Twentieth Avenue High

3. I’m Ready

“Son,” Julian’s father called from the kitchen.

Julian was laying on his bed reading a magazine. He hopped up and headed to the landing to talk to his father.

“Yeah Sir?” Julian said grasping the wooden railing that kept one from walking off the landing and falling to their doom.

“You have a phone call,” he said. “Some Tyler kid wants to talk to you. Go pick it up in your room.”

“Yes Sir,” Julian said returning to his room. He picked up the phone, “I got it dad.”

His father hung up.

“Hello,” Julian said.

“Hey,” Tyler said.

“What’s up?” Julian asked.

“I was just thinking,” Tyler said. “We have that date to go on. Are you free tonight?”

“Well,” Julian said. “I do have a test tomorrow. But hell! I’ve studied for it enough. I’m free.”

“Okay cool,” Tyler said happily. “I’ll come pick you up in about an hour okay?”

“Sure,” Julian said.

He hung the phone up. He threw his hands up and began dancing with excitement.

“What are you doing?” His father was standing behind him with arms folded and an eyebrow raised.

“Nothing,” Julian came to a quick stop. “Just shaking all the dust off.”

“Is that right?” His father laughed, “You’re a weird one son. So what did your friend want?”

“Nothing,” Julian said. “Just wants to hang out tonight.”

“Son,” his father said. “It’s a school night, and you have a test tomorrow.”

“I’ve studied,” Julian said. “I can pretty much guarantee an ‘A’ Sir. Besides, I’ll be home by eleven to get enough sleep.”

“Alright,” he said. “But if you bring me anything less than an ‘A’ I will be grounding you.”

“Yes Sir,” Julian saluted.
***
An hour passed and Julian was waiting in the living room. He was wearing a short sleeved, blue button up shirt and brown pants which were rolled up a little ways. He heard a honk come from the driveway.

“Bye Sir,” Julian yelled as he headed out of his house and to Tyler’s car. He got in.

“Hey,” Tyler said.

Tyler was wearing a black, long sleeved shirt that was rolled up to his elbows and a pair of blue and brown plaid shorts.

“Hey yourself,” Julian said.

Tyler leaned in to kiss Julian but Julian stopped him.

“Not while in my driveway,” he frowned. “What if my dad sees?”

“Oh yeah,” Tyler blushed. “Sorry. I forgot about that.”

“That’s okay,” Julian smiled. “So where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Tyler said.

Tyler pulled his car out of the driveway and drove towards the mountains. After a thirty minute drive he stopped the car.

“Where are we?” Julian asked.

“This is the lake,” Tyler smiled. “A lot of people come here to drink on the weekends. But, on weeknights there is usually no one I know here. So I thought we could come here and hang.”

“Okay,” Julian said.

Tyler led Julian down to the shore of the lake and they sat down in the cold sand. They just sat there for a while, no one said anything.

“This is,” Julian tried to find the word. “This is… Nice.”

“Yeah,” Tyler said. “Sorry I’m so boring. I just…”

“You just what?” Julian asked.

“I just don’t want to sound stupid,” Tyler said.

“You don’t strike me as the kind of person who cares about that,” Julian said. “Why does it matter with me?”

“Because,” Tyler said. “Because I really like you. Possibly more than I liked Katharine. And we were the ‘it’ couple at Twentieth until she broke up with me.”

“But?” Julian said, “I sense there being a but in this explanation.”

“But,” Tyler continued. “I don’t want to go through what I went through before when I told other people that I was into guys. What if they don’t accept me and I suddenly lose everything I worked so hard to get.”

“I know how you feel,” Julian said. “But who’s making you tell? I’m not going to make you tell. I don’t care if anyone ever knows that we kissed that one night, or that we made out that night I spent the night at your house.”

“I do,” Tyler said. “I want to be able to walk around school and hold your hand or kiss you.”

Julian smiled then frowned. Tyler was right. They could never risk being a couple in front of the kids and teachers at their school. Things were bound to get ugly.

“So then,” Julian said. “Do you not want to do this? Like do you just want to go back to being friends?”

“No,” Tyler shook his head. “I would miss it too much.”

“Then what do you want to do?” Julian asked.

“This,” Tyler grinned.

Tyler grabbed Julian’s shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.

“No way,” a voice came from behind them.

Tyler and Julian broke their kiss to find Tyler’s friend Spencer. Spencer was had short blonde hair and blue eyes.

Tyler and Julian remained silent.

“So wait,” Spencer said. “Are you two like dating?”

Tyler said nothing. Julian said nothing.

“Well then,” Spencer smirked. “If you two aren’t going to talk. Maybe someone else knows. I’ll just have to inform everyone and see what I can find out.”

Tyler shot up and quickly walked back up to his car. He got in and sped off.

“Temper temper,” Spencer said. “What’s his problem?”

“Are you joking?” Julian got up, “You just threatened to blackmail him.”

“And you,” Spencer said. “What’s the big deal? Are you two ashamed of your love for each other?”

“We’re not in love,” Julian said.

“Then what are you?” Spencer’s smirk held strong.

“Nothing,” Julian looked up at where Tyler’s car was. “We aren’t anything. And we are never going to be anything. Not any more.”

Julian began walking away.

“Where are you going?” Spencer asked.

“Home,” Julian said. “You forced my ride to leave so now I have a long walk ahead of me. I’d better get started.”

“No wait,” Spencer said. “I will give you a lift… If you blow me.”

Julian rolled his eyes and began walking while Spencer continued to laugh at his own jokes.
***
Julian made it home around midnight. He walked into his house to find his father sitting in his chair in the living room.

“You’re late,” he said. “Didn’t we agree on eleven?”

“Yes Sir,” Julian sighed. “But can I tell you my reason for being late?”

“Your excuse you mean?” His dad tapped his foot.

“Tyler,” Julian said. “Tyler got mad and left me up at the lake. I had to walk home.”

“I see,” his father said. “Well then I guess there is only one thing I can do.”

“Ground me?” Julian sighed.

“I am going to,” he said. “I am going to get you a cell phone. So that way, when this happens again, you can call me.”

Julian’s face lit up.

“Now get to bed,” his father said. “You need to sleep for that test you have.”

“Thanks,” Julian said. “Good night Sir.”

Julian ran up stairs to his room.
***
Julian walked down the halls of the school toward his next class. Many other students surrounded him as they walked to their other classes. He headed into the classroom and sat down at his seat. Tyler was also in the class. He sat in the back. When he walked in he and Julian made eye contact and then Julian looked away. The bell rang.

“Alright class,” the teacher, Ms. Rosenbaum, said. “Take five minutes to study and then begin the test.”

Julian reviewed his notes.
***
“Time is up,” Ms. Rosenbaum said. “Pencils down. Please pass your tests up.”

Julian collected the tests. Tyler’s came up and there was a small piece of paper attached with Julian’s name on it. Julian pulled it off and passed the tests up. He stuck the note in his pocket. When the bell rang he left the classroom. He pulled the note out of his pocket and unfolded it.

‘Julian,

Last night was a mistake. I am sorry for what I did.
Please meet me at the baseball field during lunch.
I have something I really need to do.
Please come. I really need to see you.

-Tyler’

Julian tossed the note into the nearest trash can.

When lunch time came Julian got his lunch. He looked out the window. Tyler was practicing with the baseball team. He opened the door and walked to the field.

“Guys,” Tyler yelled. “Take five.”

The team scattered and began spraying each other with water from their water bottles. Tyler walked up to Julian.

“Hey,” Tyler said.

“That’s all you ever say,” Julian said. “Hey. This isn’t a ‘hey’ type of conversation. Say what you have to say.”

“Okay,” Tyler said. “I understand that you’re mad. You have every right to be but…”

“But what Tyler?” Julian yelled, “You left me miles away from my house. I had to walk home and I was late for curfew.”

“I don’t want what happened to me before to happen again,” Tyler said.

“This isn’t all about you,” Julian said. “This is about me too. If you can’t handle that then I don’t wanna be apart of this.”

“Fine,” Tyler said as he grabbed Julian’s hand.

“What are you doing?” Julian asked.

“Hey guys,” Tyler yelled.

The team looked over.

“For any of you who care,” Tyler said. “Spencer Redman saw Julian and I making out at the lake last night.”

The team stayed silent.

“And just so you know,” Tyler continued. “I like Julian. If you have a problem with that then you will just have to deal. No matter what you think, I’m still the pitcher and captain of this team.”

The team still said nothing.

“And,” Tyler turned to Julian. “Julian is my boyfriend.”

Julian raised his eyebrows.

“If you want to be,” Tyler said.

Julian wrapped his arms around Tyler’s shoulders and neck.

“Sure,” Julian said.

Tyler leaned down and kissed Julian. Tyler looked at the team after breaking the kiss.

“You guys have any issues with this?” Tyler asked.

One of the boys, Alex, walked up to them.

“I have your back,” he said. “Anyone tries to mess with you guys; I will take care of them. Got that team? Don’t mess with our captain!”

Tyler turned back to Julian and kissed him again.

“I’m sorry for last night,” Tyler said. “You forgive me?”

“I suppose,” Julian smiled. “But what about Spencer?”

“Spencer,” Alex said. “Me and the boys are going to go take care of him.”

The team herded away from the field.

“Why’d you do that?” Julian asked.

“Do what?” Tyler said.

“Tell the team,” Julian said. “You didn’t have to do that. We could have just sorted it out.”

“When you care about someone,” Tyler said. “You take risks. I care about you a lot. I had to risk my social life to be with you, and that doesn’t bother me anymore.”

Tyler and Julian both smiled. Julian leaned up and kissed Tyler.

TO BE CONTINUED…