Restricted Love

A place for us and seven words for you

Andrew stared intensely at a white daisy as he picked at it's petals, the sun beating down on us. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He looked at me and I shifted uncomfortably. I wasn't used to being outside very often. My mom would always keep me locked up most of the time. She thought it'd keep me from turning gay. Normal boys would stay inside and play video games, but I wanted to be in the forest, running around and even tripping sometimes. Other kids would always show off their ugly red scars they got from skateboarding or doing whatever it is they were doing. Outside. Well, mom, you thought wrong, even after all those years of being cooped up..I'm still gay! "Aiden?"

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, it's...great." I hope he believed me. It wasn't a lie, but I had a feeling the way I said it came out wrong. I mean, who wouldn't think this place was beautiful? This seemed too good to be true in my perspective. It was a small opening, surrounded by trees, bushes, flowers and even a few butterflies. The sun sprinkled it's light all around, not too bright, but just right. I'd never believe anybody if they told me about a spot like this in a city like ours. Never in a thousand years. That is, until now.

"How'd you find this area?" I asked, squinting my eyes when my gaze caught the hot glare of the sun. I never knew why, but it'd had always been a dream of mine to actually see the sun, see the real beauty of it, without wanting to break the stare. No way that'd ever happen in my life time though. I was so focused on my thoughts, that when a sigh came from Andrew, I almost jumped out of my skin. There was a slight breeze that passed by, nearly making me fall sideways. Andrew carefully pulled off petals, opening his hand, and watching them as they flew off with the wind.

"Well," he started. "I ran away one night and took the path into these woods. And..you know my dad, always trying to be the stupid fucking hero for my mom, comes after me. I knew because I could hear him calling out to me not too far behind. While I was walking, I figured he would follow the sidewalk, just as I was. And I was sure, that if he ran fast enough, he'd catch up to me, so I fled from it. And I just kept walking through all these trees and bushes until I stumbled into this.." He had been looking at me as he talked, but after the last word, he dropped his stare and had some sort of expression on his face that told me something was wrong. Huge big ass red flag?

"You ran away? Why?" I scooted up so that I was right in front of him, but he just turned around, his back to me and I rolled my eyes. "Don't be such a butt wipe, wise guy. Grow a pair of balls and tell me!" No kind of response. That's when I felt my nose scrunch up. Oh hell no.

I locked my arms around his waist, pulling him down with little problem. He tried to restrain from it, but I was stronger then he was. Yeah, throwing a basketball up in the air, and trying to get it through a hoop really pays off sometimes. Andrew's head was now in my lap and he smiled, gripping my wrists.

"I love it when you pout like that. You look sexy when you do." He said, winking at me. I wanted to laugh because at times, Andrew just fails at winking, and these were one of those times. Then it came to me what he had just said. The only reply I could think of? "I am not pouting!" 

He shrugged. "Yeah, who are you going to believe? Me? Or you? Ahem, last time I recall, at this very moment, I can see your face. You can't without a mirror. And," he faked a cough. "No mirrors around!"

Hold on a minute! "Wait, shut up! I know what you're doing, but it won't work on me. Don't change the subject," I said, glaring down at him. Now this guy was just messing with me.

"What won't work?" He smiled transitioned into a big grin smacked across his face.

I was serious now and my patience was growing thinner by the second. Yeah, he was a smart ass, but luckily, I've had my little cousin to practice with beforehand.

"Andrew, I mean it." My voice came out so firmly that I didn't even think it was me speaking. "Why did you run away?" Nothing, but silence for a few seconds. "You can tell me," I whispered softly.

I'm guessing that he finally realized that play time was over and gave in. Slowly, and with a small amount of effort, he sat upright, then leaned his back against my chest, glancing at me sideways. "I came out. Told my parents...that I was fully gay. Step mom didn't give a fuck, and my dad...he yelled at me and attempted to attack me." I flinched at the second to last word and I hoped that Andrew didn't feel me do that, but he just kept talking anyway. "So...I ran off. Couldn't take it."

My arms wrapped around Andrew tightly, almost protectively. A new respect had grown inside of me for him. I'd never have enough courage to tell my mom or dad that. It made me ashamed that I had them on the story, that I was the perfect straight son on the basketball team dating my friend who was a girl, when really I was the gay boy who had a secret love life with another boy in a town that hates gay people. So then, only seven words came out of my mouth.

"You're the strongest person I've ever met..."