chapter 7

It was the first day of Christmas break and THE day. All of our parents were off, so it was show time. We had decided it would be better if we did both pairs separately. That way we wouldn't be outnumbered.

Dan would be coming to my house first and I'd have to say it out loud, that I was gay. The doorbell rang. I went into the bathroom and threw up. I rinsed my mouth out with some mouthwash. Why was it such a big deal? Why was I so afraid?

"Hello Daniel! It's so good to see you!" My mother had answered the door. "Can I get you something? I'm sure Scott is on his way down."

"Hey," I said as my feet finally allowed me to step down the stairs.

"Daniel is here," she said. My mother was a taller woman and I never noticed how much I feared what she thought of me. Would she be embarrassed? Maybe even disgusted.

I could see that she loved me in her eyes and I felt it would not be there after I told her about me and Danny. "Thanks Mom." I looked past her. "Can we talk? Bill too..."

"Okay baby. Let me go and get him." She walked into the kitchen. She could have just called his name. She returned with Bill and Robbie right behind him. Dan had stepped into the house now and the door was closed. I stood next to him facing my mother, Bill, and Robbie.

"I'm gay," I said. I said it. Robbie said something I didn't catch before he started laughing. Bill looked like he always did. My mom smiled; it was a real smile.

"Good for you baby."

"I am too," Danny said.

"Yeah, we're a...a couple." My mother smiled even wider and I loved her for that. I never felt more relieved.

Robbie had stopped laughing, shock filled his eyes. Bill wore the same blank expression. Maybe my mother built Bill and just said she met him at work. "Fags," Robbie spat. Bill smacked him across the cheek.

"Apologize to your brother," he said.

"Sorry." He glared at me before exiting the room.

"Sorry Scott, Daniel." Maybe Bill wasn't a robot.

"It's o...okay." I told my mom that I'd be back later and left with Danny. We pulled up to his house and went inside. He rounded up his mother and father. "Mom, dad, I'm gay." His father stood up.

"No you're not. You're just confused." I could hear the anger in his voice.

"I'm gay too," I said, trying to take some of the heat off of Danny.

"Are you telling me, that you're gay together?"

"Yeah dad," Dan said. His mother had retreated into herself; she sat teary-eyed on the couch.

"It's because you quit football, that's why you're queer. That's why you've gotten so damn fat." He looked at me. "Get the *** outta my house! You damn fag." He grabbed my hair and the back of my jacket.

He was bigger than me but smaller than Danny, maybe about 175 pounds and 6'0. I felt myself gasp in pain as he tightened his grip on my hair. Danny stopped him. He pulled his dad off of me.

"What are you doing!?" Dan shouted. He was red and his fists were clenched. His mother's sobs increased.

"You let go of me, I'm your father." Dan had grabbed onto him and held him up like a rag doll. He then dropped his father on the ground. "Now get out."

"Fine," Danny said angrily. He grabbed my hand and made his way to the door.

"Not you. You go out that door, don't plan on coming back." He stood frozen in the doorway. Time seemed to stop. I saw Dan and his dad. I could see his mom. I felt everyone's silence and it weighed down on me heavily. I almost threw up again.

"That's fine with me." He closed the door behind him.