new beginnings

Faded Out

An hour went by of avoiding our parents at Sarah's, just Ron and I talking it out.

"My mom is going to kill me," Ron shook his head and sat down.

"It'll be alright, though," I said, unsure.

"Carl, your dad and my mom are dating. They're having a kid. But I love you, and how weird is it if I'm dating a could-be stepbrother? I wish it all would just go away, so we can focus on us, not them. And I can't believe my mom has... h-has 'done it' with your dad," he sighed, reading my mind.

"Ron, look around! There's dead people walking, eating living people. I don't think rules apply anymore. Everything we thought was normal is gone. There's no one saying I can't date you. No one's opinion on us matters anymore. This world has gone to hell," I said. I sat down next to him. It was silence.

We heard a knock on the door after a few minutes. Jessie and dad came in and sat down. I moved my chair closer to Ron and gripped his hand nervously.

"Boys, we would like to have a civilized discussion with you. We've talked some things over," Dad said when he sat down beside Jessie.

"Fine," Ron replied.

"We've talked about you two dating. Jessie clearly doesn't approve of homosexuals. But I think there's no problem with it. But I do have a problem with that you started dating after we told you guys we are. And, obviously, I will be marrying her, that's just how I was raised. Step-brothers can not date each other," Dad said. 

Why do they have to get married?

Ron held my hand tighter. He looked at me. He seemed to be thinking the same things I was.

"I love him, Dad," I said quietly.

"I'm happy you've found someone to hang out with. But this is serious. You're not gay, Carl," Dad said.

"I like both, then" I said assertively. 

"Carl, you're only fifteen. You don't know what love is, and you're straight," he said back. I felt angry.

"Dad, I'm not a little kid. I know what I am now. I've finally understood what love is," I said louder.

"I'm done with this little argument. Bottom line is, you cannot date him. You'll be stepbrothers soon and neither Jessie or I approve of you guys dating," he said.

"I love him! He makes me so happy," I said loud. "Jessie, Dad, both of your kids are dating. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because I didn't raise a little bitch!" Jessie yelled out. I was shocked.

"There are dead people walking around and you guys are worried about this? Hell, it makes more sense to do this because every normal rule we have ever followed doesn't exist anymore! You guys need to grow up, act like the adults you claim to be, and let your kids do what they think is best! Sometimes we make more sense than you do! Come here, Carl!" Ron yelled to his mom. I went over to him as ordered. He pulled me to him aggressively and kissed me. He had done this before, but it still surprised me.

Jessie was more than angry. She stood up, walked over to Ron, and slapped him on the face. Hard. It left a big red mark. Ron held his hands to his face. I was angry.

"You bitch!" I yelled. I made the hard choice of pulling my pistol out. I pointed it at her. Jessie looked terrified, so did Ron, and so did Dad. "If you even move I'll shoot you!" I screamed.

"Carl, don't!" Ron yelled. I looked at him and breathed heavy. I slowly lowered the gun.

"If you ever lay another hand on Ron like again that I swear I'll make your brains splatter on the wall! Who the hell in the right mind hits their son?" I yelled at her.

"What kind of useless queer threatens to kill me?" she yelled back.

"That's it!" I ran over to Jessie and pinned her on the floor. I punched her back and forth across the face really hard. I was crying. Dad was begging me to stop and tried to pull me off of her. I gave the final punch even harder square in the mouth. I backed off. Her face was bloody and starting to bruise. But I noticed something.

I knocked some of her front teeth out.

She felt her mouth with her hand. She began to cry harder than she was. She was mumbling cusses loudly. Dad was by her side on the floor yelling at me and consoling her. She sat up and screamed, "Go to hell!" She pulled out the handgun from her back pocket.

She pointed it at my head and with no thought, fired. I heard Dad scream.

I felt immediate pain. Blood was everywhere on my face on my shirt. "Ron?" I quietly asked. I felt dizzy and completely terrified. Before I could touch my face, I heard another fire. I felt more pain. Before I could react, I fell to the floor and everything went black. I heard screaming. Then everything faded out.