Bitches Shred In Pieces

03: Visitors Are Always Welcomed In The Sinclair House

Tuesday night, Tony Sinclair and Andrew Rogers stand outside of Tony's house talking. They've been at the baseball field at the center of Katerina, near their school, all afternoon because Andrew was teaching Tony how to pitch and catch. About a million tries until Tony actually caught the baseball. But it was nice spending time together. For the two of them, each second spent together is enough to keep them smiling for years.

  "How 'bout we run tonight? At the Hush Hush woods," Andrew asks, taking his blue cap off and wiping some sweat from his forehead.

  "I don't feel like running today. Tomorrow?" Tony didn't want to be in the same place where Karen's body rests. Too terrifying for him.

  "Everything alright? You seemed a little distracted during our mini game." Andrew lays a hand on Tony's shoulder.

  Tony looks up at him, pushing his glasses up his nose and smiling. Andrew isn't lying. Indeed, Tony's mind was only focusing on what he had done. Deep questions roamed his head ever since he woke up. Is Karen starting to rot? How long until she's completely gone? What if they find her body? Are their fingerprints all over her? His heart always pounds on his chest when someone he doesn't know mentions his name, as if they will point him out as Karen's murderer at any moment. Including the sound of the sirens freak him to the point where his fingers start to tremble uncontrollably.

  "Yeah! I'm great!" Tony loudly says, trying to appear as enthusiastic as he can.

  Andrew examines Tony closely. "Ok. See you tomorrow then!" He checks around them with wide eyes, at the street mostly, before kissing Tony for a few seconds.

  "Goodnight, sexy," Tony whispers as they separate, grinning.

  "Sexy? I'm loving this." Tony tries to hold back a loud laugh, failing miserably, so his brother, Aaron, and Mrs. Sinclair wouldn't hear them. They still don't know about Tony and Andrew's relationship. Also, Andrew isn't ready to come out yet publicly.

  "Tony?" Andrew says faintly, raising his eyes as their noses graze each other. "I'm sorry that we have to keep this a secret."

  "Don't feel pressured. You'll come out at your own time." Tony understands the process of coming out and he accepts Andrew's choice to remain in the closet.

As they are together, he enjoys the feeling of their foreheads resting on each other under the full moon.

  "It's just that... I'm scared, Tony. Really damn scared. Like, what if they stop talking to me or kick me out of the house? What would I do without my family? They mean the whole world to me and rejection would hurt way too much." Andrew tilts his head backwards, facing the star-less, dark sky.

  "I'm pretty sure your family will take it just fine. At first, they might be surprised or confused, but they'll get it," Tony shares his personal experience, not mentioning his father's reaction.

  Five years ago, when Tony, Aaron, and his parents ate dessert in the kitchen, Tony announced that he was gay. He had been thinking about it for months, watching endless coming out videos on YouTube and spying carefully each reaction his parents made when it came to people with a different sexual orientation. The kitchen went quiet, but his father broke it, saying, "Did I hear right? Repeat it again." And Tony did, oblivious to Mr. Sinclair's offended tone. Mrs. Sinclair looked at her husband, afraid that he might do something. But he didn't, he just stood up from the table silently. Thirteen-year-old Tony didn't expect the hell of a beating he would receive from his father months later when he caught him kissing a boy. The first time he felt real pain, both physically and emotionally.

  "Calling myself, you know, gay feels unfamiliar to my mouth—incapable of describing myself as that." Andrew chuckles, biting his bottom, thick lip.

  "You'll get used to it," Tony confirms, caressing Andrew's soft, light-tan cheek with the back of his fingers.

  Suddenly, a vehicle passes by without notice, causing Andrew to jolt back—away from Tony. "I have to go," he says, pointing behind him awkwardly.

  Tony nods slowly, feeling a twist in his guts when Andrew pushed him away. "Goodnight again."

  Andrew gives Tony a final peck and jogs back home, crossing the quiet street and waving. Tony unlocks the front door, walking in without making any noise. Once in, he instantly spots a note behind the door, under his red Nike shoes. He kneels down and picks it up. It's completely black besides the red kiss in the middle. Who sends invitations to a party like this? Why not use Instagram or Facebook to announce everyone?

  He opens the note, reading the gold, typed letters. His breath catching in his throat while reading the last words.

ɢᴜᴇss ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ʜᴏᴍᴇ, ᴍʀ. ᴋᴀʀᴇɴ's-ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ-ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀ? ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛᴏʀ! ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ.

—xᴏxᴏ

  XOXO? Who the heck is that person? Just as Tony lowers the card, Aaron, Tony's little brother, walks by the entrance. His big, brown eyes catch him near the door.

  "Tony, come!" The ends of his mouth reach both ears from end to end. Now that's new! Aaron is rarely happy at home because he found out that his father left due to Tony's sexuality. Seeing his smiling feels new and refreshing.

  "Who?" Tony asks, standing straighter while hiding the card in his shorts' pocket.

  "You'll see." He grabs Tony's hand, pulling him to the living room.

  Tony's heart stops beating, like it mentions in the card, when he gets to the living room. His hands begin to shake and his legs start to feel as they might fail, probably causing him to fall to the tiles. But he hides his emotions, facing Mrs. Perkins who is raising her barely-visible eyebrows at him. She knows he isn't exactly ready to face the tall, broad man sitting in the maroon couch. His hair is a mixture of chocolate-brown hair and grey, same color as his mustache.

  He stares at Tony, noticing how much they look alike. Same dark-chocolate-colored hair, big, brown eyes and thin nose. He is smiling while Tony guesses if it's forced or not. According to him, it is.

  "Hello," he speaks. "Aren't you happy to see me, son?"

  And as much as Tony wants to answer with a loud and firm 'no,' he remains silent. Afraid that any word that comes from his mouth will anger his father—just like the old times.

~

A\N: Hope everything goes well, Tony! Will it? Like and comment 💋