Best Friend's Boy

TWELVE

The time on the clock I was watching seemed to fly by, even though I kept wishing that it wouldn't. I made the decision to go to the restaurant my dad wanted to meet me at. Go, but not meet him.

My feet found their way over to a small family diner, just a few streets away from home. This is it, this is the place. There was a corner that jutted out from the building and it concealed me as I watched for the man I saw in my kitchen a few days ago. The man who was half to credit for my existence.

I didn't wait long before I saw him. He walked into the restaurant and through a big window I saw him being lead to a booth by an overly happy waitress. I just wanted to see how long he'd wait.

After an hour, he already knew I wasn't going to show. He stopped looking up each time the door opened and his shoulders slumped down. After another hour he looked physically tired and stood up. He gave the waitress her pay and made his way out the door. Just as he began to walk in the opposite direction from me, my voice began to protest.

"Wait!" I shouted, for reasons beyond even me. He stopped, turning slightly to see who had called him. When his eyes landed on me, his expression lit up. A weak smile at his mouth. "Kato?"

"Hi."

* * *

My father drove me home and I was actually happy that I went. I said goodbye and went inside running to my mum. "Hi, mum." I greeted.

"Hi Kato." She nodded as she folded the laundry.

"I just got back from seeing my dad." I told her. "And we talked."

She smiled at me. "That's great. What did you two talk about?"

"Well I feel about school and my friends... and about my boyfriend." I said. She froze, just like any time I brought up me being gay. "Mum, you've got to talk to me, tell me what you're thinking." I pleaded, placing my hands on her shoulders.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice sounding strange.

"I'm gay, I need you to talk to me about it, not act like you don't know."

She was quiet for a moment and then she looked at me. If I know you're that way, then you can't stay here."

Everything stopped. My heart, my breathing, my world. I desperately searched for any sign of joking my moms face, already knowing I would find none.

"Mum..." I begged my eyes feeling wet. But she shook her head, going back to the laundry.

"You need to leave."

The air left my lungs in one shaky breath, and tears threatened to leave my eyes. "What?" My voice thick with unheard sobs.

"Pack your things. Don't come back." She said, her voice cold and her face like stone.

I took an involuntary step back, and turned to my room. Jade wasn't home, so there was no one to stop me as I filled a backpack with my clothes and other important things. When I had all I needed I stepped out of the house, not giving a glance back. Already knowing my mom wouldn't stop me, I walked out into the cool crisp night air.

Almost an hour later, I found myself at Ash's house. I took a deep breath, knowing now was not the time to cry and knocked on the door. I put a blank expression on my face as best as I could and prayed that someone would be awake to answer. I saw Ash's bedroom light flicker on and I thought I saw him look down at me through the window but perhaps not.

The door swung open and there he was, my boyfriend. My bed head, sleepy eyed, boxer wearing boyfriend. I smiled weakly and took a step closer to him. "Ash..." I whispered, feeling safer just being in his presence. "Listen, I-"

"You need to leave." He cut off my sentence, voice firm.

"...What?"

He broke eye contact with me and tightened his jaw. "Go away, and stop bothering me. I don't want you."

My head shot up and I couldn't hold back my reserve of tears any longed. "What the hell?" I whispered. You couldn't hear my tears falling but you sure could hear my heart break.

Ash looked back to me and for a moment a wave of concern crashed on his face. I was the one to break eye contact and wiped my wet face. "I-" Ash started, but I was backing away from him like he was fire.

"No, forget it. I understand." I said through the sobbing, hands clenched in fists at my sides. "No one wants me anyways." I growled and ran before he could say anything more.

It was a miracle my legs didn't give out while I ran. I couldn't see anything from the tears blurring my vision but I knew by heart where I was headed. This was the place I went if I was hurt or lost and counted the stars in the sky to forget everything around me.

I tripped over myself into the park and fell into the cool grass. My back was against the damp ground and I counted the stars, the only things that I knew were going to stay the same no matter what happened.

* * *

The sun rose, another thing that was always stay the same and I smiled. But looking at the sun made my head sore which reminded me I had slept in the park. I rubbed my hands all over my face and wished that I could pretend last night was a dream but I knew it wasn't. It had all happened. I just laid there for what seemed like eternity. There was absolutely no way I could go to school, and it was obvious I couldn't go home. All of my friends would be in school so I couldn't go to their houses. There was only one place left.

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and pressed the numbers into the screen. I pressed it to my ear and after three rings he picked up, and sounded pleasantly surprised.

"Kato, hi!"

"Hi... I was wondering if I could stay with you. Uh... Mom kicked me out."

"Why, of course. I'm on my way to work right now but there's a key hidden inside the fake rock on the back porch.

"Thank you." I breathed and hung up.

After a short bus ride and a quick walk, I found myself outside his house. I grabbed the key from the fake rock and let myself in. I entered through the kitchen into the livingroom and threw my backpack on his couch and lied down. I drifted off to sleep, the sound of the door closing waking me up.

"Kato, are you in here?" I heard him call from the kitchen.

"In here."

"Hey." He smiled, sitting next to me. " the guest room is all yours. Do you have your things?"

I gestured to my backpack and he nodded. "Is it okay if I skip school for a while, I just need a break."

"It's fine, I understand." He grinned.

"Thanks, Dad."

**Well, this is my Christmas present to ya'll. Do with it what you will. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, and whatever else you all celebrate. Here, have some gay fiction, 'tis my gift. Ily.**