Switched at birth (FACE)

11

I was pacing back and forth in my room as Matthew sat on my bed. "I am freaking out; we have to say something... all this pressure has been making me sweat constantly!" I spoke. Matthew was looking at the DNA papers I had and crossed his legs. "Yeah, but we can't just tell them straight up. It could break them for all we know," Matthew spoke.

I nodded and stopped pacing around. I looked at him as he flipped through the pages. "Maybe I should get a DNA test...to confirm everything? The part with Francis, I mean," he spoke. "Yeah, we would need some of his hair," I explained. He nodded, and I walked over to him. I finally took a seat beside him and looked at the papers. "This is stressing me out too much."

"Tell me about it..."

!KNOCK KNOCK!

Our eyes widened as we looked at each other, and I snatched the papers out of his hand. "Alfred, we are coming in!" I heard my dad speak. "Oh shit!" I began to freak out, and Matthew suddenly took the papers from me. I saw the door open as Matthew quickly hid the papers behind himself.

When the door opened fully, we both sat straight, watching our parents enter the room. "Hey!" we both spoke in unison. My Papa closed the door behind him, and I lifted an eyebrow, confused. "We were wondering something," Arthur said. I felt my body getting hot, and I knew what was happening.

I looked at Matthew, and he looked at me disgusted. "Yes?" I spoke. I looked at my Papa, who looked at me as if he knew I was hiding something. Within time, I would crack if they kept pushing it. I am the worst liar! "Why are you so sweaty?" Papa asked. He crossed his arms, and everyone began to stare at me.

OH NOOOOOO!

I felt my face getting hot as I looked everywhere else but him. "Arthur, what was your question?" I tried to say. "Ah, we were wondering how the two of you knew each other, how you met; we would love to hear about it," He spoke. They both stared at me, and I looked to Matthew for help. "Ah, we ran into each other at the marketplace," Matthew spoke. He smiled at them, and I began to fan myself.

"Alfred, what are you hiding? I am not an idiot!" Papa suddenly spoke. I cringed at what he said and saw he was serious. No! This is bad! he is mad! this is not what I wanted to happen. I stopped looking around, and my Papa and I began making eye contact. We stared at each other seriously, and I could tell that Arthur and Matthew were watching us.

"I am not hiding anything," I spoke. However, we continued the stare-down. "I don't believe you," He spoke. "Then how did the two of you really meet?" He asked. I needed to lie! There is no other way around it.

"Well?"

I need to think of something!

QUICK!

"The truth is!" I started. I looked at everyone seriously, and our dads lifted an eyebrow. "Matthew and I are LOVERS!" I yelled. Their faces grew horrified, and I suddenly felt a punch.

"That is enough from you!" Matthew glared. I looked at him, shocked, and held onto my face. However, he continued to look at me with murder in his eyes as he began to crack his knuckles. "Matthew! Do not be shy! our love can not be hidden any longer!" I continued. "Please, excuse us..."

We both looked at our parents, who quickly left the room.

"You are an idiot! Why did you think that was a good idea?"

"I panicked!"

"Ugh! I can not believe we are related!"

"I am so sorry!"

I had fallen to the floor, and Matthew began to step on me. "Say you are a slug!"

"I am a slug!" I cried.

Our parents finally walked back in, looking at us, confused and concerned. "I think we need proof; we want you to kiss each other!" Arthur spoke. They both looked uncomfortable, and I began to gag in my mouth. "Please, don't make me," I cried. My Papa crossed his arms, nodding, and Matthew looked as if he saw a ghost. "Now!" Arthur demanded.

My eyes widened, and I looked at him, shocked. I stood up quickly, and Matthew and I stood beside each other. Now his attitude makes more sense to be my dad. If that makes sense? I looked to Matthew, who shook his head, and I put an arm around him. "We need to talk in private," I spoke. We both huddled together, turning away from them.

"Come on, just a peck..."

"Like hell, we are cousins; that is incest..."

"People did it back then..."

"Alfred, this is not back then; you look like you want to throw up; we have to tell them the truth..."

"Papa looks pissed; he is going to kill me..."

"Death is better..."

I nodded in agreement, and we both turned back to our parents. "We can't do it..." Matthew started. I felt myself sweating again and looked at the bed with the papers on it. WAIT! We did not have to tell them the whole truth!

"The truth is...I found out that we are related, Matthew and I...we are cousins, so I went behind your back and found him," I looked at Papa. He nodded at me as if knowing...they must have figured that part out on their own. "Also..."

I nudged Matthew stopping him, and he looked at me, shocked. I shook my head at him, and he nodded nervously. I felt terrible about lying, but there was no other way right now. I was not ready to tell them. Baby steps.

"We know...we realized it downstairs...you could have told us, we would not have been mad. However, it is shocking to know that the two of you are related. Maybe it will bring all of us closer," Arthur spoke. We both nodded at them and smiled. "Yeah..." I spoke quietly. "Well, we can go downstairs and talk about this, come on, I will make some tea," Papa smiled. Matthew and I nodded, and he began to walk toward them. I quickly grabbed the papers on the bed and shoved them into the drawer beside my bed.

I turned back to them and saw my dad look at me curiously. Not yet...but eventually.