Coming Out

This story is written with pure dialogue, and depicts the moment of a gay teen (Miles) coming out of the closet.

“Hey Miles?”

“Yeah mom?”

“Can you please hand me the remote?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, sure.”

“Thanks… Hey, is everything alright?”

“Uh, yeah. Ha-ha. Of course. Uh, why do you ask?”

“I don’t know " you just seem… you know… a little… a little off tonight?”

“Oh-no-mom, I’m fine. Like, seriously.”

“Well, you know, if there’s anything you want to tell me… you can, right?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Is there something that I should be worried about?”

“Mom! I said ‘I’m fine.’”

“Miles…”

“Ugh, I’m just gonna go to my room, okay?”

“Alright. Fine. Do what you need to do… and don’t forget to shut your blinds while you’re up there! It’s going to get chilly tonight!”

“Hey, sport!”

“Hi…”

“Huh… what’s gotten into him?”

“Oh honey, I just have no idea. He’s been a little antsy these last few nights, and just gave me lip. I’m a little worried about him.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, dear.”

“Do you think something’s going on with him… at school?”

“Well, none of his teachers have called, yet.”

“Hmm… well maybe he’s feeling sick.”

“Only at night?”

“What if he’s started taking drugs?”

“I doubt it, dear. He’s a good kid.”

“Why aren’t you as worried about this as I am? Our fifteen-year-old son is probably contemplating suicide, and you’re acting like there’s nothing wrong with him! We need to be here for him!”   

“Jeanne! Just. Calm. Down. He’s only a teenage boy. What isn’t wrong with him? I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Ugh. Well… when you were young, was there anything you kept a secret from your parents?”

“Ha! The real question is " what didn’t I keep a secret from my parents?”

“Really? Hm. I always told my parents everything.”

“Oh, really? Come on, all teenagers have secrets.”

“Seriously, I always told my mom when I made a mistake or something of the sort. She’d tell me, ‘well your grandmother would say, “you should take it as a warning, and not do it again,” you’d do well to remember that.’”

“Ha. My mom would have said, ‘just go outside, I don’t have time for that right now,’ while my father would be like, ‘I’m gonna open a can of whoop-a*s on you… don’t make me get my belt!’”

“Well then, I guess we grew up in different"”

“I’m gay! Okay? Like, that’s it! That’s what’s been on my chest all this time!”

“…”

“…”

“Well… are either of you going to say anything? I’m gay… like, come on… I mean, I’m still the same person I was before, and I promise you guys that nothing is going to be different. I just like guys more than I like girls. Is that okay? … Are you going to say anything?”

“Hmm… well, that depends, son… what did you want to hear?”

“Oh my God… ugh… I knew it. You guys wouldn’t be cool with it. Ugh.”

“Excuse me, Miles.”

“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry, I-really-really-am.”

“Son… did you want to hear how Jesus said, ‘homosexuality is a sin,’ and you know how that Jesus was with his, ‘man shalt not lay with another man…’ is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Dad, I know that stuff " I’ve heard it like, a million times " but listen, I’m okay with that. I can’t help being me. Like, Mom… Dad… I am… ugh… I am my own person. I just like men… like, please.”

“Miles… it’s alright!”

“What?”

“Miles… you’re getting worked up over nothing.”

“But-but-but…”

“Son, we don’t care that you’re gay… we’re… right? We’re actually… well… we’re proud of you.”

“You guys aren’t mad?”

“Why would we be mad?”

“Listen… your father and I made a pact long ago that no matter how you turned out… well, we always said that we’d support you.”

“But…”

“Did you want us to disapprove of it?”

“No… I just… I’m in shock.”

“Well, ha, I mean, it’s not the norm around here… but I could get used to it.”

“No, Dad, like, there’s nothing to get used to… like, I’m gonna be the same as I was before. Just because I’m telling you this, like, it doesn’t mean that I’m gonna change.”

“Miles… you are perfect, no matter what you might think of yourself.”

“Really? It-it’s okay?”

“It really is...”

“Ugh, thank you. Ha-ha. That takes a big weight off my shoulders.”

“Miles, we’re always here to talk to you… and I don’t want you to think that we’d disapprove of anything you ever did. We’re here to support you 100 percent.”

“Yeah, we are.”

“Thank you. Oh- thank-you-thank-you-thank-you.”

“Now, because I’m your nosy mother - I’ve got to ask… are you seeing anyone in particular?”

“Well… ha-ha.”          

Author's Note

This was a story written for my advanced writing class. The whole story had to be told in purely dialogue. Tell me what you like and what you don't like! :D

If some of the dialogue seems odd, it's because I had to include the following:
-A double quote
-A double-double quote
-A split-double quote
-A triple quote

I received a 90 on this assignment.

Reviews

[Rogie-Dodge]

I love the style .. that it's all dialog, yet I didn't get lost as to who says what at all (which could easily have happened).
And it is a really positive story, hopefully it could help some guys (or girls) afraid of coming out. Sometimes one's parents can surprise you.
I wonder if there is a LGBT site that might like to publish this ?? It would be worth investigating, and I'm sure it would be rewarding for you if this story could help others.

[Cody]

If you find one, let me know! I'd love that!! :D

[Rogie-Dodge]

Perhaps you could get in touch with one of these

http://www.comingout.com.au/
http://whenicameout.com/
http://www.rucomingout.com/
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

Cheers !! :D

[writer joe]

this would be great on television
maybe yes, i wanna start a worldwide mental health channel
and your stuff would be cool, now, i know, your not mental
but, i just did the twelve days of christmas blokes style
and dudes, i got people joining in
and dude, there are a lot of talent there as well
i write stuff out of me
in do tapestries as well, and display them
on art3000.com, i am xfactorgiant
i have done tapestry wool designs
of new homeless centres
i could own the world one day
and i want more people like you
to put input, to mend each blade of grass
ok, i am aaron clayton, santa with a top hat
ok, have a look
i read some of those stories on it
catch ya later

[Bowers]

This is incredible, and so relatable, so many people, im sure, go through this. You've capture the feelins perfectly. Great dialogue. Definitely should have gotten a 100! .. just saying.

[Riding the Rainbow]

I really liked it..just the way it is..

[Marie]

THis is good. You got your quotes put in. This site has a glitch. If you copy and paste from Word, dashes become quote marks. This can be confusing. I got out of the story that this boy really wanted his parents to disapprove--which would be typical. Teenagers don't want their parents' approval.

[wrote.here]

Unexpected and a bold move! hands down absolutely brilliant :)

[Penny]

Wonderful. Flawless. I loved this piece, not only the way itwas writtrn butalso thestory. You are going long wayas a writer..

[Ross Brooks]

I really liked the overbearing mother character. Reminds me of my own mother. I think it's pretty challenging to write a straight dialogue story and you nailed it. the characters were very believable and the story didn't stutter. One thing I might look at is the paragraph where the son comes out to his parents. I was under the impression that he was in his room and to have him appear like that was a little confusing.

[Cody]

Yes. He was in his room, but since I couldn't use outside detail, I couldn't draw him coming back into the living room with the parents. I do agree, it's abrupt, but it makes for a great... shall I say... instantaneous climax. Ahaha. Thank you so much! :D