Closeted (BoyxBoy) [2014 Edition]

8: My Family Meets Kyle Collins - Liam

     "Thank you for the ride home,” I said bubbly. I watched Kyle as he took control of his beautiful car and drove it smoothly down the road. He drove differently from Gabriel. Kyle was calmer, he was graceful. Gabriel was a fast driver, wild! Just being in the same vehicle with him made it seem like a roller coaster!

     “No problem. Benson Circle, you say? That’s not a trailer park. Simms is such a bully,” he chuckled and turned up the radio a little bit. Tove Lo’s ‘Habits’ started playing after the announcer guy stopped talking.

     Rocking my head to the tune of the song, I turned back to Kyle, “So… do you think Evan is upset with us? I know he is with me, but you? He walked in on us kissing.”

     “Simms will get over it. Sure, he was distant today, but it is what it is. I was kissing you, he saw, big deal. He’s not really all that important.”

     It was scary how Kyle’s expression changed. Evan was his friend, wasn’t he? He talks about him like he was under him or something. I’m sure if he heard Kyle speak like this, he would blow a fuse, “But still. Evan has a reputation of hurting people who crossed him. He already hates me for corrupting the ‘caste system’ or whatever he calls it.”

     “It’s a dumbass philosophy of his. A reinvention of the food chain for high school students. Pay no mind.”

     “But what about Gabriel? Evan is-”

     “Listen,” his voiced raised, and it frightened me quite a bit. He slammed his fists on the steering wheel, “let’s not talk about Knight and Simms right now, okay? Let’s just get you home, so I can talk to you more. Alright?,” he caressed my cheek with his free hand and gave me a reassuring smile.

     I don’t know why, but I feel like there’s something more to Kyle than what meets the eye. I felt like it was my duty to find out what it was as well.

     I smiled, taking his hand and interlacing our fingers, “Okay. I’m sorry…”

     “Don’t worry about it. And don’t get yourself worked up over those guys. They play by a different set of rules than you do.”

     “Well, thank you for protecting me,” I giggled to myself. I looked at Kyle and he winked at me seductively. My heart froze, and thawed into a big pile of goop. I blushed, and looked out the window to hide my embarrassment. Still, he was right. The popular people played ball differently than I did, and if I wanted to invade their inner circle, I had to be one of them. And that’s where Kyle came in.

     We arrived to Benson Circle, and no, it wasn’t a trailer park. It was actually a very nice neighborhood named ‘Benson Circle’, but the three roads that went throughout the homes composed a big circle. I directed Kyle to my home, a reddish-brownstone dwelling among the others on the second street of the neighborhood, “Well, this is my home.”

     “It’s very nice,” he must have been complimenting on the roses and daises scattered about the yard, making it look homier, “may I come in?"

     I felt my face turn red from embarrassment, “W-well, sure! I don’t see why not. But, I have never brought a guy home from school before; so pardon their ways, please?”

     He laughed majestically and nodded before parking and getting out the car with me. I stood on the pavement and he stood next to me, “It’ll be fine,” he said taking my hand gently.

     I exhaled and led him to the front door. Staring at its whiteness and the peephole, I turned the golden doorknob and entered.

     “Hello?”