Re-birth - 3. Chapter 3

I smiled at him as he led me by the hand to the kitchen. Donna looked at us and smiled. “Get your drinks and sit, boys.”

“Yes, sit. I think we should have a talk.” James said harshly.

We froze, and I looked at Scott. He looked terrified. I squeezed his hand “It will be fine, hon. Sit and talk, OK?”

When he looked at me, I could see him relaxing. He knew I was here for him, no matter what. He smiled at me and nodded, then we grabbed a drink and sat.

“Thank you, Greg. I forgot how harsh a father's words can sound sometimes.” He turned to Scott, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not upset at all. I just think your mate needs to know everything about us.”

“Dad? Not now, please?”

James raised his hand and said, “Not this second, Scott. But he has a right to know before it's too late.”

Donna touched her husband’s shoulder and said, “It’s already too late, James. Haven’t you seen Greg’s eyes when he looks at Scott?”

“Yes, I’ve seen it. That's why it has to be done soon,” he said to his wife. “If Greg can't accept the truth, this can be undone. He has to know.”

“Know what?” I asked as I looked around at their faces. Were they criminals hiding from the police? Aliens? Escaped from a hospital for the insane?

James looked at me and said, “Greg, we're...”

“NO!” Scott cut him off “No, Dad, let me tell him, please?”

James looked to his wife for guidance, and when she nodded, he said, “OK, Scott. You tell him. You have until the fourth of July. Obviously, you care for each other, and he has to know now. If he can't accept it, we'll have to fix it. You knew the risks.”

“I know, Dad, and I know it will be fine. I feel it, I just...” Scott was falling apart.

“Hon, whatever it is, it's fine. I love you, warts and all. Whatever it is, we'll get through. I told you, always.”

Donna smiled at me, then looked to James and said, “I told you the fates had chosen well for our son.”

“I never doubted that, Donna. But I've seen the damage that can be done when this is delayed.” He turned to me, “Greg, when my son shares with you, please listen with your heart. Don't judge us until he's told you everything. And if you can't accept, please consider what your heart says before you take any actions.”

“I only want him to be happy, no matter what,” I said, looking at Scott, trying to reassure him.

“That's all we want, too,” James said in a very loving tone as he looked at his son.

Scott looked at his mom for some support but just got a firm, loving nod. He looked at his dad, who smiled and said, “Trust me, son, please? It will be fine, but it must be done.”

After this, dinner was tense. James and Donna tried to reassure Scott, but he looked completely devastated. He just sat and stared at his plate. I barely touched my food. I was lost. I had no idea what they were talking about, but his parents thought I would leave him over this secret they had. That wasn't going to happen. The more they said about my leaving, the more my heart was telling me that nothing short of death would take me from him. Finally, Scott asked if we could be excused.

When James nodded, Scott stood, still looking defeated. I followed him to his room, where he sat on his bed. I sat beside him, wrapping my arms around him, trying to wordlessly let him know that I was there for him, no matter what. After what seemed like an hour, he looked me in the eyes and said, “My father has given me almost three weeks, and I’m going to take all of that time. I’m asking you to give me that same time, no questions, no funny looks. I want to spend this time like we would have if Dad hadn’t said a word. I want to get to know you and you me. Can you do that for me?”

I knelt in front of him and took both his hands in mine. I stared into his beautiful emerald eyes and said, “Listen very carefully, and know that I mean this with every fiber of my being. Nothing you will tell me could ever make me leave your side, do you understand me? I am here with you. Always.” a tear fell from his eye as he nodded, so I went on “That said, waiting a few weeks to hear it won’t make a bit of difference.”

Scott smiled, then leaned in and kissed me. As our lips parted, he whispered, “Thank you. I know we’ll be fine. If for no other reason than just because you’re you.”

I touched his cheek and asked, “Can I ask just one question?” When he nodded, I asked, "Are we going to a movie tomorrow night?”

Scott grinned and nodded, then leaned in and gave me another kiss. We spent the next few minutes kissing. Not really a hot make-out session, just tender, loving kisses as I held him. He stood, and I followed him over to his library, where he picked up the Roeder book he was reading as I picked up a book on how to motivate employees in business. We piled up some pillows in the corner and settled down to read, with Scott resting his head in my lap. We were lost in our books when Donna called up the stairs to ask if I was staying the night. I checked the time, gave Scott a quick kiss, and headed home.

Thursday morning, we got up and ran. We had skipped the weights yesterday due to the mud and the shower, so today, I taught Scott all the exercises that make up my leg day. I have to admit, several times, when I was moving his body around to adjust his angle, I got a little carried away, and we ended up making out. It sure made leg day a lot more interesting.

After our workout, I suggested a change in our plans. After he agreed, Scott headed home. I mixed up a marinade of olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, parsley, rosemary, black pepper, and thyme. I put three steaks in the dish, covered it, put it in the refrigerator, then showered and headed to work. When I got home, Scott joined me in the kitchen, and while I sliced potatoes for potatoes au gratin, he cut and steamed some fresh broccoli.

I was outside putting the steaks on the grill, and Scott was taking the potatoes out of the oven when Dad got home from work. As Dad walked into the kitchen, Scott froze. He stood like a deer in headlights with the hot glass dish in his gloved hands until Dad offered his hand and said, “You must be Scott. I’m Charlie Fowler. It’s nice to meet you.”

Scott quickly put the dish on the counter and struggled to pull the oven mitts off his hands. Finally, he shook hands and said, “Um, yessir. Scott Warnick. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

I came inside and said, “Dad, go get changed. The steaks will be done in five minutes.”

We had barely sat down when Dad asked, “So Scott, are you an only child like Greg?”

“No, sir. I’m the youngest of three. My oldest brother died in the war, and my brother Matt will be a freshman at Yale this fall,” Scott replied.

“And your college plans?”

“The best schools for finance are Harvard, NYU, Wharton, Columbia, and Cornell. I’d be thrilled to be accepted into any of those, but I’ll be happy if I get into any of the others in the top ten.” Scott said confidently.

My dad nodded as he chewed on his food and Scott’s answer. After he swallowed, he asked, “So the education is the only consideration? Not the location or extra-curricular activities?”

Scott shook his head as he said, “No sir, I mean, yes sir.” He laughed, then said, “What I mean is, yes, education is the primary reason for college. While the extra-curricular activities are important to help round you out, all these schools have things I can get involved with to achieve that.”

When Dad turned to me, I said, “I agree with him, Dad, you know that. I’m applying to several of the schools on his list for the same reasons.”

Nodding, Dad turned to Scott and said, “Greg tells me you’ve been homeschooled. How do you think you’ll find going to a public school?”

Scott shrugged and said, “I’m hoping Greg can help me fit in. I got lucky when I met him, and I hope he can help ease the transition.”

Dad looked at Scott, then at me. I thought I saw a slight smile as he said, “Well, I think you two make a good pair. I hope you’re a good influence on each other, not that Greg needs much guidance. I’m proud of what he’s done so far in high school, and I’m sure I’ll continue to be proud of everything he does in his life.”

The rest of the conversation went along the same lines. Dad continued to grill Scott, and Scott continued to give well-thought-out answers. When asked about politics, Scott said he didn’t agree with the extremists of either party and saw himself as an independent. When asked about family plans, Scott said he hoped to find the right person and have several children. When Scott said find the right person, I could swear I saw Dad glance at me with a smirk. I got nervous when Dad asked Scott his thoughts about the recent court rulings on same-sex marriage.

Scott glanced at me, then replied, “I don’t see how two people getting married affects anyone other than those two.”

Dad replied, "I was raised Catholic, and the Church says it’s wrong.”

Scott nodded as he replied, “And I respect your right to believe as you see fit and to let those beliefs guide your life. But others shouldn’t be forced, by the government, to follow the restrictions of any one religion.”

Dad took another bite of his steak and seemed to be thinking as he chewed. Scott seemed calm, but I was terrified. Finally, Dad said, “I suppose your arguments are valid.” He turned to me and asked, “Whatever happened to that gay kid that got beat up at your school?”

“His father had kicked him out of the house, so he went to live with his mother. She had him transferred out, and Mr. Short said he deserved the beating he got.”

“No one deserves to be beaten for something like that. And any parent that would kick a kid out of their home should be put in jail.” Dad looked me in the eye as he said, “Losing your mother made me realize several things. One of those things is that nothing you could ever do would make me stop loving you.”

I almost told him, and I really don’t know why I didn’t. I just swallowed and said, “I know, Dad.”

The conversation became much lighter after that, with Dad asking about professional sports, Scott asking about favorite books, and me asking about Dad’s work and his upcoming trip to Texas and California.

After dinner, Dad sat with us as we watched ‘The Desolation of Smaug’. When it was done, I was surprised when he and Scott got into a discussion about how well the movies had followed the books. When I first read the books, I remembered my father saying that he had read the books when he was my age, but I never really knew how much he enjoyed them until that discussion. When I returned from walking Scott home, I stepped over to give my dad a kiss goodnight. The first time I’d done that in a long time.

Friday morning, Scott was waiting for me when I stepped outside. While we were lifting, Dad came through and asked about our plans for the day. I said that, after I got off work, we were going to a movie. He handed me some cash, explaining that he was going to a working dinner with his team and wouldn’t be home until late. I asked if it was okay if I mowed on Sunday, as I had something I wanted to do tomorrow. He glanced at Scott, then said it was fine.

That night, we went to a local sub shop that everyone loves. Scott said he had never tasted such a good steak and cheese and swore he’d never move away just to have these for the rest of his life. After dinner, we went to a movie where we ran into my buddy Jacob, his twin brother Joshua, and a few other guys from my wrestling team. They all seemed to love Scott, and we talked about meeting up at the river some weekend in the near future. While Scott was in the restroom, I sent a text.

Saturday morning, I was crossing the street when Scott came out to run with me. The weather was great, as I had hoped, and soon we were back in my basement going through my lifting routine.

“So, what’s your plan for today?” Scott asked me as we wiped down the weight equipment.

“It’s a surprise. Go shower, and dress for an active day.”

He looked at me with a question in his eyes, but he smiled and headed home. While Scott went to shower, I showered and dressed. We jumped in my car and headed out.

As we headed west on the interstate, I asked, “So you don’t mind that I’m keeping today’s plans a secret?”

“I’ll follow you anywhere. Besides, I’m riding in an awesome car with a handsome man. What is there to mind?” he answered with a grin.

“Thanks, but I don’t know about handsome. I swear I saw a zit in the mirror after my shower, but the car is awesome. And personally, I’m the lucky one, riding around with a cute blond.”

Scott rolled his eyes, then looked up and noticed where I was turning. “Laser tag? Seriously? That’s so cool!!”

“Laser tag comes later. Our team isn’t here yet. Go cart racing first.”

“You’re insane, but I love it!”

We spent a few hours racing around the track, bumping in bumper boats, and playing miniature golf. Basically, just enjoying the bright, sunny morning. We had just sat down to order lunch when I saw Scott looking toward the door. I turned to see that our team had arrived. Scott jumped up and gave Jake and three other wrestlers a bro hug, then made them join us for pizza. Scott was smiling ear to ear.

Jake sat beside Scott and said, “Greg tells me you want to be our 138 next year. If he has faith in you, you have our support. Anytime you want some lessons from the best, just hit us up.” Jake pointed to himself, Josh, Mike, and Chris, “We got your back.”

Scott said nothing, but I could tell he was touched. I could also tell he was very happy that my teammates were accepting him. Before he could get emotional, I jumped in and saved him.

“Before we risk him on the mats, let’s see how he does at laser tag. Are we doing three-on-three? Or the six of us against the world?”

Jake looked around the table, and then his gaze settled on Scott and me. He smiled and said, “I think it’s you, me, and your boyfriend against the three straight losers.”

Scott’s jaw dropped open, and I almost passed out. I tried to cover by saying, “You wish we were a couple…” then I realized everything he had said. I looked at Scott, then back to Jake. I had to decide if I really could trust them. Was it a trick or just a prank? I took a risk. “You too, Jake? Really?”

“Yeah.” He said, then looked a little uncomfortable, saying, “Look, I’m sorry if I upset you, but none of us will say a word to anyone. Josh has known about me since we were twelve, and these two have kept my secret since last summer. I’ve had a feeling about you since that wrestling camp our freshman year, but last night, when I saw you two together, I knew you were a couple. You both just glow when you look at each other.”

I could feel my cheeks turning red, and when I looked at Scott, he was blushing too. Jake stood up and looked at Scott, opening his arms to offer a hug. Scott looked at me, then shrugged and stood to share a hug with Jake. In a stage whisper, Jake said, “I’m jealous. I had always hoped Greg would date me.”

Josh stood up, looked at me, and said, “Hey? I’m the best-looking twin. No love for me?”

Jake turned and said, “Hey! Straight boy! I stay away from the girls, and you stay away from the boys. That’s how it works.”

That got us all laughing, and we sat back down. I looked at Jake and asked, “Ok, I understand how your twin brother might figure out you’re gay. Or maybe you told him, but how did Brian and Chris earn your trust?”

Before Jake could answer, Brian jumped in with, “Oh, we caught him blowing a dude in the shower at camp one night.” He looked down as he muttered, “He offered us both blowjobs to keep his secret.”

I turned to Chris as he said, “Dude, it really hurt that he thought he had to offer to do that. We both grew up with the J’s. You know they used to call us ‘J’s and Company’. I understood him not being sure he could tell us, but once we found out…”

Jake laughed, saying, “I’m not sure who felt worse, me or that poor guy from Charles Town. He was about to blow his load. Talk about being cock blocked. He wouldn’t talk to any of us the rest of the week.”

Scott said, “Well, I’m not going to ask if you guys took him up on his offer. I just hope you think as much of Greg as you do the J’s.”

Brian said, “The four of us would die for Greg, and he knows that.” When I heard that, I looked around the table as each of them looked me in the eye and nodded their agreement.

Josh said, “No one will hear anything from us, and if word gets out before you’re ready, we have your backs. Both of you. Well, the three of you, if you count my fairy brother over here.”

That made us all bust up laughing, and the guys started sharing stories about our shared pasts. Several times, I had to threaten them with violence when they brought up my most embarrassing moments growing up. As I looked around the table, I remembered how these four had stood by me when my mom’s cancer had come back. How one of them always found an excuse to hang out with me in the days after she had passed. Two days after she died, Jake suddenly realized he hated sharing a bedroom with his brother and needed a week of sleeping on my floor to keep his sanity.

The table got quiet, and I realized everyone was looking at me. Scott reached under the table and took my hand, saying, “What’s wrong, Babe?”

Jake smiled tenderly and said, “You’re thinking about your Mom, aren’t ya?” I slowly nodded, holding back the tears. “Does he know?” Jake asked, tipping his head towards Scott.

I shook my head no. Jake softly asked, “Do you want to tell it? Or should I? Or do we drop it?”

I swallowed, looked at Jake, then at Scott. I leaned back and stared at the ceiling as I felt the tears slowly rolling down the sides of my face. I took a deep breath and told Scott about my mom.

“I was only two the first time, so I can’t remember anything. Everything I know came from Mom and Dad talking to me when it came back. The first time it was ovarian cancer. They did a radical hysterectomy, and she did chemo and radiation. Anyway, like I said, it came back. It was four weeks before my 13th birthday. Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch when I came home from school. When I walked in, he said, ‘We need to talk’. I thought I was in trouble.”

Jake handed me a napkin, and I wiped my eyes, then went on, “They had me sit between them on the couch and explained to me about the first time. I thought they were just telling me why I was an only child in a Catholic family, but then Mom dropped the bomb. The cancer was back and was worse than before. She had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Her doctors said that, even with treatment, her chance of surviving another five years was 1%.”

I felt Jake take my other hand, and I squeezed it as I kept going. “They said she wasn’t expected to live to see the spring. She died the Monday before Memorial Day weekend, 2011.” I looked around the table at my closest friends and smiled.

“You guys kept me going. That’s what I was thinking about just now.” I looked at Jake and laughed, saying, “I wish I’d known about you then. I could’ve used some cuddles that week you spent on my floor.”

Josh said, “I wish you’d known too. Maybe if you two had hooked up, I wouldn’t have had to hear how hot you are the last three years.”

Jake turned bright red, and I think maybe I did too. Brian and Chris were laughing, and Scott was looking between the two of us with the cutest smile on his face. I think he was jealous. I wanted to lift the mood even more and change the focus, so I stood up.

“I agree with Jake. Three-on-three, gays against straights.”

It worked. Josh, Brian, and Chris started talking trash about how they were going to destroy us and have us begging for mercy. Jake told Josh that the loser had to do the winner’s chores for two months. The trash talk continued as we headed to the laser tag arena and was still going on as we suited up. I won’t tell you who won, but I expect there will be stories of our epic battle being told next fall at school. An hour later, Scott and I were headed to my car.

As we got back on the interstate, Scott took my right hand, and our fingers intertwined. He kissed the back of my hand and said, “I’m so glad your friends are accepting me. I’m sorry they found out about you because of me.”

I smirked and said, “I’m not. At least now I have someone to talk with when you and I argue.”

“That means you’ll never talk to Jake again because we’ll never argue,” Scott said, leaning across the console and kissing my cheek. My phone rang, and since I was driving, Scott looked to see who it was. “Speak of the devil, should I answer?”

I nodded, so he answered, “Greg’s driving. What do you want, sexy boy?” Scott laughed, then said, “Yeah, I think we can do that. Does he know where it is?... OK, I’ll see you there. Thanks”

I glanced at him and asked, “What was that?”

“Jake asked me out on a date.”

I almost ran off the road, but I got control. I turned to Scott and said, “He did what? I’ll kill him! And you told him yes?”

From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Scott grinning. Then I heard him laughing. I glanced at him, and he stopped laughing long enough to say, “That was too easy. Jake and the others don’t want the day to end, so they said they’d pay for subs and bowling. Do you want to? Or should I call and cancel?”

I laughed and said, “You’re such a tease. Yeah. Let’s go bowling and hang out with your new friends.”

Scott called his dad to let him know where we would be and roughly when we’d be home. Then, he used my phone to text my dad to do the same. Dad asked that I be home by nine.

As I parked, Josh pulled up beside me. Jake jumped out and ran for the door, but I called him back. When everyone gathered, I explained why I had to be home early. Everyone was fine with it because they knew my dad didn’t often give me limits. When he did, I always did my best to respect them. We all texted Josh what subs we wanted, and while he and Brian took off to get the food, the rest of us went to get two lanes.

By the time we were settling into the lanes, Josh and Brian had returned and passed out the food. We enjoyed relaxing with our friends, but Josh wasn’t always known for being the smartest, and he bet Jake double or nothing. Same teams, three games. Now, Josh has to do Jake's chores until after Halloween. Oh, I said I wasn’t going to say who won. Oops! I dropped Scott off in front of his house, then drove to mine, putting my car in the garage beside Dad’s.

When I walked into the kitchen, Dad said, “We need to talk.”