The Forbidden Bite

Chapter 6: Family Affair

My hands are trembling and I can barely make my limbs even work.  All the confidence I previously had has disappeared completely, and I look over at Daniel's house and realize that if I need help I can go to Daniel.  I pull the door open and walk in cautiously, I walk into my living room.  I see my dad and mom sitting on the couch with there hands folded in there lap and there heads hanging low.

"Hello, mom and dad."  I say very cautiously.

"Hello, Jack.  We need to talk."  My mom says and stands up.

I flinch from her action waiting to be slapped across the face, but it doesn't come.  I relax my body before I speak.  "About what?"  I fold my arms and raise my eyebrow.  I know I'm pushing my luck but at this point, I simply don't care.

"The fact that we had to disconnect your door from the wall only to realize that you weren't in there.  We don't know where you have been this whole day.  We didn't know if you were at school or if something bad happened to you.  This is the last straw young man.  Me and your father doesn't know what to do with you and your attitude.  Also, where the hell did you get those awful clothes?"  My mom has kept quite calm through this whole thing which surprises me.  I can't tell her that I got these clothes from Daniel, they will ground me forever.

"A friend's house."

"Richard's?"  I can't tell her I got it from Richard because then she will call his parents.

"No."

"Then where?"

"This person is a new friend of mine,"  I answer confidently.

"It looks like that boy Daniel's type of clothes,"  Suddenly my father jumps out of his chair like a bolt of lightning. 

"YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SEEING HIM HAVE YOU?"

"Calm down sweetheart,"  My mom coos to him.  It makes me want to gag.

"No I haven't been seeing him.  Thanks to you that relationship will never happen,"  Even though I have been seeing Daniel behind there backs, why not make them feel a tad guilty?

"Look, we have no other option.  I think you need to go back to group therapy or to a phycologist,"  My mom says.   My blood runs cold, and I feel my heart start pounding ten times faster.  I feel the tears trying to boil over but I suppress them.  I will not go back to that hell again.  Never again.

"It didn't work and you know it,"  I curse in my head because I heard my voice crack halfway through the sentence.  Even though I have never technically "come out" to my parents they have practically guessed at this point.  

"I'm not arguing with you guys anymore, I'm not going back.  You can't make me ever do it.  I was never "fixed" I just pretended I did so I could get out of there.  I turn eighteen in two months, and I don't have to deal with you guys anymore.  I can get out of here, and love whoever I want to!"  My voice has risen by a lot, and my mom's face turns bright red filled with fury.

"FINE, THE MOMENT YOU TURN EIGHTEEN, YOU'RE OUT.  HAVE FUN ON THE STREET YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD!"  My mom stomps past me and up the stairs and I can hear her slam the door.  My father stands up and walks over to me and I flinch again expecting a hit across the face.  Instead he leans into my face so close I can smell his breath against my face.

"I could never be more disappointed in you."  Then he walks past me and goes upstairs.  I know that I probably messed up and ruined my life.  I always knew my parents didn't accept me and I always knew they would never agree, but never in a million years did I think they would hate me.  Parents are always supposed to love there kids no matter what, right?  I don't feel sad, mad, disappointed, or anything.  For the first time ever, I just don't feel anything.  I start regretting what  I said simply because I turn 18 so soon, at one point it felt like I'd never turn 18 now it's to soon.  I could have at least waited until graduation to move out, I don't know what to do.  I'll be practically homeless by the end of two months, how will I ever focus on finishing school?  I could go to Daniel's to tell him the situation but I feel like a baby.  I can't run to him every time I get in a bad situation.  I rely on him to much.  If I tell anybody then people will pity me and I can't have that ever,  right now it's my secret to take care of.

I walk up the stairs into my bedroom and they were right, my door was leaning against the wall.  Why didn't they call the police if they were so worried about me?  I was upset that I couldn't close the door for privacy but I didn't dare go and ask them to reattach the door.  I flopped down on my bed on my back and started thinking about what to do before I became a homeless teen.  First things first I needed a job, I really needed to go looking soon.  Suddenly I hear little footsteps come walking into my room, I sit up and notice that Kennedy walked into my room.

"Hey little girl,"  I said and waved her over.  She walked over cautiously.

"Did you argue with mom and dad?"  She said and sounded like she was going to cry.

"Yes, we did argue.  How much did you hear?"  She was a smart girl no doubt.  I knew that she probably heard most because of her reaction.

"I heard mom yelling.  What happened?"  She came and sat at the end of my bed and stared at me with innocent eyes.  I can't imagine how stressful this is for a little girl growing up in a home like this.   My heart breaks realizing I would have to leave her to and she wouldn't know why.  My parents would probably lie and tell her I left them all alone.  I decided to tell her the truth but not right now she was to shaken up.

"We just had a fight because....I like boys,"  Did I just seriously come out to my sister?  Wow, never thought she would be the first I would say that sentence to.  Her reaction looked mostly confused but not disgusted.

"You can like boys?  Like have a crush on them?"

"Yeah I do.  I think I do have a crush on one right now,"  I said, I almost regretted it because I knew she would ask who it was.

"Who is it?"  Yeah, I called it.  "That's kind of personal but I might tell you someday."

"Do you kiss and stuff with this boy?"

"No not right now we are just friends but maybe in a long time in the future we will kiss and stuff,"  I smiled at her natural curiosity.

"Is that why mom and dad hate you?"  I hate that she looked at it that way even if it might be true.

"I don't think they hate me but they just don't like that I like boys,"  I didn't want to give my sister any reason to hate my parents but it was the truth.  

"Why, I don't see what's wrong with it?"  Her face turned into a frown as she was trying to think.

"Some people just believe that you have to love the opposite gender.  I want you to know that I will always love you,"  I pulled Kennedy into a hug and my eyes started to fill with tears, and before I know it they are running down my face.  She is the only person that I knew I would really miss.  She didn't let go either there was something about this hug that made me realize that I wouldn't see her for a long time, I wasn't ready for that.  Neither was she.