Here is Chapter Seven I hope you like it.
Please keep sending them e-mails, letting me know if your still enjoying the tale. Things are starting to heat up so keep reading
RYAN'S ODYSSEY
CHAPTER SEVEN
I couldn't figure out what Jarod would have that I would want to meet him. I couldn't say we were really friends. I was civil to him, but deep down inside I knew he hated me, over something that wasn't really my fault. I wasn't the one who had asked the coach to give me the opportunity, but all I knew was I wasn't gonna blow my one chance. If it had been the other way around I would have been happy for him. I hung up the phone and was just kinda standing their when Kyle came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and started kissing me on the nape of my neck.
"What's wrong, babe?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," I replied, "that was Jarod, he wants to meet me at McDonald's in fifteen minutes."
"Let me run and turn off the TV, and then we can go." he said.
"We wants only me to go," I said, "he said he had something to show me and I would want to see it, but the funny thing was when he said, to leave my boyfriend at home."
Kyles face dropped, "You don't think he knows?"
"How?" I asked. "He was probably just being a smartass."
I grabbed the keys to my truck, "I'll be right back," I said, "don't leave, remember mom wants to talk to us."
I ran out the door, jumped in my truck and drove as quick as I could to McDonald's without breaking any speeding laws. I parked on the farside of the parking lot, listening to the silence, a million thoughts running through my mind, when I saw Jarod walking towards my truck. Without an invitation he opened up the passenger side of the truck and climbed in.
"Okay, Jarod, " I said, "what is so important that I would want to meet you."
He smiled and then handed me a yellow manilla envelope, "I thought you might want to see this. It's a very good picture if I do say so myself, probably my best work."
I tore open the envelope and nearly passed out when I saw what it was. I couldn't think of what to say. I knew he hated me, but this was just too much. "How?" I asked.
The how doesn't matter, and neither does the why?" he responded, and to me it looked like he was really enjoying me squirm. "Nobody will ever know if you play by my rules."
"What do you want Jarod?" I asked. "What I've always wanted," he said, "what should have been mine. I want to be the town's golden boy again."
I laughed trying to ease the tension in my head, "Jarod, if I remember correctly, you had your chance back before I came along and you couldn't do it then, so what makes you think your gonna do it know, besides the coach isn't gonna bench me for you, unless I get....
"hurt," Jarod finised my statement, "that's exactly right, your gonna get hurt and I'm gonna get to start the game on Friday, or else everyone knows their golden boy is a fudge packing cock sucker."
I reached over grabbed him by the shirt collar and was about to punch him in the face, "Oh, and by the way if you touch me, I'll make life living hell for your boyfriend, remove your hand and that is your only warning."
"You leave Kyle out of this," I said, "If you hurt Kyle in anyway I'll make you pay, and you will pay dearly."
Ryan," He replied, " leave your idle threats at home, I hold the trump card, not you."
My blood was boiling I could feel it rising to the top of my head, ready to expode out the top, "What if I just tell everyone I'm gay and your plan backfires. I could just announce to the whole school that I'm gay, and then your thoughts would mean nothing."
"Oh, I've thought about that," he said, "The town loves to kiss your ass, they would probably be blinded by the fact your perverted as long as you lead us to victory each week, but your little boyfriend would be a different story. He would be the one everyone would be putting the blame on for turning you gay, and things could get better bad for him, besides do you think he'd want to whole world to know to save your ass."
"And all you want in exchange for keeping your mouth shut is to start on Friday?" I asked.
"For starters," he said, "there will be more, but I will let you know the when and where."
He opened the door to the truck and started to get out, "Oh, by the way that's your copy, I have a special one in a safe place."
I Picked up Robin from school and dropped her off at my mother's, then went to the grocery store and bought the ingridents to make Ryan's favorite meal.
I figured I should make things as easy for him as possible. I was still having trouble accepting the fact my only son would never be able to give me grandchildren, then again it could just be a phase he was going through, but I knew that wasn't likely. I walked into the house expecting to see Ryan, and hopefully Kyle sitting on the couch watching television, but instead all I saw was Kyle. "Kyle," I said, "where is Ryan?"
"Jarod called and said he wanted to talk to him, but that was over an hour again. He told me to wait here until he got back."
I was wondering if he had told him. If he had Kyle was taking it really well. I knew they were close, closer then most friends.
"Would you like to stay for dinner, Kyle," I asked.
" Sure, mom," he said.
All of Ryan's friends had started calling me mom, and I in turned felt like they were my own sons.
We both heard the door slam shut and Kyle walked into the livingroom, and I could tell right away by the look on his face that something was wrong. I motioned him into my bedroom, and shut the door.
"Well?" I asked, "what happened?"
He smiled and said, "He loves me, mom."
"Well that's great," I said, "then why do you look so unhappy."
"Well it seems like you and Kyle aren't the only ones who know," he said, "Did Kyle tell you where I went?"
"To see ...Jarod knows, but how?" I asked.
"He hates me for taking his spot on the football team, and has been following me and Kyle around for awhile, and he saw us kissing on the road and took a picture and is threating to expose us if I don't arrange it so he starts the game Friday."
"Oh, my," I said, "It's sounds like we've got a dilema on your hands, so what are you gonna do?"
He put his head down, and I could see the tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. "I love playing football, mom," he said, "and I'm not afraid of what people would think of me, but Kyle is a different story. When every he's with me everything would be okay, but I know I can't protect him every second, not to mention his parents."
"Are you gonna let him in on the decision?" I asked.
"No," he replied, "not ever."
"Well Ryan all I can tell you is to do what you think is right." I said, "Let's go back into the livingroom, and act like everything is just fine, and then I want to talk to you too."
I was so happy.
I couldn't believe that he loved me back. I dreamed of this moment for as long as I could remember. I was sitting on the couch when Ryan and mom returned from their private talk. She was probably finding out if I knew, so she wouldn't accidently let something out I wasn't prepared for.
"Boys, I think we need to talk," she said, "please sit down, and don't ask any questions until I'm done, because this is gonna be hard enough for me."
I sat down on the chair, well Ryan was sitting on the couch. She looked towards me and said, "You can sit next to Ryan, and even hold hands if you'ld like, I might as well get used to seen you show some affection towards each other."
I moved closer to Ryan and grabbed his hand.
"I'm not saying I'm comfortable with this, or even understand it," She began, "but I will tell you all onething, I will accept it for who you are and nothing else. But before you think I'm giving you free reign on your new found love you both better think again. Robin will know nothing of this until I feel the time is right, when you all in her pressence, you will act the same way you have acted since you became friends in the second grade, with the exception of the stupid fight. Dispays of affection will be limited to the privacy of your bedroom only. I will put a lock on your door, and what you do behind them closed doors is your choice. I hope you all don't decide to have anal sex until your much older, but if you are I just hope your prepared for the consequences. and I don't want to hear about it if you do."
"Now Kyle as for you, I love you like a son, but I am not gonna hide anythng from your parents. I know your scared to tell them, but I have known Rich and Linda for quite a few years, and I know they love you will all their hearts, and it may be hard for them to accept at first, but don't you think you'ld feel a lot better and more at easy if you didn't have this hanging over your head. I'm gonna give you the choice of when you want to tell them, but it should be soon."
I thought about what she was saying, and realized she was right. My parents had always seemed to support me in everything I did, and had never given any indications that they were homophobic so maybe just maybe they would support me, and accept me and still love me.
"Well you all be there when I tell them?" I asked.
"If you think it will help," she replied, "I will support both of you, and protect you from whatever may want to harm you." "Will you invite them to dinner," I said, "and I'll do it tonight."
I called my mother and told her that Miss Suttermill wanted me to invite them over to a dinner at her house, without letting too much into the reason why. After a little coaxing she finally agreed, claiming she hadn't seen Tricia for awhile and it would be good to visit again.
They arrived at around six, and we all sat down to eat. I was nervous thinking this was gonna be the last supper I would ever eat. What if they rejected me, what if they didn't love me anymore then what would I do. Mom Tricia looked towards me and I knew it was time.
I stood up and said, "Mom, Dad, there is alternative reasons for your being invited here. I have something to tell you, and I realize it's not gonna be easy for you to handle, hell it's hard enough for me to tell you, but I just want you to know that it's nothing you all have done, it's just the way things are..."
"It sounds like your gonna tell us your gay or something," my father interupted.
"I am," I replied.
and that's when I heard the glass his the floor, followed by a cloud of silence.