Gay is the New Straight

I. Disownment

Gay is the New Straight

I. Disownment

I sat beside my boyfriend on his bed, our tired eyes gazing absent-mindedly at our phone screens. It had been such a long, exhausting day that twenty-four hours seemed to stretch across an entire week.

I had brought my boyfriend home to introduce him to my mother, hoping that if I did so carefully and casually, she wouldn't make a scene. I couldn't have been more horribly mistaken. She had screamed at me, damned me to burn the flames of Hell, forsaken my soul and cursed my boyfriend's entire existence. She then stormed down the hall towards my room, rummaging through every nook and cranny of my personal space. She ripped open drawers and hurled objects through the doorway, discarding every single possession I owned in my direction. The corner of a picture frame connected sharply with my eyebrow, and I crumpled to the floor. My boyfriend, Zack, knelt down beside me, protectively wrapping me in his arms and trying to pull me away. I was too dumbfounded to fight back or gather up the belongings that my mother had thrown. I simply let Zack lead me out of the house, outside to the safety of his old worn-out Honda.

I hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down my face until we reached Zack's house. He took my hand and led me inside, explaining the situation to his parents. They were supportive and understanding, wrapping me in hugs and expressing more affection in the span of two minutes than I'd ever experienced from my own mother. They offered me a place to stay, stating that we would figure out what to do about my belongings tomorrow.

Zack led me up to his room, where we immediately collapsed onto his bed. I curled into his side, my head on his chest, waiting for the tears to subside. Zack was quiet, carding his fingers through my hair and gently caressing my face. After a short while, his mother knocked on the door, entering the room with a tray full of comfort food. Two glasses of juice were placed on Zack's bedside table along with an array of cookies and chips. We both thanked her, and she sneaked in one more hug from each of us before she left.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Zack inquired softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I shrugged noncommittally, which he took as an affirmative. We sat up, leaning back against the pillows, and I watched as my boyfriend turned on the TV and clicked the "Netflix" button the remote. I dug my phone from my pocket, checking a few text messages before opening Facebook. Scrolling through memes and makeup posts was an easy way to take my mind off of the present.

My brow raised as I came across a news article that my older sister had shared. She had always been more open-minded than my mother, and was the first person I told about Zack.

Straight Marriage Now Legal in All 50 States!

"Well, my mother may hate us," I commented softly, turning my phone so that Zack could easily see the screen, "but the law doesn't."

He smiled softly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

I returned the smile with a weaker one of my own, settling into his side. I plucked a cookie from the tray on the bedside table, nibbling softly on it as Zack pushed the "OK" button. Gilmore Girls began to stream on the TV, and I took Zack's hand in my free one, squeezing softly. He hated the show, but he always turned it on when I was in need of cheering up.

It wasn't long before I fell asleep in his arms, emotionally drained and ready for the day to end.

The next morning, my restless sleep was officially terminated by the blaring screech of Zack's alarm clock. I rolled onto my side with a groan. I did not want to attend school today.