Don't Change

Chapter 4

Oh my gosh Felix I love your parents they're so awesome!!

Felix sighed. Everyone thought his parents were awesome at first.... then things happened.... or they figured out what happened. Felix was determined not to let his parents ruin another friendship. This time it was going to be different.

Meh, Felix typed out. They're okay I suppose.

Okay?!?! They're more than okay!! They're terrific!! Spectacular even!! They gave me pizza!!

Felix chuckled at Charlie's exuberant response. He hadn't known her for barely a day but already he knew loads about her: her favorite food was pizza, Mtn Dew was her go-to refreshment, KitKats were her comfort food, she fell hard and fast for gingers with freckles and green eyes - any gender - her favorite color was orange, and her favorite pastime was skateboarding, to name a few.

Realizing he'd lost himself in his thoughts again and left Charlie on open, he quickly typed back: lol you'd think an ax-murderer was Jesus if he gave you pizza XD.

He received an answer almost immediately.

Shh Felix we don't speak of that. That is uncharted territory that we do NOT need to explore.

Felix giggled quietly to himself. Charlie was something else, that's for sure.

"Felix!" A deep voice boomed behind him. "Did I hear you giggle? Giggling is for girls, you nincompoop! I don't want a fairy living in any house of mine!"

Felix tensed at his father's voice behind him. He quickly shut off his phone and shoved it under his pillow. If his dad found it, he'd take it and look through it. Not that Felix had much of anything to hide, but it was the one aspect of his life that was his, really his, and not his parents.

"Uh, hiya Dad... Home so soon?"

"Well, that's no way to greet your father, Felix! Why don't you come give me a great big hug?" His father stood there intimidatingly, an expectant grin on his face.

Reluctantly, Felix crawled off his bed and shuffled over to his dad. He immediately wrapped Felix up in an enormous bear hug, squeezing him tight. "Dad," Felix wheezed. "Dad, you're breaking me."

His dad quickly dropped and cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry son." He stood there awkwardly for a few moments. Felix had never had a spectacular relationship with his dad, or either of his parents really. He typically kept to himself and they didn't bother him. It was like a silent, mutual agreement they'd all come to years ago, and no one had bothered to change it.

"Oh yeah. Your mom says supper's ready to go. So come on down, son." His dad turned and walked towards the door.

"Uh, Dad, ya know what? I, uh, I think I'm gonna eat in my room tonight... If that's okay?"

"Son, it's our first night here, we need to eat as a family."

Felix's mom suddenly appeared at the door. "Your father's right, Felix. We're gonna eat as a family tonight. Plus, I'm sure he wants to hear about your new friend."

Felix sighed and buried his face in his pillow temporarily. He heard his parents say, "We'll be downstairs waiting," and walk away. Why oh why did his parents have to be this way, today of all days? He knew what was coming. They'd ask about his day, then talk over him with their own occurrences of the day. Then would come the sudden interest in his friend. His mom would look at his dad with that odd twinkle in her eye he'd seen one too many times and mouth, she's gorgeous. His dad would suddenly stop eating and listen to Felix's every word about her. He wasn't ready for this again. He never was.

Felix slowly made his way down the stairs. If his parents wanted him down there, he wasn't going to be able to get out of it. They could be pretty stubborn if they wanted to.
_________

"So, Felix, your mother tells me you had a, uh, successful day today."

Felix cringed. Here it came. "Uh, yes sir, I suppose you could say that." His father looked at him expectantly. "I, uh, I like all my c-classes. Th-they're not too d-difficult so far."

"And?" His father questioned. "Did you meet anyone?"

Felix closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He opened his eyes and pasted on a small smile, the most he ever gave them. "I met a girl."

His father's eyes got that terrifying sparkle in them. "Mm, tell me about her, son. She your girlfriend?"

"No, Dad! Stop! She's just my friend! I just met her today!" Felix slapped his hand over his face and shook his head. Why did they always have to be like this?

"Calm your tits, fairy. It's just a question. Anything can happen."

His mother gasped. "Jasper!" She reprimanded. "Language! And don't you dare refer to my son as a fairy!"

Jasper glared. "I am the man of this house, woman, and I do what I want. Need I remind you of-"

Felix's mom opened her eyes wide and shook her head, glancing quickly at Felix. Jasper seemed to get the point and gave Felix a pained smile. "Felix, son, your mother and I need to have a, uh, conversation. Would you mind giving us a moment alone?"

Felix eyed them both skeptically, but pushed his chair away from the table. He wasn't about to argue. He'd been waiting for the perfect chance to escape and now they were offering him a way out. No way was he going to turn it down.

He sprinted up the stairs and collapsed on his bed. All Felix wanted was to drown out his thoughts with some music. He shoved his earbuds onto his ears and quickly selected the Blink-182 radio on Pandora, his favorite. I Miss You came blaring through his headphones and he closed his eyes and smiled. It was his favorite song by them, the first he'd ever heard, so it had a special place in his heart.

He must've fallen asleep because he was awoken by yelling downstairs. Pandora had turned off and all he could hear was his parents voices slowly rising.

"I don't care that it's not biological," Felix's mom yelled. "He is still-"

She was cut off by Jasper. "Amanda, you whore, you would say that! Because he is your-"

He suddenly stopped talking and all was silent. Curious, Felix crept down the stairs. One creaked and he froze. After being reassured that they didn't hear him, he continued down the next few until he arrived at the step where he could hear them but remain unseen.

They were whispering now. "Jasper. He may not be your son, but when I agreed to marry you, I said that he would be your son too. We had a deal."

Felix frowned. Who could they possibly be talking about? Not him, because he had pictures of him with his dad from the day he was born.

"Amanda. You were a prostitute. I have no clue who's son he is. Why would I accept him as my own? His dad could be a fucking murderer, Amanda. I don't want any part of that. My son will be a masculine man, not an effeminate, hormonal child, which is exactly what that boy is."

Felix could hear the tears in his mom's voice when she spoke again. "He's never had someone to show him how to be a real man, Jasper. You're never home. All he sees is me, and that's not even all that often. His best friend for 16 years was a girl. Of course he's going to seem more feminine to you." The tears dried up and her voice became cold and hard. "But when you married me, you adopted him. I have the papers to prove it. You may not like him or his personality or his potentially murderous father, but you will accept my son the way he is and as your own."

Jasper exploded. "I will not accept Felix the Fucking Fairy as my son and that is that, whoremonger!"

Felix froze. What? He was adopted? He was caught so off guard by this newfound knowledge that he didn't hear the footsteps coming towards his hiding place. A gasp jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Felix," Amanda breathed. He stared at her wide-eyed. Before she could say another word, he shoved past her and ran out the door.