The Church Boys ➸ Peterick/Brentrick

21: The Boys Next Door Are Still Assholes

"Mom? Dad? I...I'm gay."

Pete stood in front of his family, completely silent when they said nothing. He was shaking as they stared him down, both clearly unsure of what to say. He'd spent two nights with Patrick last week, and the first time he spent the night with him was two weeks before, and it just felt like the right time to come out to them.

Yet, as soon as the words were out, he knew that it wasn't. He knew that this wasn't the time, and it never would be to come out to them. Because the silence that screamed throughout the room was enough to stab a stake into his heart and drive it all the way through and into the ground.

"Peter?" his mother began softly. "We don't want to kick you out."

His father narrowed his eyes. "Peter, we are a good Christian family. I can accept and love you, but not your homosexuality. You can either date a girl, or you can pack up your things and leave." Pause. "Unless you really want conversion therapy-"

"No! No, Dad...I'll date a girl. I'll make myself fall in love with her- just...please...don't make me go." Was there any place he could go? Nobody he knew would be able to support him, a high school Junior, for more than three weeks without him having to move to another house. He'd have to drop out of high school. Lord knows what else he'd have to do to survive.

"That's a good choice."

"Peter, we still love you, we just don't want you making mistakes in God's eyes. We want you to go to heaven too."

He turned to leave, though paused when his father spoke again. "Are you dating a boy now, Peter?"

"I'm breaking up with him tomorrow." There was no way around it. They'd investigate him if he came home with a girl that looked a little too butch if he asked a friend to pretend to be his girlfriend, and if he just became single and never dated anyone, they'd probably send him to conversion therapy in hopes it would switch his preference to girls.

"Good. If he ever comes around here, you let me know and I'll make sure that he gets what's coming." Pause. "And Peter, if I ever catch you with another boy, you'll be out on the streets, do you understand?"

"Yeah, dad."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, dad."

"Good." Another pause, this time his father analyzing Pete's movements. "Have we met the boy before?"

Pete, at this, shook his head. "No, no you haven't," he lied. He could at least do Patrick one favor: not having to deal with his father. Though, he supposed this also meant Patrick could keep the summer job if his father didn't know he was gay. 

"Alright." 

The soccer player was quiet for a long moment. "Can I go up to my room?"

"Yes, go."

Pete was honestly convinced that he hadn't ever cried more than he had when he went upstairs to his room to come face-to-face with the fact that he had to give up the only thing he'd known for sure that he'd actually loved. Yet, he didn't know how to handle this. How to break up with Patrick, or even if he still should. Because Patrick was good at faking being with a girl for his own dad- Kirstie played his girlfriend well.

But what would happen if he was caught with Patrick somehow? He'd be thrown out, and Pete wasn't exactly sure he'd have anywhere to go, or anyone to go to. 

Still, he figured it would be best just to break up with him. Or...figure out some other option. He didn't exactly know. But, he pulled out his phone and found himself texting a girl he shared a few classes with that had always been pretty, and recently single. She was the kind of girl that was fine dating anyone as long as they had money and a dick, even if that meant risks. Claire was a bit of a whore at times, but it didn't matter. Pete didn't care. She would fit his needs for the time being to appease his father.