Bounce Back

Chapter 28

Ryan's POV

My group of friends were waiting for me outside of my locker. I knew that they had spent a lot of time together over the break since none of them went away.

"Ryan," Jordan yelled.

I groaned but Jordan often doesn't know how to shut up.

"How was your break?" Drew asked at a more sensible volume.

"Not too bad, good to see the siblings," I said.

I then listened to them talk for a while about what they had done and we ended up standing outside my locker until the bell rang and we all had to head to class. The first day back after the break was always not that productive and teachers telling everyone that the break is over.

Tyler had basketball training after school so I joined my friends in the library. We didn't have much homework yet but I had a couple of things that I didn't do over the break. I half listened to the conversation going on around me as I worked but not enough to join in.

I jumped slightly when I felt a hand on my shoulder but smiled when I turned around to see Tyler. He looked slightly sweaty and out of breath from training and I noted that he looked slightly exhausted when he collapsed in the seat beside me.

"How was training?" I asked.

"Tough," he complained before resting his head on the table.

I laughed but I really needed to get this work done before my teachers asked for it. I tried to get some of my work done over the break but it was too hard with me being away.

The table quieted for a while as we focused on our own work. After lying on the table for a couple of minutes Tyler did grab his own work out.

"Do you need any help?" I asked softly.

He shook his head and we were all quiet again. I got a large chunk of work done until everyone else had pretty much finished and the silence dissolved.

"How was your break?" Morgan asked Tyler.

I listened to Tyler explain what he had been doing. I moved slightly so I was closer to Tyler and he once again grabbed my hand under the table. Drew had to leave so we all packed up and headed out before the librarians kicked us out.

"Do you want to go out and do something?" Tyler whispered to me.

I nodded because I liked spending time with Tyler and I knew that my parents were going to be out.

"Where are you thinking?" I asked.

Jordan must have guessed what our conversation was about because he had a slight smile on his face.

"I'm guessing that you two lovebirds are going to be leaving me alone with Morgan?"

Tyler smirked at him before wrapping at arm around me.

"Unless you want to go on a date with us?" he smirked.

Jordan screwed up his face and I said goodbye to my other two friends before following Tyler away from school. Once again I asked where we were going but he just smiled at me. I didn't really mind anyway and it was easy to just follow him through town.

We ended up at this Asian Fusion restaurant on the other side of town from school and I hadn't really realised that we had walked that far.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked.

He shrugged and we quickly got seated.

"How is the team going?" I asked.

I could listen to him talk about basketball for ages because I liked it but it was also really cool to see how much he smiles and his eyes light up. He talked about how well the team was doing and that they were hopeful to do well in the State Champs this year.

"Coach still doesn't use your stats though," he added at the end.

"Yeah, but he never really listened to me anyway. He just sort of tolerated me," I explained.

"It's a shame. I think that we could benefit from them," Tyler sighed.

"Unfortunately not everyone realises like you that there is more to basketball and there are other things that can help."

He nodded because we both knew how stubborn anyone could be if they wanted to, ourselves included.

"Do you know what your friends are doing next year?" Tyler asked.

"They've all applied to a bunch of different colleges. I think that we are going to end up all over the country," I said softly.

Tyler must have seen something flash across my face because he grabbed my hand on top of the table.

"You guys are tight. You will stay in contact," he assured me.

"I know but it's hard. We've always been in the same place so it's hard," I admitted.

We didn't talk about it much more because it was slightly sad and we both knew that I didn't want to talk about it. It was yet another thing that I was pushing out until I knew exactly what was going to happen.

We had barely started talking about something lighter when I noticed someone standing over us. I looked up to see an older women standing there.

"You two are going to Hell," she told us.

We both looked at her because neither of us knew her or had any idea what she was talking about.

"Who are you and what are you talking about?" Tyler asked.

"You two dating each other. People like you go to Hell," she repeated.

She had started to attract more people in the restaurant. There were a couple of other people who stood up and agreed with the previous women standing there. It was getting too loud and there was so many people criticizing me.

Tyler stood up and knelt in front me.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested.

I nodded and we stood up only to be approached by one of the waiters.

"You ordered, you need to pay," he told us.

"We've just been insulted by a lot of our customers and none of your staff said anything. We aren't going to pay," Tyler snapped.

The waiter pressed a hand against my chest and I tensed.

"Don't touch my boyfriend," Tyler snapped again.

"Gay people like you shouldn't be allowed in places like this."

Tyler wasn't having any more of this and I was freaking out more. Tyler wrapped an arm around me as we headed out. I think that a manager was calling our names but neither of us were stopping. To go and talk to him.

Tyler didn't stop walking until we reached a park bench ten minutes away. We still hadn't talked and even when we sat down we still didn't talk for a minute. Tyler's arm still around me and I just rested my head on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I think I will be but the whole thing freaked me out," I admitted.

He nodded and we just sat there in silence for a while. I'd never really thought about people like that people by friends and family don't care and the whole thing did freak me out but after a couple of days it wouldn't. I couldn't believe that people still thought that being gay was wrong.

"Do you want to head home?" Tyler asked after a minute.

I nodded and I had pretty much calmed down by the time that we got home.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said softly.

He nodded and kissed me before he headed off. I stood on the doorstep for a minute before realising that there was something sticking out of our mail box. Once I pulled it out I realised that it from UCLA and I knew exactly what it was.

I just wasn't sure if I was going to be able to open it.

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The Wise One