Love in a Chair - 9. Crappy New Year

Love in a Chair

A story by Altimexis

Chapter 9 - Crappy New Year

The first sign of trouble came when Brian's parents picked him up to take him home. They were surprisingly curt with Aaron and didn’t even wish him a happy New Year. They were silent in the car on the way home and they ate dinner in silence: complete silence. This was highly unusual. At minimum, his parents always chatted about their lives and Brian couldn’t understand why they didn’t ask him about the party. Finally, Brian couldn’t take it anymore and he asked, “Is anything wrong?”

Brian’s father answered, “We’ll talk about it after dinner.” That left Brian feeling very, very worried.

When dinner was over and the dishes had been cleared, Alan Sandler told his son, “Brian, there are some things we need to talk about. Let’s go sit down in the Great Room.” June Sandler joined them and they all sat down, Brian in a chair and his parents directly across from him on the sofa.

“Before we get started, Brian, is there anything you’d like to tell us?” Brian’s father continued.

“What do you mean?”

“Is there anything that you’d like to say about anything at all - something you may not have been truthful about.”

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

June Sandler picked up the conversation. “I was talking to Karen Adams at our New Year’s Eve party and I mentioned the holiday dance you went to just before Christmas. She told me that her son, Jerry, went to the dance, too, but that it was the week before. She was very insistent about it and swore that she knew what she was talking about. Now I’ve never known you to lie about anything before, but I can’t think of why Karen would be lying either.”

“Son,” Brian’s father picked up the conversation, “I can call the school next week to find out when the holiday dance was, so I want you to be honest with us. This is your last chance to come clean.”

Brian’s heart sank down to the basement. He couldn’t believe it. His parents knew. His parents knew! He wanted to lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His parents always seemed to be able to tell when he was lying. He hoped, perhaps, that they might accept a half-truth instead.

“Mom, Dad, I did go to a dance at the school that night. Larry and Cindy and Aaron and I all went, and you can check with their parents,” Brian replied, hoping that would satisfy his parents.

“Then why did Jerry or his mother lie to us?”

“They weren’t lying. There really was a holiday dance the week before the one we went to.” Brian felt sick as he realized he would have to explain. There was a brief moment when he felt as if he were teetering on the edge of a precipice. He knew that, no matter what he said, his father would find out about the dance. He could fib and say he and Aaron didn’t know what kind of dance they were going to, but the obvious next question would be as to why they stayed.

Brian took a deep breath as he looked down into the precipice and told his parents the truth. “The one we went to was run by the school's gay-straight alliance. Larry and Cindy are members and we all have gay friends, so we thought it might be nice to go.”

“What? You went to a fag dance?”

Regaining his composure, Brian lashed out, “IT WASN’T A FAG DANCE! It was a dance for people who believe in accepting diversity! There were just as many straight kids there as gay kids, if not more. Who cares if you’re gay or straight? We’re all the same underneath it all. Larry and Cindy told me about it, and Aaron and I decided to go, too.”

“But homosexuality is a sin!” Brian’s father retorted. “It says so in the Bible! If a man lays down with a man as with a woman, they shall both be put to death.”

“As should the adulterer, or anyone who commits a host of sins,” Brian replied. “And what about slavery? Do you really believe that God condones slavery, even though it says so in the Bible?”

“I believe that God did at one time. Not so much condoned it as set down rules for fair treatment of slaves, but that was a different time and it set the stage for something very important - the coming of the Messiah. To a large extent, Jesus changed all that, but that doesn’t mean that adultery and homosexuality aren’t still sins.”

“I can’t speak for adultery, but what is it about homosexuality that makes it wrong? It’s not like people have a choice.”

“Why the hell not? Just as you can choose not to be an adulterer, you can choose not to be a faggot.”

“Dad, it’s not like kids wake up one morning and decide, ‘Hey, I think I’ll be gay. It’ll be lots of fun to be rejected by everyone and to take a chance on being beaten to death.’ No, Dad, there’s a big difference between the act of cheating on your wife or your husband and being gay. The former is a choice. You’re not born to be an adulterer, but you are born gay. I just don’t believe that the Old Testament condemnation against homosexuality is any more valid today than is its acceptance of slavery. Like you said, Jesus changed all that.”

“What you’re saying is a perversion of God’s will, and I won’t have it. I may not be able to change your mind on queers, but I sure as Hell don’t have to condone it. From now on you’re to have no involvement with this Gay-Straight Alliance. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly, Dad. You’re a bigot, so I can’t accept my friends’ diversity.”

“Don’t you talk back to me, Brian, and don’t tell me what I am. I’m a God fearing Christian, and so are you. You lied to us in going to the fag dance, and you’re not going to lie to us again. You’re grounded through the end of this month - no TV, no going out after school, no phone calls to your friends and no Internet or IM chatting. Now give me your cell phone.”

Having no choice, Brian complied. “Dad, Mom, at the time I thought I had a good reason to lie to you. You would have never let me go to that dance. But since you feel so strongly about it, I give you my word I won’t lie to you again and if the price of keeping my friends is to not be a part of the GSA, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear, but we’re very concerned about the influence your friends are having on you. For one thing, we don’t want you associating with anyone who belongs to that fag alliance, and that includes Larry and Cindy.”

“But Dad! Larry and I have been friends since the second grade! I won’t stop being his friend just because you tell me to! He’s like a brother to me.”

“Son, I know Larry can't help being raised as a Jew and I have nothing against him personally that way, but when he drags you along to a fag dance . . . well, that’s just something we’re not going to tolerate. We’re willing to give him a second chance, but only if he drops that GSA crap. If you want me to, I’ll talk to his parents, but in the meantime, you’re not to have contact with him outside of school. Am I clear about that?”

“Asshole!”

“Brian!” Mrs. Sandler exclaimed just as her husband’s hand slapped loudly as it came into contact with Brian’s face. Brian burst into tears.

June Sandler turned angrily to her husband. “Alan, I will not have you hitting our son.” She turned back to Brian and said, “Brian, you owe your father an apology. It wasn’t right for him to hit you, but you absolutely cannot say things like that to him. Never, ever! Apologize to him this instant.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Brian replied as his crying started to subside. “I didn’t mean to call you an asshole. I just think you’re being so unfair.”

“Brian, don’t you dare ever call me that again! I’ve never hit you before, and I shouldn’t have hit you now, but you can't go around swearing at your parents. You may not agree with us, but you have to respect us. We’re you’re parents!”

June then turned to her husband and said, “And?”

“And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hit you. I promise not to do that again.”

“OK, then,” Mrs. Sandler said as she turned to face her husband. “Alan, don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh? Larry is his best friend, and it’s not like he’s gay or anything. They’ve been friends for half their lives and you can’t expect them to stop being friends, even if we believe that one of them is making a mistake. Sure, you can talk to Bill about it, but you can’t expect them to believe as we do.

“Our son is a good boy, and we’ve raised him in a loving, Christian home. We’ve done all we can do, but he’s going to come into contact with people like Larry in this world and he’s going to have to preserve his beliefs in the face of all the temptations out there. We have to cut him a little slack on this.”

“I don’t agree with you, June,” Mr. Sandler replied. He turned back to his son and sighed, “Against my better judgment, I’m going to let you continue to be friends with Larry . . . but I’ll be watching you, and this could change if you betray our trust. Is that clear?” Brian nodded with little enthusiasm. “Now on the other hand, you also said you have gay friends, and that’s where I draw the line. I don’t want you associating with anyone you know to be a queer.”

“Does it really matter? It’s not like I can catch being gay from them.”

“Yes it does, Brian,” his mother interjected. “We don’t want you associating with kids who turn their backs on God. You can’t always know who’s a sinner, but if you know kids at school who are homosexuals, then you know that they have succumbed to Satan’s call and you have to stay away from them, lest they talk you into following the same dark path.”

She shuddered as she continued, “I hope you haven’t already, and if you have or think you might, all you have to do is tell us and we’ll get you some help. . . . we know you want to do the right thing.” Brian’s face drained of its color when he heard this, but he did his best to maintain his composure as his mother spoke. “By the way, didn’t you say that Aaron doesn’t have a girlfriend and he wanted you to go to the dance with him? Is he one of your gay friends?”

Brian wanted to shout out that he wasn’t, but as a confused, love-struck fourteen-year-old, all he could manage to do was to look down. Having said nothing, the answer was obvious to his parents.

“Brian,” Alan Sandler said as he looked at his son, “We absolutely forbid you to have any contact with Aaron Johnson. I know you’re also a friend of Adam, but you cannot go over to their house until Aaron gets some help and sees the error of his ways. Of course, you can have Adam over here any time you want, but you need to steer clear of Aaron. Am I clear about that?”

“I’m not going to turn my back on Aaron. He’s a good friend - a God-fearing Christian like you, who just happens to be gay.”

“If you were a friend, you’d try to help him turn straight.” Mr. Sandler sighed and continued, “But since you believe he was born that way and can’t turn straight, I know that’s not going to happen, is it? So we really have no choice. You’re to stay away from him, and I don’t want to hear anything about you being with him behind our backs.”

“But Dad!” Brian exclaimed as the tears started to flow again.

“Don’t you ‘But Dad’ me. I don’t want him perverting you. And that goes for anyone else at school you know or think might be gay. You’re a good Christian boy and I’ll not have you choosing to go down the path of the devil. You already agreed to take Jesus into your heart when you were baptized, but there are temptations out there and you will face them all your life. You need to learn now, while you’re still young, to resist temptation and remain true to the oath you took when you accepted Jesus as your savior.

“Besides, I think it’s high time you start dating girls. You’re a popular boy, and very handsome. There must be dozens of girls who would be thrilled to go out with you.”

“D-a-d . . .” Brian said as he blushed.

“Seriously, Brian, you’re a good looking boy. I think any girl would be thrilled to go out with you. Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Actually, there is a girl I’ve been thinking of asking out,” Brian said as he thought of ways he could use Sharon as an excuse to see Aaron.

“Then ask her out. Don’t waste time. Show Aaron that you have no interest in his destructive way of life. “Now I think we’re done here,” Mr. Sandler said to bring things to a close. “Since you’re grounded, why don’t you go up to your room.”

Later that evening, a little over a mile away, Aaron was still pondering why Brian's dad had acted so strangely, when his own father entered his room. “Well, I just had an interesting conversation with Brian’s father. It seems that he thinks you’re a filthy pervert and he doesn’t want you perverting his son.”

“What?” Aaron said with surprise.

“I’m sorry, son, but apparently the Sandlers found out about the dance you went to with Brian. It sounds like they still don’t realize that their son is gay, or perhaps they’re in denial, but the one thing that’s clear is that they want no part of you. They won’t let Brian talk to you, chat or IM with you or physically spend any time with you. He’s grounded through the end of the month for lying to them, but even after that, they don’t want the two of you having any contact with each other. That is unless you get some help and turn straight.”

Aaron was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. All he could do was to sit there as the tears began to flow.

“That’s it, son. Let it out.”

Aaron flung himself into his father’s arms and cried in earnest. He cried for what seemed like hours as his father held him tightly and rubbed his back. Finally the tears started to subside and Aaron regained his voice. “Dad, I can’t go on without Brian. I love him. We can’t be apart. We’re made for each other. I don’t know what to do.”

“Just give it time, Aaron. Brian’s parents may not understand, but if I know their son, he won’t let it drop. Give it time and they’ll eventually come around.”

“Isn’t there something you can do? You said you’d always be there for us.”

“I know I did, Aaron, and I will be, but unless Brian’s parents threaten direct harm to either of you, there isn’t a lot I can do.” He squeezed Aaron more tightly and continued, “Aaron, there are some things that just take time. When the time is right, I’ll be there for the both of you. I know it in my heart. It’s not a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’. Just remember the old saying: “love conquers all.’”

“I wish I could believe it, Dad. I wish I could believe it.”

“Remember too Aaron, that your Mom and I love you.”

“I know that more than anything Dad. I think I have the best parents and brother in the world.”

The second week of Christmas break was torture for both boys. Aaron couldn’t stand not having any contact with Brian and he became despondent. He could only imagine what Brian was going through. Finally, the winter break was over and he returned to school. Aaron met Brian in their usual spot in front of the Library.

“I’m sorry, Aaron,” Brian started, “I didn’t mean to out you to my parents. It just happened.”

“That’s OK, Brian. I understand. You wouldn’t have told them yourself and I’m sure they just put two and two together once they knew we went to the GSA dance.”

“That’s exactly what happened. And it sucks big time.”

“Yeah, it does. Now if we could only find a way to suck.”

Brian laughed at Aaron’s double entendre as he continued. “It’s really amazing that they haven’t confronted me about being gay. I mean if you’re gay and we went to the dance together, then I guess they feel that because I’m a good ‘Christian’ boy, that I’m straight and you’re trying to pervert me, you pervert.” Aaron chuckled.

“And get this - they want me to start dating so you’ll know I have no interest in being gay,” Brian continued as Aaron started laughing hysterically. “Shhh. We don’t want anyone tipping my parents off about our meeting like this. In fact, we’d probably better find a more private place to meet in the morning. But my ‘dating’ could also provide the perfect cover for us seeing each other.”

“But how?” Aaron wondered aloud.

“Quite simple. Remember Sharon, the lesbian girl we met at the GSA?”

“Yeah, I think so. Is that the girl you spent a bit of time talking to?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. She isn’t out to her parents, either, and likes to go out with gay guys for cover. She has a girlfriend, Jackie, and maybe we could double-date - that is if you wouldn’t mind going out with a black girl.”

“You know I have nothing against African-Americans . . . it’s the ‘girl’ part I don’t like, but I guess I can do it if it’ll provide cover for our relationship.”

“Here’s what we’ll do. After I’m done being grounded, I’ll start dating Sharon and you can date Jackie. We could then arrange to meet up and swap dates. Sharon’s and my parents would never know the difference.”

“That might work.”

“And then maybe after a while, we could arrange to ‘bump’ into each other in front of my parents. You could tell me you realized you’re really straight after all and then maybe they’d feel more comfortable with the two of us spending time together. I hate lying to my folks and they’ll probably ground me till I’m eighteen if they find out, but for now it’s probably the only way.”

“Let’s go for it!” Aaron said with the first enthusiasm he’d felt in more than a week, just as the bell rang.

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