The Fall Ball

42.Chase

After we finished raking leaves, we made our way to Tyler's grandma's house before it got dark. She greeted us with a warm smile, welcoming us inside and kindly offered to make us some hot cocoa to warm up.

"No need, Nanna. We'll take the apple cider! Don't worry about us!" Tyler reassured his grandma with a grin.

"Alright lovelies, I'll be in my room if you need me!" She said walking away. "Ruster," she looked at her adorable copper red dachshund, Ruster who was nibbling at her feet, "You tell me if these kids are being naughty."

We made ourselves comfortable in the backyard. The girls called first dibs on the tire swing hanging from a sturdy tree branch by the door,

We sat on the deck, poppin our apple cider cans open, occasionally giving Ruster belly rubs. He's often run to the girls and back to us and back to bark at squirrels climbing up a tree.

"You and Lucy didn't get buttonettes and corsages right?" Tyler asked suddenly.

I glanced at Lucy beside me, "We hadn't even thought of corsages. Isn't that a prom thing?" I asked.

"We can wear them if we want to." Kacey shrugged.

"My mom actually said she'd love to make the corsages and boutonnieres for us," Tyler said, taking a sip of his apple cider. "What colors are your dresses again?"

"I'm wearing lavender, and Kacey's wearing maroon." Lucy replied. "You should see Kacey in her maroon dress. Your mystery boy is going to love it, Kace."

"I'm not wearing it for anyone." Kacey scoffed.

"She knows?" Tyler asked, looking at Kacey.

"Tyler knows about your mystery boy?" Lucy exclaimed, seemingly offended.

"I don't! I don't!" Tyler raised his hands in defense.

"You seem like you do!" Lucy scowled. "Kace, why'd you tell him secrets and not me!" She glared at Kacey.

"Kacey isn't the only one with a secret," Tyler confessed, his voice steady but tinged with apprehension. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you guys. I've only ever told this to Kacey, well she found out." He looked behind him for any sign of his grandma and closed the sliding door that led to the backyard deck. We waited for him to sit.

"I like boys." He confessed, pressing his lips into a thin line. "A-A boy." He quickly adds.

I didn't know what to say. I certainly never expected it. Glancing at Lucy, I saw her waiting patiently

"Are you going to tell us who?" She asked softly, breaking the silence.

"It's Jordan. You know, the Bradley batter. You met him at the party."

"You're dating him?" Lucy exclaimed. "I had a feeling! I knew it when I saw you two at Fall Fest." Lucy said in a hushed voice. Although dating was not what I had in mind when I had spotted them with Lucy at the fall fest. I like the prospect of him dating better than having found new friends other than me.

"SHSH! Lower your voice." Tyler hissed.

"When and how did it happen?" Lucy hissed. "Tell me the whole story!"

Tyler shook his head.
"There's not alot alot to tell, Lu. We never dated. We just had a... thing. And I knew I must have been caught red handed when Kacey told me the two of you had also gone to the fall fest. You called me after you saw me right?"

"Yeah." I admitted with a chuckle.

"Had?" Lucy raised a brow.

"Well" Tyler rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "After I told him about how the two of you might have seen us, he freaked out and we broke things off. It didn't feel right to be his secret anymore. I was nothing but an experiment to him." He said casually.