Oscar Glyde Won't Heal Your Pride

14: Straight Like An Arrow

Chapter 14: Straight Like An Arrow

[Pickup truck, Walmart parking lot, 2:44 PM, Dance Dance Revolution]

ABDUL'S MOM: (pulls out crumpled flyer from the car floor) "What's this thing?"

ABDUL: "That's nothing. Just the Valentine's Day dance."

ABDUL'S MOM: (amused) "Valentine's Day dance? Who're you going with?"

ABDUL: "I'm not going."

ABDUL'S MOM: "That ain't okay, sweetheart. Why don't you take Charity? You can ask her out, buy her some nice flowers. Roses; I like some roses."

ABDUL: "Mom, whatever. Can we start driving, now?"

ABDUL'S MOM: "I want my baby to go to school events again." (strokes his hair back) "Hm? You used to go to everything."

ABDUL: "School events got stupid."

ABDUL'S MOM: "What makes you so much better than them, hm? You outgrew dances, sweetheart? I think Charity would love it if you asked her. Bet she didn't outgrow dances."

ABDUL: "Charity and I aren't friends anymore."

ABDUL'S MOM: "What do you mean? Of course you are. I remember you two as children. Always sharing umbrellas and holding hands. Why? Has she got a fella?"

ABDUL: (not pleased) "Something like that."

ABDUL'S MOM: "Oh, no. What's her fella's name? You've got to tell me everything, now. Is he good-looking, at least?"

ABDUL: "She's got herself a girlfriend."

ABDUL'S MOM: (scandalised) "What? A girlfriend? Like, a best friend?"

ABDUL: "A real girlfriend."

ABDUL'S MOM: (having trouble understanding) "Why? Is she a lesbian?"

ABDUL: "Yeah."

ABDUL'S MOM: "Hmph. I always liked her. Good thing you're staying away, now that you know what she's doing. That's my baby."

ABDUL: "Does her being gay make her bad?"

ABDUL'S MOM: "It's not bad, sweetheart. Our God just ain't approve. He don't approve, we don't approve. You understand?"

ABDUL: "No."

ABDUL'S MOM: (rubbing his shoulder) "You will when you grow up a bit. Everything's so confusing, now. We've got all these people protesting and fighting and arguing. Where's the harmony, Abdul? You just got to keep a straight head. Straight like an arrow. Don't get caught up in all this 'gay this' and 'gay that', 'women's rights' and 'GMOs'. Keep your head clear, baby. Be kind, that's all you can be."

ABDUL: "You should be kind, too."

ABDUL'S MOM: (indignant) "Of course. I always am. Never not been. Just don't want my baby getting any ideas, is all."

ABDUL: "Ideas, such as?"

ABDUL'S MOM: "It's good you're staying away from Charity."

ABDUL: "I'm not going to become gay if I hang out with gay people."

ABDUL'S MOM: "Just keep doing what you been doing, sweetheart. Don't listen to all the noise. Let's go home, now."

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