
"Watch out, there's-"Chad started but it was too late. Ryan fell over the base and landed on the floor. Chad fell on top of Ryan.
Ryan burst out laughing, despite the pain that rushed through both sides.
Chad joined in, his hair moving with his laughs. Chad lent up on his elbow and looked down at Ryan.
They both stopped laughing and looked at each other.
Chad's face was dangerously close to Ryan's and it would just take a small movement to close the gap between their lips.
Thinking of this, Ryan nervously licked his lips. Chad watched him weirdly.
Ryan closed his eyes, so Chad's parted lips would stop teasing him.
Then Chad's lips were against his. Ryan opened his eyes in shock.
Chad had lent down and kissed him. His lips were gently moving with Ryan's because he had returned the kiss. Ryan couldn't believe it.
The boy he had a mad crash on, the boy he could life on, the boy he had thought was as straight as a ruler was kissing him, on the lips and meaning it.
Because Ryan could fell and see that Chad meant the kiss with every movement he made with his lips.
Chad slowly broke away from the kiss and opened his eyes.
Ryan didn't know what to do, his insides were going crazy and he smiled.
Chad looked at Ryan, and panic filled his brown eyes.
Much too Ryan's shock, Chad got up, covered in dirt. He looked at Ryan, kinder like he was scared and he looked like he was going to say something, but instead he walked off, without looking back.
Ryan looked at him leave the diamond, confused and hurt.
I don't understand, he kisses me and then walks away, Ryan thought standing up. Annoying the dirt that covered him head to foot, Ryan walked away.
Why did Chad kiss him? He had no idea that Chad had liked him in that way. That kiss had felt so…so real. Ryan had kissed someone before, but only when he had been acting. Those kisses meant nothing and hadn't felt like anything ether.
But that kiss with Chad had sent him soaring; unfortunately Ryan had got a crash landing.
Why had Chad just walked off? I would understand if I had kissed him, but I didn't. it was him, Ryan thought to himself.
Maybe it was a sigh, a sign showing me what I want and what I can't have. And now the one thing that means the most me at the moment has probably disappeared for ever, my friendship with Chad.
Ryan tried to find Chad, to sort things out. But he wasn't anywhere. He wasn't in the changing rooms or the small court where he sometimes played basket ball or the kitchen or the pool or anywhere.
Ryan decided to give up and go how, as he really needed to shower and time to think without lots of people around him.
About a mile away from Lava Springs, Ryan saw Chad walking. He was still covered in dirt and was walking slowly, a basketball under his arm.
"Hey, I've been looking for you" Ryan said. He couldn't ever remember being this nervous.
And Chad didn't even look up.
"It's a long walk back to your house" Ryan said, moving the car slowly so he could keep up with Chad's walking.
"I could give you a lift" Ryan offered.
Chad didn't reply. Ryan was angry now as none of this was his fault.
"Look-"Ryan started but was cut off by a noisy engine behind him.
It was Troy in his truck.
"Hey, Dudes" he called to them, pulling up beside them.
"Need a ride, man?" Troy asked Chad. Chad looked up and nodded. He completely disregarded Ryan and got into Troy's truck.
"Later, Dude" Troy said to Ryan then drove off.
Ryan just watched the dirty truck drive off, sad and confused.