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- 07/10/2017
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Beards - 4. Chapter Four
As soon as we pulled into Ava’s driveway, she already was racing up the steps to pour shots.
“Ava. It’s only 4:30.”
“So?” Only I must have thought that was weird. Ava lined the kitchen counter with four shot glasses and pour amber liquid into each of them. It must be a whiskey night. “Cheers, doll.”
First one always burnt as it went down. Without pause, Ava thrust the other shot in my hand and kick her own back. Here goes. The shot sloshed around in my mouth before I swallowed it whole. Not so bad this time. Ava poured four more shots.
“What’s the rush, man?” Ava shot me a dirty look. When Rob and I called her man she always got pissed off. It only made us do it more. She gave me a surly look and huffed.
“We need to get black out so we can talk.” That sounded ominous. All these secret talks everyone wanted to have with me all of a sudden. Now, I needed the shots too. “Round two?”
Both shots went down like water. My buzz started kicking in and everything was fuzzy and warm. My favorite feeling.
“So what are we talking about?” Ava cracked open two beers and poured more shots. She wasn’t kidding about blacking out.
“Take these and chug this first.” She shoved all three into my hands at one time, which was as disastrous as it sounded. I almost dropped all of it on the floor. Beer tasted horrible but somehow it didn’t stop me from drinking it. Neither one of us were twenty one yet, so we took what we could get.
“Alright, I’m ready.” I was pleasantly liquored up. Whatever she had to say I was as prepared as I could be. “What’s up?”
Ava kicked another shot back before speaking. “Let’s talk about you being gay.” I almost spit beer in her face.
“W-what?”
“Cut the crap, Bryan. I know you are.” I wanted to die. How did she know? It was supposed to be a secret. Secret, as in no one should know. I was doing everything possible to keep it hidden.
“I’m not.”
Another shot burned its way down my throat. Chugging the beer in my hand. Anything to not speak.
“I see how you look at Rob. He thinks something up too.” Ava wouldn’t look me in the eye as she spoke this time.
“You two talking about me behind my back?” Anger rose up inside me. “Wow. What great friends.”
Tears welled in Ava’s eyes. “Stop it.”
“Stop what? You started this. Calling me gay. You and Rob talking shit on me. What do you want from me?” My voice rose with each word. Blood boiling in my veins.
“Stop. Bryan…” Her voice trailed off as she looked me directly in the eyes. Tears falling in rapid succession down her cheek. My resolve started to fail.
“I-I’m sorry.” Damnit. I still couldn’t admit to it. I didn’t like where this conversation was going. Rob knew something. Was that why he sent those texts? My eyes drifted to the floor and I couldn’t look up anymore. Ava reached for me, lifting my face level with hers.
“Bryan. It’s okay.”
Like a faucet, my eyes burst into a cascade of tears. Everything I had held back for years, pouring out in an endless stream.
Ava wrapped her arms around me tight. Holding me close to her. Both of our hearts beating in a crazy rhythm. Ugly crying into each other’s shoulders. Ava pulled away first, holding my face in her hands. They felt soft and warm. Comforting. Safe.
“There’s more.” With tears running down my face, I laughed. A deep, guttural laugh. I couldn’t help it. Ava stopped. Bewilderment creeping across her face. “What?”
“I don’t know how much more I can take.”
Even she smiled. “Well. You’re not alone.”
“What do you mean?” Ava took a deep breath. Two shots in quick succession followed. The liquor didn’t even phase her.
“I’m gay too.” The words hung in the air between us. Like little puffs of smoke, I could see them spelled out in front of me. G. A. Y. Ava watched me with anticipation. She was nervous like me. Tense. Scared. “Well?”
“Are you really?” It was Ava’s turn to laugh. Something about the whole situation was just completely ridiculous. Never in my life would I expect something like this to happen.
“Yeah. I can’t make this shit up.” The room was slowly spinning around me. Everything seemed to start fading away. Maybe the booze was getting the better of me. “You okay, Bryan?”
No. The words never made it out of my mouth. I slumped back in my seat as the world turned to black around me.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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