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Far Out ((Part 5)) |
| Written by Sneh =] | |
| Friday, 11 April 2008 | |
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Share it:      “Jesse?” His mother called out a singsong sort of tone, stepping into the hall draped in a sparkling blue number that would be much better suited for a night downtown than for a small dinner in the suburbs. “Are you ready?” She shot a vaguely evil grin at him before picking up her coal peacoat and walking to the front door. “Hurry up, or we’ll be late.” Jesse groaned to himself as he watched her dolled-up shadow slink outside behind her. He was all dressed up too, with a bowtie at his collar and glimmering dress shoes encompassing his callused feet; there was really no reason for him not to obediently head out the door and into the car, except for the glaring fact that this dinner was not going to be fun for anyone but his mother, who was an incurable gossip. He stared unseeingly at the ajar front door and prayed that something, anything, would stop his mother tonight from ruining Indiana’s adolescence. Of course, it was really his fault anyway, wasn’t it? It was bad enough he had told his own mother he was a homosexual, but did he really have to go so far as to involve Indiana, too? An impatient honk from the Sedan sounded out, and Jesse sighed, knowing his fate was sealed. As he trod with leaden feet to the brown station wagon, a few hopeful plans floated around his mind, but they withered into extinction as the car began to back up into the street. The spotlights cut through the darkness that was beginning to set in, and before long Mrs. Worth had maneuvered the car into the snug little driveway of the small and attractive colonial that just happened to house the small and attractive Indiana Rivers. “Come on now, Jesse,” His mother said with quiet deliberation, her eyes beginning to twinkle with malice as they exited the car and walked in stiff silence up the winding path and stone steps to the door of 14 Smith’s Landing. Clearing her throat, she knocked the door briskly and took a deep breath, as did her anxiety-ridden son. Slowly and steadily the seconds passed as they waited outside in the breezy summer evening; they were almost taken by surprise when the door opened suddenly by a bright-eyed, formally dressed young man, whose wild auburn locks had been temporarily tamed with an excessive mess of hair gel. The boy’s vibrantly green pupils, accompanied by that signature pink-lipped smile, lingered flirtatiously on Jesse for a moment before sauntering over to the dark-haired woman that stood beside him. “Hi,” Indiana said toothily as he opened the door and beckoned them inside. “Um, my grandma’s just in the kitchen finishing up dinner. I’ll just take your coats and hang them up in--” “And your mother?” Mrs. Worth interrupted curtly. “Where is she?” He raised an eyebrow. “She’s back in New York. Is there a reason you want to--” “Well,” She muttered softly, her words just loud enough for her son to catch. “Your mother’s in another state, no wonder you turned out the way you did.” She slung her coat in Indiana’s general direction and walked speedily to the kitchen, every click of her heels against the tiled floor sounding deliberate and planned. The redhead turned in bewilderment to Jesse. “What was that all about?” He asked, his eyebrow forming a high arc on his forehead. “Why does she want to talk to my mom so badly?” Jesse grimaced, finding it difficult to look Indiana in the eye. “Um, well...ok, I don’t really know how to say this...” The sound of dishes falling to the floor distracted him, and he and Indiana both turned their heads toward the kitchen as the sound was followed by a screech of dismay. “That sounded like my grandma,” Indiana said with concern, beginning to race towards the kitchen even as the brunette grabbed onto his shoulder roughly. “No, don’t, please,” Jesse begged desperately, “I’m just...I’m really sorry, alright?” “The hell are you talking about?,” Indiana replied in angry confusion, his attention divided between the other boy and the strange sounds of misery echoing against the walls of the house. “I’ve got to see what the hell’s happening in there!” But before the freckled teen even turned around, the sordid event had moved into the living room. A devilish-looking Mrs. Worth was arguing loudly with a sobbing, gray-haired woman who looked as if she would rather be anywhere else but here. As the pair came closer, their words became clearer. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes!,” Jesse’s mother outrightly screamed at the old woman, “You can’t possibly deny it!” “My grandson’s a good boy!,” Indiana’s grandmother shouted back, tears falling freely onto her wrinkled cheeks. “Don’t you dare call him one of those...one of those fairies!” As avidly as if he was watching a soap opera, Jesse turned to Indiana to see if he was bothered– hadn’t he acted as if he didn’t care who knew?– and found his eyes drawn to the boy’s face like it was a four-way car crash. “How...how did she know?,” Indiana asked faintly, his face completely devoid of its youthful shine and color. Jesse bit his lip. “I sort of told her when we were fighting,” He shamefully admitted. Slowly, Indiana turned his head from the bitter verbal brawl before him to Jesse’s face in such a way that Jesse had to look away. “Why would you do that?,” The Irishman said, his face filled with hurt. “Why?” The question hung unanswered in the air as the two women in the room shifted their attention to Indiana. “This woman’s lying, isn’t she, Jesse?” The old woman’s voice rung out from the corner of the room, her eyes focused on the boy. “Just tell her the truth,” Jesse’s mother added accusingly. “You might as well just own up, seeing as my son has all the evidence I need to show you’re a dirty little pervert.” It was now, seemingly, Indiana’s turn to talk, but no coherent words came from him. “I...but...it’s not...” He stuttered out. “I’m not...” “For god’s sake!,” His grandmother roared. “I know she’s lying, Indiana! Just say it! Just tell me you’re not homosexual!” The redheaded boy discontinued his nonsensical babbling and fell silent. He looked hesitantly at Jesse, then to Mrs. Worth, then to his grandmother. It appeared that shock and despair had welded his lips shut. “Just say something,” Jesse whispered. “Just say you’re not. It’ll be easier.” Indiana shook his head. “No.” He looked up to his grandmother, wincing at the pain building up behind her green-blue eyes. “Grandma...Grandma, I’m sorry.” He swallowed and looked around, as if searching for some pillar of support which he could cling to, before returning unwillingly to his grandmother’s shocked gaze. “She’s right, Grandma. She’s right, and I’m sorry. I’m really, really--” “No!,” She shrieked, stepping backwards as she clutched her chest wildly. “No, you’re not...you can’t...!” The tears begin to flow down Indiana’s own cheeks as he shook his head again, causing even Mrs. Worth’s look of triumph to sober. “But I am, Grandma. I am, I am, I am.” Copyright 2008 Sneh =] |
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