Wrong number {Style fanfic SP}

19 - Honestly

-~- (Stan's POV)

I need to ask my parents If I can be out hosting a really small party til an unknown time on a Sunday. They're reluctant with the combination Sunday and evening meetings. They're always talking about how I should get home early because I have school the next day. Now It's even worse cause I have no clue how long that welcoming will last. It may be over in just an hour if they want us to leave so they can unpack and prepare for the next day. They also might invite us inside and spend entire evening getting to know us. I have no indication which one is more likely. I would ask Kyle, however this is a surprise so that option isn't really an option anymore.

So I need permission. I have plans already with my mom on Sunday that I now have to cancel too. It's a rather embarrassing story. I was talking to my mom over dinner and I accidentally promised her to help with groceries that Sunday. Since I felt too bad to take it back at that moment and too unprepared to explain my whole Kyle-situation, I left it. Now im confronted with either helping my mom with her groceries and arrive late, or I can cancel that promise now and be there on time. Of course, the first one is the worst thing I could do. I can't even imagine myself doing that. I'm more likely to arrive hours too early out of enthusiasm.

"Moomm..?" I put up my sweetest smile as I step into my parents' room. The smell of cleaning supplies contaminated the air. My mom was standing at a dresser when she turned to me, almost accidentally kicking a bucket. "Oh yes dear?" I step inside. "Well uh, we're kind of welcoming a new family, and I'm invited." I explain shyly. She nods a 'go on'. "It's on Sunday, I'm not sure how late it ends, but I have to be there at 2."

"Oh, you can go! Don't worry about the groceries. That's really nice, do you know someone from the family?" I turn my face away as she said it. If I knew someone... "Eh, yeah." I mutter. No use lying, in the end it would only make everything worse. I had too many bad experiences with stupid lies like that to know I should suck it up, and be honest. "Oh that's amazing! You never told us about them? What's their name?" She interrogates, putting her wet towel down to completely focus on me. "Ehm, his uh, name is... Kyle." I answer. "Such a beautiful name! Is he nice? How did you meet?" "Uhhh, accidentally... he's uh, really, uh... nice." I shivered. I loved how she was interested, but these questions were already getting too much for me.

"Are they moving in that house like, a street away?" My mom asks. Finally, another sort of question that isn't about Kyle. "Oh yeah! We're also welcoming them right there." I grin. "Aha, that's good! Do you like Kyle?"

I shot an offended look at her. My heart dropping and sinking through the floor. Likely dragging all my pride along with it. "Sorry, what?" I must've heard it wrong. There's no way she knew. "I asked if you liked him sweetie." My mom smiled so sweetly at me I almost broke down. "You know too? How? How do you even see that?" I reply. My eyes started to feel heavy. "Well, cause you're not saying anything bad ab- ooh, oh? Huh?" She stopped in the middle of her sentence, realizing something only to get confused by it.

"What do you mean dear?" She asks. Wait, there's no way this happened again. Did she seriously only wonder if I liked him... as a friend? If I got along with him well? And I assumed she meant it romantically, again? "Huh, oh no nothing yes I like him." I excuse. My mom frowned at me. "You're straight, right?" She didn't question me threateningly. It was more of a genuine question. Voiced so casually, as if it were any question.

I don't know how to answer. I don't think I want to answer. I'm not ready for a surprise coming out. Neither do I want to say I'm straight and end up having to tell her later, especially now that I'm so deep into this crush.

The silence said enough. "Really?" She tried to confirm. I kept my mouth shut. I will let fate decide for once if she can know now or if I'll postpone my coming out. It's whatever she makes of it. "But, wait, huh? How? Why? Why Stan?" Now I was starting to get even more scared. Where are the jokes? The 'I always knew'? The support? Why is this so serious, so cold. As if I confessed to crime and she's wondering how I could bring myself to do something like that.