COMPLETED!!
Warning: This story contains mature LGBT+ themes! If you are not into this kind of thing I would not recommend this story, unless of course, you want to broaden your horizons!
Foster Brother follows the life of Matt Palmer, a selectivel...
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Today is the first day Owen will be shadowing me at school and I didn't get any sleep the night before after Owen left my room my sleep was restless, waking back up almost every hour. My lack of sleep is showing all over my face and I know everyone at the kitchen table is aware of it.
"Is everything ok Matt?" My dad's soft voice brings me back to reality.
"Ya just didn't sleep well," I reply with a small smile, "I'll take a nap once I get home."
The rest of breakfast goes without talking, we all eat our food and eventually Owen and I headed out for school. It's about a 10-minute walk and the first half goes by without much talking either.
"Sorry for waking you up last night."
"It's ok. Today should be a fairly easy day for us, there is an assembly so all the classes get cut shorter."
"Sweet," was all the Owen replied to me. He's a man of little words, that's for sure.
Our walk quickly came to an end and my nerves were at an all-time high. I don't know why I was becoming nervous, this was going to be fine, everything will be fine. We walk into the front building of the school and I take Owen to the front office to get him all set up. We sit in the office for about 10 minutes before we head to our first class, to Owens dismay he has to stand in the front and introduce himself to the class. I had a hard time controlling my laughter as he scowled at our math teacher, which earned me a firm slap in the head from Owen as he passed my seat to take the one behind me. It was the most normal gesture I had ever seen him do and it made me kinda happy, maybe he is warming up to me.
The rest of the day went by entirely uneventful, the stupid assembly was some bullshit that no one was ever going to listen to. I'm not even sure what it was completely about because I was half zoned out as well, my lack of sleep was really starting to get to me. Before I knew it the assembly was over and so was the school day, which was the best news ever.
Walking home seemed slightly less awkward with Owen, we were able to have normal conversations about our school and a few of the people he had met throughout the day. He seemed to have enjoyed meeting a few of my friends, even though we did not talk to them for a long time.
"Do you want anything to eat?" I ask him once we walk into the front door.
"Dude, yes. I'm starving," he responds with a deep laugh.
I make a few sandwiches and set them on the table, "so I feel like since we have been getting along better maybe you can tell me about you? I feel like I live with you and know pretty much nothing about you."
"Drop the act Matthew," he said with a slight growl, "just because we can be civil with each other does not mean we are friends."
"My name isn't Matthew," I say with my hands clenched by my side, "and you sound like a dick."
"Don't you dare call me a dick, Matthew," he says with his voice dangerously low.
"My legal name is Matt," I say with a glare, "Stop calling me Matthew."
"Why should I? It's just a name." The way he was talking to me was going to make me lose my cool. I was really starting to dislike this kid.
"When my mom was growing up she lived in a very religious household and it did not come with good memories. She started to believe that the church she was in was only promoting hate in the world instead of love like most people believe the bible should. When she was old enough she moved away as fast as she could, we still see her family sometimes but we aren't close. When my mom was pregnant with me, her mom tried pushing religion on her again and it hurt her. My mom was obsessed with the name Matt but did not want a religious name tied to me. So instead of going with the typical religious name, Matthew, she named me just plain Matt. So no it's not just a name."
He didn't respond to me, instead, he took his sandwich and stormed up the stairs. I don't even care that the only conversations we are having aren't going well because right now I hate him. He crossed a line, yes it is just a name but it means something to my mom. It is so important to her that I am separated from that name because of the horrible things her parents have tried to do to tie me to their religion. Especially after everything I went through while coming out to my parents, the religious aspects can be a touchy subject. Neither of them is involved in any religion anymore, my father grew up in a Jewish family and was still practicing until his father passed away when he was in his twenties. As a family we had nothing against religion, religion is a solid platform that many people need in their lives. It is just not something that we need in ours.
