The Blog

Berwald 2: Simmering

Berwald stood by the window, staring out at the beautiful scenery outside his hospital room. The clear blue skies, bright sunshine, chirping birds, and pretty flowers were a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside him. The doctor said he should be discharged in a few more days, but he just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. "Berwald..."

He turned around to see his friend, Timo, standing in the doorway. "Are you all right, Ber? I want to apologize for how I reacted. It was inappropriate and very cruel on my part. The fact that someone recorded this, oh God... this is all my fault. Oh, God! What have I done? I almost killed my best friend! I don't even deserve to call myself-"

Berwald interrupted him, "Timo, stop worrying. None of this is your fault."

Timo rushed over and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry! I was so scared but you're okay! Thank God that you're alive! I thought that you never wanted to-"

Sigurd, another friend of Berwald's, scowled from the doorway. "Too loud. It's about damn time you came or I would've personally dragged you out of your bedroom."

Berwald couldn't help but smile at his friends' antics. Even though they weren't quite ordinary, he cared for all of them, including the prickly-haired moron who's currently playing 'We Will Rock You' with his utensils.

Berwald's mother visited him every day, always bringing a full course meal with her. He wouldn't be surprised if he gained weight by the time he was discharged. He figured his parents would have found out the truth about him by now.

As she presented him with a whole pie, Berwald decided it was time to tell his mother the truth. "Mamma, I'm gay."

Victoria unceremoniously dropped the pie on the floor. 

"I've known since I was twelve, and I've never been attracted to any of the girls who I've brought over for dinner. I just wanted to make you two happy."

She took a deep breath before sitting next to her son. Her hands caressed his scalp as she held him. "We can't be happy if our son is suffering. I can't shake the feeling that there's something else going on."

"I confessed my feelings to Timo, and he didn't return them. Someone was recording us and posted it online. No one knew the truth, mamma. Not even Mikkel."

"You can take your classes online if you want to. You can even change schools if you want."

"No. I'm going to attend like everyone else."

"Are you sure? Please don't force yourself."

"Yes, I want to go. It's not as if they'll say anything that I haven't heard before."

"All right, if that's what you want. Always remember that you have those options if it gets too much for you."

Berwald couldn't wait to meet up with his friends and attend shop class again. He also couldn't wait to find out who was responsible for recording him and Timo and posting it online. He wanted to smash their head against the concrete walls.