August in the Fall (A "Lab Partners" Fanfiction) *COMPLETED*

BONUS: The Boy

One Year before "August in the Fall" began...

"August Daniel Bade, you son of a bitch!"

I slammed the door and ran a hand through my hair, refusing to listen to anymore of my father's shouts. Blowing out a sigh, I locked the door, and plopped down on my messy bed, my headphones around his ears. Blasting music was the only thing that seemed to drown out the noise, as well as my problems. Leaning back on my soft pillow, I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. This was the new every day thing. Go to school, meet up with nobody at all, go to class, skip some classes, then come home to this hellhole. According to Dad, I was always doing something wrong. He was supposed to be sober, but I knew from the moment he declared he was that it was a lie. He only said that to win Mom back.

I wasn't fooled. Neither was Carmen. But unfortunately, was eighteen and able to be on her own. She didn't have to live in the Hell I had to go through. According to every letter Mom and Dad sent her while she was in college, everything was going great. Her brother wasn't actually friendless, and had even managed to snag himself a girlfriend. What lies. They hadn't taken my coming out well. I blew out another sigh. To defend them though, I hadn't really been expecting one of the teachers to walk into the boys' bathroom and catch me making out with the captain of the football team, much less call my parents.

After that, Dad suggested they go to church every day after school, and every Sunday. "We are going to fix you." He has said. "No matter what it takes, we are going to flush this whole idea of being gay out of your head." I glared at my door at the memory, then smirked at myself. Of course, it didn't work. I had rebelled endlessly. Dad had asked the teachers to keep an eye on me, and to call him if something like the bathroom situation every happened again.

He received 27 calls in a week.

After that, I had been known around the school as a player. The Romeo Of Romeos. I'd pick a lad, swoon them, kiss them, and say goodbye. Simple. It's wasnt real love. It was just something i knew would piss Dad off royally. It's wasnt a good reputation to have, I admit. I just... needed a form of relief. And what better way to gift myself that, then to piss off my Dad? Another few weeks went by though, and I was getting tired of my way to rebel. Like I said, it wasn't a good thing to have tagged to your back. I trashed the title I had as a player, and just settled for skipping every god damn class I hated. I knew that going by this knew strategy,-as kick ass as it may be-, would get me in trouble. And when I came home today, I was proven correct.

It was stupid. Maybe if my Dad wasn't such a dick about my sexuality we wouldn't have a priblem. Not that I got along with him before I was out.. Mom doesn't care about it. Or at least, she pretends that she doesn't, which I appreciate. I took a deep breath. Damn.. Suddenlt, my headphones were pulled off my ears. My head snapped up, and I found my mother standing next to my bed frowning at me, a key in her hands. "August, you come downstairs right now and talk with your father." Her tone was dead serious. But so was mine.

"No."

Mom clenched her jaw. "I can't watch you two fight with each other anymore. I refuse to referee." She crossed her arms and glared down at me. I threw my phone off my lap, and it bounced on the bed.

"Then don't, Mom." I could hear to volume in my voice escalating as a became angrier. "Don't referee. Make him leave. Everything is fine when he's not here, and he'd say the same thing about me." We both gave each other hard looks. "I'm sick of him treating me like shit! Even before I was out, he treated me like this all the damn time!"

Mom narrowed her eyes. "August! Language!" She snapped.

I glared at her. "I'll make this simple." I lowered the volume of my voice, but my tone was still harsh. "He goes, or I do."