Rainbow coloured flags were what almost all the people crowded at the Elm's streets held. With faces streaked with the seven magnificently bright colours, along with the seven striped shirts adorned with the word "PRIDE" written with the same golden glitter on all the shirts. People cheered, as they grinned widely at everyone around them, without any care of those people who sneered from the sides of the street openly about their same-sex love.

If they weren't ashamed of whom to love, so why should I be?

"I can't believe you lied to my parents." I finally said after the prolonged silence ever since we left my house, jumping out of her car as she stood at the passenger door, as I fidgeted with the sleeve of the sweater which Andy gave me. It was a white sweater with rainbow stripes and even though I loved it, I didn’t say it out loud to Andy, who had purchased it exclusively for my confession. 

"It won't take them long to figure out that I don't arrange a girl's night out." She winked at me, as she pulled the passenger door open and pulled me outside.

"Look who finally showed up." I grunted in reply as Liam Coleman appeared suddenly from behind us, gingerly smiling at Andrea. If their fling between them doesn't bloom into love, then I'd probably change my name permanently. 

His brunette tuft of hair settled shabbily, as his pants were covered with traces of mud too. Hazel eyes, just like those of Lydia's, looked at Andrea, his cheeks streaked with the colours of the rainbow just like the numerous people around us. I coughed loudly, to stop them from staring at each other like creeps.

“So why is it that you have rainbow streaks on your cheeks?” I asked, trying to distract them from gawking at each other and bringing them back to the matter at hand.

“I’m an ally who’s rooting for his twin sister and you.” He winked at Andrea, as he folded his arms in front of his chest and leaned onto her car. She winked back at him, making Liam blush hard.

"Lydia’s waiting for you." He stammered suddenly, the tip of ears turning a dark shade of pink, "Near our jeep, it's over there." He pointed in the opposite direction of the street, behind the crowd of people who had gathered over there.

"Thanks." I started, mentally preparing myself for confessing my undying feelings for the girl I love. "And hands off each other until I'm back." I warned as I walked away.

I walked away from them, grinning to myself as I left both of them intently blushing and flustered.  I focused rather on the shouts of the crowd around me.

Until I realized it was something way more than mere shouts.

It's your day to find your love,
Find a love that you'd never let go. 
Never let go of the arms that make you feel safe.
Never let go of a smile that makes you happy.
A feeling of safety, a feeling of giddiness

The shouts of the crowd were not just random. It was more of a slogan, a slogan to encourage people to come out of the closets and of their houses too and celebrate it collectively. I closed my eyes, blindly colliding with the around me.

The cheers of the crowd just grew louder around me as it was almost 6pm. I have to reach Lydia before the parade starts, I thought, as my steps were more hurried towards where the jeep was parked. 

I caught the glimpse of the deep red shade of the jeep as I broke into a sprint to reach towards Lydia and get the heavy weight off my chest. The weight of being unable to confess what I feel about her.

How I feel about her.

Taking a deep breath, I was just feets away from what I chose. The brunette head was what I first spotted as I walked closer to the jeep parked at the side of the road.

Her hazel eyes turned towards me as if she could sense my presence around her. Her lips turned up into a smile which soon disintegrated, her eyes wide with amusement, as her lips parted in disbelief.

"You-you came." Her voice always was music to my ears and sanity to my own weak self, who was adamant of admitting my feelings for her until now. I nodded in return of her stuttered sentence, standing right in front of her, afraid to hold her hand or just kiss her, but I braced myself.

"Let's talk in your jeep, I guess. It's crowded with a lot of people." She barely nodded, taking her seat into the driver's seat as I settled for the passenger's seat. I stopped myself from feeling too nostalgic about the jeep because it was where we had our own secrets and trifles. The time when the silence between us was anything but awkward.

"I shouldn't have-"

"I want to-"

We both started simultaneously but stopped talking abruptly. I averted my gaze from my fidgeting hands towards her just to see her sneak a glance at me. I sighed, determined to not bottle up my emotions anymore as they have been growing inside of me unknowingly.

"Go ahead. I just wanted to apologize." I raised my head to look at Lydia, confused as to why she was apologizing out of the blue when I sat there determined to confess about my feelings.

"I apologize for dragging you here just because I thought that you might like me back. I'm so sorry for the mess-"

I stopped her from completing the sentence. For the second time, I saw the side of Lydia which was insecure and afraid, afraid of how I'd react after she had thrown my life into a turmoil.

A mess for the past whole year, making me question my own sanity. She was afraid; I could see it in her eyes. But I found myself smiling at her because she was afraid of not what I'd say, she was afraid of the prospect of losing me. And I'd love her for that for the rest of my life. 

And I realized how happy that made me feel, in a very sadist way. 

"I'm glad I met you Lydia Coleman, I'm glad about the fact that I got closer to you." I started, making sure that I looked directly into her hazel eyes, which were apprehensive but I continued, not bothering to admit how uncomfortable it was as it felt that we had switched our positions.

"I'm also glad about how you would try your fucking best to flirt with me openly, having me all flustered." She smiled sardonically, nostalgic as I brought it all up. 

"I'm also glad as to how you'd cheer me in all my tennis matches, and how you'd design banners for me. I'm glad about how you'd always stand by me, through thick and thin. I don't know what I'd do without you around me." I placed my hand over her hand which was on the steering wheel, squeezing it lightly, never taking my eyes off her.

"I'm glad about how you'd always try to make me smile when I'm down, and how you'd cheer me up no matter what." Lydia closed her eyes, blinking back tears. But I didn't want to lose focus.

Not when I was this close.

I held her face between my hands, her eyes opening up abruptly. She held my wrist lightly, completely taken aback by my sudden move. "But do you know what's me feel the best?" Her lips parted to frame an answer but no sound came out of it.

"It's you, Lydia. You are smart, bold, an amazing kick-ass to jerks and most of all, you are everything I admire."
Her expression softened, as she placed her palm above right hand.

"But you know what's the best thing which I realized?" I questioned lightly, as her lips slightly quirked up, as if aware of what I was thinking.

"That you are the only one I love with everything I have."