Date Me, Bryson Keller(42)

“What is it?” Bryson asks. “You just thought of something.”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“I just…I’ve always wanted to take pictures in a photo booth.” I don’t look at him as I say the next words. “With my boyfriend.”

“We can if you want,” Bryson says. “Are you sure you’ll be okay having proof of this date?”

“Are you?”

Bryson shrugs. “I’m more worried about you.”

I think of not doing it, of just ignoring that it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It would be safer for me to do that. But at what point do I start living for me? When do I get to do simple things that are meant to make me happy?

    All around me people are living their lives free and happy, and here I am stuck in a dark and cold closet. The constant second-guessing is exhausting. So for now I choose to live in this moment. Today is what matters. Tomorrow will have to take care of itself.

I walk past him and, over my shoulder, call out, “Let’s go.”

Bryson jogs to catch up to me. He cradles the bear under his arm as we walk toward the photo booth. It’s empty so we don’t have to wait our turn. We step into the photo booth and close the curtain behind us. The space is small, forcing us to be pressed together.

Bryson works the machine. “Ready?” he asks. I nod. He hits the button and on the screen the countdown starts.

Three.

Bryson throws his arm over my shoulders.

Two.

He puts two fingers up above my head.

One.

I smile.

The camera flashes, taking the first picture. We alter our poses goofily for each one. With one more left to take, Bryson leans in toward me. I feel his lips on my face just as the camera flashes.

“All done,” he says. He opens the curtain and steps out, leaving me behind to bask in my surprise and happiness. With a big smile on my face, I exit and find Bryson holding the strip of photos. My eyes snag on the last one.

    It’s tangible proof that Bryson Keller likes me. My eyes are wide in surprise, and there’s no denying the flush in my cheeks. Bryson’s eyes are closed as he pecks me.

“Perfect,” he says.

I look from the photo to Bryson and realize that yes, he is perfect. I pocket the strip of photos. I’ll hide them so that no one can find them.

Bryson looks at the stalls that surround us. “How about some cotton candy before we leave?”

“Sounds good.” We head toward the stall and join a long line. The boardwalk is getting busier. We’ve timed our exit just right.

We’re standing at the cotton candy stand when I spot two familiar faces. They see me just as I see them. Priya and Donny.

“What are you doing here?” Priya asks.

“I could ask you the same thing.” I look at them. “It’s a Thursday afternoon.”

“It’s a makeup date,” Donny says. “We needed to clear the air.”

“So you guys finally made up,” Bryson says. He looks from me to my friends. “You guys talk.” He points to an empty space by the pier railing. “I’ll stay in line.”

We walk toward the railing. I look over at the crashing waves. We’re silent for a while before Donny speaks.

“Since when are you and Bryson so close?” he asks.

    “We’re not,” I lie. I turn and lean against the metal railing.

“Kai, you know you can tell us anything, right?” Priya says. She meets my gaze, and I can see the knowledge there.

My heart starts to race, and I feel my face redden. My panic threatens to overwhelm me because I can tell that she knows.

I can deny it. I can act like I don’t know what she’s talking about, but just like that time with Bryson in the prop room, I find that I don’t want to. This week with Bryson has changed me. It’s made me greedy for the same acceptance that everyone else gets. Besides, I’m simply tired of lying to the people I love.

I exhale. “How long have you known?”

“Known what?” Donny asks. He looks between us. “Oh, that Kai’s gay?”

Priya punches him on his arm, and he groans in pain.

“What?” I ask. “You know that I’m gay, too?”

“We’re your best friends—of course we knew,” Donny says as he rubs at his biceps. “We were just waiting for you to tell us.”

“Yeah. I had hoped to handle this all with a bit more tact, but you know Donald.” Priya looks at her boyfriend. “He’s like an untrained puppy.”

“Totally lovable, right?” Donny blinks his eyes dramatically, which earns him another smack from Priya, but even she can’t hide her smile. Donny has a geeky cuteness about him.

I frown as I remember the conversation in the cafeteria a couple of days ago. “If you knew that I was gay, why did you want to know who Kelly was?” I point out.

“That didn’t mean I thought you were straight.” Donny smiles. “Priya made me promise that we’d act like we didn’t know until you were ready to tell us.”

    Priya looks from me to Bryson. We all turn to watch him then. He must feel our eyes on him, because he looks up from his phone and offers us a small wave. He’s smiling, but it’s tight-lipped. It’s the smile he uses when he’s nervous.