Chapter 4 - The First to Fall

It’s been a couple days since the last practice. It’s now two weeks into October and it’s perfect time for Halloween season. Brendon, Brittany, Tyler and Hunter have created a group chat called the Strike Squad. They’ve gotten all pretty close with Tyler and Hunter’s friendship slowly growing, Brittany and Brendon’s flirting between the two, and all four being connected in some capacity it only seemed right. 

After a few debates later, they decided on going to the pumpkin patch as a group to pick pumpkins, get apple cider and donuts, and to get lost in a cornfield maze. Tyler was particularly excited about this. Fall was his absolute favorite season. It was cozy to him, the smells, the leaves, the overall vibe and aesthetic of it. It filled him with joy.

As they all arrive in their cars, Tyler is super giddy in his fall outfit. He went all in, a nice cozy hoody, his black skinny jeans, and black converse. He was ready to get into it. Hunter smiled at how relaxed Tyler seemed to be. Tyler seemed to be a genuinely nice person to talk to. Over the last week of planning this friend date, Tyler seemed to be the most excited and full of life. Nothing like what he was when he first laid eyes on him. Hunter might even be slightly jealous of Tyler’s energy. He wishes he could find that passion.

It wasn’t long before the group essentially split into two groups. Brendon and Brittany were really into each other it seemed. An odd and unexpected but not terrible paring. They seemed to genuinely enjoy each other, something that Tyler hopes he can enjoy with Hunter. They’ve talked over the last few days about their life. Their hobbies, their families, and just who they are overall. It was a friendship that seemed easy at least on the outside.

The truth is Hunter was jealous of the close family relationships Tyler seemed to have between his family with his siblings and parents. He wish he could have the seemingly unconditional support and love that Tyler’s family gave to him versus Hunter’s cold, unbearing, and over controlling parents. Then Tyler was jealous of Hunter’s life style, parents who could give him undivided attention and luxuries that Tyler could only dream to afford. Though they only knew each other on a very base line level. Both of them assumed their home lives were fairly good though that was far from the truth.

With Brittany and Brendon both seemingly having a real date, it left Hunter and Tyler as two third wheels. Hunter didn’t mind… He wasn’t sure what it was with Tyler but he just felt comfortable around him despite the initial hesitation when he first saw Tyler hawk eyeing him down. Tyler couldn’t stop looking at Hunter, he just looked so cute to Tyler. Hunter glanced over at Tyler which made Tyler’s heart flutter and stomach fill with butterflies. He quickly glanced away and started to blush. Maybe being in person versus online is a bit harder, Tyler thought. Hunter noticed this and laughed inside. What made Tyler blush and so nervous with Hunter? He’s just a normal ordinary guy, nothing special. At least that’s what Hunter thinks of himself.

Tyler tried to get back to the task at hand, trying to find the perfect pumpkin.

“Are you guys having trouble over there?” Brendon said a few feet away with a pumpkin in hand while Brittany is picking hers up. “You’re just going to gut and carve it. Then throw it away in a couple weeks.”

“I know but it has to be perfect! You can’t carve a pumpkin that isn’t perfect. Well, you can but I refuse to.” Tyler spots the perfect pumpkin and immediately snatches it up before anybody else could get to it.

“Come on, it’s a pumpkin, not a soulmate,” Brittany laughed rolling her eyes at their silly little squabble. As if her’s wasn’t just another perfect version of a pumpkin. Albeit a bit bigger than Tyler’s and spotted with white at the stem.

“Soulmate pumpkins? Huh.” Hunter chuckled looking at Tyler.
 

“I got the right one, just had to make sure it was perfect…” Tyler said feeling his face blush even harder.

The group moved deeper into the pumpkin patch with Hunter and Brendon still trying to find a pumpkin. Brendon picked up an ugly pumpkin with many bumps and imperfections, and with a deadpan tone Brendon says, “I think I found my soulmate pumpkin”.
 

Brittany was trying to reply back through her laughter, “look it’s as if you are twins.”

The group laughed and continued as Hunter put the ugly pumpkin back down. The group was finding a grove with this in person hang out. Laughing and making jokes while struggling to find a pumpkin for Hunter and Brendon.

After what seemed like an eternity of not being able to find something for the two, the group headed over to the apple cider stand. Tyler and Hunter grabbed the cider and donuts for the group. Tyler couldn’t help but feel butterflies in his stomach, while it was a group friend date, he couldn’t help but feel as if this would be a perfect one on one date itself with Hunter. He know’s Hunter is straight but it is torture to think his crush is growing but it will never be requited.

As they made their way to the table and sat down, Hunter started passing out the donuts. Handing Tyler one and brushing hand’s against Tyler’s even if for a brief moment. That was enough to make Tyler’s stomach flip.

“Are you guys going to actually pick a pumpkin today?” Brittany teased Hunter and Brendon.

Hunter shrugged and softly chuckled, “Maybe I’m just looking for the right one.”

Shrugging, Brendon threw the last bit of his donut in the air and tried to catch it in his mouth as it fell back down. It didn’t work he miss it completely and it fell to the ground. The group laughed at this only because Brendon was always trying to goof off one way or anotherr.

“Smoooooth,” Brittany said grinning.

“Classy as ever.” Brendon winked.

The last activity of the day was the giant corn maze. The entrance to the corn maze was in front of them. A path of twist and turns thankfully they have a map in tow. Brendon clapped his hands together as if he was about to announce something.

“So we’re going to race, first one to make it to midpoint wins,” he exclaimed glancing at Brittany with the challenge in his heart and a fire in his eyes.

Without missing a beat both Brittany and Brendon took off into the maze, the voices quickly getting drowned out by the thick rows of corn in between them.

Tyler was laughing and shaking his head. “Where even is mid-point? Also, they don’t have the map.”

He looked over at Hunter, expecting for them to just go in at a normal pace and hope that the other two got winded quickly. However, there was an excitement in Hunter’s eyes that Tyler hasn’t seen before. Almost a determination to beat the. Just as quickly as the other two left, Hunter grabbed Tyler’s hand.

“We can still catch them let’s goooo,” Hunter said tugging Tyler forward.

Tyler could understand that he was actually holding Hunter’s hand before he was being towed by Hunter in a dead sprint, quickly turning the corners of the maze, wind rushing past their face. What Tyler did notice was how soft yet strong Hunter’s hands were. Them holding hands almost felt right, like they were made for each other.

It was innocent, Hunter was just being competitive and playful however, to Tyler it was something more. His heart was beating out of his chest, ironically not from the running but from the touch of Hunter’s hand. In reality he wasn’t paying attention to the map or the path that they took. He could only pay attention to how they were still holding hands even at the dead sprint. He was blushing, maybe from the chill wind or from the rush of adrenaline, he could help but let out a little smile.

For Hunter, he did think much of it. This was a race, he wanted to beat Brendon to the finish line… Or whatever they considered the finish line, seriously what is midpoint?! To Tyler, it was a connection no matter how small or fleeting. Even if Hunter maybe not had realized it.

They went around another corner and Hunter slowed down and stopped briefly, laughing wildly in a way he hasn’t done in awhile. He finally let go of Tyler’s hand without realizing what he had done. What it meant to Tyler.

“I have no clue where we are at and I’m not sure if we’ll catch up… But god is this fun” Hunter said catching his breath, though he had a smile, it was a different kind of smile that Tyler hasn’t seen before.

Tyler smiled back, assuredly for a much different reason, “yeah but it’s kind of fun being lost together… I got a map let’s figure it out”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Hunter smiles, “We should probably find the other two before they think we got lost… I mean we did haha, but we don’t want them to think so.”

 Hunter looked at Tyler, as if he was seeing him for the first time, there was an energy to Tyler that he enjoyed. That gaze from Hunter was something that Tyler couldn’t ignore… Was Hunter into Tyler? Or was Tyler misreading the signs.

Tyler nodded, still blushing from the past few minutes, “Yeah I guess we should”

They started walking again, side by side. Tyler wanted so desperately to reach out and grab Hunter’s hand. Something seems different and not in a bad way. For the first time, Tyler seems to have a genuine connection with a boy. He’s sure he’s misreading the situation and he’s trying to push any romantic thoughts out of his head. However, both of them recognize that there is some kind of spark there, even if they didn’t understand it. Even if neither of them had said it out loud.

Brittany and Brendon’s voices grew louder as they traversed the maze. Tyler could see them up ahead. They were laughing and teasing each other, as if they were flirting. This made Tyler a bit jealous but if what just happened with Hunter means ANYTHING, maybe Tyler has hope. Maybe he could just be patient for Hunter to see that they belong together…

No, Tyler tells himself, I can’t think that way, it’s just another way to get hurt.

“Finally!” Brendon shouted when he noticed them approaching, “What took you guys so long?”

Tyler smiled and said nothing. Hunter just shrugged, but had a smirk. Whatever the situation was in the maze stayed unspoken but was loud between the two. The group eventually found out where they were in the maze and made their way out. Making jokes and future plans in the coming weeks.

Hunter and Brendon did eventually find their pumpkins and with all of their things gather, they headed toward the parking lot. Tyler couldn’t shake the feeling that today was possibly more than just a fun group date to the pumpkin patch. That maybe Hunter felt the same way that Tyler did when he first laid eyes on him in the bowling alley?

Hunter certainly had his own thoughts. He felt something growing inside himself. He wasn’t sure what it was, but when he looked at Tyler, it seemed as if the golden sunset was casting a glow over Tyler. Almost as if the angels had selected him to be their trophy. Hunter was confused by this feeling but he was not upset at it.

With them pulling away in their cars and the sun setting into an amber sky. The group date was finally over. Whatever had started today Tyler and Hunter both knew they enjoyed it and neither wanted whatever complicated feelings they had to end.