"YOU WHAT?" I said, staring incredulously at Andy, my fork frozen in
mid-air halfway from my plate to my mouth.
"I don't think I should go to the ball with you tonight," Andy repeated.
"Why not?" I asked, my fork still frozen, and my mouth hanging open.
Everyone else had stopped eating and was staring at Andy as well.
"I just don't think it would be wise for you to 'come out' in front of
your whole school this way," Andy said.
"That's it? That's your reason?" I asked, beginning to feel a little
relieved.
"Well...yes," Andy said.
"You're sure, that's the only reason?" I asked again.
"Yes, that's all. I just don't want you to get a bad reputation, because
of me!" he said.
"You're such an asshole Andy!" I said. "Eat your breakfast, we have to go
pick up our tuxes for tonight!"
Andy just sat and stared at me, blinking, as the boys all started
laughing. Even Grandma was smiling.
"I'm serious John!" Andy said, still looking at me.
"So am I! We're going to the ball together tonight! That's final! YOU
will NOT ruin my reputation! There may be a few people who can't handle
it that I have a boyfriend, but that's their problem! You are my
partner, my lover, my life Andy! I'm not hiding you, or my lifestyle in
a closet anymore! We're adults now! We're free to live our lives as we
wish to. And I wish to bring you to my ball, as my date! End of
discussion!" I said.
Andy looked at me a moment, then smiled, and said, "well...OK then."
"That's more like it, now eat up. We do have to go try on those tuxes in
case they need to be altered again yet," I said.
We all went back to eating then.
* * *
We'd been eating quietly for a couple minutes, when Grandma cleared her
throat, looked at Jacob and Harry and said, "So is there a problem with
your bed? I noticed you boys weren't in your room earlier this morning,
and it didn't look like you'd been in there at all last night. Where are
you sleeping? This is the third night in a row!"
At first, nobody said anything, but I noticed that all four boys blushed
a little.
"We're sorry Grandma," Jacob said finally, "did you need us?"
"No, I just happened to come upstairs to get some clean sheets for my
bed, and I noticed that you weren't in your room," Grandma said.
John piped up then, "they were with us, we all got playing a game
together and all sort of fell asleep together in our room."
