One Kiss

Chapter 5

Zayden shoved his food around his plate without eating much.

"Zay, sweetie, is everything all right?" his mother asked.

He looked up and forced a smile. "Yeah, everything is fine, Lyssie and I just got into a little argument about something."

"I'm sure you'll work it out, you are friends after all and friends do fight."

He nodded but he wasn't as certain as his mother seemed. This wasn't a fight over what movie to see or where to go to eat or the fact either was hanging out with someone else more. It was bigger than that. So much bigger.

His father slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't look so down, you two have fought before."

"Yeah, we have but this is a lot bigger and I'm not sure it can be fixed."

"Do you want to talk about it?" his mother asked with a sympathetic smile.

He poked at his fish with his fork before he finally looked up at his mother. "Her cousin came out, I want to support her. She's my friend, but the church says it's wrong. I can't reconcile the two." He watched his mother's face scrunch in distaste.

"It's very wrong. The family should handle it. I can give you some pamphlets to give to her if you'd like. There's this wonderful camp that helps teens deal with these types of feelings, sort them out so they realize what they're feeling is wrong so they can reconcile with God. I can go fetch them right now if you'd like." She made to rise from her seat.

He shook his head. "Right thanks, Mom, but I don't think she'd accept them. Her family is very supportive, they don't see it as something that needs fixing. It isn't a choice her cousin made, it's simply how he is."

She set her utensils down very slowly and deliberately. "Zayden, I understand there aren't a lot of people who feel as we do about homosexuality, but perhaps it's time you began spending more time with some of the kids from church and cut ties with Alyssa, it might be easier to deal with them. I mean, after all, you'd have more in common."

He wanted to laugh at that. So much for attempting to broach the subject of being gay with them. They weren't going to change their views. "Alyssa is my best friend and I'm not going to ditch her because she has different views on things than I do. That's not very Christian, is it?"

His father sighed. "No, I suppose it isn't, just consider what your mother is saying. You would have more in common with the kids from church. Even if you don't spend time with them exclusively, it might be nice to talk with some people whose views align more closely with yours."

"Fine, I'll think about it, but I'm not about to drop Alyssa as my best friend. I'm not hungry and I have homework to do." He left before he did something stupid and blurted out that he didn't have a damn thing in common with the kids from church because he was gay and they'd despise him for that. He felt one hell of an urge to cry, to weep until he was exhausted from it. Once in his room, he got out everything to do his homework and sat there staring at his laptop screen blankly. He couldn't concentrate, his thoughts were too scattered and erratic. He gave a start when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he called out.

His mother stuck her head into the room. "You left before I could let you know that your father and I are going to the Nelson's to play some bridge. We'll be home a little later."

He nodded. "Have fun."

"Call Alyssa, maybe you two can talk it out."

"I'll think about it," he told her with a small smile.

"The leftovers are in the fridge if you decide you want something to eat."

"Thanks, Mom."

With a nod, she left.