I'm Gay, He's Straight -SERIES- [boyxboy]

*Kiss Me Like You Did* IGHS Sequel {02} Slash

Taylor's POV

'Call me as soon as you get there.'

 'Uh huh.'

 'Send your washing home every week.'

 'Uh huh.'

 'I mean it. I don't want you getting smelly.'

 'Uh huh.'

 'And eat well!'

 'Uh huh.'

 'Go to all your classes.'

 'Uh huh.'

'And do your assignments.'

'Uh huh.'

'And put the toilet seat down when you're finished.'

'Mom!'

As if I wasn't already embarrassed enough by her mother-henning, Ryan practically choked on his own spit when she said that last bit. I blushed, glaring at her.

'And any time you want to bunk off sick and come home for family bonding time that's okay,' she added, then burst into tears.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around her; this was not helping. I was already terrified about moving the whole way across the country to go to Brown with Ryan, having her fall apart on me was not improving my outlook.

'Ignore your mother,' my dad said sternly, pushing us apart and putting his own arm around her. 'Don't even think about bunking off for a week. That place is costing us an arm and leg, you can stay for Christmas if you like.'

My mom elbowed him and tried to wriggle out of his grasp for one last hug, but my dad met Ryan's eye, who grabbed me firmly by the shoulders and manoeuvered me into the passenger seat of his convertible. He walked around to the other side, sat in, turned the key, and suddenly we were off. I resisted the urge to turn around and watch my parents disappear around the corner, but I did sneak a glance of them in the rear-view. My mom was punching my dad in the face screaming, 'He's my son!'

Good family image to be left with.

'You okay?' Ryan asked, glancing at me quickly before returning his attention to the road. It seemed like those were the only two words he said to me lately.

I sighed. 'Of course I'm okay.'

I could tell Ryan was biting back some remark, so I reached out and switched on the radio, then sat back and looked out my side window silently. Driving from California to Rhode Island was supposed to be an adventure, something to cheer me up and get me excited before we got to college. But if it was just gonna be Ryan and I giving each other the silent treatment for three days except for when he asked me if I was okay, then it wasn't exactly gonna be much fun, was it?

I sighed and turned to face him, putting my hand over his on the gear stick. He looked up at me, surprised. 'I'm sorry,' I muttered. 'I am fine though, really.'

Ryan gave me a broad smile and returned his attention to the road. 'Well that's all that matters,' he said softly, and I felt my tummy flip over guiltily.

I pinched myself surreptitiously on the inside of my wrist, turning to gaze out the window again. I felt the mental block I'd put up begin to break down, the twin chisels of Hope and Regret slowly but surely picking away at the concrete wall I thought I'd built around my past. I shook my head to try and think about something else; if I wasn't careful those liquid memories would start to flow through the cracks and that wasn't something anybody wanted.

I've never been the best at dealing with my emotions.

Ryan pulled onto the I-80, chattering on and on about where we could stop and whether we should take turns driving, and I pretended to listen, instead putting all my energy into the tricks I'd learnt for keeping myself... Well, sane. I wanted to turn the music up too loud and drown out my thoughts, but I didn't want to worry Ryan so I continued pinching myself in order to keep myself out of my own head, and smiled and nodded in all the right places. If I could convince them that I was fine, I could definitely convince him.