**A Turning Point**

A couple of days later, Nate invited Andrew over to his house to help him catch up on the notes he had missed while being out of school. Andrew's ankles were still healing, and he wasn't allowed to attend classes, but his teachers were still expecting him to keep up with his homework and assignments from home. He gratefully accepted Nate's offer and arrived at his house, crutches in hand. Nate helped Andrew into his room, and they settled in for a study session. Nate had all of Andrew's missed notes and assignments organized, and they spent the next few hours going over everything. Andrew was grateful for Nate's help, and they made good progress. As they finished up, Nate glanced at the clock on his wall. "It's not too late, why don't you stay and hang out for a bit?" he suggested. Andrew agreed, and they decided to watch some TV. They sat down on Nate's bed, and Nate started flipping through channels until they found something they both liked. As they watched TV, Andrew felt relaxed and comfortable. He was grateful for Nate's friendship and support, especially during a difficult time. As they sat there, Nate suddenly paused the TV and turned to Andrew. Andrew looked at him, confused, and Nate took a deep breath. "Andrew, can I talk to you about something?" Nate asked, his voice a little nervous. Andrew nodded, and Nate continued. "I've been thinking a lot about my feelings, and I realized something on our hike a few weeks ago. I was thinking about Missy, and how I thought I liked her, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn't her I wanted. It was you." Andrew's eyes widened in surprise, and he felt a little stunned. He had never considered Nate in a romantic way before, and he wasn't sure how to react. Nate took another deep breath and continued. "I like you, Andrew. I've been feeling it for a while now, and I couldn't keep it inside anymore." Andrew's mind was racing, and he didn't know what to say. He had always thought of himself as straight, and he had even kissed a different male friend to help him decide, but now he wasn't so sure. Before Andrew could respond, Nate leaned in and kissed him. Andrew was taken aback, but he didn't pull away. He felt a spark of attraction, and he allowed himself to kiss Nate back. As they kissed, Andrew felt a sense of uncertainty, but also a sense of excitement. He didn't know what this meant for his future, but he was willing to explore it. As they pulled back, Andrew looked at Nate, and Nate smiled. "I'm glad I told you," he said, his eyes shining with happiness. Andrew nodded, still feeling a little dazed, but also happy. He didn't know what the future held, but he was excited to find out.