Mom, Dad, I'm Queer

Help Me Part 1

POV: Anthony

I got a text at 9 am. I unlocked my phone and looked.

"Hey Anthony, it's Michael". it read. holy fuck. he texted. I freaked out and texted Paul.

"PAUL HE TEXTED. WHAT DO I SAY. MY CRUSH TEXTED. HOLY FUCK. HOLY FUCK." I didn't know I woke him up.

"Wait, Michael texted?" yes Paul. "Dude, you have to say something to him. Compliment him. Uh, ask him on a date. Wait, don't do that yet. Talk to him then ask him out. Just, get to know him. You'll do good, I'm gonna head back to sleep. Wake me up at 3 pm."

"Okay, night Paul lmao." I texted and let him sleep. I can do this. I paced then realized I couldn't. I texted Jess who is my lesbian friend that introduced me to Michael.

"Jess, morning, sorry to awake you, I need help" I texted. I know she's up whenever we need her.

"Sure, what's up? I've been up since 5 with Michael. Wait, is this about Michael?" oh shit, she knows.

"Yes, yes it is. why?" oh my god, is he dead?

"OMG! Honey, he likes you a lot." I have to admit, I screamed into my pillow like a fanboy being noticed by someone. a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I can't believe it.

"Jess, I like him too." here's the thing, Michael's parents are religiously homophobic and want him religious and straight. they kicked his brother, Carl, out for kissing a boy. Carl was experimenting with that guy and now they're engaged. my parents are hardly around. they are here 3 times a week, then leave to do whatever so I'm usually home alone and it's nice.

around 10 years old, I learned to cook for myself, do laundry and clean. I didn't have a childhood since my parents weren't in the picture. I started a small job. I rake leaves and help people in the winter by shoveling their driveways and sidewalks. I get $5 per hour. Jess is almost 16 and she is in our grade. I met her at camp when I was 12 and she was 13. We talked and became friends and she had came out as a lesbian at school and everyone was shocked and had cried since they thought that being a lesbian was a disease. every girl had freaked out since they didn't want to have the "disease". 

I still didn't come out at school since many people will think that I have a disease. when I had learned that Michael liked me, I had died. Michael was my crush for years. I talked to Jess about him and I can't get enough of him. I just want to wake up one day, me and him married with a few kids and dogs and cats. I wanted a sappy romance type of relationship. 

I looked at my texts and saw that Jess had made a group chat for me, her and Michael. Oh my God, what were they talking about? 

M: "Jess, I like him and I want to be his boyfriend, what should I do? How did you get your girlfriend? HELP!!!" 

J: "Be cool, relax and breathe. Talk to him and find out what he likes and find something you both like and do it together."

M: "How do I talk to him without a stutter?"

J: "Be cool and relax. I got my girlfriend by talking with her, having similar interests and doing stuff with her. I started to show signs that I liked her and she had shown signs as well so I had asked her out and she had said yes."

A: "Hey guys"

J: "Michael go ahead."