"Straight"

it's not the pain, it's who it came from

"He's got two broken ribs, a concussion, lost a lot of blood, and a has few other minorities, but he's expected to recover in a month or so," the doctor informs Mr. and Mrs. Lester. 

"Are there any lasting affects?" the worried woman asks.

"Well, physically, he might have more headaches and pains in his abdomen, but nothing more. From the concussion, he may have trouble concentrating or remembering things. He may even experience sensitivity to light or noise, and become more irritable. As for his mental health, Daniel is expected to be faced with possible PTSD, depression, anxiety, paranoia, etc. Please treat him with care and do not bring up any mention of his family. These sorts of situations are tough to recover from, but with some therapy and support from loved ones, he should be able to get through it."

"So he'll be okay?" asks a teary eyed Phil from the waiting room chair. 

The doctor nods reassuringly and the family breaks out in sad smiles and sighs of relief. None of them are concerned about the trial Mr. Howell has to attend, or the fact that Dan might not ever be the same after this experience. 

***

Ow. Ow. What the fuck? Ow. 

Everything hurts like hell. I'm guessing I'm not dead because I can hear the sound of a heart monitor beeping beside me. 

Great. 

What happened? I can't really remember anything, all I know is that it sucked for me. Slowly, I open my aching eyes and am immediately blinded by white light. Groaning, I stir and instantly regret moving. 

"Agh..." 

"Dan? Dan! You're awake! Mum, Dan's awake! Good lord, where is that woman?" 

Phil. What would I do without that little ball of sunshine? I squint through the intense light and find my best friend sitting in a chair next to my hospital bed. He notices me and leans in closer, smiling widely. 

"Hey there, Danny," he says softy.  

I give a tiny grin back at him and right at that moment, everything rushes back at me. The bleeding, the closet, the sirens, the pain, my father, and Phil trying desperately to help me. 

I can't contain my tears as I realize everything that happened and how Phil had tried so hard to save me. Well, he did save me, by calling the police. 

My friend doesn't say anything as I let myself give a few painful sobs and try to wipe my tears away in vain. Very gently, Phil wraps his arms around me and whispers, "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. I promise. It's going to be okay."

Soon his parents come in, and we split apart. I collect myself and take some deep breaths before looking at Mr. and Mrs. Lester. 

"Th-thank you for being here f-for me," I stutter through the pain in my ribs. 

Mrs. Lester smiles warmly. 

"Of course. You mean so much to us. We'll always be here for you."

Have I mentioned how much I love Phil's family?

***

I jolt awake, chest rising and falling rapidly. 

My dad may be in jail now, but he will never be taken away from my nightmares. 

"You alright, Danny? You seemed to be having a bad dream," Phil murmurs next to me. I nod weakly. 

It's been a few weeks since I was admitted into the hospital, and my best friend has hardly moved from his spot in the chair by my bed. I think his loyalty to me has only made my feelings for him grow stronger. 

"Can... can I talk to you about something?" he asks nervously. Raising an eyebrow, I nod and answer, "Of course."

The beautiful boy squirms around uncomfortably and takes a deep breath. 

"Look, I... I just wanted to say sorry... for kissing you... before. It was uncalled for and I shouldn't have done it because you didn't consent and, y'know, you're straight, for God's sake. And then those kids saw and it was just-"

I cut him off by resting my hand on his arm and staring into his multicolored eyes. 

"There's no need t-to apologize. I'm not angry about it, and I d-didn't hate it... in f-fact, I might even let you do it again."

Phil's posture changes instantly and a look of realization crosses his face. I give him a tiny smile.

"Phil... I'm not straight. I d-don't think I ever have been. My feelings for you have been eating at me for so long, and I thought that there was s-something wrong with me for liking a boy since  I was born a heterosexual. I didn't know what to do. But... when you k-kissed me... I knew. I love you, Phil. M-more than a friend. I always have," I practically whisper. 

Phil's face is dusted with a light shade of pink, and despite the dull pain in my ribs, I pull him closer by his shirt and connect our lips. 

I can't get enough of the sensation. It's what I live for. I didn't know how much I needed him to kiss me until he did, and I've subconsciously been craving it ever since.   

All of the depression, anxiousness, and pain from the last few weeks seems to melt away under his touch, and it's almost overwhelming how free I feel. It makes me wonder why I didn't tell him about my feelings sooner. 

Realizing that we need air, Phil pulls away slowly and gazes into my eyes lovingly. 

"I love you too," he murmurs softly.

The whole scene feels too perfect. I wish I could live inside of it forever, but that just wasn't possible, especially since we hadn't noticed someone standing in the doorway.

"I knew it."

Phil and I both jump and turn to face the door. There stands Mrs. Lester. Of course. 

"I knew it! Philip, your father owes me ten pounds. I've been waiting for this day for ages!" she cries with glee. 

The dark haired boy and I look at each other with wide eyes. 

"You made a bet on our relationship? What the heck, mum?"

She rolls her eyes and waves us off, insisting that it was a perfectly normal thing for parents to do.

"B-but, I was born with the straight symbol... so what's wrong with me? Are y-you not disgusted with me or anything?" I ask nervously. 

"Of course not! I personally believe that the flags on our wrists are more of a... guideline." She smiles cheekily. 

I tilt my head. I've never thought about it that way. It makes sense. It's kind of like God is saying, "This is what you've been classified as, but y'know, if your feelings change, then I won't say anything."

So I'm not a complete mistake after all. I wish I could've figured that out sooner.