I'd like to be friends//Skepnoblade

17.

Zak nervously scanned over the selection of books on the shelf, Techno standing beside him. The quiet atmosphere of the library was still there, and would feel rather calm if you didn't consider the situation they were in.
He glanced towards Techno, wishing there was some way to cheer him up. Zak knew that he had it easy. His mother wasn't extremely homophobic, however, Techno's was. He couldn't imagine how difficult it was for him.
"It's gonna be okay," He said softly, straightening his posture and meeting Techno's nervous gaze.
Techno only bit his lip. Out of all the research he'd done, all the notes and essays he'd written, none of that had prepared him for the conversation he was about to have with his mom.
"I hope it will be."
"Hey- this doesn't mean we can't talk anymore," Zak told him slowly, "She won't know if we talk at school, or-"
"Zak, she's going to do anything to make sure we don't interact. She will go through my phone, block your contact, and anything else she can think of."
Zak blinked. He wanted to have some sort of hope, though he didn't know how to reply to that. So, he stayed silent, awkwardly keeping his eyes glued to the ground.
Techno sighed, shifting closer to Zak, who'd flinched at his tone.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh-"
"No, no," Zak was quick to assure him, "You're fine. It's okay."
They both immediately tensed when they heard the door to the library open, recognizing Techno's mother walk in. She was always really organized and on time, so, she was bound to be there rather quickly.
She looked over the two, narrowing her eyes. She was clearly surprised, and maybe quite furious that Techno and Zak still appeared to be conversing. She turned to the librarian, raising an eyebrow.
"May I ask what happened?"
The librarian only crossed her arms and clicked her tongue, a bored yet firm expression forming on her face.
"We can wait for Zak's mother to come, then I will discuss what happened," She replied, leaving the parent to be extremely annoyed.
Zak flinched. It really wasn't that much of a deal. Then again, his school took PDA rules pretty seriously. He should've expected something like this to happen.
It wasn't too awfully long before his own mother clicked open the door, entering the clean and quiet room.
"Hi," She waved, before noticing her son and Techno. She could only assume something had happened, and she was unsure if she wanted to know what it was.
The librarian cleared her throat, returning to Techno's mother, who was staring at her expectantly. She began to explain the situation to the two mothers.
Techno winced at a couple of the sentences she said, but mostly, tried to block it out. He didn't see what the point in listening was, as he'd still be getting scolded by his own mother all the same.
Zak, on the other hand, was listening to each word the librarian spoke, her voice laced with annoyance and clear distain. He wanted to know the phrases she used, and the exact story she was going to be using to explain to his mother and Techno's.
When the librarian had finished, surprisingly, Zak's mother was the first to speak.
"I'm sorry about that," She said apologetically, "It should've never been in a public space."
When she had finished a short apology, Techno's mother immediately responded as well.
"Thank you for letting me know. I'll definitely be having a talk with him, and I would like to apologize."
Techno visibly looked slightly scared. The way he was trembling, how his eyes averted to the ground, and the obvious attempt to steady his breathing. Zak felt pity for the other. No, he could practically feel what Techno was feeling. He knew his mother wouldn't do or say anything half as bad that Techno's would. Besides, it wasn't like Techno to be this openly anxious. Zak supposed he couldn't help it, but he was always so firm and monotone. He never really showed much emotion.
To be honest, the conversation didn't last that long. With a few apologies from the both of them, and the furious gazes Techno's mother sent their way, that was it. Zak expected it to be a little more rough, but surprisingly, it wasn't.
Techno's mom sent a harsh glare his way, motioning for her son to follow her out the door.
"Come on, Techno. Let's go."
Zak muttered a soft, "Stay safe," as Techno followed his mother out the door. He really loved him. He just wanted Techno to be okay.

The sunshine poured through the car window as Zak awkwardly sat in the front seat of the car. He figured his mother would be slightly upset that she had to drive all the way to school to pick him up, or at the very least scold him for what had happened. But, she didn't do any of that. Instead, she started speaking with a gentle tone of voice.
"Zak," She murmured, "Are you alright?"
He kept his gaze to the floor of the car. He was completely and utterly useless at talking about his feelings, so this wasn't exactly going to be easy. Besides, he wasn't sure how he was going to word anything that had happened. The librarian already told her a decent amount, and so he didn't know what else he could add onto that.
"Yeah," He replied quietly, his voice barely audible. He just wished they could go home. It was embarrassing enough as it is, and he just wanted to know that Techno would be okay.
"Zak," She sighed, "I understand if you don't want to talk to me. But, if you want to give me any context or info on the situation, you most certainly can."
Zak fidgeted with his hands, his energized and extroverted demeanor fully gone now. It was replaced with a rather dull and quiet one, which was unusual. Especially for someone like him.
"I don't know," He muttered, "I just hope he's okay. I don't know what his mom's going to say or do to him."
Zak's mother was only able to assume they were at least somewhat more than friends. Though, that was the least of her concerns at the moment. She was more focused on making sure her son would be okay.
"I'm sure he's fine, Zak. I don't know exactly what she'll say to him, but I do know that she would never get violent, if that makes you feel better. No matter what, she never resorts to getting physical."
Zak bit his lip. That wasn't much, but it was enough.
His mother soon started the car, and they started back on their way home.

The entire time Techno was heading to his house was spent awkwardly. It was in an uncomfortable, still silence. Each flicker of distain in his mother's eyes as she drove was clear that she wasn't happy. He didn't expect her to be thrilled, though.
Somehow, her not speaking was worse, in a way. It made him wait for something. Anything. Even if it was shouting, or firm scolding.
It was when they had finally arrived at their house and they were in the privacy of their own home, did she finally speak to him.
"So, Techno," She started, her voice wavering with a furious hint to it, "Do you want to explain yourself?"
Techno would have liked to explain himself by stating that homosexuality was found in several animal species, as well as any other evidence he could pile up to prove that it wasn't a bad thing. But, he knew that would just add wood to the fire. So, he stuttered a quiet, "I'm sorry."
"This was the reason I didn't want you to be friends with him," She told him, "Clearly he's had an influence on you."
Techno felt rather enraged himself, though, he forced himself to stay quiet as to not make it worse for himself.
"So, do you not care about me anymore, because I like someone of the same gender?"
He wasn't being disrespectful in any way. His tone showed that. Instead, it was a genuine question.
His mom tilted her head, taking a deep breath and a step towards her son. She appeared slightly calm now.
"I still care about you, Techno. And, you don't love him. You're simply confused."
Techno turned away from her, not wanting to hear any more of it. He'd heard all of it before, and it wasn't like he needed to again.
"Right, before you leave. Phone?"
Techno cringed. He was aware she would attempt to take his phone to delete Zak's contact, but seriously, she didn't expect her to be so blatant and straightforward about it.
He handed it to her, before returning to walking back to his room. He felt like an idiot, but he already missed Zak.
Techno couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever be able to openly talk again. Zak had made it painfully obvious he would be relentless in continuing the relationship, but would that really work out?
He didn't want to stop talking to Zak. He didn't. But, he knew his mother would do almost anything she could to stop from them talking, or even being in each other's presence. And, he didn't want to make anything worse by continuing to be with Zak again.
So, taking a shaky breath, he dismissed what he'd been thinking a second ago, pulled out a book, and tried to forget the person who he'd be forced to ignore soon.