Prude Awakening

1

Mikah stared down at his phone and reread the email three more times before looking up at his assistant. "What is it?" Elizabeth asked. Mikah furrowed his brow and handed her his phone, "Take a look at that and tell me what you make of it." he demanded. Elizabeth gave him a look and paced across the floor as she gazed at the screen, stuffing her face with a donut. Mikah scoffed, "Elizabeth, what the hell? Don't get crumbs on my phone." he scolded. Elizabeth looked at him and rolled her eyes, wiping the corner of her mouth before returning her gaze back to his phone. Her dainty finger flicked the screen and she handed the phone back to him, "Who sent you that?" she asked.

Mikah looked down at his phone and tossed it onto his desk, "It doesn't matter because I'm not going." he sighed. He trotted across the floor, his black denim shorts sitting snug on his thighs. His shoulders flexed broadly as he stretched, his shirt lifting just above his waistband, revealing his toned stomach. Elizabeth rushed over to his side, "What do you mean?" she asked. Mikah looked at her, "I left home five years ago, Lizzy. Do you really think that I'm gonna jump on the first chance to go back?" he said. Elizabeth took a step back and took out her phone, "Let's take a look here." she said.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Elizabeth walked away and took a seat on one of the bean bag chairs that sat in the space, "I'm just taking a look at your schedule." she replied. Mikah groaned and walked over to her, "I said I'm not going. You have no idea how draining these people are." he said. Elizabeth looked up at him, "Mikah, it's your family. You don't wanna at least go visit your mom? You talk about her all the time." she said. Mikah rolled his eyes and plopped down in the other chair, sprawling his body as he stared up at the ceiling. "I have a deadline, Liz. This project has to be done by the end of the month and a visit back home is only going to slow that process." he said.

Still looking down at her organizer, Elizabeth chuckled to herself, "Your work will still continue and be here waiting for your return. You never take time to enjoy life anymore and now that I think about it, I've never seen you take a vacation or do anything other than work." she looked up at him. Mikah looked at her with a dry look on his face and shook his head, "So?" he snapped back. Elizabeth glared at him, "You're going to see your family. What is the hesitation?" she asked. Mikah sat up and clapped his hands together, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you know." he began.

She watched as he adjusted himself in the chair and sat up herself, waiting for him to reveal his secrets.
Mikah wasn't a very open person when it came to his personal matters, especially his family. He took in a deep breath, "My whole life, I always felt like the black sheep of the family. I grew up in Alexandria, so to be gay was far from accepted. It's a very conservative town; they have block parties within the gated community and all the women are stay at home moms and bring casserole dishes to every function." he looked at her. He cleared his throat, "When my dad found out I was gay, he outcasted me and refused to have me be part of anything. He stopped inviting me to family outings, I was unwelcome at the country club, and for a rather longer part of my senior year, he didn't talk to me." he continued.

He could see the sadness in Elizabeth's eyes, standing to pace as he finished. "I have a sister, Vivienne." he blurted. Elizabeth's eyes widened, "WHAT?!" she shouted as she got to her feet. He looked at her and silently chuckled, "She's older by two years and right before I left, we had a really bad argument. I told her she was just a prude who followed daddy around like a lost puppy and that she was only around to make our parents feel good." his voice had dropped. Elizabeth's face grew long as she listened to Mikah talk, hearing a hint of hurt in his voice. Mikah walked back over to her, "She called me a faggot and wished that I had never been born." he finished. Elizabeth gasped and covered her mouth, "Oh my god." she cried.

"I left that night and never looked back. My mother is too scared to stand against my father, so I didn't have anybody to turn to. I knew that if I stayed, there would have been no life for me in Alexandria." he finished. He lay his head low, allowing for himself to tuck away any show of emotion before looking back at his assistant. When he looked up, Elizabeth crawled over to him, wrapping her arms around him as she silently cried into his shoulder. "I had no idea, Mikah." she spoke softly. Mikah hugged her back, "It's okay. Now you know why I don't talk about them." he said. She sat back in her chair, "You need to go back, Mikah. Not for yourself, but to prove to every bigot there that you are more than what they think of you." she said.