Starcrossed - 2. Chapter 2

I started to help Kevin with our chapter four European History study guide. It was full of artists and wars, disease and prosper. For me, History is easy. It just a memory subject. It seemed a bit harder for Kevin, so I had to come up with gimmicks like songs or rhymes for him to remember some of the facts.

I looked at the clock after what seemed like a lifetime of studying. We had been studying for over four hours. I was about to tell him that we should pause when my dad walked in.

“Dinner’s up.” he said.

“Thanks dad.” I said.

He closed the door and Kevin and I got up from the desk and walked out of my room. We sat at the dinner table and my dad handed us two plates of his famous fried chicken.

“So what’s up at school guys?” asked dad.

“Well, the senior play’s coming up.” said Kevin.

Great, now I have to tell my dad that I’m going to be in the play.

“Really? What’s the play?”

“Romeo and Juliet.” I answered.

“Oh, wow, are you going to audition, Billy?” asked dad.

“Yeah, I have to. Anyone in Mrs. Drake’s class has to audition. It’s a part of my grade.” I said.

“Well, do you know what part you’ll get?” asked dad.

I cleared my throat and mumbled under my breath. “Romeo”

“What?” asked both Kevin and dad in shock.

“She wants me to play Romeo, okay.”

“That’s great!” said dad.

“Yeah, Billy, why didn’t you tell me this?” asked Kevin.

“Because I didn’t want anyone to make a big deal out of it. I might not even get the part, I haven’t auditioned yet.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it.” said dad.

“Yeah, you’ll have a great audition.” said Kevin.

Although I trusted both of their opinions, I was super nervous for auditions and they were only a few days away. Knowing that Mrs. Drake had such high expectations for me made my nerves go berserk. I was going to have to work overtime if I was going to meet her expectations.

The next day we had a day off of school. It was some kind of staff meeting day or something. I was really relieved. I didn’t think I could face the guys at school with my giant black eye and cut cheek. So, I spent the day with Kendra. Her and I went to the mall, which, in our small town, consisted of two major department stores, a few smaller clothing stores and a few fast food stands jammed together in a food court.

“So, what do you want to do first?” I asked Kendra.

“Let’s get some green tea from TEA TIME. I’m having a craving.”

“Kay, let’s go.” I said.

We walked to TEA TIME and Kendra and I both ordered green teas. We sat at our table, people watching and stuff like that. Then suddenly, Kendra’s face froze.

“What is it?” I asked.

“This really super hot guy is walking this way.” said Kendra

I turned around and it turns out that she wasn’t lying. Ryan Harding was walking towards us. I turned back around and put my face in my hands.

“Who is he?”

“It’s Ryan Harding.”

“Hey,” I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over it and saw Ryan. “Ooh, nice shiner. Sorry about Tommy.”

“Why do you keep apologizing for him?” I asked.

“C-Can I sit down?” he asked.

“Sure!” said Kendra with enthusiasm.

I wanted to die. I was going to tell him that we were just about to leave, but Kendra had to open her big mouth. Ryan sat down next to me.

“Look, I feel like I need to apologize for him for the way he treats you. You don’t deserve it. I mean, you’re just gay. It’s not a big deal.”

“Even if it was. He has no right to treat anyone like that!” I was getting pretty worked up.

“Hey, there’s no need to get angry at me. I’m just trying to make things better.”

“Ryan, I have no anger towards you. You can’t make up for someone else’s fucked up actions.”

The conversation went dead. It was silent at the table.

“Look, Ryan, we’ve got to go. I’ll see you at school.”

I got up and walked away, bringing Kendra with me. She squirmed a bit, but eventually she just complied with my fast pace.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Don’t ask.” I said.

“He totally likes you.”

“He does not Ken. He just…just feels sorry for me.”

“Oh, okay…” She mocked.

I knew she was mocking me, but I didn’t have the energy to call her on it and then fight with her. I walked her all the way back to her car.

“We just got here.”

“I’m not staying here with Ryan here.” I told him.

We got into her car and she started to drive away.

“So what’s up with you and this Ryan guy?” asked Kendra.

“Nothing is up with me and Ryan, okay. He’s just being nice to me because he wants me to tutor him in history.”

“Isn’t that your favorite subject?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, why don’t you just tutor him?”

“I can’t tutor him. You don’t understand.”

I put my hand through short black hair and took a deep breath.

“Ooh! I get it! You like him…” Kendra teased.

“No, I don’t like him. He’s a conceited. He’s a jock.”

“What’s wrong with being a jock. I happen to find that hot. I also to know for a fact that you do as well.”

I tried not looking at her, but that seemed to just make my situation worse. She put her hand on my shoulder and patted it.

“So how long have you had a crush on him?” she asked.

“Since freshman year.” I said.

“So that’s why you can’t tutor him?” asked Kendra.

“Yeah.” I said with my head down.

“You can’t just turn him down, Billy. He’s gonna wanna want a reason.”

“Well, I can’t tell him the real reason. What am I supposed to do.”

“We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry.”

Kendra and I spent the next hour trying to figure out something believable. All we could come up with were excuses that any idiot could figure out was a lie. I don’t know what to do. All I know is that I cannot tutor Ryan. If I did, it would most likely turn out to be a total disaster.

* * *

I waited out of the audition door. My time to audition was inching closer by the second. My heart started to pound as I heard Mrs. Drake finishing up inside of the theater. But, when Ryan walked out, it stopped. He smiled at me and I nearly fell to the ground. He’s so beautiful.

“Hey, good luck in there.” he said.

“Th-Thanks.”

What was he doing? Hardly anyone who wasn’t in Mrs. Drake’s class ever auditioned for the play.
He left and I walked into the theater. It was empty and silent. I could hear my own footsteps as I walked to the stage.

“Come on up, Mr. Snow.” said Mrs. Drake.

I nervously walked up the stage steps and met Mrs. Drake in the middle. She was standing and I stood in front of her.

“Go on.” she said.

I cleared my throat and started the line from Hamlet:

“To be or not to be, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.”

“Thank you, Mr. Snow. That was very good.” said Mrs. Drake.

“Th-Thank you.” I said.

“You can go now.”

I walked off the stage with a feeling of relief. It was over. I just hope I did well enough for her. I hope she didn’t tell me it was good just to be nice.

I walked out of the theater and around the corner. I ran into Kevin. He was talking to some guy. I think his name is Matt Bergman. I was going to tell him about the audition, but I he looked busy talking so I turned back around. I walked out to the front of the school and got my bike.

I started to ride it slowly to the lake; my usual place to go after school. I usually met Ace there anyway. As I rode, I heard a car behind me and I turned my head. When I saw who it was I practically shit my pants. It was Ryan Harding. He was driving his old blue Chevy truck. He pulled up next to me. It took all of me to just not speed up. But I knew if I did, he’d probably just speed up as well.

“Hey, you wanna ride home?” he asked.

“I’m not going home.” I said.

“Well, I can take you wherever you’re going.”

“Um, it’s cool. I ride there everyday.” I said.

“Come on. Stop being so stubborn and throw your bike in the bed.”

He stopped his truck and I stopped my bike. I looked to the back of his truck and then back to him. This really isn’t a good idea.

“Are you sure? You might be seen with me.” I told him.

I had to make sure that he was absolutely sure that he knew what he was doing. I had to make sure that his stock could plummet for being seen with me.

“So? What’s the big deal? We’re friends right?”

“I don’t know if I’d call us friends.”

“Aww, that hurts.”

Ryan put his hand on his chest and made a painful face. It was so cute. I don’t think I could say no at that point. I got my bike and put it in the bed of his truck. Then, I shuffled into the passenger seat.

“So where are you going?” asked Ryan.

“To the lake.” I said.

“To the lake it is.”

He started to drive and it was awkwardly silent between the two of us. I tried to think of things to say to break the ice, but I just couldn’t come up with anything.

“So, do you go to the lake everyday?”

“Y-Yeah,” I answered nervously. “It’s just where I go to unwind before I go home.”

“That’s cool.” said Ryan.

We reached the lake in a few more minutes and I got off of the truck, but so did he. He grabbed my bike from the back for me and then handed it to me.

“Thanks for the ride.” I said.

I started to walk my bike and all I heard was the wheels going over the leaves and rocks. Suddenly…

“Wait!” called Ryan.

I turned around and he was jogging towards me.

“Do you think I can hang out with you for a bit? I don’t really have anything else to do.” he asked.

Looking into those eyes, I wanted to say no, but just couldn’t.

“Um…sure.”

So, Ryan and I walked to the shore of the lake and sat down.

“So, what do you do when you’re out here?”

“I don’t know. I just think, I guess.”

“Of what?”

“What’s with the twenty questions?”

“Oh…sorry.”

We sat silently. I almost liked the questions more. It was just awkward to sit with him and not talk.

“Hey gay boy!”

Great, Ace. Ryan jumped up. He looked a bit angry.

“Stay back, I’ll handle this.” said Ryan.

“Ryan wait,” I said, trying to stop him as I got up.

“What’s your problem, man?” asked Ryan, shoving Ace.

“Hey!” said Ace as he got pushed back.

“Ryan, this Ace…my best friend.”

“Oh….sorry. I, ah…I think I’m going to head out.”

Ryan walked away and I let out a giant breath of relief. I went over to Ace and pat him on the back.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, what was his problem?”

“I have no clue,” I said, which was the truth.