Peaked in High School

Confrontation

Everett seems off.

Since they returned back from Columbus, Beau has noticed that much. He's not sure what to make of it and every time he asks his partner if he's feeling okay he says that he is 'fine'.

There is clearly something on his mind and Beau wants more than anything to know what it is. He nearly fist pumps in celebration when a couple days later Everett announces, "I want to invite my parents here so I can tell them about the divorce."

"Okay," Beau responds with hope in his voice. "You should definitely do that."

After showing support for this decision, Beau hesitates and asks, "Are you planning on telling them about us too while they're here?"

This seems to have been the wrong thing to say because Everett's eyes quickly fill with tears and his face drops to an even sadder expression than the one he wore previously. Shoulders slumped, Everett chokes out a reply in the form of another question. "I don't know, Beau. Is there anything to tell them about?"

Confusion and surprise strike Beau at the same time. He moves forward and brings his partner into his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?" He mumbles softly into Everett's hair.

Everett gently pushes at him so he can back away. Rubbing his eyes, they are now red and a look of frustration takes over his face.

"I don't expect you to come out for me or anything, but I do think you owe it to me to be faithful and seem like you aren't disgusted by me in public," Everett musters up the courage to say while looking the taller man in the eyes. He's never yelled at anyone in his life and he's not starting today. Anger won't solve any of his problems, but he does need to let out the thoughts that have been plaguing him for days now.

Beau takes a step back as if he had just been slapped in the face. His eyebrows are raised and his mouth is open slightly in shock. "Everett—where is this coming from? What are you talking about?" He asks, desperately wanting to know what he had done to set off the normally easy-going man in front of him.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Everett tries to continue to ride the momentum that he built up for this conversation. "In Columbus at Bernie's. You flirted with that girl and gave her your number."

"You're kidding me," Beau says in disbelief. His tone suggests that Everett is overreacting which sets him off even more.

"I'm not kidding. I guess we never officially said whether or not we are exclusive, but I also thought that was kind of implied by you living with me, sleeping in my bed and all of the dates we go on every week." Everett's voice is still shaky as he fights to keep his composure. He has had a migraine all week from the divorce proceedings and this is not making the persistent pulsing any better.

Running a hand through his hair, Beau looks equally as frustrated as he feels. "Of course we're exclusive! What was I supposed to do at Bernie's? The guys would've known that something was up if I turned her down!" He argues back exasperatedly.

"Who gives a shit what they think! I'm your boyfriend! You should be more worried about me than those assholes who you'll probably never even talk to again!" Everett feels like pulling out his hair at this conversation. This should all be common sense—why is Beau not understanding where he is coming from?

"Not to mention the fact that you completely ignored me while they were at our table and then left me with your mom so you could go out drinking with them," he continues to rant.

Beau's eyebrows are no longer raised in shock, but drawn together in irritation. "I'm sorry for not making out with you in front of them at Bernie's. Jesus Christ, what do you want from me?" He talks wildly with his hands. "And we literally invited you to come with us! Maybe you should've tried talking to them at the bar instead of sulking like a little bitch!"

The adrenaline that was running through Everett's body immediately drains from his body. Beau sees this and instantly has a look of regret in his eyes.

"Rett—I didn't mean that-" He cuts himself off, clearly not knowing where to go from there.

"I don't know what you mean anymore, Beau," Everett breathes out. "I don't understand what we're doing. I really never expected you to come out when we got together, but I thought we were at least on the same page with this relationship."

"Hey, no-" Beau tries to interrupt.

"This was a mistake on my part. You aren't ready to be in a relationship with me and I should've known that." Everett rubs his own arms in a self-soothing fashion.

Looking frantic at this, Beau steps forward to reach out to the smaller man. Everett takes a step back before speaking again. "You aren't ready for a relationship and I shouldn't have even considered one myself until my divorce is final—I don't know what I was thinking."

"I'm sorry-" Beau gasps out, tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry. Please, we can talk about this-"

"I don't know if we should, though. Neither of us are in good head-spaces right now," Everett responds in a scratchy voice. "I just don't know what to believe with you anymore."

Beau's arms hang loosely at his sides as he stares on with shiny eyes. "Believe that I want to be with you. Believe that I'm not embarrassed of you and never will be embarrassed of you."

Sighing at this, Everett asks, "Did you tell your friends that you're living with me right now?"

He receives a blank stare in response.

"Did you tell them that we're friends?"

Another guilty blank stare.

"Beau—you don't even want to be seen with me as a friend." Everett desperately wants him to just accept the point that he's trying to make.

Ever the stubborn man, Beau clears his throat and says, "Rett—we were part of such different groups back in high school. I didn't want them to talk shit on you or anything."

He knows that the shit talking already happened and, according to Finn, Beau had actively taken part of it. "Is that really what you think? Did you not want to hear them talk shit about me? Or did you not want them to talk shit on you for hanging out with me?"

Beau is silent once again.

"We aren't in high school any more, Beau. None of that matters," Everett's voice is soft as he explains his final point. "If that really bothers you, and it obviously does, then we're not going to work."

Tears are still falling down Beau's cheeks as he looks at his former partner.

"I'm gonna sleep in the guest room. We can figure out what to do about the housing situation tomorrow."

With that, Everett walks upstairs and collapses in bed where he cries himself to sleep.