Page 101 of Pride High 3: Yellow

“Yes!” Anthony said with a laugh. “Trust me, Iwantedto dislike Silvia when he first started dating her but couldn’t. Where is this coming from?”

Ricky’s expression was hard to read. “I can’t really say.”

“As in you don’t know?”

Ricky shrugged half-heartedly. “He can bring her if he really wants.”

“She might have to work anyway,” Anthony said. But he hoped that wasn’t the case, because he was certain Ricky would learn to like her as much as he did. “It’ll be a good time no matter what. We’ll make sure of that.”

“I hope so. I already know what I’m going to spend my birthday wish on. I’d tell you, but then it won’t come true.”

He could guess. Whatever it was had to involve Diego. “What should we do now?”

“You said something about swings?” Ricky replied.

“Yeah. They’re just around the curve. Race you there?”

They grinned at each other before they took off running, leaving grownup concerns behind them as they went.

CHAPTER 17

April 4th, 1993

With her eyes closed, Silvia’s world was reduced to an orange glow. A light breeze moved across her body, helping offset the heat from the sun. The sound of water lapping against the inflatable raft was soothing, although she still had concerns about how long it would keep them afloat. Omar had insisted regardless, bringing it with them on this fishing trip and nearly passing out from the effort it took to blow it up. Now she was held aloft on his breath, which was quite the romantic gesture. She felt around next to her until she located Omar’s hand, his fingers eagerly intertwining with her own.

“This is nice,” she said.

“Yeah. What a great gift! Thanks, babe.”

The inflatable raft was intended to be symbolic of more fishing trips. She had never expected when buying it at a charity shop that it would actually work. Or that she would be crazy enough to let Omar talk her into trying it out on the water, but here they were. Although she had insisted the fishing gear remain on shore. She didn’t want a hook anywhere near this thing.

“You’re so beautiful when you’re sleeping,” she heard him say.

“I’m awake.”

“Yeah, but this must be how you look. Isn’t it weird that we’ve never slept together? In the normal nonsexual way. I bet it would be nice.”

“You’d probably film me half the night. Wait…” She shielded her eyes and turned her head toward him. “You’re not filming menow, are you?”

“Nah,” Omar said with a grin. His mane of black hair had spilled over his forehead, a lock resting on his cheek. She had to admit that he looked nice lying down as well. “I left my camera at home today. Just in case.”

“You were worried about it getting wet, but not us?”

“I had a bad experience with a Gameboy once,” he said. “Or I guess Anthony did, since it belonged to him.”

“That’s sad,” Silvia said. “A gay boy lost his Gameboy.”

She laughed at her own joke, certain that Omar would join her. Instead he peered at her funny, and not for the first time.

“What?” she asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

She began pawing at her cheeks, rubbing her mouth, and touching every other part of her face in a silly manner, hoping to lighten the mood, but instead his eyes narrowed further.

“Are you high?” he asked.

Sothat’swhat was going on. “I wondered when you were going to ask about it,” Silvia said, sitting up.

He did the same, the raft wobbling with the motion. “So it’s true?”