Date Me, Bryson Keller(72)

Priya fiddles with the radio and settles on a love song. Satisfied with her choice, she turns the volume up.

“Where to?”

“Melody Beach,” I say.

Donny puts the car into gear and we speed off. As we drive to the beach, I hope that Bryson is still there. The photo was posted fifteen minutes ago. If he’s not at Melody Beach, I’ll call him. I will meet him today. I will fix what I’ve ruined.

We arrive fifteen minutes later, and it feels so much longer than that.

Priya twists in her seat and looks at me. She offers me a big smile.

“You can do this, Kai,” she says.

“We’ll be waiting for an update in the group chat,” Donny says.

I nod. “I’ll tell you everything.” I climb from the car. “Thanks for this.”

Priya rolls down her window. “Also, tell Bryson that tomorrow we’re having a double date. We still need to judge him.”

Donny sticks his head out the sunroof. “We also need to ask him what his intentions are with our sweet summer child.”

    “Please don’t embarrass me,” I whine. “I’ve been through enough this week.”

“We would never do such a thing,” Donny says.

“Never,” Priya adds.

I laugh and turn away. I’m relieved when I spot Bryson’s Jeep in the parking lot.

I approach but find it empty. He isn’t at the basketball court, either.

In the distance I spot him. Bryson’s standing near the surf with his back to me, staring out at the setting sun.

He hasn’t noticed me yet. When I near, I reach for his hand, a balled fist at his side. Bryson startles at my touch and turns to me. He looks from my face to the hand that I’m holding. This is the first time I’ve reached for him.

“Am I dreaming?” Bryson asks. The sea air has playfully tousled his hair. He has a slight five-o’clock shadow, as though he couldn’t be bothered to shave. I want to run my finger along his jawline.

Instead, I draw him close and pinch him. “To prove it’s real.”

His lips twitch. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because I need to tell you that I’ve been an idiot.”

“What do you mean?” His blue eyes darken with confusion.

“I’m sorry I asked for time. I was only doing it because I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

    “You should let me decide that,” Bryson says. He smiles and his dimple shows. “I already have.”

“I know,” I say. “I saw.” I can’t help but smile, too. Even so, I ask, “Are you sure?”

Bryson lightly grips my chin. “Yes.” He rests his forehead against mine. “This was my choice. I know what I want, and I want to be with you,” Bryson says, “regardless of what anyone else has to say. I like you, Kai Sheridan. I like you a lot.”

I didn’t think I could cry anymore after this week, and yet here I am crying again. It’s totally embarrassing. Bryson laughs, and I smack him on the chest.

“Shut up,” I say. “That was sweet.”

“I know.” Bryson winks. He reaches up to wipe away my tears with his thumbs. “You’re lucky you have such a sweet boyfriend.”

“Yes, I am.”

Bryson kisses me then, and I deepen it. Just like I wanted to before, I trace his jawline. Bryson bites at my bottom lip and I moan. Our mouths move against each other, and that becomes the only thing that matters.

I don’t know how long this will last, but I choose to focus on the here and now.

I choose to be happy.

Because I can be.

Because I deserve to be.

Gay means happy, too, you know.





Author’s Note


Telling this story was both the scariest and the most thrilling thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never before written a story so personal, so very tied to my own lived experience and history. There are many bits and pieces of me in this book. Some are big—like Kai’s anxiety and blushing, my thoughts and feelings on coming out, growing up in a religious household, and being mixed race. Others, small—like Kai’s list of hates, his taste in music that distances him from his cousins, the lunchtime detentions and the blazer rule, and even the text-message flirting with someone you probably shouldn’t flirt with (ooh boy, that’s a story for another day).

When I sat down to write this book, I sought to tell an #ownvoices story for the LGBTQ+ reader that exists firmly within the LGBTQ+ narrative. I wanted a story that touches on the troubles and tribulations that many gay teens still face. But more than that, I wanted to tell the reader that despite those trials and tribulations, there is hope, that we have worth and deserve to be happy.

    I know I’m not the first to tell a gay love story, but I’ve always believed that more than one story of a certain type can exist. We need more representation all around. We shouldn’t settle for just one thing, because we are not just one thing. Our race, culture, geography, sexuality, and experiences make us different. These things shape our stories, our lives. These things become the themes that we explore in the stories we tell. I hope that after reading this book, you can see my heart and my thoughts—that you can understand my inspiration a bit better. And if teens—or any readers, for that matter—see themselves in this story, in these characters, then I’ll consider my job done.