The Damage Of Denial

Chapter 11

~End of Senior Year, 3 years later~

  Brendon plopped down on the couch and put his feet up. He had just gotten home from taking his last final exam as an undergraduate college student. He felt so relieved to have his exams over with. He was looking forward to the summer months, where all he had to do was work a job, and not have studying on top of that.

  He knew Ryan was out taking his last two exams today too. Then they were taking a week off from everything: no work and no school. They were even going to take a little 3-day get away to LA, as a graduation gift to them from his parents, so that they could just relax and enjoy each other. He was so looking forward to that.

  Brendon was thinking ahead to what their future plans held. Both of them were starting grad school in the fall. They wanted to have plenty of career options within their fields and both decided grad school was the way to accomplish that. They had gotten jobs at teaching assistants beginning in the fall, as both thought they might want to go into teaching.

  Their relationship was stronger than ever. They had gone through the ups and downs that college life and the early 20s bring, clinging to one another and never once forgetting their deep love, friendship and respect they had together. Brendon smiled to himself as he thought about just how precious Ryan was to him.

   Suddenly, a knock at the door broke him out of his thoughts. He looked at the door, puzzled. Ryan wouldn't knock, and he knew that Spencer, Jon, Zee, Haley and Cassie were all off taking finals. They had it planned to all go out to dinner together later that evening.

  So Brendon got to his feet and padded over to the door to see who was there. He made sure the security bar was latched so he could open enough to look out and talk, but so that no one could get in. He open the door and took in their visitor. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head - he couldn't believe it.

  It was George Ross - Ryan's father.

  Brendon was positively speechless. "Uhh...," he said dumbly. He just had no idea what to say.

  George offered him a small smile. "Hello, Brendon," he said calmly. "Is Ryan home?"

  Brendon just stared quietly for a moment. He was at a loss for what to do here. He wasn't even sure Ryan would be willing to see his father. They hadn't heard a word from him in 3 1/2 years - not since the day he flung homophobic slurs at them and threw Ryan out of his house. And Brendon wouldn't blame
Ryan if he didn't want to see George. Ryan had made it through college on his own, without his father's help. Grace, Boyd and Ginger had stepped up and played the parental role where they could, but still, a large portion of where a parent would have helped fell to Ryan to take care of himself, or to muddle through with Brendon's help. Ryan had become a confident, capable man because of his trials, but that didn't mean George deserved any thanks in the matter.

  "Mr. Ross-," Brendon began warily.

  "You can call me, George, Brendon."

  Brendon took a deep breath. "Ok..George...Ryan isn't here. He's taking exams." This was so awkward.

  George nodded. "I understand. Will he be gone a long time? Like hours?"

  Brendon hesitated: just how much did he exactly want to tell George? He just really wasn't sure what the right move was here. But he knew Ryan, and knew Ryan would never blame him for trying to do what he thought was best in the situation. And he did wonder why George had suddenly decided to show up back in their lives. Perhaps something good could come of this?