Go Forward Slowly

by Whitney Cannon

  With little persuasion needed, Lydia and Payton readily agreed to his plan and Patton returned to Ty only a minute later. “Sorry about that.” Patton nicked his chin out toward the girls.

  “It’s no problem,” Ty replied though he looked a little weary.

  Patton headed off in the direction of the exit. “You got your hand stamped so we can come back in, right?” Patton asked as they were walking through the gates.

  Ty just nodded his head, his earlier excitement fading quickly.

  Checking to make sure Ty was keeping pace, Patton led the way to his car and clicked open the door locks. He went around to the driver’s side and watched as Ty opened the passenger side door. They slid in together and Patton smiled as he pushed the start button twice, activating the accessory setting instead of the ignition.

  Ty looked back at him. “Nice,” he said with a grin. Yeah, Gary had done a great job on his audio system.

  “So, what’ll it be? It’s synced up to my phone and I can ask it to play just about anything,” Patton said, watching Ty’s reaction.

  The other boy grinned and looked back at the flipped out display. “Can you play The Beatles?” Ty asked, surprising the hell out of him.

  Patton laughed. “Of course.” He pressed his voice control on the steering wheel and when prompted, he said, “Play, The Beatles.”

  The familiar opening strains of Come Together sounded through the speakers, and Ty smiled hugely at Patton. “That’s so cool.”

  They listened in silence for a minute before Ty started to mouth the words to himself, tapping along like he just couldn’t help it. When the next strain came up, Patton joined in, out loud, encouraging Ty to join him with a wave of his hand.

  They sang the rest of the song together, and when that song ended, they just kept right on through to the next one. Patton skipped the songs he didn’t know the words to and wasn’t surprised when Ty seemed to know all the words to every song that came up.

  When Patton noticed Lydia and several others headed their way, he paused the music and said, “So, I asked some friends to come sing with us.” Ty looked at him quickly, his smile fading. “Is it cool if they join us for a little while? We all sing together in choir and I figured you probably don’t get the chance very often to sing in a group. Thought it could be fun.”

  Ty seemed to gulp as he looked around, quickly spotting the group of people headed their way. They waved when they spotted Patton and Ty watched them approach.

  “Hey, guys,” Patton said as he and Ty got out of the car to greet everyone. Lydia and Payton had managed to wrangle Andrew, Gina, Robby, and Brad. Not too bad considering… “Thanks for coming out. This is my friend, Ty.” Patton motioned to the other boy. “He doesn’t get to sing too much with a group of people our age. Would it be cool with you if we just sang a few songs with him? He’s unsurprisingly a very good tenor and loves The Beatles, but I thought we could sing Bohemian Rhapsody since I know we all know it, and there are lots of places to join in. Ty can totally handle the lead, but, what do you all think?” Patton asked, looking around at everyone who’d come.

  The group easily agreed and their infectious energy ratcheted up a notch as Patton moved around to pop the back hatch so his system would sound better and motioned Ty along with him. Ty looked reluctant but came anyway, and Patton stood him in the open tailgate.

  Poor Ty looked like a timid mouse ready to bolt if anyone spooked him.

  Their little group arranged themselves in a loose semi-circle around the back of the car, approximating where they would stand in class, and after a quick check that everyone was ready, Patton said, “Hey, Siri?” When the tone sounded, he continued, “Play, Bohemian Rhapsody.”

  The opening notes caught them a bit off-guard since they didn’t have a director and the first chords were just vocals, but they quickly caught up, and their small group took off in melodious fashion. Patton moved over quickly and stood next to Ty, motioning for him to join in and be ready to take the lead. When the first solo came up, Ty didn’t disappoint. He belted out the lyrics like he’d been singing them his whole life and the group flowed naturally around his lead.

  Ty’s voice lent the perfect air of being softly vulnerable but also strong, and Patton watched him in awe as he closed his eyes and really started to get into the song. He gestured with his hands and arms, using his body to act out the notes and emotions of the verses. The whole thing was actually quite beautiful to be a part of.

  Before the end of the song, Patton took a quick glance around and noticed that several other people had stopped nearby to sing along, and off to the side, Wesley stood with Riley, each of them singing along as well.

  When the song finally drifted to an end, everyone was silent for a beat then broke out into rounds of applause and heavy cheering. Ty ducked his head bashfully and Riley came over, hugging his cousin fiercely. They exchanged a few words during their embrace and Riley slapped Ty on the back.

  “That was incredible!”

  Startled, Patton looked over to find Wesley right next to him, grinning at him as if he’d been the only one singing. Wesley patted him on the back.

  “Ty’s amazing, right?” Patton asked, looking back at the boy in question. Patton’s choir friends were all talking to Ty a mile a minute and patting him on the back and shaking his hand. He looked happy but flustered over all the attention.

  “Yeah, he is. But you did that for him,” Wesley said with clear admiration in his voice. “I’ve only ever spoken a few words to the guy since he’s always seemed so shy. But in one evening, you went and turned him into Freddie Mercury. That was incredible. Look at him. He’s just beaming,” Wesley pointed out.

  Riley took that moment to come over and unexpectedly pull Patton into a hug. “Thank you for this,” he whispered into Patton’s ear and Patton nodded as Riley pulled back.

  Not wanting to make too big of a deal out of things though, or make Ty feel uncomfortable with all the attention, Patton queued up another song to keep the good vibes rolling and the opening strains of Dancing Queen by ABBA jammed out of the speakers.

  Whoops and hollers sounded in the air, and Ty grinned as he looked back at Patton with excitement in his eyes.

  Their little group of choir students and onlookers all joined in on the song and as they all stood around Patton’s open car dancing and singing, Patton could tell he’d definitely made a great new friend in Ty. Wesley nudged him on his shoulder, smiling as they sang out the chorus, but before the song ended, Patton queued up Yesterday by The Beatles.

  One song rolled into the next. Three became six and they finished with Old Town Road, Love Shack, and Uptown Funk.

  As their singing wrapped up, hugs and back-slaps commenced, and everyone went back to the football game a little lighter and a little brighter. Their little jam session had hopefully made a lasting impact on them all.

  Chapter 6

  The football game had been totally amazing. Wes couldn’t remember a time he’d enjoyed himself more than the last few hours. Yeah, their group usually went to all, or most, of the games and they always had fun, but tonight had been one he’d remember for a long time to come.

  Having Patton there had made all the difference.

  The guy was just magnetic. Everywhere they’d walked, people had stopped to say hi to him or fist bump him. He just exuded some weird kind of energy that people were drawn to, Wes included.

  The way his choir friends had all been more than willing to go sing random songs in the parking lot at a football game with him had been incredible. He’d been incredible.

  The way he’d blended into their little group and then incorporated Ty… Guiltily, Wes realized he’d really made very little effort to get to know Ty, but he only came around when Riley could get him away from his home. So the few occasions they’d spent together, Wes hadn’t put out much effort. He regretted that now. But, in five minutes, Patton had made an almost instant connection with Ty and found a common ground that none of the r
est of their group could even come close to touching.

  Ty seemed like a great guy, though. He was fun and pretty easy-going, and once you got him talking about something he enjoyed, he’d show you a whole new side to himself.

  Sneaking a quick glance to his right, Wes saw Patton turned around in his seat chatting away with Ty and Riley in the backseat. They'd all opted to save on gas and carpool over to Soda Jerks after the game. Colt was driving the trio.

  “How did you get into liking The Beatles?” Patton asked Ty curiously.

  “Well, my parents are really eccentric, right? But the rest of the family is way more laid back than them, and at family gatherings, no one else wants to listen to the church music they want to listen to. The Beatles are sort of a middle ground; not too soft and not too hard.”

  “Yeah, I always hate going to those stupid family things,” Riley chimed in. He turned to look at his cousin. “I never really realized what those meant for you, though. I know your parents are off the deep end with all that church stuff, but you must really love those family things since they’re your escape from all your rules.” Ty nodded along as Riley spoke. “I mean, if a little thing like listening to The Beatles is one of the highlights of your week, I’m sure wearing normal clothes out to a football game is like…” Riley trailed off apparently not knowing what to say.

  Wes glanced back in the rearview and saw Riley’s head bowed and Ty patting him on his thigh.

  “It’s okay, Ry. I manage,” Ty responded quietly. “You’re a big part of helping to keep my life balanced. Yeah, I like wearing normal clothes once in a while. And hanging out with you and your friends is always really cool for me too. You do a lot to help keep me grounded. Music and singing have always been a part of my life and you help me with that too. It’s because of you I even know who ABBA and Queen are,” Ty teased and Riley chuckled.

  “I guess I’m a little shocked you agreed to come sing with me, Ty. If I’d known much more about your background, I honestly don't think I would have offered,” Patton said, sounding remorseful even saying the words. “I know that sounds harsh maybe, but it’s the truth. I probably would have just ignored you, feeling like I wouldn’t have known what to say to you.” Wes saw Ty nod in the mirror. “But what I can say, though, is that I’m really glad we got to talking and that you were willing to put yourself out there and sing with me. You are one hell of a singer, man!”

  They all laughed at that as talk continued while Wes finished the drive.

  Only a handful of minutes later, Wes pulled into the parking lot and had to circle all the way to the back to find a spot. Friday night was a heavily popular time.

  Everyone piled out and the three of them hung out by the entrance as Riley went in to arrange for tables.

  “Have you ever been here before?” Wes asked Patton. Soda Jerks was sort of an old-timey place where the servers all wore white and sodas were made with carbonated water and flavored syrups. They had a full menu as well but were mostly known for their ice cream and sodas.

  Wes already knew Ty had been before since he’d come with them a few times.

  “Yeah,” Patton replied. “Though never when it was this busy. It’s kind of crazy right now.”

  “I’ve only ever been here when it was this crazy,” Wes replied, watching Patton.

  “Do you guys come here every week?”

  “No, not every week. We go to Pie Hole and Judy Brown’s. We’ve been to Lakeshore a few times too. We don’t always go out after games either, but mostly it’s tradition. A lot of other people will be coming here too. As soon as the games get out, all the local places will be crawling with teenagers.”

  Patton nodded and they all turned as Colt’s car pulled into the parking lot. Only a few minutes later as the rest of their group joined them, the hostess called out Riley’s name through the door to tell them that their tables were ready.

  They followed their hostess to their table and between the other patrons’ conversations and the classic hits coming from the jukebox, the place was pretty loud.

  Their tables were right along the front windows and Wes made sure to position himself next to Patton as they filled in the chairs. He’d seen a whole new side to Patton tonight and found himself wanting to get to know the other boy better.

  Their hostess left them, promising waters all around and as everyone settled in, Wes took a moment to study Patton unguarded. His new haircut looked really good. It made him look sharper, and even though he was a bit overweight, it gave his face a more angular look. Wes also though Patton seemed the most relaxed he’d ever been around him. He seemed lighter and less hesitant to speak up or comment along with whatever conversation was taking place.

  Patton’s shirt was actually also really flattering on him, and Wes would be lying if he said he hadn’t checked out Patton’s ass a time or two over the night. The jeans he was wearing were tighter than anything Wes had seen him in before, but Wes could tell they were bugging him now. He kept fidgeting and shifting his position every few seconds, then he’d pull at his shirt, making sure it wasn’t sticking to his stomach.

  But he looked so happy. His smile was genuine as he joked and talked to Ty and Riley. Wes was glad he’d found some common ground with Ty. The two seemed like peas in a pod and had formed a fast friendship over their love for music. If Wes was being honest with himself, he was slightly jealous over how quickly Patton and Ty had bonded.

  Wes was sure that Patton had no idea how likable he really was and how people seemed to be drawn to him. He certainly had been since that first chat in PE. But could Wes find something in common with Patton? So far their short friendship seemed solely based on the class assignment and their mutual love of cereal.

  “What do you mean you’ve never seen Harry Potter?” Patton asked a little loudly as he looked back at Ty and Riley almost aghast at the possibility.

  Ry and Ty were both chuckling and the rest of their friends seemed equally amused at the turn in the conversation.

  They were interrupted from answering by their server, and after placing their orders, Patton went back on the hunt for answers.

  “How? I mean, just how could you not have seen even one movie or read the books or something? Anything?” Patton turned to him. “Help me out here, Wesley. Please tell me you’ve seen the movies or read the books or something. If this is the kind of thing I’m going to have to deal with in this group, I dunno, man. I may not be able to survive.”

  Their entire group devolved into laughter at Patton’s reaction. Patton was smiling but there was seemingly a hint of desperation behind it.

  Hannah beat Wes to the answer. “Are you kidding?” She snickered loudly. “Wes is the biggest Harry Potter geek to ever walk the face of the planet.”

  “Yeah.” Becca nodded along. “He has more Harry Potter crap than anyone I know. He’s all ‘I’m Hufflepuff, we’re the best.’ So annoying.”

  “Hey!” Wes called out, pointing an accusatory finger at the two girls. “That stuff is not crap. Hufflepuff is the best, and Harry Potter happens to be life.”

  Patton watched their banter then turned to Wes with hope in his eyes. With no warning at all, he threw his arms around Wes and pulled him into a crushing hug. He pulled back only a moment later, taking his warm embrace with him.

  “Thank you, Jesus, for making someone in this group sane,” Patton said cheekily and they all broke into laughter once again.

  — — —

  The following week, most of the talk around campus turned to Homecoming. Lizzy and Colt were obviously going together. Hannah was all talk about some senior named Jordan, and Becca had declared she was going stag. Riley said he was going to bring Ty so he could experience a traditional school dance, and that left Wes as the last man standing.

  Well, he wasn’t really the last man since he wasn’t sure what Patton’s plans were, and if he were being honest, he wouldn’t mind asking Patton to go with him. Although he still didn’t know if Patton knew he was gay. The e
asy thing to do would be to just tell him so there wouldn't be any secrets or misunderstandings, but he also kind of hated that it had to be said at all. Coming out over and over again was one thing he really hated about society. He’d been of the opinion to just let things be, and if he found someone to date, well guess what, everyone would know. But he’d never felt like he had to “tell” people or anything. Let them think what they wanted.

  But when it came to Patton, Wes kind of wanted the other boy to know.

  They’d only had a few chances to talk since Friday night because Patton had eaten lunch with his choir friends on Monday and Tuesday. They’d only talked a little bit during PE between workouts and whatever sport they were playing, and Wes was even considering asking the guy for his phone number since they really didn’t see each other that much. But Wes also thought he was probably being a little too desperate.

  He wouldn't say he was “working” for their friendship. It had felt so natural those first few conversations; they’d just hit it off. Then learning that Patton was just as big of a Harry Potter nerd as he was had been the icing on the cake Friday night. But since then, almost nothing…

  Wes was still trying to figure out if he should be frustrated or not. After all, it had only been a week since he’d really made an effort to befriend Patton. Though, in all honesty, he really didn’t think he should be stressing this much over it.

  “Mind if join you today?”

  Wes startled out of his musings and looked up to find Patton standing next to the table looking hesitant to sit down.

  “Of course you can,” Wes replied already moving down to make space for Patton to sit. “How’ve you been?”

  Patton smiled and sat down next to him on the bench. He had a paper bag which, Wes assumed, held his lunch. He watched Patton as he unpacked his lunch and spoke.

  “I’ve been good. It’s weird to feel like I need to split my time between you guys and my other friends. I can honestly say I’ve never had that problem before.” Patton pulled out what looked like a small thermos and a couple of baggies of veggies?