summer

twenty nine

Dylan shrugs as they leave the boba tea place. They stroll through the mall, looking around lazily.

       "Oh my god, hey!" Lauren notices a group of guys across the mall and races over to them. Lily and Emmy follow her quickly, Kathy staying behind with Sawyer and Dylan again.

        "That's Damon, Sammy, Derek, and Liam!" Dylan and Sawyer look at each other, shocked.

"Derek's my cousin and Liam's his boyfriend!" Derek was a few years older than Dylan and they were never too close, but cousins all the same.

"And I haven't seen Sammy and Damon in a while." Kathy rolls her eyes.

"And I've got nothing better to do than hang around with you idiots. Come on, let's go." Sawyer, Dylan, and Kathy follow the rest for the group over to them.

       "Hey guys," calls Sawyer, waving to Sammy and Damon. They grin and nod to him. "I think you might've already met Dylan but here he is." Dylan nods awkwardly.

       "Dude, I missed you!" Liam tackles Dylan with a hug. Dylan had always liked Liam, him and Derek were getting pretty serious. They'd been dating for two years and were planning on going to the same college.

         "Sup, Dy." Derek nods to him, laughing at Liam's attack.

        "Do you know these guys?" Emmy looks confused but happy.

        "Do you know them?" Liam has the exact same look on his face as Emmy.

       "Uh, Derek's my cousin and they're  Sawyer's friends." Derek looks a bit confused.

       "Shut up, Dylan, we're you're friends too," laughs Kathy, elbowing Dylan. He smiles at her, blushing.

       "Wait, so Liam's friends with Sammy and Sammy's friends with Damon. Since me and Liam are dating we all hang out. Damon's friends with Lily, Emmy, Kathy, and Lauren so we sometimes hang out as well. How are you linked to them?"

       "By Sawyer," says Dylan with a laugh, pointing to Sawyer with his thumb.

       "How do you know Sawyer and how does Sawyer know them?" Before Dylan can answer Liam shoves Derek.

        "My god, you're so nosy." Derek pouts at Liam while he laughs.

        "No, it's fine. Uh, Sawyer met Lily a while ago when he was visiting."

       "But how do you know him?" Kathy giggles at Dylan's awkwardness.

       "Uhm, well, he's living with us for the summer, and we're, uhm, dating..?" Dylan hadn't come out to Derek yet so he was a bit stressed.

        "Cool. Glad to see you finally got a boyfriend." Dylan kicks Derek and laughs. Lily and Emmy both look surprised.

        "It's weird how we all, like, know each other," says Emmy, rubbing her forehead. She wasn't the brightest but she was still pretty cool.

       "Yeah. I mean, Dy, we go to the same school, same grade, but we never talk. Sawyer's brought all our lives together." Dylan nods and smiles at Sawyer.

       "He really has." Sawyer hugs Dylan to his chest, smiling at him.

>><<

"So, you're gay?" Dylan and Derek has fallen to the back of the group. Kathy, Sawyer, and Liam walked in front of them, a group Dylan never thought he'd ever see. His boyfriend, cousin's boyfriend and possible best friend?

"Bi, actually." Derek nods and smiles.

"Your mom had always thought you were gay but I never believed her. Guess I'm not the only lgbt+ guy in the family anymore." Dylan laughs, smiling at his feet.

"It's weird, I came out to my mom today and you. Me and Sawyer basically started dating, or at least saying we were, today. All my new friends, who I just met, know I'm bi and dating Sawyer. I inspired another girl to come out! All of this in one day, and because of Sawyer."

"It sounds like you really like him." Derek smiles and laughs quietly, looking ahead at Liam. "I get it."

"Yeah, I really do. He's a really special guy." Derek smiles at him and they walk ahead the join the rest of the group.

"I'm glad to see you happy." Dylan nods to him and walks over to Sawyer, standing between him and Kathy. He was a little surprised to see Kathy chatting with Liam, it was odd to imagine that the guy who he'd only ever really seen at family gatherings was friends with his friends. Liam turns to chat with Derek.

"Dude, I'm like, fifth wheeling right now. It's kind of incredible." Dylan snorts.

"Hey, no you're not! You're one of our friends, dumbass." She rolls her eyes and laughs.

"Fine. I'm glad we met you, Dylan. You're a cool kid."