point proven : stozier

23

"hi margaret, come in," stanley's mother welcomed richie and maggie into the house, a false sense of home. richie picked at his nails. 

andrea had messaged maggie, specifically asking for them to come over so they could have a talk. andrea had refused to elaborate at the time about what. richie was extremely nervous.

"hi andrea, what's this all about again?" maggie said. 

"i just wanted to ask you something about richie," as andrea spoke, maggie saw stanley sitting on the couch behind her. donald was quiet, sitting at a table. 

stanley looked miserable. his hands were shaking, and he refused to look up at richie. he looked freezing. richie walked toward him and andrea cast a suspicious glance, richie sitting on the couch across from stanley instead of beside him. the couch felt like concrete beneath him. 

"oh, okay," maggie said, suspicious. she sat down in a chair at a table, as did andrea. 

andrea looked like she was preparing herself.

"are you okay?" richie whispered to stanley across the space between them. it seemed to travel slowly, but eventually, stanley looked up at him. his eyes were bloodshot. 

"i'm sorry." he whispered back, his voice hoarse. richie could tell his nose was plugged. richie furrowed his eyebrows.

"for what?" richie's voice held a tone of disbelief, as if stanley could do no wrong.

"i'm sorry," stanley paused, "i think i love you."

"what?"

stanley looked back down, and richie turned his head to andrea as she began to speak. his mind was racing, and his ears starting quietly ringing.  

"did you know that your son is a homosexual, and turned my boy gay? is that not sickening?" andrea began, donald looking away from the conversation. richie wondered if donald didn't agree with andrea. richie felt a lump growing in his throat, and suddenly he understood everything stanley had said. 

"what the fuck?" maggie dropped an f bomb, richie's eyes widening. "what the fuck did you just say about richie?"

"he's gay, it's a disgrace, i know, and goes against all morals," andrea continued, waving her hands. maggie looked like she was about to explode. richie had never seen his mother so mad.

"richie, leave, you don't have to hear this," she turned to him, and he shook his head. he glanced from her to stanley.

"no, mom," his look lingered on stanley, and he could tell andrea noticed. 

"leave." his mom commanded, and he knew he could do nothing to change her mind.

he turned back to stanley, "you have nothing to be sorry for."

richie backed to the door and opened it slightly, looking once more at stanley, whose head was now in his hands. richie shut the door and stood directly outside of it. he placed his ear on the door, hoping he could pass through the wood to be there fofr stanley.

"what the hell is wrong with you?! you think because he likes other boys that he's a disgrace? he's human, andrea! and so is stanley!" the rest of the conversation richie couldn't hear quite so well. about a minute later, he heard his mother huff and march back to the door.

"i'm sorry, richie, i'm so sorry," his mom shut the front door of the uris household hard and walked back to her car, fuming with anger. richie trailed after her.

"mom, is stanley okay?" he asked, glancing back at the house in fear.

"i don't know baby, i don't know. that woman is a monster." she replied.