Outlaws //ON PAUSE//

Father

Sal was walking to the store to get some groceries for his dad. He was passing the park, when he thought he heard something behind one of the trashcans. His curiosity got the best of him, and he went to investigate the sound. 

On the ground, next to the trashcan, he saw a piece of paper. He picked it up and read it. 

"I know we don't really know each other and you probably have your opinions of me. I thought maybe if I told you how I feel, things could be different.

The truth is, I can't stop thinking about you. I'm crazy about you. I think you're amazing! But I know these feelings are wrong. It's not the way a boy should feel. Shame swallows me whole. My father would kill me but I can't live in his shadow forever I just..."

It cut off after that. 

Sal put the letter in the trash, where he assumed the writer was trying to put it. He then looked behind the trash can, and was surprised to see Travis sitting on the ground, crying. 

"Travis?" He said.

Travis stood up quickly and wiped off his eyes. "Yeah?" He asked, acting as if he hadn't just been crying.

"Are you ok? It looked like you were crying." 

Travis was quiet for a moment, wondering whether or not he should tell Sal. 

"I was." Travis finally said.

"Why?" Sal asked.

Travis was quiet again.

"Well," he began. "It's about my dad. And somebody else. And how I feel about that person. My dad is always saying terrible things about people who feel about other people like I do, and I don't want him to find out because-"

Travis stopped talking, as he was concentration on holding back his tears. It would be humiliating for him to break down crying in front of Sal.

But Sal did something unexpected to Travis- He hugged him. 

Travis was taken aback by this. 

"Sal?" He said. His palms were starting to get a little sweaty. He had no idea why he was doing this. 

"Yeah?" Sal responded.

It's ok, Travis told himself. What's the worst that could happen?

"The person that I feel a certain way about... it's you."

Sal looked surprised. Well, not as far as Travis could see. But he could tell that Sal was surprised. 

"I'm sorry." Travis said, as he turned to walk away.

"Wait, Travis it's ok." Sal said.

"No it's not!" Travis said. He didn't mean to say it as loud as he did. 

"Yes it is, really. I think your dad is wrong about the terrible shit he says." 

Travis thought about that for a moment. He never knew that his dad could be wrong. 

"Oh." Was all that Travis could say. 

-- time skip --

Travis was sitting in his room, thinking about what Sal had said. Now that he really thought about it, his dad was probably wrong about a lot of things. 

Just then, as if on queue, his father appeared in his doorway. 

"Where were you today?" He asked.

"I was at the park." Travis replied. He had a sick feeling at the pit of his stomach.

"With who?"

"Nobody."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"I don't want you near that blue haired freak. You know the one."

"Yes sir."

"And you know what will happen if I catch you near him."

"Yes sir."

His dad gave him an up and down look, and then left. 

Travis caught his breath, which he only then noticed he had been holding. He felt tears prick his eyes.