"Is there a problem here, boys?" the officer asks through the emergency exit.
"No, everything's fine, Sir." Ryan answers waving politely.
"Are you sure? The bus was a-rockin'; that's why I came a-knockin'." The patrol officer continues.
"I swear everything's okay." I interject stepping toward the window.
"And what exactly are you two doing alone on a broken-down school bus from a good sixty-five miles away, anyway?" he persists.
"We're with the East High Wrestling Team. The bus broke down a couple of hours ago and the school district couldn't send us another until after school got out. My friend's mother drove the replacement to us, with her daughter following in the family's caravan; the one parked in front of us. It was decided that since we had the time on our hands, the team walked into Socorro to eat lunch, but by the time we made it, it turned into more of an early dinner. So since our friend and her mother had still needed to eat, Ryan here and I brought the van to pick up everyone's gym bags. So, here we are." I speak rather quickly. I figure that the patrolman doesn't buy it, but at least it's the truth.
"So, why was it rocking, then?" he inquires
"One of the bags was stuck under the seat and it was taking both of us to get it free. I didn't figure we shifted the weight that much, but anything's possible, I guess." Ryan states as cool as a cucumber. I make note that he lies really well. So, that makes two things that he does really well.
"Okay boys. Just be quick and drive safely getting back into town. I'd hate to read the headlines stating that two of the state's finest athletes were slain by rush hour traffic." He concludes. We both nod enthusiastically and he turns on his heel to return to the patrol car.
After the law enforcement vehicle was plainly visible through the windshield of the public transport, Ryan gives an exaggerated sigh and sinks onto the bench opposite where I stand. "That was a close call." He sighs again. I smirk at the blush that creeps onto his cheeks once more. "Now, where were we?" He shoves me onto the bench and starts to crawl onto me again.
"Actually, Ry… I'm not really ready for this yet. I mean, we haven't even been going out for eight hours yet. I want you to know that I love you before I try to show you how much I love you." I went from being scared of getting caught to being scared of losing him in just a matter of two thoughts. I look longingly into his eyes and I see understanding.
"But I want to prove it to you now." He pouts. "I've been waiting for this since the third grade!" He gives me puppy dog eyes and his bottom lip is protruding exaggeratedly.
I give him an incredulous look, "Third grade? But we met in third grade." I'm suddenly very interested. "When did you know you were gay?"
He blushes and tries to get away. I grab him by the wrist and when he attempts to break my hold, I grasp tighter. I don't want to hurt him, but I want him to get the idea that there's no running from this.
"Seriously, Ry. When?" He composes himself and sits back onto the other bench. I sit up and kindly hold his hands.
"September 6th, 1994." He answers plainly. I give him a look that says 'you're not getting off the hook that easily'. So, he takes another breath and starts, "It was a Tuesday, the first day of school. I looked around the room and there was this amazing boy sitting in the corner. The moment I saw his face, I popped my first boner."
I couldn't help but giggle. But we were in the same class. I was new to the school, considering that my mom had gotten a better-paying job and we moved into a nicer neighborhood.
"Every day, I would see this poor, sad, little angel and he would cause my body to do weird things. That's when I knew."
I looked him in the eyes with a confused acceptance. I don't remember anyone being so secluded. I would've noticed too. I was a loner back then.
"But I know what you really want to ask. You want to know when I started to have feelings for you, n'est-ce pas?" (literally – Isn't that so?; idiomatically – Right?) I nodded enthusiastically. "One day at recess, we were one person shy of a good game of Red Rover and so I went to my angel and asked him if he wanted to play. He accepted gladly. I continued with, 'by the way, my name's Ryan.' And he responded, 'Troy.' And he shook my hand. With that handshake, I thought I felt the earth shake, the clouds rumble, and the sky light from an angelic source. That's when I knew that I wouldn't know happiness until you knew how I felt."
"It only took you nine years, Ry. I'm impressed." I chuckled.
"Yeah, but the earth would really have to swallow me whole to keep us apart now." He smiles as he entwines his left hand into mine and draws his right to my cheek. He caresses me gently so I lean forward and place a chaste kiss upon his lips.
When I reopen the eyes that I didn't realize that I had closed, it is significantly darker. "We really should get back." I state. He nods his head while resting his forehead against mine. So we quickly load the van and head back toward town.
Sorry last chapter was so short; I hope this one makes up for it.