New Kid In School - 52. Chapter 51

I awoke with a bit of an irritation the following morning. Nothing major, but my throat was a bit scratchier than it was the night before. And once I sat up in my bed and had my senses back in working order, I remembered feeling myself tossing and turning on this very mattress last night, my slumber disturbed by the same random, involuntary, cough. With a dry sniffle, I took notice of a few aches in my neck and shoulders and chalked it up to Ryan giving me the sensual workout of a lifetime after our date last night. Hehehe, sometimes, a little bit of hurt the next morning was worth the screams of passion you experienced the night before.

My mouth dry, I rubbed my eyes and walked to the kitchen to guzzle down a cold glass of orange juice. My hair was a hilarious mess that looked as if I'd never get it to lay down again, but I was too lazy to do anything about it just yet. Instead, I plopped down on the living room couch in just my boxers and a t-shirt and turned on the TV. They play some of the cheesiest, thus most entertaining, movies on Saturday mornings sometimes. Monster movies rock.

I thought the weatherman had predicted rain for today, but the sun was proudly blazing its way through the curtains anyway. I'm sure I'll get outside at some point. For now, I just wanted to take my time waking up fully. Some days, you've just got to enjoy the freedom of not having anything else to do whatsoever.

Thinking back to last night...it seemed like such a dream to me. I felt like Ryan and I reconnected on a few levels. Levels that were missing without me even realizing it. There are days when I just can't remember the last time we really talked for more than a few minutes. There are times when I wonder if we've said everything to each other that we could possibly have to say. I often wonder if I should just go out and do something crazy and unpredictable just so I could create a new and interesting topic of conversation. And yet...there are those other times...

Times when Ryan can look me directly in the eye, that boyish smile tilted in the most flirtatiously wicked way...and tell me he loves me in such a way that it couldn't be anything but the absolute truth. Times when he makes me feel like I can do no wrong. I feel so gullible during those moments, because it's simply too unreal for my mind to grasp fully. The idea that someone so obviously perfect could somehow find that same perfection within me. Seems like the stuff of fairy tales, and nothing more. It's only when we're apart, when we're not talking to one another, that I have any reason to doubt his affection at all. Because, when we're together...we can take on the whole world without breaking a sweat.

There is such a thing as two people who were meant to be together. There may be a thin line between fate and coincidence...but we crossed that line the first time his sweet lips met mine. I haven't felt the need to look back since.

My mom woke up about an hour later and snickered to herself at the very sight of me. "Wow, Mom...really?" I smiled.

"I'm sorry, honey. It's just, you went from looking so dashing last night to...this."

"I just woke up! I'll fix myself up later."

"I certainly hope so." She grinned. "Do you want breakfast?"

"I had some Poptarts. So I'm cool." I said.

She raised an eyebrow, "So...an actual breakfast it is, then." And went into the kitchen to start making some eggs and bacon anyway. "You never told me what you and Ryan got up to last night? Did you guys have a good time?"

Still thinking about him and trying not to sigh out loud, I said, "Yeah. It was great. I'm really glad that we went."

"What did you do?" She asked, and I hesitated. But only slightly.

I told her the truth. "We went out to dinner." I felt a slight shiver go through me when I said it. I don't know why, but it was there. It was almost a moment of total...honesty. I couldn't tell if that scared me or excited me.

"Really? To dinner? Well, that sounds a bit out of the ordinary for you guys." She said. "Where did you go? Frankie's?" Still tingling, I told her the name of the Italian restaurant we went to, and noticed that she peeked her head around the corner to give me a look. "Really? That place is pretty fancy. It was just you two? Nobody else?"

I paused, but not for too long. I didn't want her to suspect anything, but I have to admit that I loved dancing on the edge of a subtle confession. "Nope. Just us. Ryan decided that he wanted us to do something different for a change. It was a good time. I really liked it a lot."

I waited for a response of some kind, but I think my mom was more into watching to make sure she didn't burn breakfast at that point than she was into inquiring more into our special evening together. Or maybe...she was being quiet as she was trying to mull over the hints that I was giving her, concerning the relationship between Ryan and I. It was hard to tell. She said she was happy that we had fun and all, but...I think I was still reeling over how good it felt to just...'talk' about him. You know? To talk about my boyfriend and share a few details about the night that we spent together, just rekindling an old flame that had never died in the first place. I didn't do much in the way of spilling my guts about my sexuality or anything, but...I felt kind of proud. I did. That may sound silly, but it's true. The whole conversation just made me smile.

My mother heard me as I tried to stifle another cough or two, and she asked me, "You feeling alright, honey?"

"Yeah. I just got a scratchy throat, is all. Feels a little bit weird."

"Do you want some aspirin? Some cough syrup?"

"Nah. I'm fine, Mom. Really. It's Spring Break, hehehe, I wouldn't dare get sick." I said.

I just needed to get myself out of couch potato mode and get some sunshine, I'm sure of it. So I sat down to munch on my mom's 'mandatory' breakfast, and then got cleaned up and dressed to go on over to Ryan's house. Where else was I going to go? Hehehe, my day was pretty much incomplete without him. Might as well get my fix. I was pleased to see him outside, sort of shooting aimlessly shooting hoops at his garage, but not really moving around enough to get all heated and sweaty.

Nothing hangs sexier on Ryan's lean athletic body like an oversized basketball jersey. Arms and shoulders exposed, underarms and large sleeves revealing the side of his flat chest...it's something to behold, believe me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as I approached, my smile expanding as I got closer for his graceful details to flood my vision like rose colored sunrays. So modestly beautiful. How can he manage to keep such an amazing balance?

"Hey..." I said, lost in a bit of a spontaneous swoon.

Ryan took a moment to run his fingers through his soft, strawberry blond, locks and get them back to 'awesome' before flashing me a warm smile of his own. "Well, if it isn't the prettiest boy on the block. S'up?" He dribbled the ball closer to me and looked around for a moment before leaning forward to give me the sweetest, most innocent, little kiss on the cheek. "You're up and out kinda early today."

"I could say the same about you." I said. "Besides, I tried to be lazy, but my mom ran some major interference against that plan today."

"Let me guess...it started with a hearty breakfast?"

"Lucky guess..." I smirked.

"Nah, not really. Parents are like that, I guess. It's like an obsession with them sometimes. I'd much rather gobble down a few PopTarts and call it a day."

"THANK YOU! That's exactly what I was thinking!" I grinned. I watched as Ryan shot one more basket on his garage door. Nothing but net. And then he caught the ball and walked over to sit down on the second to last step of his front porch, and I automatically took the seat next to him.

I took a moment to stare into those beautiful eyes of his. They had a strange way of taking me outside of myself whenever I took a moment to truly appreciate them the way I should. And he could obviously tell that I was being a mild pervert about it, because he giggled and leaned over to gently butt me with his shoulder. "Randy...don't you get me all revved up, now. My dad is taking me out shopping today. You being sweet is only going to make the whole experience more miserable than I'm expecting it will be."

"Hehehe, awww....too bad." I said.

"It really is." Ryan smiled. Then he sighed, "We'll make up for it this week though. Promise. I want to spend more time with you naked than clothed this whole week. I'm planning to sprain a few sexy muscles before we go back to classes. Hehehe, so you'd better practice some...I don't know...some breathing techniques or something!"

It made me laugh, and Ryan gave me another little push with his shoulder. But this time, he couldn't help but to lean in and give me a quick kiss on the cheek. I think it was an involuntary expression of affection on his part, but it made me blush to know that he felt the need to do so. There's something so cute about a spontaneous display of attraction from Ryan. It makes me feel...'wanted', you know? And I think he gets a kick out of making me happy. Which...hehehe...is what true love is all about, isn't it?

I cleared my throat, and asked, "So what's up with carnival this week? Is that still a 'thing' or what?"

"Well, I called Tyler already and he wants to go on Monday. I guess he'll be out running around tomorrow. But it's still early on in our Spring Break. If it sucks, we've got the rest of the week to ourselves. And if it's awesome, we've got the rest of the week to go back a few more times." Then Ryan added, "Sean said he wanted to come along." He paused for a second, and he said, "Is that alright? Be honest."

What did he expect me to say? If I say 'no', I look like an asshole. If I say 'yes', I'm practically handing another boy my boyfriend on a silver platter. I didn't want to be so paranoid about this stuff. Ryan's been nothing but sweet to me. He's been attentive, and romantic...he talks to me all the time and he's never once had a problem saying he loves me. If anything, he's been the perfect boyfriend. Maybe he's right. Maybe I should just trust him and let this jealousy thing go. Besides, it would be awesome to see Sean drool and flirt and shake his tail all day long and realize that it has absolutely NO effect whatsoever. That boy needs an ego intervention anyway.

I told him, "Yeah. That's fine. It's no big deal."

Ryan searched my eyes for deception. "Randy, don't say yes if it's going to be a problem, ok?"

"No. Really. It's cool."

"It's just...Sean's still pretty new in this part of town, he doesn't have a whole lot of friends to hang out with or anything. I mean, I guess I just remember what it was like...being the 'new kid'."

"Well, you didn't have to wait long at all to find a 'special friend', did you?"

"Hehehe, well, I got lucky." Ryan giggled. "Besides, you wanted me, bad. I could see it all over your face. It was kinda pathetic, to be honest..."

"God, you know, you are such a punk sometimes." I said. "Seriously though...you asked me to trust you. I think...I think I can do that. Just...don't hurt me, ok? Nobody can hurt me like you can. I'm kind of exposed here..."

"Trust me, I know the feeling." Ryan's eyes connected to mine in the most intimate way, and I don't know if he realized that he was doing it or not, but he instinctively reached up a hand to lightly brush a few locks of my hair off of my forehead. Not in a flirtatious way or anything, just a gesture that he hardly paid attention to. The way your mom might randomly pick lint off of your short in the middle of a conversation. It seemed really sweet to me for some reason. "What?" Ryan asked as I giggled softly and gentle blush colored my cheeks. "Hehehe, what? What did I say?"

"Nothing. Just...I love you. K?" I sighed.

I leaned in for a quick kiss of my own, but that's when Ryan's dad peeked his head out of the door. Just as our lips were touching. I was instantly humiliated. The look on his father's wasn't really one of disgust or anything...but he diverted his eyes away from us in a way that seemed...'uncomfortable', you know? Yeah. That's the word. Uncomfortable.

"Ryan, we're leaving in five minutes." He said.

"Alright." Ryan answered, but remained sitting on the steps with me.

There was a brief pause, but his dad repeated, "Five minutes, Ryan."

"Okay. I heard you."

"Change your shirt." He told him. I was getting more uncomfortable by the second. I didn't even dare look his dad in the eye.

"To go shopping? What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"You're not wearing that. Change. Put on a t-shirt or something." His dad said, his tone a bit less polite than it was before. "Five minutes."

Ryan grunted, and said, "Ok. Five minutes." Ryan's father stood in that doorway for another brief moment, and Ryan looked back to 'shoo' him back in the house with his hand. Thankfully, he left us alone.

I said, "You know, I am never going to get used to having him catch us like this."

Ryan patted me on the leg. "Catching us doing what? Hehehe, it's not like we're conducting a crystal meth deal or anything."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, Randy, I do. And I'm telling you, it's no big deal. He's not half as bugged by it as you might think. Besides, I talk about you constantly. If anything he's sick of hearing your name." He smiled, but it did little to get me to relax.

"But...he's still not ok with you being...you know."

"He's ok with it. I told you. I think he tries to conveniently forget from time to time, but that's the perfect time for me to remind him." He could see the embarrassment on my face, and he kissed me on the cheek with a giggle. "Quit looking so damn guilty! Hehehe, it's too cute for me to handle." He kissed me again, and he said, "You're beautiful. I love you, k?"

"K..." I smiled weakly. "Don't go gawking at any mall boys while you're out there."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ryan stood up, and like a gentleman, he extended a hand to help me to my feet. "See you soon." Ryan sheepishly took a step away from me, his fingers still lightly holding onto my hand. And with a sweet little smirk, he let go and went into the house to change.

Love...it makes you feel so goofy sometimes. But I don't think I'd have it any other way.

I have to admit that something about being caught by Ryan's dad kind of stuck with me. Even through dinner. I know that I froze up, practically hid my face in my hands the entire time he was standing in that doorway. I mean, did I even speak to him? I don't think I even said hello. No matter what I do, I can't help but to be terrified of that man. Then again, considering my relationship with my own father...I guess fathers scare me in general.

And yet...Ryan was so relaxed about it all. He never felt the need to 'apologize' for loving me the way he does. He never felt backed into a corner, or like he was guilty of anything more than honestly expressing how he felt...about me. It was just admirable, you know? He was comfortable in his own skin whether somebody else was watching or not. And I had to ask myself...could I do the same?

I was in the living room with my mom tonight, watching TV after dinner and making a decent 'quality time' appearance instead of staying locked up in my room like a hermit for the rest of the weekend. She was sort of nodding off little by little, her eyelids heavy, her breathing getting more and more mellow by the second. And I just...I looked at her. I watched her sitting not more than a few feet away from me...just the two of us in that room...and I wondered if I could say it out loud. To be honest, that urge to tell her who I really was got stuck right there at the back of my throat. But it was getting stronger with every temptation that came my way. I tried to talk myself into it. I really did. I kept telling myself that I could just...DO it! Just really fast. Don't think about it. Don't waste another second under this thick blanket of tar for one more night.

Just blurt it out, Randy. Really quick. Like a sneeze. 'Mom, I'm gay.' One quick moment of blinding fear, and then...it's done. It's out there in the open. The faster I say it, the less chance I'll have of chickening out at the last second. Come on, Randy! Do it! Just DO it!

I felt a sudden tingle at the back of my throat again, and without much warning, the scratchiness caused me to cough a few times to get rid of it. A dry cough. Ugh, it was annoying.

The noise got my mom's attention and she was alert again. Gently rubbing one of her eyes, she turned to me and asked, "Did you take some of that cough syrup, hon?"

"No, I don't need it. Really. I'm just thirsty or something." I said, feeling my sudden burst of determination leaking out of me by the gallon.

"People do get sick in warm weather too, you know?" She said.

Where did my courage go? What's going on. What happened to that 'one terrifying moment'. I can do this. It's not like she's going to disown me and kick me out into the street. Let's be honest, she probably knows already. Right? I'd just be confirming the best of her motherly instincts. Two words. That's all it is. 'I'm gay'. That's it. Say it. Say it just once, and we can deal with everything else afterward. It won't be so bad. Two words, Randy. Go. Do it now. No wait...ok...ok, NOW! No wait...

My mom stood up from the couch and stretched briefly before going into the kitchen. Leaving me there all alone, mentally screaming, 'But but...WAIT! Come back!'

I could follow her. I could get up, and follow her right into the kitchen...give her a meaningful hug, and just let the words slip out. But...I didn't. Instead, I retreated like the coward I am. I went back into my room and shut the door before she could get back. It's ok, though. I mean...there's always tomorrow, right? Or...like...after Spring Break. That would be better. I could tell her then. I'll be back at school for most of the day, she'll be at work for most of the day...she'll be tired, I'll have homework...we'd only have to really see each other at dinner. It'll give things time to settle in a little bit at the time.

Yeah. That's it. That would be better...

The next morning, I woke up just a little bit worse off than I was before. This time, my throat wasn't just a little scratchy. In fact, it felt like I had been chewing and swallowing pinecones all night long. Every gulp of saliva aggravated it. And when I went to get a drink of cool water, it only seemed to get worse. My eyes were red and itchy, and my sniffles weren't as dry as they were yesterday. What the heck was wrong with me? Did my mom put a HEX on me or something?

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, and on top of the fact that my hair looked like a Texas twister had touched down on the top of my head, but the rest of my image was just as ghastly. I coughed once or twice, and then it hit me. Oh no.....ohhhhh......oh no no no no NO!!!! No fucking way! This is NOT happening right now!

Suddenly, visions of babysitting Wilson entered my mind...and I saw his germ infested friend, Benny, bouncing around and spreading his pestilence around the entire house like some kind of deranged fairy godmother. Oh man, I swear to God...if that kid got me sick the day before my Spring Break, I'm going to hunt him down and kick his ass! I don't CARE if he's only 10! This is an offense that cannot go unpunished! Ugh! My throat! No! Nooooooooo!

"Cough syrup!" I said to myself, and I dashed my way into the kitchen to grab every bottle of pills, cough syrup, and cold medication, that I could get my hands on. Ooh! And Vitamin C! Gimmee that! And...hmmm...do we have Thera-Flu? No? Green tea? Mom keeps green tea around here somewhere...

Ok...calm down. We can reverse this. Maybe it's just a 24 hour bug. That's it. I'll just take this medicine, move around a bit, make sure that I'm on top of things by taking another dose every four hours. Five or six times today. Starting now!

My mom came downstairs and saw the kitchen table covered with my sudden makeshift pharmacy. She said, "I hate to tell you that I told you so...but I told you so."

"It's alright. Honest. It'll be gone by tomorrow. I just need to start right now. Now...how often can I take this stuff? 1 tablet every..." I saw my mom taking some of the medicine and putting it back on top of the fridge. "Mom? Mom, what are you doing?"

"Randy, you are not getting all hopped up on cold medicine. No."

"Mom! You're killing me here!"

"Look, you can take the cough syrup and the Vitamin C. And ONE aspirin. That's it. You'll just have to let things run their course now. You can't cure a cold in a day." She said.

I grunted, and I groaned, and I whimpered, and I whined...but she didn't seem swayed by any of it. So I took the stupid vitamin and my ONE teeny tiny little aspirin, and hoped that they'd kick in to high gear when combined with a few teaspoons of cough syrup. I can't believe this. I really can't. How do I get myself INTO jams like this???

My mom told me to get some rest for a change and it might help. I was a little bit fatigued still, but I figured it was because I hadn't been out of bed for long. She guided me over to the sofa, handed me the TV remote and put a blanket over me from out of the hall closet. It was comfortable, sure...but I spent the whole time trying to use whatever psychic powers I had to evict these nasty germs from my body as quickly as humanly possible. Get out!!! GO AWAY, DAMMIT!!! Unnnnghhhhh! Unnnngh!! Concentrate harder! Force them out!

Owww...great. Now I have a headache too.

God, I could have cried. I swear.

My mom eventually made me a small lunch and took my temperature with her hand. Luckily, I didn't feel hot to her. Maybe that's a good sign. Maybe my mental abilities are kicking in after all...oww...no wait, now my headache's back. Shit..

"I'll be sure to stop by the drug store while I'm out and pick you up a little something extra. NO more medicine, Mister. You hear me?" She said, and she made me promise before pulling the blanket further up to my neck. "I'll be back in an hour."

Looking out the front window, the whole afternoon looked kind of gloomy and grey. Matched my mood perfectly. This sucks. I have to get better by tomorrow. I just have to. Even if I'm not better, I'm going to the carnival with everybody anyway. I don't even care. It's just a little cough. A few sniffles. A couple of aches. I figures, as long as I don't toss my cookies on any of the rides, I'll be fine.

It wasn't long before I started to hear a few rumbles of thunder overhead. Yikes, it's going to start coming down any minute. I peeked out of the front curtain to see if the rain had started yet and only saw a few drops here and there. Then...as I focused a little bit more, I noticed somebody sitting just outside of Tyler's front door across the street. Was that...? I think that's Ariel.

What the heck is he sitting outside of Tyler's front door like a lost puppy for?

I got up from the sofa and opened up the front door to call out to him. "Hey! Ariel?"

He looked up for a second, and he waved. "Hey, Randy..."

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"Me? Oh...ummm...well, I was waiting for Tyler." He said. Well, duh. I could see that.

"Tyler's out running around doing stuff today. I don't know when he's gonna be back."

Ariel looked almost heartbroken to hear it. And he looked up as the raindrops began to cascade down on his head and shoulders. "Oh...ok..." He mumbled sadly.

"Dude, come here. Why don't you come in?" I offered. He seemed a bit hesitant, but as the rain got a little harder, he began to cross the street.

"I don't want to be any trouble. I'll just go home. It's not that far."

"What? Ariel, I'm not going to make you walk home in the rain. Get in here. What's the matter with you." I grinned. I could say that I was saving Ariel from catching his death of cold, but it's not like he was going to be much better off coming into this den of little viral terrorists. "Do you need a towel or something?"

"Um...yeah. I mean, yes please." He said. After all this time, Ariel still hides his eyes when he talks to me. Heh, it's so boyishly cute. I, personally, hope he never stops being this adorable. "Thank you." He said softly, and he dried his hair off.

I guess Ariel was trying to come by and give Tyler a bit of a surprise today, so he didn't call and make any plans. Sometimes that kind of thing works, and sometimes it backfires. Especially when it rains. We talked for a little while. Ariel always begins to blossom right in front of your eyes once you get him talking. It's like trying to coax a little chipmunk out of its hiding place with a peanut. Hehehe! But it always feels like an accomplishment when you get Ariel to feel comfortable enough to let a bit of that bashful veil lift and share a giggle or two. To be honest, I enjoyed the company. It was the only thing that could make me smile this afternoon.

Ariel was doing his best to be very vague about whatever it was that got him so giddy and all, but it was clear that Tyler was at the very center of it all. You should have seen the sparkle in his pretty brown eyes whenever the name, Tyler, crossed his lips. There were a few times that he seemed to feel a bit weird about having his emotions bared with such vulnerability like that, but he was tickled pink just being able to talk about him, regardless. There was no doubt about it...Ariel was head over heels for that boy. Hell, I was falling in love with the both of them just from hearing him talk about his...umm...intensifying obsession. I think he worries about loving him too much. But is there such a thing?

Somehow, I don't think Tyler would mind...

"Oh...I'm sorry, Randy. Hehehe, I'm talking too much, aren't I?" He blushed. "Sometimes I get Tyler on the brain and it's like...I can't shut up about him."

"No, dude, it's ok. It's better than ok. I'm so happy for you two, you have no idea." I grinned.

"Hehehe, thanks..." He said. Then he gently bit the corner of his bottom lip, and shyly asked, "You don't think I'm being a weirdo, do you? Like...clingy and stuff?"

"No. I don't think so. Why?"

"Because, I just...I dunno. I can't get him out of my head. I think about him all the time, and I try to not crowd him or take up all of his free time and stuff. I don't want be greedy about him, it's just...every minute away from him seems like a hundred hours! And every day seems like a million years! And even though I'm trying soooo hard to give him some space for a few days, it ends up only being a few hours, and...I just don't want him to end up hating me. That's all."

"Where do you come up with this stuff? Seriously?" I said, grabbing a tissue to blow my nose as a few more sniffles appeared out of nowhere. "Tyler's not going to hate you. If you want to talk to him...just talk to him. I'm sure he'd be overjoyed to hear anything and everything you have to say to him. Trust me on this."

"I don't know..." He said. "Maybe. I just feel like he's going to get sick of talking to me all the time. And he'll start doing everything that he can to get away from me. It would break my heart if he ignored me, Randy. And it would be all my fault. I just don't want to chase him away if I can help it." Ariel really did seem worried about this. "I mean, look at me. I just randomly showed up at his house. No phone call, no plans, nothing. Who does that? I should have waited a day or two. Give him some room to breathe." Ariel pouted a bit to himself, and he asked me, "Is this anything close to being normal? I mean...do you ever obsess over Ryan like this?"

If only Ariel knew. "Hehehe, yeah. From time to time. I think I've gotten a bit more used to it now, but when we first started...wow. If I went a single day without hearing his voice or seeing his face I felt like a teenage widow! Just moping around the house on the verge of tears, wondering why he didn't love me anymore. I was a total basket case, I'll admit it."

"So you do know what I'm talking about then!" Ariel's eyes opened wide and a bit of a smile lit up his face.

"Yeah. I get it. And it never really goes away. Ryan and I have had a few...well...I'll say 'issues', lately. Sucks."

"Oh no! Randy, I'm sorry!" He gasped.

"Nah, it's ok. Nothing serious. I mean, we talked about it and we both got a chance to say what we needed to say...and we fixed it. I think. Hehehe! But, like I said, I can be a little needy for attention too sometimes. Luckily for me, Ryan was there to give it to me."

Ariel took a pause, but he winced slightly as he asked, "Was it about that Sean boy?"

"Wow...yeah. Hehehe, was it that obvious?" I asked.

"I could tell he bothered you a little bit. You're usually pretty sweet to everybody. Even Hailey when she's being mean. But...at the lunch table, you were different. I could tell." Ariel peeked into my eyes for a brief moment, and he softly mumbled, "I'm sure he's not doing anything, Randy. Honest."

"I know. I really should have talked to him about it right away instead of bottling it all up. I just...need to trust him more. That's all."

"You can trust him, Randy. That Sean guy isn't so major."

"I know, right?" I smiled at Ariel and asked, "I mean, if Sean was hanging around Tyler like that, you wouldn't lose any sleep over it, right? I mean, you could just let them spend time together."

"HELL NO!" Ariel said, shocking the shit out of me! Hahaha! "I'd have to grab that boy and BOP him right on the head if he came anywhere NEAR my Tyler Jordan!"

"Hahahaha!!! Oh God! Thank you, Ariel! That's the best laugh I've had all week! I needed that." Ariel's giggles were always a bit more reserved, but I could tell that it made him happy to make me happy. Which is awesome for us both.

The rain only lasted for about 40 minutes or so. And then Ariel was up and out the door. I thought he might try Tyler's house again, but instead he decided to go home. I suppose he's going to try to use a little restraint this time. Good luck with that.

Tyler's not a boy that's easily forgotten.