Better Than I'd Thought | Sally Face x Travis Phelps

three

.-. ..- -.

"Hey, Travis, do you maybe want-" Sal paused upon entering the living room. He was seated down in front of the coffee table with his hands clasped together. "What're you up to?"

"What does it look like, idiot?" Travis felt his heart flutter as he looked at Sal's eyes through the holes in his prosthetic. "I'm praying."

"Oh," Sal twisted his foot on the carpet awkwardly, watching as Travis clutched something in his hand, mumbling softly to himself.

"Um, " Sal mumbled shyly, making eye contact with him, "could I try?"

Travis stiffened, eyes widening, "Try what?" He flushed, "Prayer?"

"Well, uh, " He adjusted his mask, "yeah."

"I didn't know you were Christian." Travis raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, " Sal raised his eyebrows, "I'm not. I just thought that, since we live together, we should try to get along." He said with a shrug. "Besides, it could be fun."

Travis turned his head away with a grumble, "Praying isn't supposed to be fun."

"Oh, okay," Sal mumbled, dejected. He stood there for a moment, dragging the front of his shoe back and forth on the carpet. Travis continued to sit with his eyes closed. "I guess I'll go tune my guitar-"

   "Sit."

   "Huh?" Sal perked up, raising his eyebrows.

    "You said you wanted to try. Sit." Travis glared, pointing at the spot next to him.

  "Oh, alright, thank you!" Sal grinned, sitting beside him.

   Travis held a string of rosary beads in his folded hands and closed his eyes.

   Sal glanced around nervously, picking at the carpet with his fingernails.

   Travis groaned and dropped his hands, starting sharply at him, "What are you doing?"

   "What?" Sal stammered. "I don't know- I- I don't know what to do, so-"

"You've never prayed?" Travis scoffed. "That explains why you're so full of sin."

"Well, my mother was raised Christian, but..." He grimaced, locking his hands together.

"What?" Travis mumbled.

   "Nothing." Sal shook his head. "I wasn't raised with Christianity. That's what I mean."

  Travis sighed, "Well, first of all, you're sitting all wrong."

   "Oh, " Sal's eyes widened as he looked down at his legs.

   "Sit less sloppily."

   Sal glanced at Travis's posture and rearranged his legs so that he was kneeling, sitting on his heels.

   "Better," Travis mumbled. "Now take this." He handed him a spare string of rosary beads with a cross pendant. "Fold your hands and hold it so that the beads are visible."

   Sal scrambled to mirror Travis's hands. "Is this okay?" He said softly, holding the beads. Sal tilted his head and made eye contact shyly.

   "Yeah." Travis felt butterflies in his chest. Sal's eyes were so blue. "Now, address God."

   "Huh?" He frowned.

    "Say 'Heavenly Father' and then thank him for the things you're thankful for."

   "Outloud?" Sal bit his lip, feeling strange.

   "Yeah, if you want to." Travis clenched his teeth.

   Sal closed his eyes and sighed. He didn't really believe in God all that much. He'd give his thanks to the universe instead, "H-heavenly father, I have been through lots of hard times, but, uh, thank you for giving me Larry, Todd, Ash, Chug, Maple, and- and now Travis, maybe... I guess." He peeked one eye open to glance at Travis, who was looking away, "Uh, thank you for letting me keep my father. Thank you for uh, giving me Gizmo."

   "Gizmo?" Travis interrupted.

   "My cat." He mumbled back. "Uh, yeah, and... Thank you for uh, food... Yeah..." He turned to Travis. "Is that good enough?"

   Travis shrugged and then nodded. "Now apologize."

    Sal frowned. "Apologize?"

    "For your sins."

    Sal furrowed his brow and closed his eyes again. "I... Apologize for my sins, I guess."

   Travis frowned. "You have to mean it."

    Sal opened his eyes. "But I haven't done anything. What do I apologize for?"

   "Anything bad that you've done." He sounded annoyed. "Lying."

   "I don't lie..."

    "Never?" Travis raised an eyebrow.

    He sighed. "I apologize for any lies I've told."

    "Stealing?"

   "No!- Well, there was that one time I took Charley's figurine thing, but-"

"Apologize." Travis crossed his arms.

   "I'm sorry for stealing Charley's figurine before," Sal said softly.

   "I assume you haven't murdered anyone." Travis rolled his eyes.

   Sal shook his head. "I would never."

   Travis paused for a moment and then felt a brilliant idea wash upon him. "Homosexual thoughts." He mumbled.

   Sal frowned and stared down at the rosary beads, seemingly deep in thought.

  Travis kept his eyes on him. This was when he'd finally find out if Sal was gay or not.

   "Sorry." He shook his head hesitantly, handing Travis the beads. "I won't do it."

   "What do you mean?" Travis furrowed his brows, beginning to feel hot with anger. He clutched the rosary beads in his hand.

   "All of those other things are like, legitimately bad." Sal pulled on his pigtail. He frowned. "Of course you shouldn't murder or lie or steal, but being gay?" He shrugged. "Why does it matter?"

    "Because-" Travis felt his face becoming hot. "Because it's a filthy sin. They should be ashamed."

   Sal shook his head. "Apologizing would mean that I accept that gay people are bad. They're not. Todd is gay. He's one of my best friends, and-"

   "I don't give a shit!" Travis seethed.

    Sal's eyes widened as he stood up. "What are you-"

   "Little faggots like you and Todd are the problem with this world!" He snarled. "You're disrespecting my religion and you're disrespecting me!"

   "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just- H-hey! What're you doing?" Sal panicked as he felt Travis grab the edges of his mask.

    "Don't you see that I'm only trying to protect you from hell, freak face?" He continued to try to rip Sal's mask off while he fought to keep it on. "Let's see this face of yours. I wonder if you'd be sent to hell just because of your disgusting face."

   "Please, let go!" Sal's voice trembled and Travis realized that he was holding back tears. He stared into his horrified, widened blue eyes.

   Reluctantly, he released his grip on the prosthetic and turned away. "Whatever." His heart pounded and he stepped back, adrenaline wearing off. "I'm going to the bathroom."

  Sal took a deep breath and drew his legs close to his chest. Maybe Travis was incapable of change after all.