In The Closet

Chapter 12

Danny and Taylor were getting ready for school yet again, they hoped today would be different. School was the last thing on either of their minds but they couldn't keep missing days, luckily Taylor's parents were very understanding so if things weren't good they didn't care if they skipped or went home, they knew they were trying their best, they remember what school was like. Sometimes parents don't put themselves in their Childs shoes, and they need to. Danny was staring in his mirror in his bedroom looking at his outfit, he looked tired. He didn't get much sleep last night. Taylor walked into his bedroom and gave him a hug from behind. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Well I look like shit" Danny shrugged.

Taylor laughed and pulled him away from the mirror and kissed him. "You look very sexy to me".

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I could look absolutely disgusting and you'd still say that, you need your eyes checked."

"20/20 vision baby" He put his arms to his side like a super hero stance, feeling proud.

Danny rolled his eyes and laughed. "You're going to be late!" Rose called out from the kitchen. Danny and Taylor walked out of the bedroom and took the lunch bags she made. "I let you guys sleep in later so no time for breakfast today but here's some water bottles and poptarts" Rose smiled. Danny and Taylor put the water bottles and poptarts in their bags and headed towards the front door. "Have a great day!" She called out. Taylor closed the door behind him and they started their usual stroll to school.

Once they saw the school building they stopped walking, just to take a few minutes to collect themselves. "You ready?" Taylor asked. Danny nodded and Taylor started to walk ahead of him.

"Wait.." Danny spoke out to him which made him stop walking and look at him. Danny walked over to him and grabbed his hand. Taylor gave him a look of confusion.

"Are you sure? We don't have to do that if you're not ready". Danny shook his head.

"I'm ready now, and besides I'm sure news is circulating around the school about us anyways, no point hiding."

"Well if you're ready I'm ready." He smiled. "So wait, can I call you my boyfriend?" He asked.

Danny smiled and kissed his cheek. "Only if I can call you mine".

Taylor smiled and kissed him. "I think you know the answer to that already." They both smiled and took a deep breath once more before heading into the school. Immediately when entering they got many many looks from people and whispers but they both tried to ignore it. It was easier for Taylor to do so than Danny. Alex and the other teammates saw them both and rolled their eyes. They didn't comfort them though, not yet. The principal clearly warned them about their behavior and if they got suspended they wouldn't be able to play football which is the last thing anyone wanted. But that still didn't stop them from causing chaos. Danny got to his locker and saw a piece of paper taped to it, it was a picture of Danny in his football attire and written in red ink across it said 'Who would want a fag as the quarter back?'. Danny ripped it off his locker and immediately crumbled it up and threw it in a nearby garbage can by one of the classrooms.

"I guess Alex wants to try to take my spot" He sighed. Taylor touched Danny's shoulder to comfort him.

"He's not going to get your spot, even if he finds more homophobes around the school its not their place to decide that, its the coach and he's not going to do that, you're the best player on the team and the coach loves you."

"What if he's a homophobe too?" He sighed and grabbed the paper he crumbled out of the garbage and started walking towards the gym.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Talking to the coach before Alex comes up with some bullshit." Danny quickly makes his way into the gym and looks at everyone that's in there. There's some girls sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall checking their makeup in there phones reflection. Some guys are playing some basketball and others are just on their phones or talking to one another. Danny then sees the coach talking to one of the students, luckily it isn't Alex. Danny quickly runs over to him. "Coach!" He called out and ran up to him.

"Oh hey Dan, what's up?" He asked.

"Has Alex talked to you recently?".

"Not yet why? Is everything okay?".

Danny sighed and shook his head. He looked at the piece of paper in his hand that was a crumbled mess. He then handed the paper to the coach. He looked confused and tried to make that piece of paper neater so he can make out what it was. He then sighed as he looked at it. "He wants my spot as quarter back.. So now he's doing this.. Its not lies if that's going to be your question.. I am gay.." He informed him. That was the first time he's said that out loud besides with Taylor. It felt different in a way, like it wasn't that big of a deal. It wasn't his secret anymore and there was a lot of relief to that. Taylor smiled hearing him say it out loud, he was proud of him, Alex couldn't take that away from him.

"Danny you don't have to worry, you're the best on the team and there's nothing that could happen that could change that, football isn't about your sexual orientation, it doesn't matter.'

Danny smiled a bit hearing that from another adult, he had some good people in his life. Before Taylor and his parents his coach was like his father figure since he never had one, maybe things would be okay. "Thank you coach, that means more than you know" He smiled.

The coach threw out the piece of paper in a nearby trashcan and Danny and Taylor walked out of the gym. "See, I told you, nothing to worry about, I'm so proud of you Danny" He put his hand on his shoulder.

"Proud of me?" Danny asked.

"You said you were gay, out loud. It takes some time to do that and you should be proud of yourself from how far you've come" He smiled.

Danny smiled with him. "I am.. I really am".

"How are you feeling about court coming up?" He asked.

Danny took a deep breath but gave him a small smile. "I'm going to show her that she made a big mistake."