Falling For Ryan...

Chapter 26

Ryan's POV

Graduation was just days away and I hadn't spoke to Amy in almost a month. I frowned at this. What was I to do? Call her, or just stay away? I decided to just stay away, but I needed to know if she was okay or not. I was going to call Allen, but he hates me almost as much as I hated myself for what I did to Ames. But somehow I found myself calling Lewis. I had no Idea how I got his number, or even what he meant to me- if we were friends or associates or enemies- but I did know that him and Amy were close. After three rings, I was on the verge of hanging up when someone answered.

Silence.

"Um, hello?"

"Hi!" Lewis gasped.

"Um... This is... Ryan."

"Oh. Hi, Ryan. I think you have the wrong number." He giggled and mumbled something to someone else.

"No. Actually I have the right one."

"Oh. Really?"

"Yeah. I wanted to check on Amy... And you're her friend... And..."

"Well I don't know," his voice became hard, and angry almost.

"Oh."

"Yeah." It was a moment of silence before he made a surprising request.

"Wanna hang out? Tomorrow maybe? Me and Amber need a break and I don't know many people around here..."

"Well sure! How about tonight?" He thought about it for a moment before he mumbled, "can I bring a friend?"

"Sure." I said right as the line went dead.

I felt a pat on my shoulder, and jumped at the touch. It was Jake.

I glanced at him and was about to walk around him, but he grabbed me.

"Please."

"What Jake? I don't have all day you know!" I growled.

"What you saw... Me and Kevin..."

"Oh." Over the past few weeks, I had completely forgotten about Jake and Kevin's fling.

"Yeah. I know you hate me, and I understand that,"-he nodded slightly: as if he was trying to agree with his words as they slipped out-"but don't tell anyone! Please. I don't... I can't..." He struggled to finish. After taking a few seconds to recollect himself, he said, "if I were in your place, I'd tell everyone I knew. I'd spread the gayness like wildfire! I'd try to ruin you, but I know that you're better than that. You're better than me. Everyone is." He looked to the ground, almost in shame. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"I won't say anything. And even if I did, It wouldn't be a bad rumor. Be proud of who you love, Jake. Be proud of who you are."

Allen's POV

I'm spending the day with Lewis and one of his friends tonight. As we arrive to "Larry's Pizza", I hear Lew mumble something to himself. We get out and enter the pizza joint. My stomach twisted with anticipation as I awaited this friend of Lewis. Every now and again we'd talk about something different, and right before I was about to mention the Halloween that I dressed up as a banana, Ryan walked towards us, Jake lingering behind him. As our eyes met, we paused. Both of us seemed surprised, but Lewis seemed mutual, almost uninterested.

"Hey Ry," Lew mumbled, without looking up.

"What is he doing here?" I yelped, almost at the time of my lungs.

"He's here because I invited him," Lew said simply. I looked at him as if he was crazy.

"What?! Why?" I was both irate and confuse, "no one wants him here!"

"I do." I just stared at him. Crazy. He was crazy. "I honestly do." He smirked a forced smirk. I snarled slightly, but I let it go.

"You didn't tell me that he'd be here," he tossed a finger in my direction, and another snarl exited my throat.

"Yeah. And I didn't tell him that you'd be here either: as you can probably tell."

"True." It was quiet for a while, and soon I found myself laughing and actually having fun. I was still confused as to why Lew invited Ryan or Jake-or even how he got Ryan and Jake to talk to each other again-but I gave up on trying to figure it out.

Ryan's POV

We paid our tabs-since everybody voted against me paying for all of us-and we were exiting, but before I could leave, I was stopped by Lewis. Seems like I'm not able to get away from anything today. He looked at me with almost pleading eyes. I just stared back. I wasn't use to needing to comfort others. I always avoided situations that required that-well at least I had until I met Amy.

Amy? Was something wrong with her? "Is Amy okay?" I blabber out. I wasn't able to panic because it took him less than a second to nod no. I calmed down slightly, but not too much.

"It's Allen..." He begin, and right when I was going to object to caring, he held up a hand.

"He's sick. Beyond reason." A huge grin formed across my face and I begin to laugh hysterically.

"I would agree with that." I expected him to laugh as well but he didn't. He just stood there with a face of stone. "That's not what you meant... Is it?"

"No. He's..." He drifted off towards the last part of his sentence to the point where it was no longer audible.

"Huh?" He looks up towards me and his vision seems to be failing him; It's like he can't see straight. He took a deep breath and said, "he's not right. I can't quite put my finger on it. He's just.... Wrong." I wanted to care, but I couldn't find it.

"Okay..?" His eyes become a pit. I step back, afraid of them.

"If he dies.."

"What?"

"Amy dies?" Maybe Lewis had gone crazy. He had gone crazy and it was official. He asked to hang out with me. He was definitely a nutcase; I wouldn't doubt it.

"What in the name of Christ are you talking about? If this was one of those old movies I would've slapped your ass by now." His face twisted with question, then confusion.

"Can you keep a secret?" So many secrets, so little time. I just nodded, and waited. I waited at least five minute: he stared at me like I'd evaporate under his watch.

"Allen..."

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:)