As We Are

Chapter 23

Kdin went ahead and took a seat next to Ray on the bus, although the second he sat down, he felt hands on his shoulders. He looked up expecting to see Gavin, but it was Michael, staring down at him with a small smile.

“Can I sit here today?” He asked Kdin.

Kdin furrowed his eyebrows and looked over at Ray for an answer, but Ray wasn't paying either of them attention. With a sigh, he nodded and got up, allowing Michael to take his place as he sat down in the seat behind them. Michael knew Ray wasn't going to talk to him, but he wanted to be near him, just in case.

Gavin noticed Kdin sitting alone, and he was going to join him, but Lindsay being the last to get on the bus, she decided to sit next to Gavin before he could leave. Gavin frowned a bit, though he smiled when she looked at him.

“Hey, Gav,” she greeted brightly.

“Hi, Lindsay,” he hoped he didn't sound off to her in anyway, but he might have, because she squinted her eyes slightly at him for a moment.

“Everything alright?” She ended up asking when she apparently did notice something wrong in Gavin's expression.

“I've just been thinking a lot about Ray,” Gavin nonchalantly answered, but he gasped when he realized he shouldn't have said anything.

“You mean like how he's been acting extra fidgety lately?”

Gavin's eyes widened as he stared at Lindsay, although he decided to play it a little dumb. “What do you mean?”

Lindsay sneaked a glance at Ray and Michael before sighing. “Michael told me that Ray came home the other night completely freaking out, but he doesn't know why because Ray won't tell.”

Well, that was certainly something Gavin wasn't aware of. He honestly assumed what he and Michael witnessed with Ray was going to be kept between them, for Ray's sake. Gavin raised his eyebrows as he looked over at Michael who was currently sitting next to Ray like they were absolute strangers.

“Michael told you all of that?” He asked Lindsay.

“Yep,” Lindsay replied.

There was no hiding the bit of irritation Gavin was feeling bubbling up inside, but really, it was over something so silly that he could have laughed at himself for it. He swallowed roughly and shook his head.

“I shouldn't be surprised that he told you,” he said softly, looking down at his hands.

Lindsay frowned and waited at first to see if Gavin would say more, though when he didn't, she asked, “Uh, is that a bad thing or?”

The corners of Gavin's mouth struggled to curl up as he looked Lindsay in the eye. “It's not bad at all,” and then he sighed loudly. “I'm sorry, Lindsay; I'm sure you two will be great together, but I just-”

Things never sounded as confusing as they did when Lindsay heard that, so she had to cut him off there and get some answers that hopefully did make some sense.

“Wait, Gav, what the hell are you talking about?”

Gavin tilted his head, but the more he realized Lindsay didn't know what he was talking about, the more that little irritation was turning into embarrassment. He breathed out a nervous laugh and shrugged.

Lindsay narrowed her eyes at him. “Gavin, tell me,” she pleaded.

“Linds, spare me from feeling completely idiotic.”

Lindsay's expression softened and Gavin's embarrassment grew.

“You thought there was something going on with Michael and me, didn't you?” She questioned him.