Chapter Text
Summer is coming to an end, it's quite hot, but it's time to get up; classes start in a week. To be honest, I'm not thrilled about it. My last year of high school was quite tough; I had clashes with a teacher and almost got expelled. If it weren't for my older brother Digger's help, who assisted me with studying and passing my final exams.
While lying in bed, contemplating how to spend the final week of vacation, someone opens the door; it was my mother.
Rose: "It's time to get up, Rusty. Did you forget that you're going out with your friends today?"
Rusty: "I'll be there, Mom. I've only got one week left; let me rest a little longer."
Rose: "No, you still need to wash your clothes and have breakfast, or you'll be late. And have you forgotten who's coming back tonight? I want the house to be clean when they arrive, so start washing your clothes now."
Rusty: "Alright, alright..."
God, my mom has always been strict with us, especially since I started having problems in high school. She's always watching over me and forbidding me from going out with my friends because school was my priority. I don't hate her or anything; she always wants what's best for me. She even rewarded us with a meal at my favorite restaurant when I got good grades.
On the other hand, my dad is completely different; he's not strict at all. When he came home, it was like all my problems disappeared. He took us to cricket matches and didn't care much about grades. We ate street food together, and finally, Mom stopped nagging us about making the bed. After all, we wanted to make the most of the few months he was home; as a military man, he spent most of his time away and even missed several of our birthdays.
Although I wanted to stay in bed, I finally got up and headed to the dining room, where I found my brother getting ready to leave.
Digger: "Good morning, still lazing around as usual, huh?"
Rusty: "Haha, very funny. Aren't you leaving in half an hour?"
Digger: "Yeah, but there's always time to tease you a bit. Today you're going out with your boyf..."
Rose: "Stop teasing your brother, Digger. I've finished preparing your lunch. Good luck with your work today, dear."
Digger: "Thanks, Mom. Love you. Good luck with your boyfriend, Rusty."
Rusty: "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! I'M NOT GAY!" I shout loudly, clearly falling for his provocation.
I just hear my older brother's laughter as he closes the door. I love him a lot, but these days he's become unbearable with jokes about my best friend and me being a couple. Just the thought of it... it makes my blood boil like never before. Even in high school, everyone used to think I was gay, but they couldn't be more wrong. I'm only interested in girls, nothing else, and Jack is the same; that's normal, a man with a woman, no debate.
Rose: "You know, gay people aren't monsters, Rus; they're just like all of us. You don't have to act like they're monsters or abnormal people, darling."
Rusty: "You don't know anything about it, Mom. Just because you have weird friends doesn't mean I have to accept them."
I only hear my mom sigh; clearly, there's no way to win my argument. I decide to focus on eating the breakfast she made for me, scrambled eggs with a little chocolate milk. While I eat, I try to make conversation with my mom, but she's not interested; she prefers to wash the dishes and turn the radio up loud. Clearly, I've angered her, which is not good for me, but there's not much I can do; she gets angry easily over anything.
Once I finish breakfast, I decide to go wash my clothes; it will take 30 minutes. While it's running, I check the group chat to review the day's plans.
Rusty: "Guys, so we're meeting at 2 at the plaza, right?"
Jack: "Yes, who's going to be there?"
McKenzie: "Bluey, Pretzel, Rusty, you, and me."
Pretzel: "I can't wait to see you guys."
Jack: "Me neither! It's been too long since we've seen each other!"
Bluey: "It's only been a month, guys, calm down."
Pretzel: "It doesn't matter; it's always amazing to spend time with you all!"
Rusty: "Haha, as always, Pretzel is the most excited. But I can't blame him; I'm also very excited to see you all soon."
Then I hear my mom shouting at me.
Rose: "RUSTY, YOU HAVEN'T MADE YOUR BED!"
Shit, I completely forgot, as usual, I forget to do something. Sometimes I think I have mental problems, that I'm stupid, how could I forget to make the bed? Damn it.
Rose: "COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Rusty: "I'M COMING!"
With that, the morning ends, counting the minutes until I can go out with my friends, but also praying that my mom's anger has passed so I can ask her for some money; otherwise, I'll have to ask Digger, and that would be a problem, not because he wouldn't lend it to me, but because he would tease me for not being able to manage my money properly.
I've always been a bit bad at handling my money; I've never worked, and it's always been my mom who lends me money for breakfast at school. But now that I've finished high school, they told me that if I didn't learn to manage my money, they wouldn't give me anything more, so I can only hope to catch my mom at a good moment to lend me some.
Rusty: "Mom, can you lend me $25 to go out, please?"
Rose: "Okay, take it from my purse. I want you back by 8:00 p.m., or you'll be grounded, and this time your father won't protect you."
Rusty: "Of course, understood, see you later."
That was easy. I grab my keys and leave my house. On the way, I see a group of dogs bullying a gay couple; they cry for help, but everyone just ignores them. From a distance, I can't help but think they deserved it; those people don't deserve any respect. As my dad says, "Gays are an abomination of nature."
I finally arrive at the meeting point; as always, Bluey and McKenzie are together like peas in a pod. I'm really happy for them. Pretzel is happy to see us, but there's something a little different... When Jack arrived, a bit late as usual... he hugged me...
A hug isn't something out of the ordinary for us; we've hugged since we were kids but this time, I felt something... an uncomfortable sensation in my stomach. Since the last year of high school, I've started feeling uneasy when he's around, but I don't know what it is. So, I just decided to end the hug and continue with the day.
I know something is happening, something overwhelming me. Since last summer's vacation, Jack's family and mine went on a trip to the United States, which isn't unusual since our families get along quite well.
One of those days, Jack and I went hiking, and I accidentally stumbled and scraped my knee, causing a bit of blood. Jack's reaction was... a bit over the top, I'd say. He was panicking, saying I would bleed out and that we needed to call 911. His panic was so intense that he couldn't hear me when I told him everything would be fine, that I wouldn't die.
But something happened; the way he cared about me, his voice... suddenly a thought came to me. I thought he looked cute. I didn't think much of it at the time, but once we returned to Australia, I started feeling a need to be close to him... no, it can't be that I'm gay, right? I've always been interested in girls... and besides, Jack has always been somewhat affectionate... but seen from a friendly perspective, since I would never feel anything romantic for a man.
Jack noticed when I pulled away from him, and it seems the rest noticed my discomfort too, as Pretzel asked if everything was okay.
Rusty: "Yeah, why do you ask?"
Pretzel: "You made some unusual gestures, Rusty, but I guess it was nothing."
Jack: "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Rusty; that wasn't my intention."
Clearly, Jack noticed my behavior, but I decided not to dwell on it.
Rusty: "Don't worry about it; just... try not to hug me again."
Jack: "Understood."
Jack looked a bit surprised, and so did the others, but they decided not to dwell on it. We continued with our day, visiting shops, enduring how McKenzie and Bluey kissed in public, like the lovebirds they are, while Pretzel enjoyed chatting with me and Jack.
Rusty: "I never imagined there were so many indigenous languages in Mexico."
Pretzel: "Yes, my moms emigrated from Mexico to Australia to promote indigenous Mexican cultures and also to learn more about Aboriginal customs."
Jack: "Incredible, I'd love to visit Mexico one day, or even go back to the States with Rusty. Remember when you got sick because you went out shirtless in the snow haha."
Pretzel: "Haha, why did you do that, Rus?"
I fell silent.
Jack: "Because according to him, he would never get sick from the cold."
While they both laughed, I just stood there frozen. I had only recently learned that two moms, despite having been friends for a year, raised Pretzel. How could I overlook that?
I mean, I really like Pretzel; he's a great friend who cares about us, but... being raised by two moms wouldn't make you... different?
Rusty: "Pretzel, do you have a girlfriend?"
Pretzel: "No, I haven't found the right one yet."
Rusty: "The right one, meaning you do like girls, right?"
Pretzel was taken back by my question.
Jack looked at me with a tense expression, and the air was filled with discomfort when my question went unanswered.
Rusty: "I think it's time for me to go home. My dad is coming back today. Say goodbye to Bluey and McKenzie for me... Goodbye."
I hurriedly got up and headed towards the plaza's exit, but Jack stopped me by grabbing my arm. Even though Jack was never physically strong, I felt like he could knock me down at that moment.
Jack: "What's wrong with you, Rusty? After a month without seeing each other, your homophobic attitude ruins everything."
Rusty: "I'm not homophobic; I just prefer not to associate with those kinds of people."
Jack: "You were the one who introduced Pretzel into our group. He had no one, and now you treat him with those questions. Do you realize how hurtful that can be for him?"
Rusty: "There's no problem in being selective with my friendships. If I want to keep a certain distance, it's my decision."
Jack: "And if I were gay, would you just cut all ties with me? Would you let over 10 years of friendship crumble?"
Jack's question left me thinking. Could I really stop being friends with Jack if he were gay?
Jack: "ANSWER, RUSTY. You're not a child anymore. You're 16 years old. Is that closed-minded way of thinking really more important to you than our friendship?"
Rusty: "YES, IT IS!"
Jack's eyes filled with tears, his face red with emotion. Overwhelmed by the situation, I quickly left and arrived home an hour earlier than expected.
Rose: "You're back sooner than I expected, dear. How was your day?"
Rusty: "All good."
I replied shortly to the conversation my mom was trying to start.
Rose: "It's strange that you come back with such an angry face. Did something happen? Did you fight with Jack or someone else?"
HEARING HIS NAME MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL, but... I also feel a bit sad; I'm sure none of them will talk to me after this.
I go to my room and lock myself in. I open WhatsApp and see over 40 new messages in the group, all asking where I was. It makes sense; I left without saying a single word. I decided not to reply to any and simply press the "Exit Group" option. After all, I have nothing to contribute to a group of friends who are so "open-minded," yet I can't shake this uncomfortable feeling in my stomach and the lump in my throat.
Finally, all that was left to do was wait a little longer for my favorite person in the world to arrive: my dad. He's always there when I need him, ready to offer support and the best advice. I'm sure he'll help me deal with this situation. Maybe he can even facilitate a reconciliation with Jack... or simply help me distract myself a bit. After all, it's been over seven months since I last saw him. What could go wrong?
As I waited, memories of the moments shared with my father flooded my mind. The afternoons we played cricket in the garden, his wise advice on life and friendships, his contagious laughter that filled the house with joy. I felt a mix of anticipation and relief knowing he would soon be here, ready to listen and offer his unique perspective.
However, a slight anxiety also crept in. How would my father react if I told him about the conflict with Jack and my friends? Could he understand my position? The idea of disappointing him or facing his disapproval worried me, but at the same time, I longed for his wisdom and reassuring presence.
As I thought about all these things, the sound of the door opening downstairs signaled that my father had finally arrived.