Fine

Chapter 6

Mercifully, the weekend comes fast. The commercial with the gay actor kept showing up, and my dad ranted about how disgusting and obnoxious this 'whole queer pride thing' is getting, and my mom agreed with everything he said. Even regardless of my own sexuality- my three best friends are gay! Two are dating publicly, and the other isn't particularly closeted either. Needless to say, it was supremely uncomfortable for me.

They weren't always this bad about it. In fact, I never even knew they were homophobic until the movement started really gaining ground, partially due to social media. I think my mom tried to hide their homophobia from me when I was younger (due to how scary my dad can get when he's angry) but now that it's finally becoming accepted and it's starting to become an actual concern that can be addressed properly, both my parents are getting more... vocal, about their hate.

Saturday night: about five minutes until Levi shows up to go to the club (Jordan and Chase are taking a separate vehicle since they're quite likely going to leave before Levi and I). My family is watching a football game together in the living room, and I'm praying that the commercial doesn't come on. But it does. Because of course it does.

My dad scowls and grabs the remote to skip past it. He doesn't let it go without muttering something under his breath though- a word that feels a lot like a knife to the stomach.

I must look stunned, or at least pained, because my mom glances over at me and presses her lips together, then gives my dad an imploring look. "Honey, if we don't let Nathan swear in the house, we have to set the example."

My dad glances at me. "Of course. Sorry, son."

Oh, how I wish he was apologizing for more than just the word. How I wish he was apologizing for the intention behind it, for his and my mother's hate.

But he's not.

My phone dings, and I hop off the couch. "It's fine. My friend's here to pick me up."

"Alright, have fun!" my mom calls after me as I practically race out the door.

Levi's sitting in his car in the driveway, one elbow resting over the open window of the car holding his phone. It's illuminating his face in the half-darkness of dusk, his features awash with the white-blue light. The corners of his lips naturally curved up just the slightest amount, his eyes trained down and his posture relaxed.

He's gorgeous.

But I can't think that, so I quickly go to the passenger side and knock on the window. He lifts his gaze to me, smiling a little more now as he reaches over to open it. I slide into the passenger seat, sighing and letting my head hit the headrest.

"You good?"

I look at him out of the corner of my eye. "Not really."

"You wanna talk about it?" He pulls out of the driveway, glancing at me after a moment or two of silence. "I won't think any less of you, promise."

I shake my head, trying to clear it. I could talk to him- I'd feel comfortable with it. I just don't know if he would, after finding out that my parents hate him without even knowing him. So I don't. Even though I kind of want to.

We pull up to Rae's after a relatively silent drive. Comfortably silent. He glances at me again as he unbuckles his seatbelt. "Be careful, 'kay? Take care of yourself."

Those words make me feel a little less like my parents recently stabbed me in the gut. I give him a grateful smile and nod as I get out of the car, vowing to forget all about my grossly-homophobic-but-otherwise-okay parents (it's the worst. They're awful, but they can almost trick you into believing otherwise, just as long as you never see them on the topic of the gay community).