Sequel: Memoirs of a Gay Guy : 1000 Things ›
Status: Complete.
Memoirs of a Gay Guy : Till September
Entry : 40
So I made it home alive from Riley's. Throughout the whole day I had reminders everywhere about going to his house after school. In the morning it was Riley himself telling me he was excited for me to come over. Then during lunch Fin was interrogating him all about it. Then in the afternoon she kept going, "You're going to Ri-ley's," in a sing-song voice purely because she knew I was nervous about it.
So by the end of the day I was seriously considering skipping out on it, just bolting and taking my usual bus home, but Fin wouldn't let me.
"But Fin, what if his parents don't like me? What if I accidentally offend them? What if-"
"Will, listen to me! Stop what-iffing, you're gonna get yourself paranoid!" Fin told me. We were standing at our lockers, waiting for Riley to come so he and I could walk over to his house. Fin was there to make sure I actually went with him.
"But Fin!" I said again.
"Lord, I thought we went through this on Friday. Get over it already! You're one of the best friends he's got and he know's it! Nothing's gonna happen if you accidentally make a fool of yourself or something. You and Riley are going to have a great time and his birthday dinner will be all the more special because you're there. Now look at me, I need to fix your hair."
After that she checked my clothes and teeth and hugged me, wishing me luck one last time before Riley appeared. Then she gave him a hug too, wishing him a, 'Happy Birthday,' and then she left.
The walk home with Riley was actually a good ice breaker. We got to talking, first about school, but then about other things like books and our favorite Disney movies. His is Toy Story, mine's The Jungle Book. By the time we reached his house we were already in a conversation when we walked in. Riley told me to wait in the family room while he grabbed us a snack form the kitchen.
So I took off my shoes and my bag and started observing his family room. There were two large sofa's, a TV, a coffee table and lots of family pictures. I was holding up one of him when he must have been at least 6 years old when he walked back in with two cans of 7Up and a plate of crackers and cheese.
"Oh no, you noticed the pictures," he said.
"Is that so bad?" I asked. I held up the picture to him and said, "You were cute."
"Thanks," he chuckled. "But for now my childhood can stay on the shelves. Today is about me being 16, being older. And so help me I will kill my mother if she breaks out the family photo albums tonight."
I laughed, "Understood. I won't ask about anything like that."
"Thanks," he said, and flopped onto one of the sofas. Then he flicked on the TV and said, "Sorry, do you mind if we watch Ellen? I-"
"I watch her everyday, of course I don't mind!" I gushed. So we settled back with our snack and watched Ellen together. About halfway through the show, Riley's sister, Alice, came home from school.
"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed, hopping on to the couch beside him.
"Hey Ali, thanks. This is my friend Will, he's staying for dinner," Riley said. "Will, this is my sister Alice, she's in 8th grade at Hillcrest."
"Hi Alice," I said, giving her my friendliest smile.
Alice leaned over Riley, who was between us, looked me up and down and stated,
"I like him," making Riley smile. She then stood up but before she left the room she said to me, "The last boy he brought home was a real dud."
Curious, I turned to Riley and asked, "What's that s'posed to mean?"
"That means she likes you a whole lot better than my old friend Patrick. He used to come around the house a lot about a year ago, but he moved to Vancouver. Ali didn't like him at all for some reason. She seems to like you though, so whatever it is you've got, keep it." We went back to watching Ellen but I still wondered why Alice had put it that way: The last boy he brought home ...
Soon after Ellen finished, Riley's parents came home so I didn't have long to ponder his sister's word choice. Riley made introductions and his parents asked me a bit about myself and I told them all they wanted to know. I wasn't sure if Riley told them I'm gay but they said, "Riley's told us so much about you," so I assumed he would have.
Then came dinner. We had chinese food because it's Riley's favorite and coincidentally mine too. After that Riley's Mother got a DQ ice-cream cake from the fridge, lit candles, dimmed the lights and despite protests from Riley, started a chorus of Happy Birthday which his Dad, Alice and I joined in on.
After the cake, Riley opened gifts from his family and I. He got an iPod touch from his parents, a pair of sunglasses from Alice and a book from me. The book I gave him is a collection of short stories by David Levithan called How They Met. When Riley opened it he said, "Oh this is great! He's one of my favorite authors! Thanks Will!"
David Levithan is one of his favorite authors? How is he not gay?
But anyways, near the end of the evening, Riley and I were sitting across from each other at his kitchen table, picking at the remainder of his cake, while we waited for Jerry to come and pick me up. He told me, "I'm really glad you could come tonight Will, thanks."
"Well, you're welcome," I replied. "I'm glad you shared your birthday with me." We didn't get to say any more because we heard a honk from the driveway. "That must be Jerry."
So I got my coat and shoes on and just before I was about to step out the door, Riley hugged me and whispered, "Thanks again. Bye Will."
The whole evening was a rather puzzling yet enjoyable time.
So by the end of the day I was seriously considering skipping out on it, just bolting and taking my usual bus home, but Fin wouldn't let me.
"But Fin, what if his parents don't like me? What if I accidentally offend them? What if-"
"Will, listen to me! Stop what-iffing, you're gonna get yourself paranoid!" Fin told me. We were standing at our lockers, waiting for Riley to come so he and I could walk over to his house. Fin was there to make sure I actually went with him.
"But Fin!" I said again.
"Lord, I thought we went through this on Friday. Get over it already! You're one of the best friends he's got and he know's it! Nothing's gonna happen if you accidentally make a fool of yourself or something. You and Riley are going to have a great time and his birthday dinner will be all the more special because you're there. Now look at me, I need to fix your hair."
After that she checked my clothes and teeth and hugged me, wishing me luck one last time before Riley appeared. Then she gave him a hug too, wishing him a, 'Happy Birthday,' and then she left.
The walk home with Riley was actually a good ice breaker. We got to talking, first about school, but then about other things like books and our favorite Disney movies. His is Toy Story, mine's The Jungle Book. By the time we reached his house we were already in a conversation when we walked in. Riley told me to wait in the family room while he grabbed us a snack form the kitchen.
So I took off my shoes and my bag and started observing his family room. There were two large sofa's, a TV, a coffee table and lots of family pictures. I was holding up one of him when he must have been at least 6 years old when he walked back in with two cans of 7Up and a plate of crackers and cheese.
"Oh no, you noticed the pictures," he said.
"Is that so bad?" I asked. I held up the picture to him and said, "You were cute."
"Thanks," he chuckled. "But for now my childhood can stay on the shelves. Today is about me being 16, being older. And so help me I will kill my mother if she breaks out the family photo albums tonight."
I laughed, "Understood. I won't ask about anything like that."
"Thanks," he said, and flopped onto one of the sofas. Then he flicked on the TV and said, "Sorry, do you mind if we watch Ellen? I-"
"I watch her everyday, of course I don't mind!" I gushed. So we settled back with our snack and watched Ellen together. About halfway through the show, Riley's sister, Alice, came home from school.
"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed, hopping on to the couch beside him.
"Hey Ali, thanks. This is my friend Will, he's staying for dinner," Riley said. "Will, this is my sister Alice, she's in 8th grade at Hillcrest."
"Hi Alice," I said, giving her my friendliest smile.
Alice leaned over Riley, who was between us, looked me up and down and stated,
"I like him," making Riley smile. She then stood up but before she left the room she said to me, "The last boy he brought home was a real dud."
Curious, I turned to Riley and asked, "What's that s'posed to mean?"
"That means she likes you a whole lot better than my old friend Patrick. He used to come around the house a lot about a year ago, but he moved to Vancouver. Ali didn't like him at all for some reason. She seems to like you though, so whatever it is you've got, keep it." We went back to watching Ellen but I still wondered why Alice had put it that way: The last boy he brought home ...
Soon after Ellen finished, Riley's parents came home so I didn't have long to ponder his sister's word choice. Riley made introductions and his parents asked me a bit about myself and I told them all they wanted to know. I wasn't sure if Riley told them I'm gay but they said, "Riley's told us so much about you," so I assumed he would have.
Then came dinner. We had chinese food because it's Riley's favorite and coincidentally mine too. After that Riley's Mother got a DQ ice-cream cake from the fridge, lit candles, dimmed the lights and despite protests from Riley, started a chorus of Happy Birthday which his Dad, Alice and I joined in on.
After the cake, Riley opened gifts from his family and I. He got an iPod touch from his parents, a pair of sunglasses from Alice and a book from me. The book I gave him is a collection of short stories by David Levithan called How They Met. When Riley opened it he said, "Oh this is great! He's one of my favorite authors! Thanks Will!"
David Levithan is one of his favorite authors? How is he not gay?
But anyways, near the end of the evening, Riley and I were sitting across from each other at his kitchen table, picking at the remainder of his cake, while we waited for Jerry to come and pick me up. He told me, "I'm really glad you could come tonight Will, thanks."
"Well, you're welcome," I replied. "I'm glad you shared your birthday with me." We didn't get to say any more because we heard a honk from the driveway. "That must be Jerry."
So I got my coat and shoes on and just before I was about to step out the door, Riley hugged me and whispered, "Thanks again. Bye Will."
The whole evening was a rather puzzling yet enjoyable time.
♠ ♠ ♠
OMG guyyyyz! So what did you think? Was it everything you imagined it would be and more? Are you excited? Are you disappointed? Or are you just as confused by Riley as Will is? =/