A Different Kind Of Love, chapter 4
I walked through the door to my house to find my mom and dad sitting in the dining room. My dad stood up and shouted at me.
"Where the HELL were you last night, Josh?"
Shit. Forgot about that... Uh... What to say, what to say...
"I was at Vik's, I thought I told you that. I slept over there because we were watching a movie late and I didn't want to phone or come home, because you'd be sleeping and I'd wake you up."
Haha. I actually made up a somewhat reasonable excuse in about two seconds. I should get an award or something. The only problem was, my mom had called Vik's mom last night. Dammit. So my parents knew I hadn't been there, and they also knew that Vik hadn't been at his house. Why are parents so good at figuring stuff like that out?
"Were you at a girl's house?" my dad demanded.
"No." I lied, even though I had been at Jess's with Vik.
"Joshua, honey, why aren't you telling us where you were? Is it that hard of a question? Honey, you know we won't be mad, just tell us."
That's another thing my parents do. They trick you into telling them something, and they say they won't get mad. And then they do, and it turns into a big argument, blah blah blah.
So, naturally, the best way I've found to avoid these arguments is to completely avoid talking to my parents. It doesn't really work, but at the time I thought it was a great idea. So I told them I'd talk to them about it later, and went to my bedroom where I could have some peace and quiet. I sat down on my bed, picked up the phone, and called Vik.
"Hey," I said, "My parents want to know where I was last night... What do I tell them?"
"Tell them you were at my place, hanging out." he replied.
"Tried that. My mom called your place last night and knows I wasn't there."
"Shit, that sucks."
There was a silence on the phone for a while and I almost thought that Vik had hung up. Then he said, "You might have to tell them."
I guess I knew that was coming. I mean, my parents were bound to find out sometime. But really, how would they react? I was pretty sure my mom would be okay with it, but it was my dad I was worried about. I told Vik that I was scared of what my dad will say.
"I want you to be here with me when I tell them, Vik. I don't want to be alone."
"I'll be over right away, then."
Then he hung up. I was so scared, I was shaking. But I got myself together when I heard the doorbell ring. I ran to get it and Vik came in.
"You ready, Josh?"
"No. But I'm as ready as I can get."
We walked into the room where my parents were sitting. I tried not to look at my dad, only my mom. I took a deep breath.
"Mom... Dad... I have to tell you. Last night, I was at Jess's house. No, no, don't think of it like that. Nothing happened between me and Jess. But, well, it was kind of a party that was for... It was for me. Me and Vik."
I turned to Vik and kind of forced a smile.
"I don't get it," my dad said. "Why were they having a party for you two?"
I stared at my feet and tried to imagine my dad wasn't there.
"Vik.. Is my boyfriend. He's my boyfriend." I said. Vik squeezed my hand and smiled at me.
My dad stood up, banging the table with his fist.
"You fucking faggot," he shouted at me. "You're not my son. You're not my fucking son!"
"Where the HELL were you last night, Josh?"
Shit. Forgot about that... Uh... What to say, what to say...
"I was at Vik's, I thought I told you that. I slept over there because we were watching a movie late and I didn't want to phone or come home, because you'd be sleeping and I'd wake you up."
Haha. I actually made up a somewhat reasonable excuse in about two seconds. I should get an award or something. The only problem was, my mom had called Vik's mom last night. Dammit. So my parents knew I hadn't been there, and they also knew that Vik hadn't been at his house. Why are parents so good at figuring stuff like that out?
"Were you at a girl's house?" my dad demanded.
"No." I lied, even though I had been at Jess's with Vik.
"Joshua, honey, why aren't you telling us where you were? Is it that hard of a question? Honey, you know we won't be mad, just tell us."
That's another thing my parents do. They trick you into telling them something, and they say they won't get mad. And then they do, and it turns into a big argument, blah blah blah.
So, naturally, the best way I've found to avoid these arguments is to completely avoid talking to my parents. It doesn't really work, but at the time I thought it was a great idea. So I told them I'd talk to them about it later, and went to my bedroom where I could have some peace and quiet. I sat down on my bed, picked up the phone, and called Vik.
"Hey," I said, "My parents want to know where I was last night... What do I tell them?"
"Tell them you were at my place, hanging out." he replied.
"Tried that. My mom called your place last night and knows I wasn't there."
"Shit, that sucks."
There was a silence on the phone for a while and I almost thought that Vik had hung up. Then he said, "You might have to tell them."
I guess I knew that was coming. I mean, my parents were bound to find out sometime. But really, how would they react? I was pretty sure my mom would be okay with it, but it was my dad I was worried about. I told Vik that I was scared of what my dad will say.
"I want you to be here with me when I tell them, Vik. I don't want to be alone."
"I'll be over right away, then."
Then he hung up. I was so scared, I was shaking. But I got myself together when I heard the doorbell ring. I ran to get it and Vik came in.
"You ready, Josh?"
"No. But I'm as ready as I can get."
We walked into the room where my parents were sitting. I tried not to look at my dad, only my mom. I took a deep breath.
"Mom... Dad... I have to tell you. Last night, I was at Jess's house. No, no, don't think of it like that. Nothing happened between me and Jess. But, well, it was kind of a party that was for... It was for me. Me and Vik."
I turned to Vik and kind of forced a smile.
"I don't get it," my dad said. "Why were they having a party for you two?"
I stared at my feet and tried to imagine my dad wasn't there.
"Vik.. Is my boyfriend. He's my boyfriend." I said. Vik squeezed my hand and smiled at me.
My dad stood up, banging the table with his fist.
"You fucking faggot," he shouted at me. "You're not my son. You're not my fucking son!"
