Show Me the Way

Chapter 7: Not What You'd Expect

I felt myself groan and covered my mouth quickly. I didn't like making noises I couldn't hear.

I looked over at Gerard, but he was still asleep. I silently praised God for Saturdays and rolled over. I liked sleeping in.

I didn't have a chance to fall asleep again before my brother did wake up. He grabbed me and flung me over his shoulder. I started lazily pounding on his back. I knew he wouldn't put me down. This was how he always woke me up on my birthday.

He dropped me on the couch and pushed his face into mine. "Happy birthday!" he cried. I grabbed for my whiteboard and wrote, "Make me coffee, bitch."

Gerard rolled his eyes. "Well, good morning to you, too," he said. I grinned and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Listen, I'm only nice on this day and this day only," he said, making his way to the coffee maker. "So make the best of it."

"You're going to wake them up if you don't shut your face," I wrote. When I held the board up, I held it just under my nose.

He shook his head. "Nah, it'll be fine," he said. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Idiot," I wrote. He flipped me off.

"I thought you said you were nice," I wrote. Gerard shrugged.

I felt the couch sink down slightly behind my head. I looked around to find Frank yawning.

"Good morning," I wrote. He nodded. "Morning."

He came around and sat down beside me.

Gerard came over and handed me a mug. "That was fast," I wrote, giving him a curious look. He nodded. "It's a pretty good coffee machine," he said. I grinned as he sat down on the other side of Frank.

I quickly finished my coffee. We had went out to buy some coffee that wasn't the shit that the college issued to us. We bought a lot of food, too, simply because we all ate a lot.

I watched Frank and Gerard have a conversation about my friends. They had come over yesterday, too, and Pete and Frank had been fighting again. Ray and I had been texting about it after he noticed it, too.

Frank tapped my shoulder and I acknowledged him with a raise of eyebrows.

"Can I... talk to you?" he asked. "Like, privately?" I nodded and we walked into the room Gerard and I slept in. I took my board with me.

Frank avoided looking at me, watching anything but me.

"Okay, I'm... I'm just going to ask," he said suddenly. "Is Gerard gay?" I shrugged and shook my head sympathetically. "I don't think so," I wrote.

Frank sighed. "I should have known," he said. "Okay. Thanks. Sorry. I guess I just came out to you, huh?" I smiled and nodded.

"It's okay," I wrote. "I'm gay, too." His eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. "Man, a deaf, gay guy. What a combination." He grinned. "That's cool, though. It's... different. But in a good way."

I smiled, shaking my head. It was obvious that Frank wasn't used to knowing me yet. I wanted him to be comfortable around me.

"Hey," I wrote. "Do you know..." I paused, then thought "Fuck it" and wrote, "If Ray's gay?"

Frank smiled. "He hasn't shared that with me," he said. I blushed.

We walked back out into the living area and found that Ray was awake now, too. I nodded at him to say hello. I set my board down, but not before wiping it clean again.

"Happy birthday," Ray said. I glanced at Gerard, who looked around innocently. The look on his face said that he hadn't done anything. I rolled my eyes as he sipped his coffee.

"Thank you," I signed, forgetting that Ray didn't read sign language.

He nodded. "You're welcome," he signed back.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"When did he learn that?" I signed to my brother. Gerard shrugged innocently. I rolled my eyes at him again.

"How much does he know?" I asked. "Just that and fifteen letters," Gerard signed. I nodded.

"Can we talk?" he signed. I nodded again, and he dragged me into our bedroom.

"I have wanted to talk to you about this for a long time," Gerard signed. I nodded. "If you're signing everything, why are we in here?" I asked. "They can't read it."

He shrugged. "Because I want to be private." I nodded again. "Continue."

He took a deep breath. "I'm... I think I'm bi," he whispered, glancing at the door. Another nod. "Is that bad?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Not that," he signed. "It's just that I think I like Frank."

I threw my hands up. Everyone was coming out today.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Nothing," I signed. "Except that he asked me if you were gay!"

Gerard's face lit up. "Really?!" he asked. I nodded. "Go!" I signed. "Make a move! I'll tell him, if you want." My brother looked at me happily. "You would do that for me?" he asked. I nodded again.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Gerard threw his arms around me. I grinned and patted his back. I hoped he and Frank could be happy. I also kind of hoped Pete would back off and try with Patrick like he said he was going to.

We walked back out into the main area. Gerard ran over to Frank, who was standing in the little kitchen area. Gerard pushed himself into Frank's side and I rolled my eyes. He had never been good with subtlety.

I sat down on the couch beside Ray and watched the two of them in the kitchen. Frank's cheeks were the color of a fire engine, and he looked surprised and confused.

Ray tapped my shoulder and I looked at him. "Is that a thing?" he asked, pointing at them. I smiled and grabbed my whiteboard. "I hope so," I wrote. "I mean, they both came out to me TODAY."

Ray grinned. "Do you think it's going to be awkward?" he asked. I shook my head.

Well... maybe.

Shit.