Blue Flower

Chapter 27

 -Chester-

I heard the ticking of the heels on the floor. A door has been closed, and I felt the weight of someone sitting on my bedside. A hand was placed above mine, and it put a slight pressure in it. I opened my eyes and there I saw Hayley staring at me.

“Sis…” I said. I tried to get up, but she carefully put me back into bed.

“Don’t move.” she said, with her melancholic eyes fixed on me.

“Why did you come here? You should be staying at home.”

“Don’t worry about me. You should worry about yourself. You don’t know how mad Mom is.”

I looked at an open space for a while and flashed my mind back to the last few days of my life. They already knew about it, and that was the last thing I never wished would happen.

“I’m sorry.” I said and cried. Hayley stood up to hug me tightly. She whispered words that I didn’t expect to hear from her.

“It’s alright. I still love you. It’s just the way you are and nothing will change. All you have to do now is rest, so you can get out of here.”

I hugged her back with as much tightness as I could offer. She gave me the best safety that I could run into. I felt so secured in her touch, and in that moment, I realized the meaning of this saying- blood is thicker than water.

I was charged out of the hospital after two weeks. My body pains had already ceased and I was thankful for it. I was prepared to face whatever challenges I left. As to my stalker, I knew the time would come that I’d see him face-to-face. He had to pay back for all of this, and I could get my lost thing back.

Andrew volunteered to take me home. When he stopped the car in front of my house, I looked at him one last time. We already talked about this before I got discharged from the hospital.

“Remember this, Cheater. You should stay calm. Hayley had already accepted you, so how can’t your mom? Trust me. Everything will be just fine.” he said, reassuring me that what he said was really true.

On the back of my mind, I couldn’t bring myself to fully trust him. I was sure of it that Hayley had already accepted me, but I doubt if my mom did. This was driving me nuts.

“Okay. I’ll try.” I replied, breathing in and out just to calm myself. I was starting to get nervous with the passing of each minute.

He put a hand on my shoulder and shot me with a friendly smile.

“Trust me.” he said.

I nodded and smiled back. “Okay.”

I opened the door of the car and closed it. My hand was shaking uncontrollably in fear, and I looked at him once again.

“I’m afraid.” I uttered.

He rolled his eyes in irritation. “Just how many times did we talk about this? Ten? Twenty? You need to show up to her and explain the whole thing. It’s not that difficult, right?”

I know. But I’m really afraid. “Yeah.” I said. That wasn’t the word I wanted to say. I didn’t know how to deal with this. He got out of the car and walked up to where the other door was. He opened it and held it for me.

“Get up from that seat. Talk to your mom right now.”

Forcedly, I got up, and started taking my steps toward the house. I looked at Andrew again, just as the same second he looked at me.

“Trust me.”

“Okay.” I stated and headed to the house. I had an odd feeling that something bad would happen. Mom would be so mad at me, and who knows, she might kick me out of the house.

I opened the door, and Mom greeted me with a stern look. I was about to say something when she spoke up.

“You thought I don’t know about it, huh? Oh well, you thought so wrong.” she said. I began to fear what would happen next. How did that news spread in a matter of hours? My knees wobbled as I moved to where she was.

“Mom, I-“

“Don’t come near me!” she yelled, and pointed a finger at me. “Though gays are spreading all over the world, I can’t bear to see you being one of them. I don’t know where did I go wrong, but I never raised you up to turn out into such a human.” she added. The emphasis of her every word struck straight through my heart.

We both cried at different planes. I barely said a word while she cried like I just died or something. I ran and hugged her but she pushed me off of her.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I know I’ve hurt you and I’m willing to pay for it.”

“Pay for it?” She pointed at the luggage leaning on the back of the couch. “You have to say your goodbyes. Get out of my sight now.”

I walked up to those luggages and took them by hand. I turned my back on her with tears in my eyes. I slowly closed the door, and when I reached the gate, I looked at the house one more time. My home, my family, my refuge, were now gone. It was all because of one damn scandal. Hayley was looking out on me from her room and in her eyes, I could see that she wanted to help me, but couldn’t do anything about it.

I left my house, and without looking back, I earnestly hoped for a better day.

-Michael-

Three consecutive knocks jolted me from my deepening sleep.

I got up from the couch and opened the door. Chester was there, bringing his two luggages and stared at me with weak, pitiful eyes. What I had foreseen ever since he confessed at me about his love for Andrew became true. I didn’t know how to respond to him, and now, I was left with nothing but a choice to accept him.

“I need your help.” he said.

We sat on the couch and talked. There were two cups of coffee laid on the center table. As I watched the thin whisp of smoke swirl up to the atmosphere, he began telling me his story.

“Mom already knew everything. I don’t know why that scandal spread in such a short time. This is so absurd, Michael. I should’ve at least taken care of my journal. And when Andrew graduates, he wouldn’t know about it. And I’ll be all set to forget him.”

I put an arm around him. I knew how he feels. Every tiny detail of the emotion filled in the spaces of my heart. For a moment, I looked at him and pondered silently, nostalgically. I could see myself in him, the one that got away from the darkness, to see the light. I hoped his life would turn out the same as mine.

“You’re very welcome in this place. Feel free to come to me whenever you need help.”

He smiled. “Thanks. I can really count on you.”

I smiled back, and though we only talked that so shortly, it was enough for me to know what was lying behind the closed doors.