Behind The Curtains

He ruffled his hair, brushing it to the side. The pink tips he had dyed yesterday made his soft, tan skin stand out. His green eyes sparkled in the lamp light by his mirror. 

"Alright I'm done" Cam stated. 

"Alright, come on, we don't want to be late to the show" Rachel urged, grabbing his hand. 

She dragged him down the polished wooden stair case of his house and out the front door. The autumn air hit them as soon as they stepped foot onto the front porch. The sky was starting to dim, as Rachel unlocked her car. They both got in, thankful for the warmth the car was radiating. 

The drive wasn't long at all. The trees flew by quickly and soon enough they were in the city. Everything was so bright and colorful. It hurt Cams eyed, as he shaded them. It had been a long time since he had gone to the city for a show. 

"Come on Cam, the shows going to start in five minutes!"

They rushed into the building, it smelled of vanilla. It took a good 2 minutes to find the right stage but they got there in the end. As they took their seats, the curtains opened, revealing a very handsome man. He was wearing a button up shirt with a bowtie and some jeans. 

"He's cute" Cam whispered to Rachel. 

She rolled her eyes at him. The way he spoke made Cams heart beat faster. His golden hair made his hazel eyes glimmer in the spot light. His heart thumped faster when they locked eyes. Those few seconds flew by as the boy stepped back behind the curtains. 

Cams heart rate slowed down, beating normally again. He hated this. Yes, he was out and proud, but all of the guys he liked were either not interested or straight. It sucked. Plus, he couldn't fall in love with someone that fast. Could he?

He blankly looked at the closed curtains as the lights dimmed. 

"Its about to start" Rachel whispered excitedly. 

The whole place went completely dark, the whole room was silent. Music blasted as the curtains opened dramatically. There was the boy again, this time he was in a full suit and was talking to another actor on stage. 

And like any show in a theater, there were songs. As he began to sing, his voice sounded so melodious. Cam perked up as they locked eyes, longer this time. When he broke eye contact to look around at the crowd, Cams heart thumped, and thumped. 

All of the things on his check list were checked off one by one by the guy. The show was like any other, except for when the guy came out on stage. He hated this. Falling in love instantly. He didn't even know the guys name. 

After the show ended, he pondered on whether it was worth it to run back stage and ask the guy his name and maybe if he was lucky he'd score his number. But it wad a dumb idea. As he walked side by side with Rachel out of the theater, he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. 

He turned around, looking at the guy behind him. It was the guy from the show. His smile was so warm, Cam wanted to take a picture and save it for when he was down. 

"Hey, would you mind if I asked your name?" 

"No, my names Cam or Cameron" 

"Mine is Ryan"

He held out his hand as Cam shook it. 

"Maybe we can talk some other time, I've got to get ready for the best audience" 

Cam nodded. They exchanged numbers. Cam couldn't stop squealing as they walled out. The sky was now dark. A few stars dotted the sky. The streets were pretty empty as they made their way down it. 

After getting in the car, they stopped to get something to eat, then left for home. On the ride home, Cam couldn't get Ryan off his mind. He was just there.

"Hey, Cam, did you even hear me?" Rachel asked, glancing over at him. 

"Sorry what were you saying?" 

"Ugh this is why I don't take you out and expose you to cute guys, you fall in love way to quickly and its not good" 

"I know, but its not my fault" he mumbled, looking out at the trees. 

"I was saying if we go to my place and just have a sleepover because I don't know, I'm bored" 

As she took a left, her house came into clear view. The clean, white house caught everyone's attention. It was like it was painted with a fresh coat of paint everyday. The front lawn still had its light shade of green, but it was slowly fading due to winter.

She parked the car in the shed and we headed up to her room as she turned the heater up. Now that the room was warm, it was time to have some fun. 

In the middle of a game of truth or dare, Cams phone rang, the caller ID reading "Ryan🖤". 

Cam looked at Rachel as she rolled her eyes and nodded. He made a heart as she chuckled. He swiped right and answered it. Ryans soft yet strong voice rang through the phone sending chills down his spine.

Now lets just say that day was the best day of my life. Who knew falling in love with someone so quickly would work out?

The next day they went on a date to some fancy restaurant. The food was good, but he couldn't stop staring at him. 

"Are you gonna eat" Ryan said, chuckling. 

"Sorry" he mumbled.

"Its fine" 

I mean that day was good I guess but when they went to the open mic night at the local bar, woo that was a show for both Rachel and everyone else there. 

Let's just get one thing out of the way. Don't let anyone tell you love at first sight isn't true cause it sure as hell is. 

-Merissa Khan 11/17/19 8:14 PM