Wayward People

Disclaimer: The usual rules apply here. If you aren't legal in your area to be reading material(non erotic, mind you) about homosexuals and the activities they may or may not participate in, then please don't read. This story has been copyrighted and is not to be used elsewhere in any way without the express permission of the author (that would be me). For everyone else, enjoy!

Wayward People

Chapter Sixteen-"Holy Sh--"

"This pot roast is excellent Mrs. Carson," Troy spoke, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Everything is."

"Why thank you Troy," my mom replied, passing my father a bowl of peas.

What did she not think I didn't see those little looks she was flashing me?

"You enjoying everything alright, son?" my dad asked.

"Oh, um.."

I still had food in my mouth.

"Don't talk wit food in your mouth Michael," my mom spoke even before I had a chance to continue. "It's rude."

So was going through your son's room looking for something just because someone you barely knew told you it'd be there.

It all of a sudden got kinda quiet after that.

My mother, the fiend.

Life as I had come to know it, where I'd pretty much been left alone unless it was time to help my mother with another one of her social functions, was pretty much over.

Gone were the days when I could come home and do my homework before getting lost in a story before I'd have to stop to eat dinner.

That was about as much social interaction I got with my family other than going to church with them.

Yes, I was close with them and we talked plenty.

The point I'm trying to make is that they pretty much left me alone so that I could get stuff done.

Now was it like that?

Not a chance in Evan's birthplace.

Knock knock "oh I'm just checking in on you."

Or knock knock "just wanted see what you were up to."

Those were just two of the many tried and convoluted lines my parents would use just so they could see what I was doing.

To their credit, for having just found out last week that their son was gay, they hadn't done much.

Outside initially kicking me out of the house, the only thing that they'd done was make me talk to Dr. Sanchez about my `problem' each week.

But even that wasn't really much.

I mean, I hadn't been grounded.

I still had my computer. Cell phone. Car. All that stuff.

I still got to do all the same things I'd done before.

I just almost preferred to have had some privileges taken away over this constricting new way of living they'd adopted.

I saw their faces every five minutes it seemed like and as much as a lot of people who didn't see their parents much would probably love to see their parents as much as I was seeing mine, I could honestly call them stupid if they thought that was what they wanted.

My dad seemed confused.

Like he didn't know exactly how to handle me and because of that, I found the way he was treating me amusing.

I could tell that he still loved me regardless so I couldn't really be THAT upset with him for wanting to check in on his oldest son.

My mom on the other hand was a completely different story.

My mom and I had never really been as close with each other as we were with the rest of the family.

She was a mom, and you know how that goes.

Some people just aren't close with their mother's, and I was one of those people.

It wasn't like I hadn't liked her before.

She was okay.

She just wasn't...interesting to me.

She went her way and I went mine and neither of us went out of way to be greatly close with each other.

So the fact that she'd been `checking' in on me all the time, was out of the ordinary.

Only, her checking in on me wasn't like with my dad, where I was almost, ALMOST, happy he was doing it.

With her, I felt like she was trying to keep me from doing something `gay'.

Keep me from doing something disgusting in the eyes of God.

I had this weird feeling that she didn't really care about me, but about what I was.

She probably thought there was something wrong with me.

And it was because of that that she still came across as acting snobby.

Because we all knew that she just HAD to appeal to the masses.

She was a figure of authority in this town.

Someone that a lot of people respected.

I'm sure some people's daughters even wanted to be just like her.

Too bad she wasn't their mom instead.

It all sounds harsh, but you try living under this roof with that woman.

I couldn't forget that she was the one that wanted to throw me out in the first place.

It wasn't like she could plead temporary insanity or anything. She'd packed my bags and everything.

No getting around that.

Now, here we were.

Here I was, under house arrest.

Everyone just kind of looked at my mom who either didn't realize or just didn't care as she placed some peas on her plate.

"Uh, so how are things with Dr. Sanchez?" my dad decided to ask.

I really didn't want to talk about that, but at least he was trying.

Unlike my mom.

"Good, I guess," I replied.

"Just good? As much as we're paying her you'd think she'd have been able to fix the problem by now," my mother spoke.

She'd said that almost like even she hadn't seen the venom spewing out of her own mouth.

"Evelyn."

"Just speaking facts," my mom replied matter-of-factly.

Max and Troy looked almost just as uncomfortable as I did.

This really wasn't an enjoyable dining experience.

"Listen, you let me know if that Evan Parker kid gives you any problems tomorrow at school," my dad spoke.

"And what would you do if he does?" My mother asked. "You can't honestly be suggesting the boys' ostracize the poor kid. That'd be rude."

Okay that was enough.

"Can I be excused please?" I asked.

My dad looked over at me while my mother hadn't.

Something I noticed.

She really didn't want to look at me much, lately.

"No, you may not," my mom replied.

"Sure Mike, why don't you take Troy and Max upstairs with you," my dad replied.

Max and Troy exchanged glances before the two of them picked up their plates and joined me in heading for the stairs.

We weren't really allowed to eat upstairs but when no one had said anything about them grabbing their plates, I figured it was okay.

Besides all three of us knew what was coming.

My parents were about to argue about me.

Everyone was doing that lately.

Arguing over me and I was getting tired of it.

"Hey, you okay?" Max asked.

"Sure," I replied. "This is how it all starts right?"

Before my mother finally convinced my dad to throw me out permanently.

"It's okay Mike," Troy spoke. "You still have us."

Yeah but for how long?

I kinda felt like I was on thin ice and one wrong move would have me falling into the shallow frozen lake of loneliness.

And oh, I still had to look forward to school tomorrow!

What fun!

People had two choices.

They could all either chose to believe that Evan had been telling the truth last Thursday when he had basically ruined my life.

Or they could be smarter than that, and just ignore him entirely.

But I knew better.

In this town, everyone knew everyone.

No one was gay.

That just didn't happen.

So to have a genuine homosexual among their midst had to be driving them all crazy.

Sure none of them had definitive proof of any such thing, but I doubted they'd even need any.

No one ever really did have proof when rumors started.

And everyone just loves a scandal.

I felt like I was being watched as I walked down the halls.

That's actually probably because I was being watched.

Stupid people.

Did they not realize I saw them?

Why the hell were they trying to act normal?

"Just ignore them all Mike," Sienna spoke.

I at least could feel confident in the fact that I wasn't alone in all this.

I had Sienna, Troy, Pete, and Max all with me to comfort me.

"Yeah, I mean they don't know anything anyway," Troy spoke. "You don't have to pay attention to them."

Troy, Sienna, and Max seemed to all be about wanting to help me to try and ignore everything and go on with my normal day.

Pete, on the other hand, was different.

He seemed like he felt guilty about not being able to be alongside me in any of this.

Ashamed that I was outed and he couldn't join me.

I knew why and I wasn't upset with him for publicly admitting he was my boyfriend, although that would be completely cool with me if he did.

After all, now that everyone close to me knew, I could care less who else knew.

What could they do about it all really?

Everyone walked with me until I got to my locker where they all got comfortable around me.

It was strange but before we'd all really become friends, I had never really `hung out' at school before.

And now it was actually a part of my school day.

I had my back to the hallway as I looked in my locker while Troy was next to me with his arms crossed on one side looking out at the halls while Sienna was turned facing me on the other side.

"They're like animals when it finally rains after a drought," Troy spoke. "Everyone wants to drink the water just cuz they haven't had any in a while."

And I actually got that.

"You can't really blame em though," Sienna spoke, looking out into the halls. "In this town even a car accident is considered gossip worthy."

True.

But they were forgetting the type of person that I was.

I didn't just go up to people I had a problem with and challenge them.

Hell it was even still hard for me to ask questions in class or ask where something was when I couldn't find it in a department store.

All of this...scandal...it all got to me.

It was new for me and because I was who I was, it scared me.

I didn't like to draw attention to myself and what better way to do that than to have someone tell everyone in a town where being gay made you a whole different species that you were in fact gay?

This was just horrifying.

"Well you have us," Sienna spoke. "So if anyone bothers you."

"What are you gonna do, cat scratch someone?" Troy asked.

"Only if it comes down to that," Sienna replied. "Manicures don't come cheap, you know."

"You know if you want, we could always skip," Max started.

I turned around to face him.

"What?"

"Oh my god," Sienna chuckled. "The little sophomores gone bad boy."

"Just until this all dies down a little," Max replied.

It was an idea.

A bad one.

Because it wouldn't die over.

Not as long as Evan was still determined to ruin my life, which I knew that he was.

He probably wouldn't stop until I was dead.

"Thanks," I replied. "But I think I'm gonna have to stay and stick this one out all on my own."

"But you're not alone," Pete finally spoke. "You have us."

I looked over at him.

I knew that.

I just didn't feel like it.

"Yeah well, I'm almost too afraid to think what Evan's gonna try next," I sighed.

I had barely gotten the words out of my mouth when at the end of the hallway, I noticed Evan coming through from some doors.

Troy followed my eyes to where I was looking as well everyone else.

"Great," Sienna sighed. "Here he comes."

I noticed Troy's look turn a little dark.

I just tried not looking at Evan.

"Wait, did he actually just turn around?" Sienna spoke.

I looked back.

Sure enough he was now going in the opposite direction, from where he'd just come.

"What's up with that?" Max asked, confused.

"Maybe he knows better that to mess with all of us," Sienna spoke.

"Or he hasn't come up with today's torture method yet," I sighed.

I found it hard to believe that after everything I'd already been through because of Evan that he'd just all of a sudden decide not to pick on me anymore.

"Yeah well," Troy started, straightening up a little. "You'd be surprised. Some people do have turnarounds."

I couldn't help but to wonder if maybe I should have been picking up on something from that statement.

But I couldn't think too much about it.

The bell was about to ring.

I shut my locker and turned around.

"Well, class awaits," I sighed.

I finally got a glance out into the halls and sure enough, people were staring and whispering things.

I almost wanted to scream for them to go find a life somewhere, but given that just wasn't who I was, I held off on that.

"Yeah, I should probably get to class," Max spoke. "I just hate to leave you...."

"Don't worry," Troy spoke, putting his arm around my shoulders. "He's in good hands."

I noticed Pete looked a little weird just then, but I just tried to convey some sort of `don't worry' look on my face to him.

I don't know if he caught it or not.

"Alright, I'll see you guys at lunch," Sienna said before parting ways with us along with Max.

Pete almost looked like he didn't want to leave me but we both knew he had to get to class as well.

"Go Pete," I said, trying to sound playful. "I'll be fine."

It took him a couple of seconds but he finally budged after saying that he'd see me later.

Troy and I watched him go before Troy looked over at me.

"Come on," he said.

Even though I didn't feel like I was ready to face any of this, somehow, being with Troy just then really made me feel safer.

I realized though that I was going to have to learn to get rid of these.....feelings that I had for Troy if I was going to be happy in my relationship with Pete.

I just wished it wasn't so hard.

Strange was someone having proof big foot and aliens existed.

Strange was hearing voices in your house when you knew you were supposed to be alone.

Strange was a lot of things.

Anything could be strange, really.

But what had to be the strangest thing that I'd come across thus far was Evan Parker and his behavior today at school.

Normally, I'd be all happy talking with my friends and then Evan would show up like an unwanted stepchild and ruin my day.

And it was always seemingly from out of nowhere.

It never failed.

I'd actually become quite used to it.

So much so that I'd attributed it as being a part of my school-going experience.

But today?

Not only had he practically ignored the fact that I had even existed, but he made sure that he was no where near me whenever possible.

For instance, in the one class we shared, he normally sat in the same row, a few seats behind me.

But today he'd sat all the way on the other side of the room at the very back.

Then at lunch, he normally sat at a table that was within viewing distance of the table I'd usually sit at.

Instead he'd sat at a table in the part of the cafeteria that the freshman and sophomores normally sat in.

I'm sure his friends we're all pissed about having to relocate there.

And whenever I saw him in the halls, one minute he'd be there, the next he'd either be gone or turning around to go in the opposite direction.

Avoidance at its highest degree.

It was actually kind of nice not having to deal with him for a change.

It was just going to take a little getting used to, that was all.

"Hey is just me or did it seem like Evan was actually staying away from me today," I asked as Troy, Max and I walked into the front door of the house.

"Or maybe all that working out you started doing with Troy is actually starting to intimidate him," Max replied, shutting the door behind us all.

I seriously doubted that.

It was one thing for him to avoid me but it was a completely different thing for him to be afraid of me.

Which I knew he wasn't.

There had to be something else going on.

I just couldn't grasp my mind around what it could possibly be.

Both my dad and mom usually worked during the time I spent out of school.

Well my dad anyway.

My mom would be gone a few hours out of the day doing something, whether it was her volunteer nursing job or something else.

Either way, having them both home at this time of day was an unusual sight.

Not unusually lately though, as they'd been home all week so far.

But it was still unusual.

And it didn't put me in the greatest of moods either.

Not that I'd been in a good mood before.

"Oh, hey guys," my dad spoke, standing up from where he was seated with my mother at the kitchen table.

I looked over at him as I took off my coat and decided to pretend like I didn't know either of them were here.

"Hey dad," Max spoke.

I couldn't get away though, as my dad had come all out into the living room, focusing his attention on me.

"How was school today? Any problems?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, tons," Max started. "They ran out of my favorite food at lunch. Ms. Grandberry assigned a ton of homework for tonight. And the girl of my dreams is still dating the stupidest guy in school."

"Want me to take em out for ya?" Troy asked, striking a fake karate pose.

My dad and brother laughed.

I wasn't paying attention though.

I was too busy trying to figure out how I was going to sneak up the stairs before my mother started asking me questions too.

"What about you Mike?" my dad asked.

It seemed like there had been a lot of commotion going on before he'd asked me that, and now all of a sudden everything seemed all quiet.

I knew they were staring at me.

I didn't like the attention.

"It was fine," I replied.

"That's good," my dad replied.

Moments later, my mom walked into the living room.

The look on her face was reminiscent of the look of someone who'd just bitten into the bitterest lemon in the entire world.

It made me want to run up to my room that much more.

"Don't get any snacks," she said, obviously talking to Troy, Max and I. "I'm cooking dinner."

What, no `hello son how was your day?'

And like we didn't already know not to get ourselves a snack when we came home.

I noticed she was doing everything she could to keep from looking over at me.

Not that I was going out of my way to look over at her, either.

"Come on," Max spoke, walking over to me.

He put his arm around my shoulder and turned me around as Troy followed the two of us up the steps.

I sure was hoping things would start to get easier pretty soon.

Let's see....

Dinner so far was...

All you could hear was metal utensils touching glass plates.

Chewing and some sipping but that was about it.

No one was talking.

There were a lot of looks.

The looks around the table that asked `should you start talking or should I?'

For some strange reason, I found it a little amusing.

I don't know why.

I just did.

So I guess that was why I all of a sudden started laughing.

I couldn't help it.

I noticed once I started that everyone stopped eating and were all staring at me.

I eventually stopped and cleared my throat.

It was almost like somebody else was there just then.

But I was back now.

Too bad everyone was still staring at me.

I stopped eating and looked up at everyone.

"What do you find so funny Michael?" my mother asked.

I looked over at her.

"Uh...oh, I uh...nothing," I replied.

My mother eyed me for a few seconds before she put down her fork and sat back a little.

"I'm not sure I understand your sudden behavior change," she started. "Please tell me you aren't behaving this way at school."

I looked around at everyone before I looked back at her.

"What? No, mom I-"

"Because the last thing you need to do is look....homosexual while you're in public."

If I'd thought things were silent before, boy were they quiet now.

"I'm sorry?"

"Well you're seeing Dr. Sanchez for help with your problem. If you start walking around everywhere with your sudden outbursts of laughter or whatever else accompanies this phase you're going through-"

"Phase?"

She didn't answer.

"You think what this is is just some passing phase?"

How strange.

I didn't think Max or Troy went through a boy liking "phase".

"Well what do you expect me to think Michael? I mean, someone has to do the thinking for us," she spoke. "Someone has to be concerned for what we look like in the eyes of this community and God."

"Oh screw God and the community!" I shouted, getting out of my seat.

"Michael!" my mother exclaimed.

Now everyone looked concerned but I didn't care.

This was way beyond anything and...just everything.

I knew my parents would never understand me being gay.

I had only just come to understand it all myself.

But my mother was acting like I was some kind of curse on the family and our community. And the only way she thought I could be `cured' was by talking to someone who only knew what I told her about me.

If I lied to Dr. Sanchez or withheld information, then it'd be like she was just totally ineffective.

Which she was anyway.

And all the rest of this stuff was bullshit.

"Mike, son, sit down-"

"Not until mom realizes that I didn't choose this," I spoke, feeling like everyone was standing around me with shotguns and all I had to defend myself was a dinner knife.

Everyone was just staring at me, concerned, worried. But for some reason, I felt like I was being attacked.

"Sit down Michael," my mother spoke sternly. "And finish your dinner."

I looked down at my plate, then I looked over at all of them.

I wanted to object.

I wanted to throw my plate off the table.

I was in a rebellious kind of mood right now.

But then all I had to do was look over at my brother and Troy and see how worried they looked.

And then I started realizing that I was on a dangerous path.

I had a lot to lose.

A lot more than I had before.

And I liked what I had now.

I didn't want to lose any of it.

I sat down slowly, trying to calm myself down, but I wasn't looking anyone in the eye.

I didn't feel like it.

"I think maybe we should look into getting in an extra session for you and Dr. Sanchez," my mother spoke, looking over at me. "Because I certainly will not be putting up with anymore outbursts like that."

That was it?

That was all she had to say about it?

It was then that I realized something.

My mother didn't love me.

My father didn't love me.

They loved who they thought I was.

They didn't love the real me.

And I couldn't change.

So they'd never love the real me.

And that left me feeling empty.

I picked my fork up and started picking around at my food.

"That's better," my mother spoke.

"Cheerios?" Max spoke, walking into the kitchen.

He saw his mother standing in front of the sink, looking out of the mirror in front of it.

Whenever she had time, which was at least three or four mornings out of the week, she'd make breakfast.

Since his parents hadn't been going to work, he figured it was odd that she hadn't cooked anything.

He was confused as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Troy just shrugged, taking another bite of his bowl of cereal.

"Okay," he spoke. "I guess I can go a day or two without my daily bacon intake."

Max looked over to where his mother had her back to him.

"Mom...are you okay?" he asked.

She turned around, coffee mug in hand and looked down, thinking hard about something.

"Maybe....maybe I was a little rough on him," she spoke.

"Honey, have you seen my briefcase?" his father asked, walking into the kitchen as if he were in a hurry.

"No," she replied.

Troy stood up and walked his bowl to the sink, while Max turned around and watched everything going on around him.

"Did any of you see Michael up this morning?" she asked.

"No but I just figured he overslept," Max spoke. "I think I heard him up late last night."

Max was only slightly trying to make his mother feel guilty with that comment.

"Well, somebody should go wake him up," his dad replied. "He needs to take the three of you to school."

"Okay," Max started, standing up. "But if he's not ready, can I drive the car?"

Troy stood up and put his bowl in the sink so that he could join Max.

The two of them started up the stairs.

"You know, we always wake up at the same time," Troy said. "This is the first time in a long time we haven't."

Max just chuckled before knocking on the door to the room.

"Yo Mike, mom says I get to drive if you aren't ready in like two minutes," Max shouted.

Troy and Max stood waiting for a response or to hear some movement.

"Mike?"

They waited for a few more seconds before Max slowly turned the knob to the door and opened it.

"What the...."

Troy looked around.

It was empty.

The bed was made up, and Mike was nowhere to be found.

"This is bad," Max said.

He and Troy rushed down the stairs and back into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna be late," Max's father spoke.

"Well if you left your briefcase in the same place every day when you came home-"

"Give me a break Evelyn, its' my first day back since-"

"Mike's gone!" Max announced.

His parents looked over at him.

"What?"

"We went up to check on him and.....he's gone dad," Max replied.

"We have to go find him-"

"No," Max's mom spoke. "Your father and I will go look for him. You two need to go to school."

"Mom-"

"Maxwell, get to school. Now."

Max looked over at Troy before letting out a sigh and deciding to follow his mother's advice.

"Guess I'm not going back to work anytime soon."

"Want a bite?"

I looked over at the bum I'd been surprised to find next to me when I woke up, eating a sandwich someone had obviously given to him.

I sat up and quickly moved a few feet away.

I almost had forgotten why I was here.

Then I remembered.

After feeling so pissed off after dinner, I had decided to sneak out of the house after everyone went to bed.

I gathered a few things and some cash, but I decided to leave my car for some reason.

I hadn't slept outside.

I'd found this semi-abandoned building downtown and called it home for the night.

Just until I figured out what I was going to do.

What was I going to do?

People who run away from home don't have the rest of their lives mapped out.

I for one didn't want to live on the streets.

I'd just been so pissed last night.

I knew one thing though.

I did NOT want to live in the same house with people who didn't want me.

I just didn't know what to do now.

I felt stuck.

Like I didn't have any options.

And I didn't like that feeling.

I looked back over at the bum who had since finished his sandwich and had begun pushing some kind of grocery cart full of junk around, standing up.

I don't know why I'd decided to choose downtown as my choice runaway place.

Then again, I wasn't thinking too clearly lately.

That was exactly why I'd run away in the first place.

Because I didn't want to think about any of that other stuff.

I just wanted to get rid of it all and go back to being the normal person I was before.

The guy without a gorgeous cheerleader best friend or exchange student from Canada living with him.

The guy who didn't have Goliath the Giant Bully picking on him every three seconds.

And most importantly, the guy who hadn't had to come out to his parents when he hadn't wanted to.

That was what I wanted.

And in some ways, I actually think I figured that by running away, I was going to get that.

In a way, I was.

If I wasn't around to face my problems, than I wouldn't have any.

But I knew how much I enjoyed my life the way it already was.

Without all the other stuff.

I knew that I couldn't get it any better, but it was just so hard.

And no one likes hard.

I got a good look around.

If this was going to be my new life, gay and homeless, then I might as well embrace it.

"He what?"

"Why would he do that?" Pete asked. "Why would he just run away? He has us!"

Pete ran his fingers through his hair and walked around in a small circle, trying to keep from getting too frustrated.

"He got into a pretty bad argument with my mom last night," Max replied. "It hasn't exactly been easy for him since...."

"Yeah but to run away?" Pete spoke.

"That doesn't seem like Mike at all," Sienna said.

"A lot of things with my brother don't make sense lately," Max replied.

"Pete, where you going man?" Troy called out.

"I'm not just gonna sit around here and act like Mike's not gone when he is and is all alone somewhere."

"So it's true then?" Max asked, walking over to Pete. "You and Mike?"

Pete stared into Max's eyes before letting out a sigh.

"Look, Max-"

"I'm....I guess I'm okay with it," Max started. "I mean, he is gay. And better you than Evan."

Pete was too worried about Mike to be relieved that Max approved.

"Look, I'm with Pete," Sienna spoke, joining the two of them. "I think we should go."

"Not together though," Max said. "We have a better chance of finding him if we split up."

"Okay, come on Max," Sienna spoke. "Pete, you and Troy can go together."

Troy and Pete looked over at each other.

"We can take my car Max," Sienna said. "And if you guys find him, you can call us on our cells."

Sienna didn't stick around to get any feedback, as she was too busy pulling Max away.

Pete and Troy looked over at each other, realizing they were stuck with each other.

Who knew you only got ten bucks for a full trash bag of empty soda cans?

Earl, that was the name of the homeless guy I'd waken up next to, Earl, had taken a full bag to the recycling plant and only got that much?

Fortunately, I still had a bit of cash.

And as long as my parents kept my credit card account open, I'd be okay for a while.

Just until I figured out what I was gonna do.

Because at this point, I still didn't know.

"Thanks for coming with me kid," Earl spoke as he pushed his kart along.

The two of us were walking down the streets downtown, not headed anywhere in particular.

Really, we had all the time in the world to get things done.

"No problem," I replied.

I just figured they'd give him a bit of trouble when he showed up so I did it for him.

I actually felt better for helping him.

It still didn't solve my problems though.

"So what brings you out here?"

"Huh?"

"Well I don't think brand new Abercrombie and Fitch threads is the signature clothing line for a homeless teenager."

I looked over my clothes before looking back ahead.

"Would you believe I ran away from home?"

"Sure. I meet a lot of kids who tell me that. Kinda like you, really."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. Course, only a few of them actually stay away from home."

"What happens?" I asked, as Earl and I stopped to let cars pass before we crossed the street.

"Some kids' parents come to get em," Earl replied. "Others change their minds. I tell em they're a lot better off for it."

This was interesting in a way.

It was like I was getting insight into the way of the street.

How it was like exactly out here.

"So do you think I should go back home?" I asked.

"Not my place to say," Earl replied. "I've always believed that everyone has a choice whether they realize it or not."

Hmmm...

Interesting words there.

"What if I'm not ready to go back?" I asked.

Earl looked over at me with a grin.

"Mañana's always the busiest day of the week, short fry."

I couldn't help but to grin back at that one.

"I should probably get started on my rounds," Earl spoke as we crossed the street. "But you know as long as you're here, you might as well get a good look around. You don't exactly strike me as the city kid type."

Earl waved before turning left, leaving me standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk.

Tomorrow.....

I couldn't go back.

But I didn't want to think about whether or not I'd be going back.

Earl was right.

As long as I was here, I was going to make sure that I got a good look around.

And as long as everyone already knew all there was to know about me, then what was the harm in me revisiting a certain area in town that I'd always thought to be taboo?

"Where're you going?" Troy asked.

Pete didn't respond.

"You don't even know where you're going!"

"Would you just shut up and let me drive!"

Troy crossed his arms and sat back.

The two of them were on edge.

The tension between them was grating.

"You think you know him better than me just because you're his...boyfriend?" Troy asked.

Pete glanced over at Troy briefly.

"Unlike you, I made it a point to get to know him from day one," Pete replied.

"Oh so are you trying to say this is somehow my fault that Mike's gone?"

"Did those words come out of my mouth Troy?" Pete asked. "He didn't run away for no reason at all."

"At least he knows I'm here for him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pete asked.

"Mike's whole life's been turned upside down all because people found out he was gay. Aren't you his boyfriend? I mean, aren't you supposed to-"

"You don't have any idea what you're talking about-"

"Just that you're too chicken shit to be what a boyfriend is supposed to be."

Pete looked over at Troy.

"How would you know?"

Troy looked over at him.

"What?"

"I mean, how would you know anything about this? Care to tell me something, Troy?"

Troy stared at Pete for a few moments before looking straight ahead, fuming.

"Alright, stop the car," Troy said.

Pete continued driving.

"I said stop the car!"

"What? No way-"

"Stop the car Pete!" Troy exclaimed, reaching over to the steering wheel to try and stop Pete from driving.

Pete shoved Troy off of him.

"Are you crazy? You trying to get us both killed."

"Let me out."

"No."

"Pete-"

"No!" Pete replied.

Realizing he wasn't getting his way, Troy just sat back and crossed his arms.

You know, smart people don't go back to places where they've seen other people almost get beat to death with a baseball bat because they were gay.

They just don't.

I guess I wasn't that smart then.

Here I was.

Our little towns own version of West Hollywood.

I supposed every city had their own places for this kind of thing.

But I wouldn't know.

I just knew about this city and this place.

When I'd last been here with Pete, things had looked a lot different.

The buildings I was surrounded by were all brightly lit with flashing neon lights.

There were a wide assortment of....people, walking the streets, doing some things I'm sure weren't very legal to do in public.

Now, now things were just kind of mellow.

Chilled and relaxed.

Which is actually what I wanted.

I was taking a risk being here, so I wasn't sure that all that hoopla was something I wanted to be around or associate myself with early in the morning.

Apparently, neither did anyone else.

Some of the places were open though.

There was an adult video store next to a bookstore, ironically, both open.

And there were a few little café's open.

I just assumed that all of these places were of the `gay' nature, considering what part of town I was in and the fact that they were all here together like this.

I had just been standing at one street corner since I'd gotten here, trying to determine which place, if any, I'd go into.

Part of me was still afraid to admit this was who I really was.

Admitting it only got you beat up and humiliated and kicked out of your home.

And now, now I didn't have a home anymore.

So what would be the harm?

I decided to try the bookstore next to the video store.

I didn't have a VCR or DVD player anymore, so I wouldn't have any use for any videos.

The bookstore was called "Rainbow Palace", a dead giveaway for the types of books the place obviously sold.

It didn't bother me any.

Since I no longer had a boyfriend or friends at all, reading about gay people who were in love and had friends were all I was going to have to get by.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Palace, sir!" a small petite....guy...had to look twice there...a small petite guy greeted from the counter at the front.

I tried not to look as nervous as I felt as I walked further into the store.

I had no idea people wrote this many gay themed books.

The place was awfully large, packed full of books.

I wasn't sure where to go first so I just started looking around at the books in the front window.

I picked up one and started to read the back of it.

Apparently it was about a group of male cheerleaders who had to come up with a new set of routines because they found out the ones they'd been using had been stolen.

So basically it was Bring it On minus the hot chicks.

I had just put the book down when I looked over to see someone I'd never thought I'd see here again.

Reverend Thomas had just walked into the bookstore and was looking over at me.

I put the book down like it was on fire or something and looked down.

I actually looked back up again to see if he was actually here.

He was.

Which was why I'd decided to pretend like I hadn't seen him and move along.

I quickly started towards the other side of the store but he caught up with me.

"Wait a moment, Michael," he said. "I just want to talk."

I stopped but I was too afraid to look at him.

For some reason I felt ashamed having him catch me here, even though the fact that he was here as well should have had me thinking twice.

The two of us just stood there for a little while before Reverend Thomas let out a sigh and looked over at me.

I guess my initial shock had worn off, because now I was starting to think about some things.

"So you come here after you dance in the foam with your hot twenty three year old boyfriend?" I asked.

I don't know why I was getting snippy.

Probably because in a lot of ways, I resented Reverend Thomas.

Here he was, my church reverend, gay as could be, yet he was still the most respected man in town.

And me? I'd been kicked out like a piece of garbage.

I wonder what my mom would do if she ever found out about Reverend Thomas.

"Your parents...they told me about you running away from home," he started. "I told them I'd help look for you."

And the first place he looks is Gayopolis, USA?

"Well you found me," I replied. "So hello, and now goodbye-"

"Michael, wait-"

I stopped and turned around.

"I know about what happened. About why you ran away," Reverend Thomas replied. "Your parents....they know about you."

"Yeah? And?"

"Just....well they...they think there's something wrong with you," he replied.

Yeah, I pretty much knew that by now.

Nothing I could do about that.

"And you don't?"

Reverend Thomas sighed and looked down before looking back at me.

"I don't think I'm in a position to say otherwise," he replied. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Yeah. I would....

"So what, you gonna take me back with them?" I asked. "Am I your political prisoner now?"

"Actually, yes," Reverend Thomas replied.

I was kidding before, but now I was worried.

"I spoke with your parents," he started. "Your mother....she has a lot of issues she needs to get past."

That didn't have to be said twice.

"But she feels like your behavior is just too much.....she asked if I'd help."

"I'm sorry....help?" I asked.

"She asked me to help you get past your....problem," Reverend Thomas replied. "And since the two of us know that isn't going to happen, then there's really only one way."

I stared at Reverend Thomas.

"What?"

"I'm offering to let you stay with me until your parents realize what the two of us already do," he spoke.

I was shocked.

Stay with him?

He was actually offering me that?

What was more shocking was how I actually liked the sound of the idea.

Living with someone who understood what I was going through a lot better than my parents seemed to, almost seemed ideal.

But it was still Reverend Thomas.

The man was my church preacher.

He and I had something in common, but he was still a preacher.

The same one that had pretty much tried to scare me into thinking there was something wrong with me for years.

How could I stay with him?

"What do you say Michael?" he asked.

When I looked over at him, I noticed something.

Just then, he no longer looked like Reverend Thomas the hypocrite.

He looked like Reverend Thomas, the one person who understood what I was going through. The one person who was willing to help me through this.

He looked sincere.

"Um.....okay," I replied.

I figured I'd give it a shot.

It may have been a terrible idea, but I'd find that out for myself.

"Good," Reverend Thomas replied. "That's good. You should call your family though. I'm sure they're all very worried about you."

Family.

I wasn't leaving them after all.

And to up and leave them like I had.

Regardless of how my mother treated me or my father, they still didn't deserve to be put through the worry I'd put them through.

Neither did my brother.

Or my friends.

Or my boyfriend.

"You're right," I replied, taking out my cell phone.

I had a lot of explaining to do.

YahooGroup (w/ advanced chapters of the story): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoJoPresents-GayFiction/

Personal email: crossingboi2004@yahoo.com

Copyright 2005