Life After Claire

Family Circus

                     Cole

Shane grabs my arm and we we go into what looks like a guest room and close the door.

"Do Mom and Robert know?" I question.

"Why would I know that!" Shane whisper shouts at me.

"Shane? Cole? Are you guys in there?" Presley asks and Shane unlocks the door and lets him in.

No one says anything we all just kind of stare at each other. This is one of the most awkward things I've had to deal with. I wouldn't care if my step-brother was gay, it just took me by surprise when we walked in on him with his tongue down another guys throat. I just don't know who else knows. Do the Barkers know that Nick is gay? How long has my step-brother been gay?

"I'm sorry you guys had to see that." Presley says embarrassed.

"So you're gay?" Shane asks him.

"Yeah, I have been for a while." He looks away from us.

"Do our parents know? Does anyone know?" I ask him.

"You guys, Nick, and my ex boyfriend. That's the only people that know." He sighs.

"How long have you been..." Shane's voice trails off.

"Eightth grade year." He tells us.

"Why won't you tell your parents?" Shane asks him.

"My Dad won't ever approve of this." He says quietly. " I know your mom will, but my Dad won't, I can just tell."

"Are you and Nick...together or um dating?" I ask.

"Cole!" Shane snaps at me like a parent.

"No! It's okay, really. I don't want you guys to treat any different then you use to just because you know I'm gay. I'm still the same person, I just don't like girls." Our step-brother explains to us.

"Wait a sec, don't you have a girlfriend? I've met her a few times." I ask him.

"Oh yeah, she broke up with me because she thought I was too girly or something. My new girlfriends name is Missy. But she's just a cover."

My eyes widen and Shane is fighting back a smile. I mean it might not be my Missy, it could be anyone. Did I just say my Missy? I don't have a Missy, I have a Noah. I sound like such a tool.

"Missy what?" I ask Presley.

"Missy Gold. Why?" I roll my eyes in response.

"That's Cole's ex girlfriend...I think." Shane says to him.

"Why is she dating a  junior?" I ask.

"Because she's a junior." Presley looks confused.

"You didn't even know what grade she was in when you banged her?" Shane looks over at me.

"We never got that far." I say through my teeth.

"Whatever."Shane mumbles under his breath.

"Shane! Are you in there?" Our mom says muffled through the door.

"Yeah, Mom I'm kinda busy. What do you want."

"Just warned to let you know that your daughter fell down and scraped up her face. She's now crying for you." Mom tells Shane through the door.

Shane lets out a heavy sigh, "Mom, I'm really busy right now, can you take care of it?"

"You sound like when you were fifteenth and you didn't think I knew that you were-"