Honey and Spice | ✔️

Chapter 11

Ryder

I take slow sips of my milk tea while Sin talks about his date with Vahn yesterday as Nick teases him. (Yeah, they actually went out. On a date.)

“It went so well! Vahn was all blushy and cute and I probably was too - the blushy part, that is,” Sin gushes. “I mean, I like him a lot and Vahn is like, the guy of my dreams and- ”

“Wait, what about Dylan? Didn’t you say, and I quote, ‘he’s the love of my life’?” Nick cuts Sin off, making air quotes.

Dylan was Sin’s ex-boyfriend back in grade 9. They went out a few times in June but then Dylan called it quits because he said Sin was too ‘anime-obsessed’, which kinda hurts if I were Sin. Besides, Dylan also has a bachelor’s degree in being an asshole. The whole relationship got a little too toxic because of Dylan, and I felt bad for Sin.

“I already got over that, thanks for asking,” Sin replies, waving his hand dismissively and Nick just rolls his eyes at him.

I pipe up, “Did you guys kiss?”

Sin shoots me an incredulous look. “Not so fast, Ryder!” he laughs. “We’re taking it slow, man.”

I make a mental note of that - Don’t kiss on the first date - though I’m probably getting unreliable information because this is Sin: the master of rushing things (according to my knowledge of Sin/Dylan's relationship), and also Dylan kissed him on their first date and look how that turned out. But I still take note just in case I happen to actually date someone (cough, Nathan, cough).

“Anyways, has anything happened between you and Nathan?” Sin asks, wiggling his eyebrows at me teasingly.

It’s my turn to blush. I look down at my shoes and let my hair cover most of my face, hiding the annoying red that has seeped into my cheeks. Nothing much happened, just eating at break time together and reading together in the library during recess and sometimes stealing glances at Nathan until he suddenly looks up and catches my eye while my heart rate picks up and my face heats up and I become a nervous wreck inside - nothing much, right? Sometimes we would accidentally touch each other and it feels like a jolt of electricity running down my veins. Is that what the ‘spark’ is supposed to be? I guess so.

Fine, I’m gonna say this: I like Nathan. A lot. He’s nice and sweet and funny and adorable. He has this effect on me where I forget that shitty people exist in the world and all I want to do is make him talk more and smile more and laugh more. Just. . .more, I want him more. 

I love his laugh the best, it’s like dandelion seeds floating in the gentle morning breeze. It’s just so beautiful to listen to.

Sometimes, I just want to hug him and tell him that everything is going to be alright, that everything is going to be okay. Or maybe take his hand in mine and squeeze it softly. Or maybe run my fingers through his soft ginger hair. But it’s too early to do that, and I’ll probably scare him away. I sigh inwardly. I'm so hopeless.

I look up and smile weakly. “Not much.”

“That’s okay, bro. Take your time,” Nick smiles and nudges me softly in the arm.

Sin reaches across the table to pat my shoulder. “It’s okay, Ryder. You’ll get there soon.” He winks at me. “I believe in you.” and I laugh at that.

“By the way,” Nick asks, “are you guys coming to Jace’s party this Friday? He said his parents are out of town or whatever.”

Jace is the captain of our school's basketball team and he’s in the same history class as Nick and I. We aren’t that close but we know each other well enough to say hi in the corridors and make some small talk.