Chapter Thirteen

A life changing dinner.

The room busted up with laughter. STARs was really forming together well. When someone messed up we shared a laugh. We were turning into a tight nit family. Hayden looked up at me with her big chocolate brown eyes. They gleamed brightly. The past few weeks she and I got closer and closer. It was nice to have a friend that I was allowed to see.

Parker and I had to be very secretive of our relationship. Day after day it was harder to hold it in. I wanted everyone to know the love I had for this wonderful boy.

At lunch I sat at my table. Bridger was on the phone with Harper again. His blue eyes flicked over my face as he talked to her. Over his shoulder I could see Parker sitting with his friend. The light blue eyes never left my face through the whole meal. There was a deep pain inside of the eyes, almost a longing pain. He wanted to be with me just as much as I wanted to be with him.

I stood up in my seat and stared straight at him. He realized that I wanted him to follow me. Bridger stared at me, the phone still glued to the side of his face. One eye brow lifted and he shook his head. I spun on my heels and started walking out of the cafeteria. There were footsteps close behind me.

My feet picked up speed as I walked towards the bathroom. I heard the door close behind me and finally I turned around. Parker stood in the middle of the blue tiled room. His hands were placed on his hips and a quirky smile was on his face.

Slowly he stepped closer to me. His eyes never left mine during his movement. He grabbed my shirt and pulled it closer into his chest. His lips pressed into mine tightly. They wound together like they were meant to be there. “Why can’t this be our life?” I said as we both took a break for air. “Why can’t we be out with this?”

His hand let go of my shirt and he stepped away. “I don’t know, why can’t we, Russ?” There was almost a demeaning tone in his voice.

We were both silent for a moment. “I’ll tell them.” I said softly, “Tonight at dinner. I’ll tell them.”

The blue spheres on his face rounded even more. “You will?” his lips twitched slightly.

My head nodded up and down and I leaned against the sinks. “I need to come clean. I can’t live a lie anymore.”

Parker walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “That’s my boy. I knew you were in there somewhere.”

So this was it the big reveal? Did I actually have what it took to come out to my parents? We would find out soon.

 

Dinner was even quieter than I had planned. The food stayed in the center of my plate as I stared down at it. Bridger looked at me from across the table. There was a dull look in his eyes. He needed to go, and soon. I knew inside he was fighting the same battle as I was. He had no idea when to tell our parents.

Piper chewed her food noisily next to me. She was also staring at me. Was there something on my face? Quickly I cleared my throat, but someone beat me to the words. “I have to go back to Reno.” Bridger spoke quickly.

My mother and father looked at each other then down to Bridger. My mother was the only one who spoke, “why do you think that?” she asked quietly.

“We’re in the middle of the season, Bridg.” My father was the second to add his opinion.

Bridger looked at me. My eyes got wide in fear. There was no telling what would happen next. “I got Harper Pregnant.” He said loudly. My mother gasped and my father froze. Piper stopped chewing next to me and all the food in Blake’s mouth dropped back onto his plate.

“What did you say?” My father’s jaw tightened and his face took on a red tint.

“Harper’s pregnant dad, she’s having twins.”

My mother started to cry. Her hands were over her mouth and she looked over the whole table. “Why would you do this to us Bridger?”

“I didn’t do anything to you. This is my life and my choice. It doesn’t affect you.”

“To hell it doesn’t affect us, Bridger.  So what’re you going to do? You’re going to go back to Reno and become a father, what then son?”

Bridger shrugged, “I’ve talked to the new head coach and he says I can get back on the team as starting quarterback. If I can get a scholarship from there I’m pretty much set.”

“I can’t believe you’d do this Bridger, after all we’ve done for you.” She sobbed into her hands quietly. My father rubbed her shoulder. “Kids you should go to your rooms.”

“No,” Bridger snapped. “This is life and they should have to hear this also.”

My father flexed his strong arms. The veins started to pop in his neck. I thought maybe his large melon head would finally explode. “You are the biggest disappointment this family has ever seen. Why can’t you be like Daniel?”

“What is so wonderful about Daniel?” Bridger started to raise his voice. “I realize he’s your golden child, but look what you have here. I’ve busted my a*s for you Jason. I’ve tried to be all that I could be, but it was never enough for you. Now I’m going to start my own family and be the father you should’ve been.” He stood up and put his napkin on the table. “Mom, you also have no room to talk. At least my children will know who their father is.”

My dad stood up and started yelling. His fists pounded into the table, “Don’t you ever talk to your mother that way. You’re a disgrace and I want you out of here. Don’t ever come back do you hear me?”

Bridger stomped off to our room. My father carefully sat back down and rubbed my mother’s shoulder. “What a disgrace to our name.”

I bit my lip and looked over at Piper. Her eyes were wide with fear. Blake’s mouth still hung wide open. “I guess now’s a good a time as ever,” I said loudly so everyone could hear me.

“What is it Russ?” My father was rubbing the back of his neck now.

I shrugged, “I’m gay.”

The whole room went silent. Blake’s eyes stared up at me now. It looked almost as if his jaw was dislocated from his mouth. My father glared down the table at me, “Get the hell out of this room, NOW!”

I did as he said. Quickly my feet carried me to my room. Bridger was packing a large bag of clothes. It was the last bag he had to pack. I looked at him and smiled, “I took some of the heat off of you?”

He smiled, “yeah that seems impossible. How’d you do that?”

“I told them the truth, the truth that I’m gay.”

Bridger stopped packing and looked up at me, “Really?” He asked. My head nodded for an answer and he walked over and hugged me. “You’re a strong kid, Russ.” He kissed the top of my head and zipped up his bag. “Will you send the rest of my stuff when you can?”

I nodded my head. “I’ll miss you.” I always thought it would be harder to say goodbye to Bridger. Now that I knew I had Parker on my side it wasn’t so hard. Life was really looking up for me. “Call me when you can.”

Bridger walked over to me and kissed my cheek. “I’ll miss you more than you can even imagine.” I hugged his torso. He pulled away and looked at me, “It’s that Parker boy isn’t it?” A smile crossed my face and Bridger play punched me in the jaw. “Make sure he treats you right, alright?” We both smiled at each other for a moment. “Keep the car, I won’t need it. Isaac is picking me up.”

I nodded slightly and tapped his shoulder. “Give Harper my love.” A car honked outside of the house.

“You know it bro.” he kissed the side of my head one more time then hit me with his bag. “Good luck,” he saluted with his open hand. “You’ll need it.” He turned and walked down the hall. With those last words, my hero, and protector was gone.

Author's Note

:D. Hope you are all liking it