Never Too Soon

Do You Have a Ride?

POV: Harper

"I have work at six, so I have to leave here around five which means I have to wake up very early. I don't want to hear a peep from you, Harper." My mother pointed at me with her knife after taking a bite out of her steak.

I silently nodded my head and tried to ignore the discomforting pain in my thigh that would linger for another week or so.

"I don't have work tomorrow, so you've got me all to yourself tomorrow." My dad smiled at me.

A small smile made my way to my lips which earned an eye roll from my mother.

We ate in silence, aside from the utensils scraping the plates here and there, until I spoke up.

"How do you feel about homosexuals?" I tried to gain some foresight in how my life would be if I were to come out to them. I mean, I could just live in the closet for the rest of my life and never be in a relationship. That's reasonable.

"I think love is love and that if they're happy, I'm happy." My dad shrugged.

"How could you say that Franklin? They're disgusting. I could never kiss another woman. I'm not that religious and even I know it's a sin. Those... those... things are repulsive." My mother gawked at my dad after finding a derogatory word to label homosexuals.

My dad went silent.

"Why would you even bring something so horrific up at the dinner table?" My mother looked at me like I wreaked her car.

"I saw some kids at school who were gay and I was just wondering I guess." I made up a lie and kept my head low.

"Keep away from them. Don't even talk to them. Next thing I know they'll turn you gay. If you were to turn gay you could go ahead and find somewhere else to live." My mother stabbed the last piece of steak on her plate with her fork. "Fucking disgusting."

My dad looked at me with furrowed eyebrows when my mom got on a tangent about something with her work.

I looked away instead of responding. If I were to positively interact with him he'd get in trouble with my mother and have to sleep on the couch after hitting him. He puts up with it because he doesn't want her to go into manics and try and get him fired if he were to try and leave. My dad go so close to leaving her one time, and promised to take her to court to get me, but when she threatened to kill me the minute her left before any police officer could get there, he stayed.

Although my dad protected then, I didn't know how much longer he could handle it.

"I need you to go get groceries and then pick up some things for me tomorrow, Franklin." My mother changed the subject.

"I was going to spend my Monday off with Harper. I haven't had the chance to do anything with her in awhile." My dad looked at my mother with pleading eyes as if he wasn't another adult at the table.

"I work over sixty hours a week on average and you work forty at most, and you are telling me that you can't run a few errands?" My mother snapped at him.

"I'm sorry. I can run them." My dad apologized, but his whole upbeat demeanor was crushed.

"She has school anyways. It's not like she can do anything." My mother tried to make a point, but she acts like my school day ends at eight when she gets home.

My dad and I stayed silent for the rest of dinner while my mom complained about everything she could think of. When someone looks up the word 'negative' a picture of my mom comes up.

But there is one thing I know more than anything right now. I cannot come out of the closet. I need to hide in the hamper underneath the clothes.

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