Best Friends Don't Tell

C2

I woke up to blinding lights. It took me awhile to realize I was in a hospital room. I sat up to see Rhett sitting with his face buried in his hands.

Rhett?

"Link what have you done?" He says, grabbing my arm.

I'm sorry.

"Link! I'm your best friend! You can tell me anything! What are you so afraid of!?"

Myself! I hate myself! I deserve to be unhappy! I'm the devils minion!

"What! Link! Why would you say that!?" He yells, running over to me.

I don't deserve to live! Girls like boys. Boys like girls. That's how its supposed to be.

"Link. I don't care that your gay! I love you! You don't have to be scared anymore!"

So you don't hate me? I say wiping tears from my eyes.

"Of course not! Your my best friend."

I pulled his body closer and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back and shushed me.

"Everything's going to be okay. Your not going through this alone anymore."

My tears soaked his shirt as he clutched me close to him.

_______________

I'm gay.

"Whoa! You are?" Chase says.

Uh yeah.

"Figures! Fagots always run when things get tough!" Jen yells disgustingly.

I stood up and bolted out of the studio once more. This time Rhett caught up to me.

"Link! She didn't know what she was saying!" He says, trying to calm me down.

No! My dad was right! I deserved it.

"Deserved what? He says, climbing in the passenger seat.

Nevermind.

"No link, what do you mean?"  He says, slamming the car door.

He punished me for it.

He found me looking at pictures of guys in a magazine when I was in sixth grade, and that night he punished me.

"Punished you how?" He says slowly.

He told me he'd show me what happens to kids when they decide to be gay.

"Oh god." Rhett whispers, looking down.

"What happened Link?" He asks sympathetically.

He. He.

Tears escaped from my eyes and leaked down my face.

He did stuff to me. Made be do stuff to him. When I pulled away he...

He

He raped me.

My crying got louder and louder.

"Jesus." He says, patting my back.

The fear had me paralyzed. It happened almost every night until I turned fourteen.

More salty tears strolled down my already tear stained cheeks as I spoke.

"Go ahead. It's good to let it out." He says, tapping my hand.

I didn't know what was happening the first time. All I knew was.....

I inhaled and exhaled deeply before finishing my sentence.

All I knew was... That it hurt so much and that it was wrong.

But he said if I stopped liking guys it would stop. God! I tried so hard to like girls!

He hugged me tightly. "It's okay buddy." He says, rubbing my back.