OUT

Chapter 20

Thursday, November 27th 2014

'What the fuck is this, Jack?' barked Millie as he dumped his bags on the floor inside the front door and entered the kitchen where she and Ciarán were waiting for him. She was holding up the picture of him from his local paper's Facebook page. Ciarán was sitting beside her silently, staring at Jack in a look he couldn't quite decipher. Anger? Disappointment? Confusion? Shame? He wasn't sure, but he knew it definitely wasn't good. 'A No campaign? Seriously?'

'It's not what it looks like,' he began with a sigh, leaning into the doorway. This was the last thing he needed right now.

'Well what is it, Jack? Because it doesn't look good.'

'My mam runs it. It's just the local group.'

'And does she force you to go? Did she force you to smile in the fucking picture holding up a No sign?'

'Millie, I-' he began.

'You have some fucking nerve, you know that?' she continued.

'Calm down Mill-' began Ciarán, but she cut across him.

'I won't calm down. You're just being nice 'cos you want to ride him. This is bullshit! We welcomed you into our circle and this is how you repay us?' Ciarán silenced and Jack stepped further into the room, cautiously.

'No, she didn't force me, but it's complicated.'

'There's nothing complicated about this Jack. You live with a lesbian and a fucking drag queen and you're campaigning against our rights. I thought we were friends?' she continued, her anger slightly faltering for a second and he felt the pain in her voice.

He sighed. 'We are friends.'

'Is this how you treat your friends?'

'Look, like I said. It's complicated.'

'Well, do elaborate. Because the last time I checked, this referendum was about basic human rights. There's nothing complicated about equality.'

'Look, my mam is...difficult. She-'

'She what?'

'Let him speak, Millie, for God's sake,' argued Ciarán and she silenced, reluctantly. The pair stared at him, and Jack felt himself freeze. He didn't really know what to say, because he didn't have an explanation. They were right. It was wrong for him to call himself their friend and then be part of the "No" group. But he didn't have a choice. He let out a sigh and made his way to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair and sitting down with the two of them.

'They're super religious,' he said plainly.

'Religion is an opinion. My sexuality...my existence is a fact. And I will not hide it.'

'They're my family.'

'And what? If they jumped off a cliff, you'd follow?'

He took a moment to ponder her question, 'yes.' She stared blankly back at him. 'My family is messy.'

'We all have messy families!' she retorted.

'Mine is very complicated-'

'Well are you going to go your whole life letting your parents put words in your mouth and thoughts in your head?' she questioned, 'because the sooner you realise your parents aren't who you thought they were growing up, the better.'

'I KNOW!' he snapped, 'I know. My mam is a homophobic bitch and my dad's an alcoholic with no backbone. I don't like my parents, but you can't choose your family and they're all I have.'

'Well I see you've inherited both of their traits. It's always so sad when it's a gay person riddled with so much homophobia though,' she continued.

'Ah, Millie,' protested Ciarán.

'I'm straight,' Jack corrected.

'If you're straight, then why the fuck were you eating the face off of Paul at Savannah's Halloween party?' she questioned, and he froze, 'I seen ye kissing outside the bathroom.'

'Oh mind your own fuckin' business, would ya?' he muttered, getting up from the table and storming into his room, slamming the door behind him.