A Confusing Life
Episode Two
by Cameron McGinn
Before I get started, I'd like to apologize to all those kind people who wrote to me, and whom I haven't replied. I've been so busy, that I won't be able to reply to them, but e-mails to this one will get responses. Sorry about that, but I'm now able to take some time to write to people. Thanks.
DISCLAIMER: If you are offended by signs of love between two people of the same gender, or you are under the legal age to view a page with content of this type, or it is illegal to acknowledge this sort of thing, I seriously suggest that you leave this page immediately or else you may not like what you read. You have been warned. I will not take any responsibility for anything that happens as a result of reading this story.

ALL names used in this story are from people who are in my life. The actual characters on the other hand are fictitious. The only one based on reality is the character based on myself. If any of my friends happen to stumble upon this, I apologize for what you may discover here.
I was too busy looking at the bit of paper to hear what Mrs. Barett had asked. I had to read it three times before I really understood what it said. I looked at her and threw my arms around her out of pure joy. She looked shocked. It was then that I noticed some of the other students staring at me as if I were insane for hugging a teacher. I felt like an idiot when I let her go. But I was just so thrilled at that moment that I just had to hug someone (and hugging a friend would look 'sus').

"Well?" Mrs Barrett intoned quietly.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" I screamed, misunderstanding her point. "Tell him I'll be there! With bells on!" and with that I walked away reading the invitation to Zeb's 18th birthday party like it was a love letter from him to me. It even had love hearts down the bottom. I hoped like hell that they'd been put specially on mine, but somehow didn't think so. I already knew what I'd get him.

It was at recess that disaster struck. I was sitting with Ben in the spot where our group sits everyday, which happens to be right in front of the library (and we wonder why we're called nerds?). Anyway, I was sitting there just thinking about how gorgeous Zeb is when Ben piped up with:

"So, what time are we gonna meet next Saturday?"

"Next.....Saturday?" I didn't even know Zeb knew Ben.

"Yeah, you know. We've got that big cricket match to go watch." ben looked at me as if I was from another planet to forget something that I loved as much as Cricket.

OH FUCK! I had forgotten all about it. I'd promised Ben I'd go watch the game with him. I didn't know how to get out of this one. I really wanted to go watch that game with my only friend, but I didn't want to miss out on the birthday of the hottest guy on this planet.

"I can't go......" As soon as I said it, I could actually feel the hurt in Ben. "I've been invited to a birthday party."

"Whos?" Ben asked a little dejectedly..

"Mrs. Barrett's son's" The look of surprise on Ben's face would have the world's best magician to shame.

"Why?"

"Because he invited me." it seemed like a dumb question to me.

"When?" I noticed a little bit of annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Yesterday." well........ I only got the invitation today, but I'm sure it was written last night.

Ben just raised an eyebrow. He didn't need to say what he was thinking. I already knew. How could I possibly say yes to something I was invited to yesterday when Ben and I had already planned this day months in advance? It was a very good point. I felt myself almost in tears at the idea of missing out on my object of desire's birthday. Ben noticed this (sort of) and just said:

"Give me a squiz at the invitation."

Miserably, I pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket and frizbeed it to him. He read it and then started cracking up laughing.

"You idiot!" Gee, thanks Ben! "This thing starts at 7:00. The game will be over by 5:30"

Well this timeI felt like a major ass. it didn't even occur to me that I could go to the game and go to the party. I immediately perked up a bit. The rest of the day passed in a blur as I couldn't concentrate on anything except going to Zebs party. I so wanted for him to like me.

The feelings rushing through me were crushed when I got home. I stepped in the front door and there on our lounge was Mum bawling her eyes out. I was very surprised by that, but I knew immediately what the cause was. I walked over to her and put my arm around her. She jumped, startled by me. She mustn't have heard me come in.

"What's wrong, Mum?" I asked her, dreading what I thought the answer would be.

Mum just reached up and stroked my cheek, a mix of pain and sadness in her eyes. I couldn't help the tear that wa sstarting to well up in my eyes. I wanted to sit there and cry, too, but I wasn't sure why. Then it hit me, she wasn't crying for the reason I thought she was. The look in her eye said that to me.

"Cameron, I..." she couldn't finish her sentence due to a new outburts of tears.

"What is it, Mum?" I was starting to become agitated, thinking something big was up.

Before I got an answer, the phone rang. Mu, obviously pleased at the interuption, flew over to it, and had the receiver of before the first ring had even finished. I sat on the lounge and stared at her as she sobbed into the phone a seires of "yes"s, and "I see"s. Suddenly, she turned to me. There was only a blank look on her face, as if I was supposed to know what she and the person on the other end of the line were talking about. She stared at me for at least five minutes, saying nothing She turned her back on me.

"It's the only way." With that cryptic remark, she hung up the phone.

"Go get ready for dinner." she said this with such an eerieness to her voice, that I felt myself compelled to do it. I walked upstairs, had a shower, and lay on my bed thinking about what she could have possibly been talking about on the phone.

Next thing I knew, Zeb was standin in front of me. He had a great looking smile on his face, and I immediately cheered up. I then noticed that he was taking his clothes off. In my room. Zeb. Taking his clothes off. I was thrilled that he was here, but why would he be here.

"Am I goind to naked by myself, or are you going to join me?" his comment hit me like a ton of bricks.

I quickly scrambled to my feet and started removing my clothes. The more I took off, the bigger the grin on Zebs face got. When I was fully undressed, he burst out laughing. I was confused by this, and when I stepped closer to him to take him in my arms, he backed away from me and just laughed harder. I turned around searching for my clothes, desperate to put them back on. But they weren't there. I know I'd droppped them on the floor, but they weren't there. I turned back to Zeb, and saw that he was dressed again. He wasn't laughing anymore. Now he had a look of disgust on his face.

"How dare you like me?" he spat. "I'm only into good looking people. You, are not. The only person who takes any real notice of you is my mother, and you think thats because she cares. Hah! She talks to you because she finds you pitiful. But of course, you know that shes right, don't you?" All through this, I stood naked and dumbfounded.

"That's not true...." I began.

Before i had a chance to continue, Zeb just turned around and walked out. I ran after him, but he wasn't in the hallway. I went downstairs, and he was sitting talking to my mother. She was hugging him for some reason. Then she said something I would never have expected from her.

"How did he find out that I didn't really love him? How?" She wasn't even crying. I put that down to shock, but that was thrown out when she said:

"I'm glad he killed himself. He didn't fit in. He was a bad person, and he should have done it a long time ago." She smiled at Zeb, who turned to me and winked......

I woke up screaming. I didn't know where I was for a few minutes, then realised I was lying on my bed in nothing but a bath towel. I looked at my clock. I had been asleep for an hour. Dinner would be ready by now. I got up, and shivered as I searched my drawers for some clothes to put on. I just grabbed the first thing I saw and went downstairs.

Mum and Dad were already sitting at the table, witing for me. I sat down and Mum served our dinner. Nothing was spoken during the time we sat there, which was unusuak, because my parents always said that this was the time when the family needed to talk to each other and bond with each other, but they weren't even talking to each other.

Just as I was about to get up and go back up to my room to do some homework, my mum stopped me.

"Cameron, can we talk to you, please?"

I looked at her and waited for her to continue.

"Your father and I have been discussing some things. I've told him about you."

I looked over at my dad, but he refused to look at me. I could see a pained look on his face. I could tell he was not pleased about this, and he didn't want to deal with it.

"And...?" I wasn't sure where this was headed.

"We've made a decision"

The suspense was killing me. I didn't say anything, though, hoping she would take the initiative.

"We think that....." Mum became racked by sobs again.

"What...?" I was starting to get worried.

My dad finshed Mum's staement. not with any emotin, he just said it. That mere fact nearly tore my heart out, but nothing could have prepared me for what he said.

"We want you to leave home and go to stay with your grandparents."

More to come? Thats up to you.

Its been an awfully long time since I posted chapter one of this story, and it may be a while before I post chapter two. I'm going to try to post a new chapter once a month. and that goes for every story that I write.

As I said before, Names are real, characters and events are not. The only thing that actually
happened from this story was the dream I had and my reactions to it. I still can't figure out what the
hell I was holding during that dream, but I'd love to find out.

Anyway, usual stuff: comments welcome at aussie_wallaby@yahoo.com.au. Flames will be read then
discarded, genuine comments will get a reply in time. Please tell me what you thought. I'd hate to
think I was writing a total piece of shit that no-one liked.

If you liked this story, visit http://members.xoom.com/camman01/home.htm to see some more stuff done by me.