Reno and Weisz

chapter 38: reno has given up

chapter 38: reno has given up

~reno~

       "So," Dad says as he sits down beside me on the couch, "are you going to tell me why you've been so moody the past week?"

       Despite knowing that my dad can read me like a book, I deny his observation. "I haven't."

       Dad snorts. "Right. Did you get into a fight with Weisz?"

       "What would ever make you think that?" I ask.

       "Reno, come on. On any given day, you're with Weisz whenever you're not at school or work. You haven't spend any time with him this week."

       I sigh and rub my forehead. "Yeah, we got into a fight. We, uh... We got banned from going to the school dance because we're a same-sex couple. I thought it wasn't a big deal, but it is to Weisz."

       "What?" Dad asks. "Reno, that absolutely is a big deal. That's disgusting that they would even think of doing that."

       I groaned and leaned back into the couch. "I know, I know. Look, I'm just used to people judging me for whatever reason, so being judged for my sexuality didn't really come as a surprise for me. It annoyed me, sure, but it wasn't a shock."

       "When's the school dance?" Dad asks.

       "Next Friday."

       Dad stands up from the couch and pushes my leg off the coffee table. "Alright, let's go."

       I furrow my eyebrows. "Go where? Because it's Friday and I'm not working, so I would rather stay on the couch and mope. Possibly eat a bunch of ice cream. Maybe order in pizza. Crash on the couch."

       "Nope," Dad says. "There should be a school board meeting happening soon, so we will be going and telling them that you've been banned from the dance."

       I stay where I'm sat on the couch. "Dad, they're just going to turn it against me. I bet you anything that Mrs. Sturgis is going to try to turn it against me and say that it's because I was suspended or something."

       "And I'll fight back saying that many students who have been suspended are still allowed to go to the school dances," Dad says. "Not to mention that you were suspended for skipping, which teenagers do all the time. Reno, you shouldn't let them get away with this, especially if Weisz thinks it's a big deal."

       I know Dad is right, and I do want to fight it. I really do. I just don't have any hope that it's going to work out for me and Weisz in the end. But knowing Dad, he's not going to go down without a fight. If I don't go to the district meeting, I know that he will go without me.

       At least I'll be able to stop Dad from getting too angry, which he had done before. He tries his best to control his anger but sometimes, he can't help it, especially when it comes to me.

       So I get up from the couch. "Fine. Let's go."

       "Don't sound too excited," Dad says.

       "I'm really not."

       Dad and I leave the house to head to the town hall where the school board meetings are always held. We get there a few minutes before the meeting is due to start, and the meeting room has already filled up.

       As Dad and I sit near the back, I spot Weisz and his family sitting a few seats in front of me. He looks around the auditorium and notices me. He does give me a small smile before he faces forward again, so maybe he isn't too mad at me.