Chapter 24
When Mae walked up to me while everyone was getting ready for the poetry slam, she had a huge smile on her face. "Do my eyes deceive me, or are you not using your crutches anymore?" she asked.
I looked down before looking back at her and smiling. "I went to the doctor's yesterday," I said. "She said I no longer have to use them as long as I don't put too much pressure on my ankle. And if I continue taking things easy, I might be able to dance again by Saturday."
"Really?" Mae asked, the smile still on her face.
"Yeah," I said. "I have another appointment next Friday where my doctor will be able to confirm if I can dance or not. And, if I can, I'm still going to take it easy. No jumps or anything like that."
"That would be amazing if you can dance again," she said. "Not only is it your life, but I miss dancing with you. And, since you're not on crutches, does that mean you can come to the Halloween dance next week? What time is your appointment?"
"Three," I said. "So, yes, I'll be able to go. And, let me guess, you want to do a couples costume so we can enter the contest?"
"Yes," she said. "Well, that and all the girls will see that you're still taken so...."
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "At least you're not getting mad at me. So, any ideas for costumes?"
Mae shrugged. "I was just thinking maybe something from Disney because I love Disney."
"Well, who's your favorite Disney princess?" I asked.
"Belle," she said. "But we can't do Beauty and the Best. Do you have a favorite princess? And don't say no just because you're a guy. Guys can have a favorite princess."
I smiled. "I do, actually. Jasmine."
"Ooh, we can go as Aladdin and Jasmine!" Mae said excitingly. "If only we had someone for Abu."
I couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You know, on my first Halloween when I was five months old, my parents went as Aladdin and Jasmine and I went as Abu."
"Aww!" Mae gushed. "I can just imagine you as a baby in a monkey costume! Is that why Jasmine's your favorite?"
"Actually, yes," I said. "My parents weren't married at the time, but they won the family costume contest at an event they went to and, I don't know....I just like how they thought of themselves as family even though they weren't married. If only it didn't take my dad so long to propose."
"How long did it take?" Mae asked.
"They were dating for five years," I said. "I was three at the time and I technically proposed for my dad. I got on my knees with my dad and said 'Will you marry daddy?'"
Mae smiled. "You're family is so cute! You better not take that long to propose to me, though."
"Don't worry, I won't," I said. "I should be going where all the speakers for the poetry slam are. I'll see you after, though."
Mae gave me a hug. "Good luck, Ryder." She kissed my cheek before I walked to where the other participants were sitting.
I looked out in the audience, catching sight of my family. Immediately, all my siblings began waving like crazy and the triplets also began jumping up in down. I saw Mom say something to them, probably telling them to calm down, but it didn't work. They were never calm.
It wasn't long before the poetry slam started. I was fifth to go up and as soon as I was called the the podium, I heard my siblings say, quite loudly, "That's our brother!"
Dad had to smack them upside the head.
Thank you, Dad.
I took a deep breath before saying the poem that took me a long time to write but after a while, I decided to write about something I really had to get off my chest.
Pressure.
Pressure about being the perfect son. The perfect brother. The perfect student. The perfect dancer. The perfect boyfriend. The love expert. Being in the perfect relationship with my perfect parents.
In my poem, I didn't say it like that so bluntly. I found a way to say it without it being so obvious, yet at the same time, people should know what I was talking about, if that made sense.
When I finished, I felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. All I did was talk about it, but doing so in front of so many people, especially the people I was feeling pressured from, made me feel so relieved.
I should have done this a long time ago.
There weren't too many poems after me and once the last person finished, the judges had to total the score. I honestly didn't care what place I came in. I was just using this as a way to lift all the weight off of my shoulder.
In the end, I ended up coming in second, which I was fine with. If this had to do with dance, on the other hand, I wouldn't have been so happy.
Mae rushed over to me and wrapped her arms around me. "Good job!" she said. "How did that feel?"
"Great," I said. "I don't feel so pressured anymore."
"Good," she said. "Because you shouldn't have to feel pressured about all that, especially being the perfect boyfriend, because in my eyes, you already are the perfect boyfriend."
I couldn't help but smile before I leaned down and pressed my lips on hers.
But we were interrupted when I heard a giggle, followed by, "Maeder still lives!"
I pulled away with a sigh and turned to see Tulip. "You can be very annoying at times," I said.
"I know," she said with a smile. "But I am your favorite, right?"
"Of course you are," I said.
"Hey!" the triplets objected in unison.
"What? It's true," I said. "You three are annoying pests."
"We're not that big of a pest," Alan objected. "Hey, Mae, want to hear an embarrassing story we finally found out about Ryder?"
"Come on, nothing is embarrassing about me," I said. "Hit her with your best shot."
"Okay, apparently, when Ryder was a baby, he was very active," Alan said. "He crawled around a lot. And one time, he crawled around butt-naked when our mom was trying to change his diaper."
"Yeah, that isn't really embarrassing," Mae said. "Cute and adorable, but not embarrassing."
"Ha," I said to Alan. "Face it, you three still have nothing on me."
"We'll find something," Orchid said just as Mom and Dad walked over. "Mom, Dad, do you have any embarrassing stories about Ryder?"
"No, not really," Mom said.
"Ha ha."
"No, there is one," Dad said. "What about that time when he was five and I was making breakfast and...."
"Don't say it," I said, knowing what he was talking about.
"Wait, there actually is something?" Nolan asked. "Spill!"
"Dad...."
"Sorry kids, but Ryder's my favorite," Dad said, making me release a breath. "Mae might be interested in hearing it, though."
"Yeah, for sure," Mae said.
"No, don't tell her," I said. "I swear to God, Dad, tell her and I will tell everyone about your fairy dress. And I do mean everyone."
Dad just gave me a smile before cupping his hands around his mouth. "Attention, everyone!" he yelled, getting everyone to look at him. "I, Grayson Alan Prince, once wore a fairy dress when I was eleven and danced around the living room!"
"You did not just do that," I said. Unbelievable.
"I did," Dad said with a smile as he pulled out his phone. He then typed something in and a few moments later, Mae's cell phone buzzed.
Before I could do anything, she took it out and read it before laughing. "Oh my gosh, that's hilarious!"
"I was five!"
Mae, however, couldn't stop laughing.
"Thanks a lot, Dad," I said, glaring at him.
"Aww, now I want to know what it is," Alan said. "Dad, tell us."
"No can do," Dad said. "Only Mae got to know. You three being Ryder's siblings is embarrassing enough for him."
"Grayson...." Mom said.
"Come on, Flower, you know it's true," Dad said. "They're annoying and you know it."
"You are surely the nicest dad in the world," Alan said sarcastically.
"I know," Dad said.
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Guys, I'm crying. When Grayson announced the whole fairy thing, it made me miss teenage/young adult Grayson so much. Before I go to be, I'm probably going to read either the second or third book of the Protector series because I miss him.
I should be finishing Dax's book this month, which means the crossover of Grayson and Seb will be coming soon and we get to see young Grayson again. He'll be 23 in it and it will either be slightly before or after Popson gets married. I think it might be after.
And then we get to see 3 year old Ryder again. I miss that little kid....
THEY GROW UP SO FAST!
So now, here's a gif of Grayson because I miss him.