Closeted (BoyxBoy) [2014 Edition]

23: The Dark Side of Livingston - Gabriel

Tonight was the night of Ryan Peters's party.

I was staring at the full-body mirror in my bedroom. The reflection was a guy, standing tall. On his feet, were a pair of high top Adidas basketball sneakers- black and white. His legs were snugged comfortably with black skinny jeans. A medium, short-sleeved, burgundy dress shirt was tucked neatly in the waistline and covered by a black vest. The finishing touch was a short, black tie that dangled with elegance above the v-shaped collar of the vest.

A right hand, with an Aquamarine class ring situated on the base of the middle finger, combed through his slicked down dirty blonde hair, ruffling it out of a false fancy tidiness. He turned his head from side to side, checking the small, gold, hoop earrings that swung from both lobes and the clean cut shave of the facial hair. He looked good.

I looked good.

I nodded in approval of myself before my iPhone started chirping its call ringtone. I walked over to my bed where it lay and looked at the caller ID. It was Evan. Subconsciously, I answered with a casual tone, "Sup?"

"Dude," he shouted in my ear. My face recoiled from the volume, but hesitantly made its way back to phone contact, "Are you at the party yet?!"

"I was just about to head that way. Why? You already there?"

I looked at the clock; it read 7:55 P.M.. The party didn't start until nine, at least that's what I was told. Evan's voice, however, broke through my train of thoughts, "Uh, yeah! I'm getting early dibs on the booze and snacks! Hurry your gay ass on over here, dude! I'll save you something!"

He hung up before I could even reply, especially to the little comment about my 'gay ass'. I rolled my eyes before slipping the phone in my back pocket and starting out my bedroom door.

Trotting down the U-shaped stairs into the living room, I noticed the kitchen light was on. I peeked my head in, seeing my parents helping Margaret clean down for the night. I wanted to leave through the kitchen undetected, but it seems like I won't be getting out so easy.

"And where do you think you're going so late?"

Shit. I looked at my Mom who gave me a deathly glance, one that would make any man drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness. I was going to be her next victim if I didn't answer soon, so answer I did.

"To a party."

"A party? Whose party?"

I heard my Dad chuckling under his husky breath. He clearly enjoys his wife's interrogative skills, considering her position at her law firm. I shot him a mimic of Mom's grave stare, but he shook it off with a nonchalant wink.

"Ryan Peters's. He's a guy from the athletic teams and he's a friend of mine," I lied. I didn't really know Ryan Peters all that well, but he's one of those guys you just take notice of. Except, he never really did like the attention. Still, he was considered one of the popular people.

"Ryan Peters? Never heard of him, not until now at least," Mom was persistent with this shit. She would never let me go to parties unless I give her all the details of what's going on, who's going to be there, and what time she should suspect me of being home, "Gabe..."

"Look, Mom. This isn't my first high school party, especially with some of the popular kids. Ryan Peters is just another one of us, the well-known students. So may I please, just... go already?"

Her eyes darted between the two other people in her area. She looked at Dad who just shrugged his broad shoulders, then she looked to Margaret, who- in my surprise- nodded with a slight smile on her face. Her eyes glanced into mine lightly, a sign that she was beginning to smile and and tell me something that I needed to hear.