Chapter 3

[Sorry there's no name for this chap, I havent thought of anything yet. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know]

Ryo
Chapter 3



"Anyone home?" I called out, stepping inside apartment number twenty. Why did I bother? My oldest brother, Tom, would just be at work, my other older brother, would be who know's where, and my younger brother would be at a friend's house. And almost always when I got home from school, or even anywhere, no one was home.

With a sigh, I walked out of the small entry hall and into the living room, only to find my ten-year-old brother, West, playing video games. Pretty much West looks like a younger version of me, wavy black hair, dark blue eyes, pale skin, probably one of the only differences is that my hair is long and his is short.

He jabbed at the controller in his hand. Blasting sounds were coming from the TV after every jab at the controller.

Passing him to get to my room, I said sarcastically, "Don't you have homework to do?"

In a cold tone he answered, "And what are you? My father?"

I stopped right outside my bedroom door, frozen by the coldness in his voice and what he had just said.

No, I thought, I'm not Dad. I'll never be him. I'll never try and control anyone the way he tried to control Mom. I'll never be as angry, rude, and selfish as he was.

I tried a different angle with West. "Where's Tom?"

"Out," was all West said.

No point in talking to him, I thought.

Just as I was about to enter my room, there was a knock on the front door.

West took his eyes off the TV and seemed to glare at me. "Well, don't just stand there, get it!"

As much as I wanted to yell and scream at West fro acting like such a little bastard, I choked it all down and got the door.

Kerry waved a hand and said, "Do you mind if I talk to you?"

I stepped aside to let him in and said, "No, come in,"

A smile on his face, he walked past me and into the living room. I closed the door and followed him, thinking, Kerry couldn't have gotten to his house then mine that fast. Also, if he wanted to talk, couldn't he have just called?

Kerry opened the door to my room and said, "Can we talk in private in here?"

I nodded and followed him into my room. I took one last glance at West, who was still sitting on the couch, controller in hand, before closing the door and shutting him out.

I tossed my backpack in front of my small bookshelf, then sat on my bed, untying my old high tops. Trying to get a knot of my shoe, I asked Kerry, "Were you home before you came here?" I glanced up to see him leaning against the door, staring up at the ceiling, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"I had to stay after school," he answered. "Remember how I didn't have the homework for Science and Mr. Wilson gave me detention?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, feeling stupid. Frustrated that the knot wouldn't come out, I pulled off my shoe and let it drop to the ground, then did the same to the other one. Now, I looked right up at Kerry and saw how sad he looked. "Something wrong?"

His eyes locked on mine and I could feel my heart start to beat faster. His eyes were so pretty. They were the shade of the sky when it was one of those really good days.

"You know, I was just wondering," he said said, a smile curling of his face. "Do you have a thing for Kim?"

"What?" The question caught me off guard. But now that Kerry mentioned it, I did sort of have a thing for Kim. I didn't know why though. But I know I wasn't liking her for her looks. Even though she did look good, with that black hair that went only a little past her shoulders, those dark brown eyes surrounded by all that eyeliner every time I saw her, her tan skin. . .for some reason her looks didn't matter to me. Maybe it was the fact that she was funny? And a good person to be around? Or was it because everyone thought of her as the crazy-gothic-tomboy and I was one of the only people who could see around that?

"Are you ever gonna answer me?" Kerry asked, cutting my thoughts. He came over and sat next to me on my bed.

"Well," I said slowly. "Maybe I have a. . .tiny crush on her. But it would never work out between us. We're just friends, and Kim doesn't seem like she wants to date anyone any time soon. Anyway, is that why you came here?"

He shook his head, running a hand through his curls. "I was just curious about that. Anyway, there's, uh, something I have to, uh, tell you."

I looked into his eyes. They had a serious gleam in them. Usually Kerry never takes anything serious, but whatever he had to tell me was serious to him.

"What is it?" I asked.

Kerry narrowed his eyes and seemed to blush a little. "Well. . .it's. . .I'm. . ." he sighed. "I don't really know how to tell you."

Sarcastically I said, "Spit it out you dumb bitch,"

"I'm gay!"

"Huh?" Did I just hear right? Kerry Fox, my best friend, was gay? He liked guys, not girls. I was so surprised I didn't know what to say. Was he joking with me? No. I could tell. His eyes were narrowed, almost like he was embarrassed he had said it.

Isn't this a good thing? I thought. Kerry likes guys, and you like Kerry. But that didn't mean he would like me. Why would he? My life is perfect. It never was and never will be.

"What do you have to say?" Kerry's voice was soft.

"It doesn't bother me," I said. "Honest, Kerr, it doesn't."

"Really?" A small smile curled on his face but it quickly disappeared as tears formed in the corner of his eyes. "Because it sure bothers me."

"Wha-what do you mean?" I asked, moving a little closer to him. I put an arm around his shoulder.

"I mean, well, it's not that I hate being gay, it's just, well, what'll my parents think? You know my dad."

The sad truth was I did. Kerry's dad was one of those Christian's that follow everything from the Bible. And he doesn't like anyone who's gay. Which means Kerry's in trouble. "Do your. . .parents know?"

He shook his head, tears falling down his cheeks. "I-I don't know what to do either. I could tell them, but. . .who knows what he'll do to me. I mean, Mom probably won't mind, but-but-" now he was sobbing. He put his hands in his hands and sobbed. He seemed to be acting like I wasn't there, he seemed to be acting like he was talking to himself instead of his best friend.

Realizing I still had my arm around him, I made him pull closer to me. He pulled his face away from his hands and restead on my shoulder instead.

"Don't worry," I said softly.

His only answer was to sob even more on my shoulder.

I can't take watching him cry like this, I thought, it makes me want to cry as well.

"Ry-Ryo," he stuttered between sobs.

"Yeah?"

He lifted his head of my shoulder and wiped away tears with the back of his hand. His cheeks were red and puffy, and his eyes were red around the corners.

He started stuttering nervously. "I-I've al-always li-liked you,"

My heart seemed to beat even faster. He liked me. He actually liked me. Can ear hear my heart pounding? I felt like it was pounding right in my ears. My dream was true. . .Kerry had a crush on me. I was so happy to hear it, it seemed like there weren't any words good enough to describe it.

"I've always liked you too," I admitted. I was expecting Kerry to smile to hear that, but he didn't. All he did was look at me with sad eyes.

"Ryo?" His voice was barley above a whisper. "Even though I look all bad, can you. . .kiss me?"

The question caught me so off guard I thought I was dreaming. Kerry wanted me to kiss him? Now? Here?

But it's your room, I thought, the door closed, everyone except West gone, you and Kerry are all alone, why not?

I placed both hands on his cheeks, making him look into my eyes. "Of course I'll give you a kiss,"

A smile crossed his lips. It made me happy to see him smile so much, I thought I would actually cry tears of happiness.

He must have been ready for the kiss right after I agreed to kiss him, because he parted his lips as if mine were right about to touch his.

He really wants this kiss, I thought. Well, if he wants it that bad, I'll give it to him.

I got my lips ready, and pressed them firmly yet gently against his. His lips had a warm and comforting feeling to them, they were so good I felt like I could kiss him forever. I felt his fingers running through my hair and I did the same to his.

Sadly, he ended the kiss by slowly pulling away. I didn't want him to stop, I wanted him to keep kissing me, and running his hands though my hair.

He wiped the last of tears from his eyes and said, "Your a good kisser,"

"You have great lips too," I said, before giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Just promise me one thing," he said, being serious now. "You can't tell Kim."

"Huh? Why not?"

"You know her," he almost groaned. "She's in love with gay and bi guys, especially the ones with long hair, and she'll go all 'fan-girly' on us."

I almost laughed. Kim would go all "OMG, Kerry, you're gay? That is so adorable!"

"I won't tell," I said in a serious tone. "I promise. Um, by the way, this may not be a good time to mention this, but. . .what are you gonna do about your parents?"

He shrugged. He was acting like it was no big deal, even though he had just cried about it. "I'll tell them, don't worry. The sooner the better, too. So maybe I'll tell them tonight."

"If anything happens to you, you can always come here,"

My door flew open and West came in, with Kim right behind him.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Kerry asked West.

"It's not your room," West said.

I glanced at Kim, who was still standing behind West. She stood there in ripped knee hole jeans, a band tee, and old sneakers. Her black hair fell over half her face, revealing half of a tan face and a dark eye surrounded by black eyeliner. She had her messenger bag over her shoulder.

Kerry stood and said, "I should get home. I'll see you guys later," He waved a hand before leaving my room.

West sighed in annoyance. "I just came to tell you Kim's here," while he walked out of my room he muttered, "And I was so close to getting to the last level, too." The door shut softly behind him.

Kim smiled and said, "Yo. Could you believe I didn't get in trouble for that poem?" She dropped her bag to the floor and sat next to it, crossing her legs.

After Kim had read her "poem" in class, no one else really wanted to go, so Jasmine just called up random students. Thankfully, she didn't pick me. She didn't even pick Hannah or her other three friends.

I almost laughed as I asked, "Did she chew you out when you were home?"

She shook her head, resting her chin in her hands. "Nah, she wasn't even home when I left, so most likely if I'm not back by eight, she and Dad'll be pissed."

"Why do you have your messenger bag with you?" I asked, pulling back a strand of hair that had fallen over my face.

"Oh," she said as if she had forgotten why she brought it. "I was going to call and ask if you wanted to study for that dumb quiz in Science tomorrow."

I blinked at her confused. "Your asking me to help you study? You should be asking Kerry, he's the only one out of the three of us that's passing with flying colors."

She pulled out her Science textbook from her bag, stood up, and sat next to me on the bed. "Well, you know Kerry's dad. He expects him to get straight A's, nothing more. Anyway, what was he doing here?"

"Oh. . ." my voice came out slow. I hadn't planned on that. I can't tell her he's gay, Kerr'll kill me for that. But I don't want to lie to her either.

What would Mom do? I thought. If she were me, would she tell the truth? Or would she feel guilty and lie? I said the best thing I could.

"Oh, he was just telling me about how his Dad is pissing him off about his grades," I was lying through my teeth. I felt the guilt start to rise. Why did I have to feel so guilty for lying? Even small white lies make me feel so guilty. Why? I had to have gotten it from Mom's side. She never liked lying either. She said she always felt guilty no matter what.

"So," Kim said opening her Science book. "Where should we start?"