10. Friendship and friendship

"What happend yesterday after we left?"

"Nothing big. He just walked me home and we talked. Jonathan is such a nice guy."

"Oh? Nice guy, huh? So Gab DOES like him too. Hopefully it all will end well.", was what I thought when I read his answer.

"Nice guy? In what sense?"

Gab blushed a bit when he read my note and played with his fingers flusterd.

"Nothing, just he was so worried about me when I woke up in the nurses office. Jonathan and Jacob always went easy on me. I was just happy that they apollogized and trying to make it up to me."

Well, that was a good response. Hopefully he won't get his hopes up too high.

I honestly don't want him to get a heartbreak from his bully.

"Ok buddy, but don't get your hopes up too high. Don't jump into something without thinking it through and talking the whole bully situation out, please."

When he read the note, he looked over to me, nodded and smiled slightly.

Gab wrote one last message.

"Don't worry, I'm not just pretending to forget it all and try to get back to him deviously. I'm just happy Jonathan is nice to me and we get a real chance to get to know each other. And who knows, maybe time can heal wounds."

,,Gabriel, maybe you want to share what your writing with the class!", the teacher interrupted us.

And so the classes took it's course.

But something that Gab just wrote stuck in my head.

*... we get a real chance to get to know each other.*

"Now that I think about it, Austin and I don't really know that much about each other. Not that I particularly think it's a bad thing, but Austin actually never complained about it. Maybe he didn't wanted to put me under pressure by insisting to share personal information."

Still, I feel bad to rely on someone else to take care of me. So, perhaps I should take one step forward towards Austin?

Well, neutral speeking it would only be fair to give something back to him after everything he's done for me so far.

"Would that even make sense now? The others don't know this, but today is the last meeting with my adoptive parents, and this weekend I'm moving in with them. ... That sounds like an excuse not to deal with him. Honestly, I wouldn't like to make the situation worse for him or more complicated for both of us."

When we had lunchtime Gab turned over to me and looked at me curiously.

,,Now it's your turn to talk. What's going on with you and Mr. soccerteam captain?"

,,What do you mean? I told you, there's nothing going on between me and him."

,,No need to be shy with me, we're friends and I can clearly see that you like him. By the way, I think he likes you too.", he teased me.

,,Stop it, I don't. Why would you think that anyway?" It was almost embarrassing to admit that I blushed when he said that.

,,You really don't? You always get all blushy and shy around him, it's obvious you have a soft spot for his personality. And it's so sweet to see how much Austin adores you."

,,Don't you think your exaggerating? We're just friends and he's being nice to me, is all."

I didn't wanted him to be right. If he's right, that would mean, I had to break Austins heart for good ... and maybe mine too.

The very thing I was trying to avoid the whole time.

,,Ok, whatever you say, buddy. I just hope your not afraid to find your happines. You deserve your happy ending too, Ash."

"The little guy is so cute. Thats the reason I couldn't cut him off when he called me his friend. ... Maybe he's right. I would feel bad if I just disappeard, leaving Austin heartbroken, not even knowing what was going on.", I thought to myself.

As expected, Austin waited in front of the school gates after classes were over.

He seemed pretty relaxed, when he saw me he started smiling brightly and waved me over to him.

,,Hey, Ash! How are you?"

Seeing him being so happy and knowing that I had to tell him, that my moving day was settled, I felt bad.

,,Hi. ... Say, would you like to hang out today?"

To show my good intensions that I do care about his feelings, I wanted to ask him out for once.

,,Hmm? Of course, I would love to hang out. Where do you want to go?"

,,Actually, I have something to tell you. So, I would like to go where you want to go.", I confessed.

Austin looked at me amazed, he seemed to be nervous with what I had to say.

,,Really? ... Ok. I would have an idea. How about going to the lake in the park? We can go iceskating."

,,Sounds good to me."

Thats how we arrived at Alewife Brook Reservation.

The view on this park was seriously breathtaking beautiful, with a few mountains sorrounding it and tall trees.

It's late autumn and it's slowly getting colder this year, but it's still pleasantly warm.

The weather is freaking cold, which is one of the reasons why I liked Florida better. I never got used to the cold.

,,Well, I hope you like it."

Why does Austin seemed to be so tense now? Did I put him that  off guard?

,,Sure, it's very beautiful here.", I tried to reassure him.

,,To be honest with you, I always wanted to have a date on the beach like this."

Now I was the one caught off guard by his words.

"Did he really called this a date?"

When I didn't responded right away, he started to stutter a bit.

,,S-sorry, it just s-slipped out of my mind. This isn't why I wanted to go here, I didn't wanted to pressure you ..."

,,So, ... it's not a date? I guess, I never asked you officially on a date. So ... want to make this our second date?"