Temptation
Root-Beer Float
It’s Friday afternoon, August 17th. Tyler had two days to think about Seth and his ‘question’ at the lunch table on Wednesday. He couldn’t exactly get it out of his mind—and part of him didn’t think he wanted to. What would it be like to be with a guy like Seth? Lip piercing, plays in a rock-band on and off…he’s dangerous, rebellious. Tyler would love to have a guy like Seth…but part of Tyler still truly believed that Seth was being a douche to him. Well, he had no idea what he was about to endure.
As Tyler walked through the main hallway of Marshall County High before lunch, he caught Seth outside his lockers with a few friends. He decided— ‘alright, if he’s not being a dick to me, then he’ll want to talk to me in front of his friends.’ So Tyler decided to strike up conversation. Mistake number one.
“Hey, Seth,” Tyler said in a soft voice as he stopped in front of the male. Of course, Seth and his friends raised an eyebrow at the guy—none of Seth’s friends knew he had talked with Tyler on Wednesday at lunch.
“And, why are you talking to me?” Seth asked rather rudely. In honesty, deep within the confines of Seth’s mind…he didn’t want to treat Tyler Simpson this way, but he had to keep up his appearances.
“Uh.. Cause I thought you wanted me to?” Tyler asked to which Seth and his friends just started laughing.
“Why in the world would I want to talk to you?” Seth asked, rolling his eyes at Tyler and starting to walk away with his friends. Tyler stared on in disbelief that he would react to him that way. After all, they’d not spoken since seventh grade, why would he talk to him like that…he had no reason…other than the fact that he was in front of an audience.
The audience always made a difference. Tyler had run across Seth’s kind before in middle school and even last year in his freshman year. Friends that would be good friends with him when they wanted something…but then would laugh or turn their backs on him in public. It just came with being gay, Tyler would remind himself.. It really wasn’t anything personal against him, just his kind of people so to speak.
This time around however, Tyler’s feelings were truly hurt. He couldn’t get Seth’s laugh out of his head, and before the day was over… he’d ended up in the bathroom crying. Tyler had never been quite so sensitive on ‘haters’ before… he’d always been able to brush it off his shoulder…why was now any different? Why was Seth Mitchell different?
After finally leaving the bathroom, having regained his composure, Tyler found the one person he knew would want to talk his crisis out with him… his best friend Melissa. Tyler found her just before she was to go in AP English, their last class of that particular Friday. It’s not like many people would notice them gone—it was Friday…everyone’s mind would be on football.
“Ditch with me, I need to talk to someone. Desperately.” Tyler’s voice did indeed sound desperate to Melissa. Although she knew if she missed AP English, she would get into some trouble…her best friend was worth all the trouble in the world.
Melissa had been friends with Tyler since YMCA summer camp when they were eleven years old. Even then, Tyler had confided in Melissa that summer that he believed he was having…feelings for boys more than girls. Melissa told him that’s not uncommon, that there are plenty of guys who like guys, that he shouldn’t be ashamed. For six years now she’s sat by in the wings of silence, watching Tyler get his heartbroken by guys…all the while, being in love with him. Tyler always went to homecoming with Melissa, and he intended to take her to prom even.
But Mel was desperately in love with her gay best friend, and that’s why she ditched AP English for him; to be his advice guru, to be the person that he went to above all others…on most days, that was good enough for her. To at least be held in high regards by her very best friend. They walked together off the high school campus and ended up across the street at a small ice-cream parlor that most of the kids hung out at. There were already several here ditching today’s classes.
They sat down at a two person table and started to talk over a shared root-beer float, both of their favorite.
“So what seems to be the problem, Ty?” Melissa asked; she could tell it was something that Tyler was dreading to talk about.
“Two days ago at lunch, did you see Seth Mitchell sit down across from me?” The somewhat blond haired male asked to which Melissa shook her head no. “He pretty much told me he thinks he’s gay,” his voice was very quiet. The last thing he wanted was for other students to over hear him and Mel talking about Seth like this.
“Really?” Melissa’s eyes widened. Never once had she thought Seth Mitchell of all boys would be gay. There’s a lot of the student body males that Mel could have at least…thought, they could be gay…but never Seth Mitchell.
“Really. He asked me… if I knew, if I could tell him how I knew I was gay… I told him to Google it,” Tyler sighed just a bit. “I’m regretting almost telling him that now. What if he’s being genuine with me Melly? The worst thing is… I tried to approach him today and…since he had his group of friends around him, he blew me off. And the worst part? The most surprising part? It actually hurt my feelings.”
Melissa was stumped as to why it would hurt Tyler’s feelings for Seth to act that way—when had Seth ever not acted that way? Regardless, she took her best friends hand and squeezed it, still sharing the root-beer float with him, taking a sip of it.
“I’d say if he really wants to know if he’s gay or not, he came to the right guy. I think if he talks to you again, you’ll be able to tell for yourself whether or not he’s being a douche to you, faking it…or being genuine.” Mel was right, Tyler thought. If it was dropped after today, then it was clear to Tyler that Seth probably only had intentions of hurting him…but if Seth brought it up again, perhaps, it was the truth.
“You going to the game tonight?” Tyler asked Melissa and she shook her head no, but told him he should look for their two other gal-pals, Cassie and Sarah. After finishing their root-beer float, the two of them disappeared back across the street to get their things to leave school for the day.
As Tyler walked through the main hallway of Marshall County High before lunch, he caught Seth outside his lockers with a few friends. He decided— ‘alright, if he’s not being a dick to me, then he’ll want to talk to me in front of his friends.’ So Tyler decided to strike up conversation. Mistake number one.
“Hey, Seth,” Tyler said in a soft voice as he stopped in front of the male. Of course, Seth and his friends raised an eyebrow at the guy—none of Seth’s friends knew he had talked with Tyler on Wednesday at lunch.
“And, why are you talking to me?” Seth asked rather rudely. In honesty, deep within the confines of Seth’s mind…he didn’t want to treat Tyler Simpson this way, but he had to keep up his appearances.
“Uh.. Cause I thought you wanted me to?” Tyler asked to which Seth and his friends just started laughing.
“Why in the world would I want to talk to you?” Seth asked, rolling his eyes at Tyler and starting to walk away with his friends. Tyler stared on in disbelief that he would react to him that way. After all, they’d not spoken since seventh grade, why would he talk to him like that…he had no reason…other than the fact that he was in front of an audience.
The audience always made a difference. Tyler had run across Seth’s kind before in middle school and even last year in his freshman year. Friends that would be good friends with him when they wanted something…but then would laugh or turn their backs on him in public. It just came with being gay, Tyler would remind himself.. It really wasn’t anything personal against him, just his kind of people so to speak.
This time around however, Tyler’s feelings were truly hurt. He couldn’t get Seth’s laugh out of his head, and before the day was over… he’d ended up in the bathroom crying. Tyler had never been quite so sensitive on ‘haters’ before… he’d always been able to brush it off his shoulder…why was now any different? Why was Seth Mitchell different?
After finally leaving the bathroom, having regained his composure, Tyler found the one person he knew would want to talk his crisis out with him… his best friend Melissa. Tyler found her just before she was to go in AP English, their last class of that particular Friday. It’s not like many people would notice them gone—it was Friday…everyone’s mind would be on football.
“Ditch with me, I need to talk to someone. Desperately.” Tyler’s voice did indeed sound desperate to Melissa. Although she knew if she missed AP English, she would get into some trouble…her best friend was worth all the trouble in the world.
Melissa had been friends with Tyler since YMCA summer camp when they were eleven years old. Even then, Tyler had confided in Melissa that summer that he believed he was having…feelings for boys more than girls. Melissa told him that’s not uncommon, that there are plenty of guys who like guys, that he shouldn’t be ashamed. For six years now she’s sat by in the wings of silence, watching Tyler get his heartbroken by guys…all the while, being in love with him. Tyler always went to homecoming with Melissa, and he intended to take her to prom even.
But Mel was desperately in love with her gay best friend, and that’s why she ditched AP English for him; to be his advice guru, to be the person that he went to above all others…on most days, that was good enough for her. To at least be held in high regards by her very best friend. They walked together off the high school campus and ended up across the street at a small ice-cream parlor that most of the kids hung out at. There were already several here ditching today’s classes.
They sat down at a two person table and started to talk over a shared root-beer float, both of their favorite.
“So what seems to be the problem, Ty?” Melissa asked; she could tell it was something that Tyler was dreading to talk about.
“Two days ago at lunch, did you see Seth Mitchell sit down across from me?” The somewhat blond haired male asked to which Melissa shook her head no. “He pretty much told me he thinks he’s gay,” his voice was very quiet. The last thing he wanted was for other students to over hear him and Mel talking about Seth like this.
“Really?” Melissa’s eyes widened. Never once had she thought Seth Mitchell of all boys would be gay. There’s a lot of the student body males that Mel could have at least…thought, they could be gay…but never Seth Mitchell.
“Really. He asked me… if I knew, if I could tell him how I knew I was gay… I told him to Google it,” Tyler sighed just a bit. “I’m regretting almost telling him that now. What if he’s being genuine with me Melly? The worst thing is… I tried to approach him today and…since he had his group of friends around him, he blew me off. And the worst part? The most surprising part? It actually hurt my feelings.”
Melissa was stumped as to why it would hurt Tyler’s feelings for Seth to act that way—when had Seth ever not acted that way? Regardless, she took her best friends hand and squeezed it, still sharing the root-beer float with him, taking a sip of it.
“I’d say if he really wants to know if he’s gay or not, he came to the right guy. I think if he talks to you again, you’ll be able to tell for yourself whether or not he’s being a douche to you, faking it…or being genuine.” Mel was right, Tyler thought. If it was dropped after today, then it was clear to Tyler that Seth probably only had intentions of hurting him…but if Seth brought it up again, perhaps, it was the truth.
“You going to the game tonight?” Tyler asked Melissa and she shook her head no, but told him he should look for their two other gal-pals, Cassie and Sarah. After finishing their root-beer float, the two of them disappeared back across the street to get their things to leave school for the day.
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Word Count: 1,179