Nice to Know You Care

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"Ashley, can I tell you something...?" I asked sheepishly. I couldn't believe I was going to tell him about my sexuality. We'd been best friends for years and I finally got the nerve to tell him. But... I was gonna wait to tell him about my feelings for him...
"Yeah. Anything Andy." He smiled warmly and waited for me to talk again. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words seemed to get caught in my throat. I tried again, and manage to get out a soft whisper that was almost barely audible. Ashley frowned. "What was that?"
"I'm gay..." I bit my lip and looked at Ashley expecting the 'Thats fine, nothings gonna change between us' that Jake, Jinxx, CC and Jon had all said. Nope. Instead I got something extremely unexpected, and something I wasn't prepared to hear. Ashley stared at me in disbeleif, his face blank as if debating what to say, and then his blank expression soon turned to disgust.
"You faggot!" He hissed.
"W-what?"
"You heard me! You're a disgusting faggot thats a disappointment to the human race!" He scoffed coldly after standing up and heading towards the bus door.
"A-Ashley-" I choked, but it was too late. He had slammed the door shut and I was all alone in the bus, left for my horrible thoughts to consume me. I let myself slide off the couch and screamed as loud as I could through the flowing tears.
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"Andy? Andy, wake up." I heard CC's distant voice. "Dude, you okay?" He asked and I felt his hand on my back, trying to calm me down. I hadn't realized I was crying in my bunk. Again. I had been like this for two weeks. I sat up and bit my lip, shaking my head. "Was it that dream again?" That dream. The thing is, its not a dream. Its a memory thats been haunting me for the past two weeks. But I couldn't tell them and make them all turn against Ashley... After all he had said to me... After all he had called me I still loved him... Refusing to talk, I nodded slightly. CC sighed. "Can we know what it is? Maybe we could help..." He gestured to everyone else that had gathered around my bunk. Everyone except Ashley. Of course he wasn't there. It was only midnight, he was probably on his way back from some bar by now.
"...he caused it...." I muttered.
"Who did?" Jake frowned. After hearing the bus door open and close he smiled slightly and waved. "Hey Ashley."
That name. That name made me want to scream at the top of my lungs and I wish I could. Slowly I retreated into my bunk, curling up in the covers to conceal the sobs that were struggling to escape. Jinxx, noticing my reaction to Ashley entering the bus, spoke up.
"Explain Purdy."
"Explain what?" He raised an eyebrow.
"What did you do to Andy?!" He said, more impatient.
"What did I do to...." He trailed off, spotting CC on my bunk trying to quiet me down some. "Oh... that."
"So you DO know what happened?!" Jake scowled.
"Well yeah, but its nothing really. He simply told me he was gay, and I just gave him my opinion, I didn't mean anything bad." He shrugged and went to get a drink from the small fridge. I couldn't control myself. I leapt out of my bunk and walked up to him, screaming in his face.
"DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BAD?! SO CALLING ME A FAGGOT THATS A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE HUMAN RACE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HURT ME AT ALL?! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" I sobbed. Slowly backing away a bit, I looked in his eyes. "...Nice to know you care..." I whispered. Ashleys jaw dropped.
"I-I do... i do care..."
"Yeah well... you sure have a strange way of showing it, don't you." I said before storming off the bus.
I managed to grab a pack of cigarrettes off the counter before closing the door, and pulled one out and lit it, placing it to my lips. Exhaling a puff of smoke I closed my eyes, feeling the air cool my tear stained face. It was silent outside, aside from the soft night breeze that caused the trees to rustle a bit, and the sky was completely clear. Its nights like this that almost made the world seem harmless... but it wasn't true...
"Andy..." I heard Ashleys voice behind me.
"Get away from me." I hissed.
"No. I really do care..."
"I don't believe you." I stated coldly.
"Andy... I'm sorry... Okay? I am."
"That won't cut it, Ash."
"Then what will? What do you want me to say?!"
I thought for a moment, so many things I wanted to know.
"...why did you say that..." I said softly and looked up at Ashley, waiting for his reply. Ashley looked up at the sky, thinking. The night made him look even more beautiful... but... I didn't understand. Why did I still love him?
"I... I said it because... I was afraid..." He finally said.
"Afraid of what?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Because when you told me that you're gay I felt the tiniest bit of hope rise in me... and it scared me... I mean, I'm supposed to be the straight one, right? I flirt with all the girls at shows, I read playboy when I'm not playing, and not once have I ever had a thought about another guy like I have with you... and when you told me that... I felt something... Something I had never felt before, I wasn't sure what it was but after a while of thinking about it I finally realized that I might have feelings for you... I've been to scared to talk to you about it though because... god, You could never forgive me for that... So I never bothered." He sighed. I blinked, asking myself if this was actually happening.
"So.. what you're saying is you love me...?"
"Yeah... but like I said, you could never forgive me."
"I do forgive you Ash..." I whispered before leaning in to kiss him gently. Ashley didn't pull back, didn't push me away, instead he kissed back, enjoying it, and pulled me onto his lap and held me close.
"GUYS, JON SAYS TO GET BACK ON THE BUS!" CC shouted from the bus, interrupting us, obviously not noticing the kiss.
"Carry me?" I smiled.
"Of course." He giggled and wrapped me in his arms, bringing me onto the bus. The minute we stepped inside, everyone gave us shocked expressions.
"YOU TWO ARE SO ADORABLE OMG!" CC said as a wild grin spread across his face. Everyone burst out into a series of laughter and congratualated us both.
"So, you two are together now?" Jake asked. I looked up at Ashley.
"I don't know, are we?"
"Yeah... Yeah we are." He nodded, smiling as I yawned. He giggled again and placed me in my bunk and crawled in next to me.
"I have the best boyfriend ever..." I murmered sleepily.
"Goodnight Andy." He said softly and kissed my forehead gently. I smiled, curling up against his chest and snuggled close to him.
"Goodnight Ashley."