I'm Not Gay, I Swear! | McPriceley

Chapter Twenty-Six

"What do you mean that they're forcing you to go on your mission?!"

It was a few days after the news had been told to Kevin. He was in the lobby with Arnold, Naba, Chris, and James as they made their daily visit to the hospital. He decided that he should eventually tell them, and, well, the news had slipped out.

"I mean that my parents apparently think that I've wasted a bunch of my time in trying to get enough money to go to college and all that. It isn't fair! It's not like I have to go to college by a certain age."

"So what're you going to do about it?" James asked.

"I... I don't know," he admitted. "I don't want to go on this stupid mission at all. But they're already set on it, and I don't think I'll be able to change their minds."

"That is stupid," Naba agreed. "Would you like me to have a talk with them? We have proven that I'm quite persuasive, given my case with Mrs. McKinley."

An image of Naba screaming at Kevin's parents as they cowered in fear came into his mind, and he blinked a few times. "No... I think I'll be fine, Naba. I guess I'll just... have to go on the mission, I guess."

"But that's two years that you'll be gone," Arnold said, looking up at Kevin with big, sad eyes. "I can't possibly be away from you that long, best friend."

"I know... it'll be hard," Kevin sighed. "I'm going to miss you all a lot."

"Have you told Connor about this yet?" Naba quizzed.

"Not yet. I-I don't want to know how he'll react to this. Not to mention that he's only been in the hospital for about a week. I'll be gone long before I get to see him recover back to better health."

"Maybe you can at least ask your parents to let you wait until then?" Chris offered.

"Maybe... who knows. Either way, I'm still going to miss so much in two years. Who knows if he'll even want to wait that long for me..."

"Connor would wait fifty years just to be able to see you again," Chris told him. "I'm sure that you'll be fine in two years."

"But what about his parents? I-I don't think that they're suddenly going to change their minds about him. What if something else happens?"
"We cannot guarantee that nothing will happen," Naba said truthfully. "But we will be here to help him through anything."

Kevin thought for a moment before nodding slowly. "Now I just have to actually tell him the news..."

"Best to get it over with. He needs to hear the truth from you."

"Right..." Kevin took a deep breath. "I'll go see him now, then."

Naba tried for an encouraging smile and gave him a small nod before he started his way over to the room that Connor stayed in.

Once at the doorway, he knocked three times on the door, before a voice inside said, "Come in."

Connor was looking much better than how he did when he first had arrived at the hospital. For one, he wasn't sleeping all day anymore, though he looked a lot more well rested. And he didn't look so weak and fragile as before, and seemed to be getting stronger by the day.

A large smile came across he ginger's face when he noticed that it was Kevin at the doorway. "Hey, Kev! What is it?"

"I, uh..." Kevin hesitated, fiddling with his hands as he stood a few feet away from Connor's bed. "I needed to talk to you about something."

Connor's smile faltered and his expression went serious. "Oh... alright. About what?"

"Well, my parents and I had a talk yesterday," Kevin said slowly, walking over to the nearest chair that sat in front of Connor's bed.

"And what did you talk about?"

"They talked to me about how I haven't had a job in a while, and about how I haven't gone off to college yet, and so they, um..." he mumbled a few words, though it was barely audible.

"They what?" Connor asked.

"They want me to go on my mission for two years," Kevin repeated.

Connor blinked as he processed this new information. "You mean... that you're going to a different country for two years?"

"I know, I know, it's not ideal. At all. And I don't want to go. But my parents aren't giving me a choice. They already sent in my application and are just waiting for the call back."

"But that doesn't seem fair. They can't just force you to do this. Wh-what about all of our friends? Two years is a long time..."

Kevin could tell that Connor was also hinting about himself in that mix. He wasn't going to be happy about Kevin leaving for so long. And frankly, neither was Kevin. But there was no way to stop it now.

"I'm sorry, Con. If there was a way to change it, I would. I've tried talking my parents out of it too many times to count, and there's no changing their minds." He sighed, taking Connor's hand in his. "I wish that I could just stay with you, especially since you're still here in the hospital."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I still got the others here with me." His gaze fell down to the floor.

"Hey, I'll still be back in two years," Kevin reassured him. "I just... don't know where everyone would be at that point. Who knows if they'd all wait for me."

"I'd wait for you," Connor said quietly, finally looking back up at him. "I would wait an eternity just to see you again."

Kevin smiled softly and rested a hand on the side of Connor's face. "Can I kiss you?"

Connor's smile returned to his face, and he nodded. "Of course you can."

Kevin leaned forward to place a small kiss on Connor's lips, before eventually pulling back. "Hey Con?"

"What is it Kev?"

Kevin hesitated a few seconds before taking a deep breath in. "I love you."

Connor smiled widely before pulling Kevin in for another kiss. "I love you too."