(please remember that if you're new to me, put the title of this story in the subject box so that I know it's not junk)
"I want you out of my house!" my uncle said seething.
"If you see Ty…" my mom trailed.
"I'll ask him to adopt him!" my uncle replied with poison in his voice. I didn't know if he was serious or just wanting to hurt my parents.
I risked a peek through the open bedroom door. My mom looked horrible. Her hair was tied messily to the back. She had no make-up but that was barely noticeable. Her eyes had bags and were red with tears. Her face was sullen and looked hurt at my uncle's statement. She wasn't wearing her usual dressy clothes. She was instead wearing her college sweater and track pants with running shoes. My dad was already out the door. My mom began to make her way out as well. But she stopped and turned around.
"Last night at dinner..." she began, her tears falling, "it wasn't what it sounded like. It wasn't what he thought." and then she was gone.
As soon as the apartment door closed, I came out of the bedroom and rushed into my uncle's warm, safe arms. I just wept and wept into his chest as he held me.
"You have school in a couple hours," my uncle informed me. "Unless you plan on not going."
"I don't know..." I answered.
"You do whatever you want. I work from home so we could just hang out if you want."
"You are the best uncle anybody could want."
At this point I was still being held tightly and comfortably by my uncle.
"I love you," he said as he kissed my hair.
"I love you, too, uncle," I said as I snuggled my head into his chest.
"We should head back to bed," Uncle Peter suggested.
I nodded in the affirmative and walked back into the bedroom with him. I don't know about Peter, but I fell asleep rather quickly.
I awoke at seven-forty-six from my cell phone ringing. I didn't want to answer it at all! Just when I was about to turn the phone off, I thought that it might be Lenny. I looked at the caller ID and sure enough, it displayed Lenny's cell.
"Just shut the damned phone off," Uncle Peter sleepily complained.
I jumped out of bed and out the bedroom door into the hallway.
"Hey," I dreamily answered my phone.
"Chris! He answered!" Aunt Mags yelled on the other side of the line.
It was not Lenny. It was Mags using his phone at the request of my mother. I immediately hung up. A second later, the phone rang again. Same, it displayed Lenny's cell phone number. I ignored it and turned off the device, and went back to bed. Uncle Peter was lying on his back under the covers, his white wife-beater shirt showing from his shoulders, his mouth hanging open as he slept. He looked so goofy. I didn't laugh because I didn't know how I looked as I slept. For all I knew, I was just as goofy if not more. I climbed back into the bed and got under the covers.
"No!" Uncle Peter shouted in his sleep, dreaming. "Don't eat my lollipop, Chuck."
Chuck is short for Charles, one of my mom's older brothers.
That statement from my uncle was so hilarious and so cute. I'd remembered my aunt Violet telling me that when they were kids and if Chuck talked in his sleep, she would sometimes talk back to her sleeping brother. A lot of times, Peter would respond still asleep.
"Je plaisantais," I said to Peter, pretending I was Chuck. "Vous pouvez l'avoir." (I joked. You can have it.)
"Mmm, merci. Je taime beaucoup, Charlie," Uncle Peter said back, totally entranced in his dream. (Mmm, thanks. I love you a lot, Charlie.)
"Je taime beaucoup aussi bien, Pete" I replied as I stroked his cheek. (I love you a lot as well, Pete.)
I awoke next to the smell of an unhealthy breakfast. Bacon and eggs frying. I hadn't felt my uncle getting out of bed. He left the bedroom door half open. It smelled so wonderful right then. I didn't care about the 'diet' I had been on. I grabbed my glasses and got the elastic band off my wrist to tie back my hair. I quickly exited my uncle's bedroom and into the kitchen. There he was, slaving over the stove. Maybe that's a bit of an over-exaggeration. He was happily and busily frying over the stove.
"Morning, Ty," Uncle Peter greeted when he saw me. "Can you grab two plates?"
I did as was asked and he divided the food equally to the both of us.
"Whaddya wanna do today?" Uncle Peter asked as we ate our breakfast.
I decided to mess with him since I knew he dreamt about Uncle Chuck and was probably wanting to see him.
"Why don't we go visit Uncle Chuck?" I suggested.
Peter's attention turned to me in an instant. His face bore it all; surprise. But he changed it to one of composure.
"Is that what you wanna do?" he asked in a calm voice.
"No, it's what you wanna do."
"Okay, you're freaking me out."
"Why am I freaking you out? Is it because I know you wanna go see your brother because you had dreamt about him when you were kids?"
"Yes! How did you-- Oh, I was talking in my sleep, huh?" he finally caught on, chuckling.
"Yeah, is was soooo cute!"
"Cute?"
"The way you said, 'No, don't eat my lollipop, Chuck!' was adorable."
"Let me guess. You just had to play along to my dream, right?"
"Yeah. Your sister Violet told me how she used to do that."
"Yeah, she and Gary loved doing that as we grew up."
"Lenny laughs in his sleep sometimes. If I awake from it, I'll watch him as he does. It's adorable to watch."
"Speaking of Lenny... so he's your boyfriend, huh?"
"Yeah!" I said excitedly and dreamily.
"I never would have guessed he'd be gay. I never guessed you'd be gay. But are you happy?"
"I was ecstatic!"
"Was?"
"Then those asshole parents of mine. But at least Lenny is still my boyfriend. So I'm happy. Were you serious this morning?"
"Serious about what"
"About... adopting... me."
"I'd do it in a heartbeat if that's what you wanted. I'd be happy to have you."
"I love you, Uncle Pete."
"I love you, too, Ty."
I finally had the thought to wonder what time it was. All I knew it was late morning. The clock read it was eleven-twenty. I'd slept about twelve hours that night. No wonder I's felt so rested and refreshed, despite awaking at five in the morning briefly.
"So is that what you want?"
"Want what?"
"For me to adopt you."
I sighed heavily and replied, "I don't know. You'd make a great dad. But I can't help but to think about what my mother had said this morning. 'It wasn't what it sounded like. It wasn't what he thought'."
"The only way to find out is by asking her."
"Meh, I'll ask her about it when I feel like seeing her. Which would be in a couple of months."
"You're not serious, are you? A couple of months?"
"I'm serious when I say that I don't wanna see them right now. I just don't know when I'd feel like seeing them. I feel so betrayed!" I shouted with the tears quickly coming again. "Why the fuck would they lie about accepting me for three fucking months!?"
Uncle Peter came around the counter and hugged me from behind as I sat. He rested his chin on my shoulder and would kiss my cheek as I cried in his grasp. I had thought that I was done crying about the betrayal of my parents. When I was crying this time, I was sure that that pain would not go away. Not any time soon anyways.
I was brought out of my sob-fest by my cell phone ringing. I didn't feel like answering it. But it was now eleven-thirty, the time I'd be going to lunch with Lenny. The caller ID displayed Lenny's cell phone.
"You will not believe this!" Lenny said with excitement.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Just before first period started this morning, the principal announced that if any student saw or knew your whereabouts to inform the administration immediately!"
"Meh, I expected as much."
"Well, everyone's been asking me what happened to you and where you are. Especially your brother Noah. Kind of annoying with all those same questions."
If you don't recall, Noah is my second best friend. A lot of everyone sometimes refers to Noah as my brother. I don't mind that. We are close. Well, lately we haven't been that close since I'd been spending all my time with Lenny.
"What did you tell them?" I asked.
"I told them that I was at your house after school yesterday and left for dinner. That's when you disappeared."
"Good, don't tell anybody where I am."
"Don't worry, I'm not even gonna tell Quentin."
And if you don't recall, Quentin is Lenny's other best friend. They tell each other a lot! Obviously, Quentin doesn't know yet about Lenny's sexuality nor my own.
"Especially, don't tell Quentin."
And if you don't recall, Quentin and I are not really friends. I mean, I don't mind the guy. We just never clicked. Quentin will give odd glances at me if I'm with Lenny because he says that Lenny was his friend before mine. Which is a total lie. Lenny is totally oblivious to Quentin's distain toward me. And I don't want to tell Lenny about it, because he should be friends with whomever he chooses. Besides, I don't know if Lenny would believe me.
"I'll come over to your uncle's after school, okay?" Lenny asked.
"I'm looking forward to it."
"I can't wait to see you!"
"Yeah, TJR is already hard as well!"
"No, ya goof! Well, my dick is swelling now that you mention it. Gotta go!"
"I take it that was Lenny?" Uncle Peter asked when I hung up my cell phone.
Uncle Peter was still hugging me from behind. Talking with Lenny made me oblivious to my surroundings.
"Yeah, he's coming over after school."
"What do you wanna do while we wait?"
"I actually would like to come out to all your brothers and sisters. Could you call them all and tell them to meet you at your parents? I mean, I know Uncle Eddie and his family, and Aunt Lucy and her family don't live here, but I'll tell them over the phone or when they come for Christmas."
"Sure. I'll call them up and tell them to meet at your grandparents' for dinner tonight?"
"Yes, please. And I hope I don't have to tell you not to tell my mom?"
"Of course not. So what are we gonna do until then?"
"I don't know. I should've grabbed my sketchbook."
"I have one of Alec's coloring books," Uncle Peter teased. We both laughed.
Alec is my aunt Lilian's kid. He's three-years-old. He's so cute. He has his mom's fair skin and dark hair color, but his father's face and curly hair. Alec can talk a lot if he feels like it. What I mean is that, if you ask him a yes or no question, he'll shrug his shoulders or shake his head. If you ask him where something is, he'll point in its general direction. But he can gab and gab his little mouth off. A few months ago, he was telling me about his dad taking him to the playground and his dad pushing him on the swing, going higher and higher, and climbing the ladder and sliding and climbing and sliding. He can make anything sound super exciting and fun. Especially when he really uses his arms and hands to animate.
As I showered, Uncle Peter called his brother and sisters and told them to meet at their parents' house for dinner and not to tell either of my parents as the main issue was pertaining to me. He did tell them that I was with him and was hiding from my parents.
Uncle Peter and I remained undecided on what to do with whatever we had left of our day. So he drove us to the mall. Since I had left my wallet and extra cash at home, Uncle Peter bought stuff for me. I vowed to him that I'd pay him back, but he said not to worry about it. I voiced my affirmation about that, but inside I told myself that I'd pay him back.
A lot of my mom's side of the family has the gift of appearing younger than they are. Peter is one of them. He's in his early forties, but he looks to be early thirties. It helps that he's usually self-conscious about what he eats and how much. That's not for any narcissistic reasons, but for health reasons. My consciousness of what I eat on the other hand, is for narcissistic reasons. I care about my weight and how I look more than what is probably healthy.
Uncle Peter took me to the American Eagle outlet. He bought himself some jeans and a beanie for the cooling weather, and bought me some jeans and a button-up plaid shirt. Next, we went over to The Gap. Uncle Peter bought himself a jacket, and me a couple tee's and a couple baseball caps.
I carefully kept count of how much everything bought for me cost my uncle for when I'd pay him the money back.
"Hey!" Lenny excitedly greeted me when he got to Uncle Peter's car.
Uncle Peter and I had driven to the school to pick up Lenny. As soon as Lenny exited the school, he saw me through the car window. He ran to us and jumped in the back to join me. John, Al, Kevin, Stephen, Sophie and Shannon saw me and looked surprised to see that I was okay. Uncle Peter immediately drove off. I decided it was best that I send a text message to those that saw me just now, pleading with them not to tell anybody that I'm alright.
As soon as I put my cell phone back in my pocket, Lenny moved in for the kiss. Surprisingly, I did not want to make out with Lenny then. I mean the kiss was amazing as usual, but 'need' to make out was not there. Instead, I removed the baseball cap a laid my head on his shoulder and we held hands as my uncle drove us back to his apartment. We rode in a comfortable silence. Well, the silence was comfortable between Lenny and myself, but Uncle Peter kept shifting in his seat. At red lights are stop signs, he'd turn around to face us with his mouth open like he was gonna say something, but he'd just abruptly turn back around.
Faster than expected, we were parked at my uncle's apartment complex and riding the elevator. I was still holding the cap folded in my hand when Lenny grabbed it. He shook it back into its regular shape and placed it backwards on my head. When it was securely in place, he arranged my hair sloppily at my sides, the way he liked.
"You pull that off quite nicely," he stated in a husky voice.
I glanced at my uncle and he glanced at me. The corner of his mouth curved slightly in amusement and he averted his gaze elsewhere.
I reached up and ran my fingers through his medium-length brown locks, and looked deeply into his hazel eyes.
"You have gorgeous eyes," I said back in much the same husky voice.
"Yeah?" Lenny asked with a big smile. I nodded my head. "Well, you have such long eyelashes, it's hot."
"So what do you boys wanna do for an hour?" Uncle Peter asked, breaking up our cheese-fest.
I shrugged my shoulders as the elevator came to a stop. Lenny shrugged as we stepped out of it.
Back in my uncle's apartment, Lenny sat on the love seat with his back on the arm, and one leg strewn across both cushions and the other hung over the edge. I got the message he was sending non-verbally. I smiled. No, I grinned so fucking huge, I actually felt the muscles on my face working. I sat on the love seat as well, but I rested my back on my Lenny. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. I swear to every single god humankind believed in that I was blushing like MAD!
"You boys are so young to be so in love," my uncle shyly stated with a shy smile to boot.
But his statement worsened my shy-red state. Of course I love Lenny. But I wasn't at that 'boyfriend love' state yet. No, I loved Lenny as the bestest friend I'd always had. I had no doubt in my mind that I'd one day actually be in love with this boy. My Leonard Alexandre Joss. That day will come. I hoped it would anyway.
Uncle Peter got up off the other couch and went into the kitchen for something to eat or drink or what have you. While he was gone, I grabbed Lenny's knee and nuzzled my head into his neck.
"Lenny, I want you to know that I do love you. Very much. I do. But... not the way my uncle says."
Lenny tensed up. His grip loosened on me, but he still held me.
"I do hope that we could be in love if this... relationship continues. I love like I've always loved you; as the best friend you'll always be, no matter what."
"You mean it? No matter what happens to us, you'll be my best friend?"
"You may freak out when I say this, but... I hope you're the only boyfriend I ever have." Lenny's grip tightened again. "But, should we ever... go through... some nasty shit, I hope to at least keep you as a best friend. I don't think I'd be able to handle anything less than that."
"I'm sorry, it just seems so weird to me. That you boys are what you are."
"What are we, Peter?" Lenny asked to my uncle's statement. "Gay?"
"No! God no. It's just weird that you boys are talking about real relationships and you're not even in high school yet."
"What does our relationship have anything to do with school?" I asked.
"Well, I've never seen high school students, more so middle schoolers, talk so chummy with each other, especially when they're so early in that relationship. It's just bazaar."
"I've always had Ty in my life," Lenny said confidently. "To me, it's just natural."
"Yeah," I added. "It's just easy to be with Lenny. I don't even have to think about it. We already know what bugs the other and what the other likes. We are long past the 'getting to know each other' phase."
"You know what your aunt Violet says?" Uncle Peter asked with a half smile. "She says that the best couples started out as best friends first."
I literally felt Lenny grin and he gave my arms and shoulders a gentle squeeze. Then he kissed my cheek again.
"Pourquoi êtes-vous congé à la maison?" my grandmother asked me when she opened her front door to me and Uncle Peter. (Why did you leave home?)
It had been five-thirty in the evening now, and we were meeting everybody for dinner at my grandparents house for dinner at six.
"Tous seront expliqués pendant le dîner," I answered as we stepped into the house. (All will be explained during dinner.)
My cousins Grant and Rose were playing with the little box of toys that my grandparents kept at their house for their grandchildren to play with. That meant that Uncle Charles and his wife Bessie were in the house somewhere.
Slowly, my other aunts and uncles and their families made it in to my grandparents. Soon enough, we were seated at the huge dinner table my grandfather had made specifically for family meetings and dinners and other special occasions. I was thankful Grandma could put together a dinner like this as fast as she had done.
"Retirez votre chapeau!" my grandmother admonished. (Remove your cap!)
I was seated by her and she waved her hand at the baseball cap I was wearing. I removed the baseball cap and got the elastic band off my wrist and tied my hair sloppily with it.
"Tout d'abord," I called from my seat to get everybody's attention, "est-ce que quelqu'un a dit ma mère au sujet de cette réunion?" (First of all, did anybody tell my mother about this meeting?)
Everyone present answered that they didn't inform my mother.
"Pourquoi êtes-vous congé à la maison?" my aunt Lillian asked the question on everyone's mind. (Why did you leave home?)
"Je devrais commencer par à te dire que je suis homosexuel," I calmly and confidently stated. (I should begin by telling you that I am homosexual.)
A few faces were surprised. Some were smiling warmly. Everyone else looked like it didn't matter, but not in the 'I don't give a fuck' look. Pretty soon, the surprised were now... I guess accepting. Grandma grabbed my hand and squeezed. I grinned at her acceptance. She kissed my cheek.
"Votre mère est-elle contre ceci?" my uncle Gary asked, looking concerned. (Is your mother against this?)
I looked to my uncle Peter, unsure how to answer. Remember my mom saying that it wasn't what it sounded like?
"Nous ne savons pas," Uncle Peter answered. (We do not know.)
Now everyone's faces bore a look of confusion.
"Ce qui était la raison vous êtes parti?" Uncle Warren, Aunt Violet's husband, asked. (What was the reason you left?)
I thought about it. I mean, I really thought about the reason why I'd ran away from home. My parents had strung me along to believing that they'd accepted and loved me unconditionally. Then I thought about what my mom had said that morning, early morning. That it wasn't what it sounded like, it wasn't I thought. Was that what she was getting at? I couldn't be sure. I needed the answer. I grabbed my cell phone and pressed her option on the speed dial list. I didn't care that they'd make me go home with them. I had all the support of my aunts and uncles. Well, I hoped I did.
"Ty?" my mom frantically answered her phone.
"Yeah," I said back unemotionally.
"Oh, my God! Where are you? I've been driving all night and morning and afternoon looking for you! Are you--"
"If you close your mouth for a minute I'll explain what's going on."
"Excuse me!? You do not talk--"
"I'll call you back in five minutes when you've learned that I'll be calling the shots at this time," I stated stoically before hanging up my cell phone.
Before my mom could call back, I quickly turned the ringer volume to mute without vibration. Sure enough, seconds later, my mom's cell phone number displayed on the caller ID. I rang and rang, muted of course. After a minute of not answering my mom's call, she gave up. I looked around me. Everybody was staring at me like I was from another planet. They couldn't believe that I had just treated my mother in that fashion.
"What? I'm pissed at her," I defended myself.
Uncle Charlie laughed at my statement, earning a slap in the chest from his wife Evelyn.
"So you're gay, huh?" my cousin Leo asked from down on the other end of the table, with an amused smile.
Leo is the youngest child of Gary and Evelyn's three. He's seventeen-years-old, and plays soccer and basketball. He's had Jasmine as a girlfriend for about a year.
"Yes, I'm gay. Does anybody have a problem with it?" I asked in a non-harsh, but confident manner.
"Nobody should," my grandma answered in her thick French accent. "I didn't raise ignorant bigots."
"Of course we don't have a problem with it, do we?" Uncle Byron answered as he looked to everyone at the table. Everybody who understood (teens and adults) nodded their agreement.
"Why wouldn't you be happy that Tyler is happy?" Grant asked in his cute, soft voice.
"What do you mean, honey?" Aunt Bessie asked of her baby.
"Gay means happy, right? Nobody likes Tyler happy?" Grant replied.
I tried my damned hardest not to laugh. Come on, it was adorable.
Uncle Charles grabbed Grant's hand and said, "What Tyler means is that he's in love with somebody."
"Oh," was all Grant said back and went back to sipping his juice.
I grabbed my cell phone and called my mom again.
"I'm guessing you have a plan and that's why you're calling me?" my mom asked when she answered her phone.
"Yes, I'm at grandma's."
"Which grandma?"
I didn't answer that question. She knows how I feel about my other grandparents.
"Right," she said when realization hit her. "I'll call your father and tell him to meet us there."
"Good."
"Ty, I love--"
I hung up before my mother could speak anything else.
(please remember that if you're new to me, put the title of this story in the subject box so that I know it's not junk)
Questions, comments, and critiques are welcome, whether good or bad, and can be sent to not_allgrownup@hotmail.com
Tyler Christopher