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Author's Note: This chapter, being the last chapter, should have been the easiest thing to write. I mean, whenever I start stories, I always start them with the endings in mind, and that was no different with this one. But for some reason, this chapter was very, very difficult to write for some reason. I don't feel its as good as it could be. Rushed, maybe? I dunno. I spent three days slaving over it, trying to figure out someway to do it so it doesn't suck, but I got to a point where I just had to accept it for what it was, and, well, here it is. I'm not one hundred percent pleased with it, but it does wrap it up well enough. I do wish I could have had Poison and Craig in the finale, but I just couldn't find a place to slip them in, so... perhaps someday down the road, I'll revise this story and try extending the story a few more chapters so that the ending is more... fulfilling. But regardless, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. Its a big one, so get ready. Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Fragments of Faith
He was going for it. He was really, truly going for it. Today was going to be the day he would face his fears and tell his parents the truth, tell them that he was gay and proclaim his love for Isaac Gilman. Today, everything was going to change. Whatever came as a result of that change, Michael would simply take in stride. So long as he could finally have the burden of hiding such a heavy secret lifted off his chest, he would be perfectly content. The only way it could be perfect was if he could have Isaac, and if he could just get through the one obstacle that would prove to be the most difficult, he could very well have him once and for all.
After having paid a visit by the hospital to check up on Isaac and talk to Mr. Gilman, Michael had returned home, preparing himself mentally and emotionally for the task that lay ahead. When he pulled into the car port of his house, Michael sat in his truck, his mind racing with how he was going to tell his parents that he was gay, while at the same time think of all the possible outcomes of the scenario. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became, and the less he wanted to tell his parents. It would be so much easier to just not tell them and keep things the way they are, he thought, that way there’s less stress on everyone.
But Michael quickly shut that idea out of his head. He couldn’t afford to back down now. If he didn’t stand up and confess the truth, he would continue having to live a lie with which he felt was unbearable. There was no other option. The only choice he had was to tell his parents and hope for the best. The best, he thought, was all he could really hope for.
After nearly ten minutes, Michael finally decided to step out of his truck, and head inside. There he would find his parents, likely snuggled up on the couch or in the kitchen drinking coffee and laughing like teenage idiots. He could hear his heart beat pounding away in his ears, his breaths short and shallow. His palms were getting clammy, and beads of sweat dripped down his side from his underarms. He could hardly contain his anxiety, his nerves. He knew that in a mere blink of an eye, his life would be changed forever and always. Was it worth it? Was he willing to risk everything in the name of being free to express himself for what he was? For the one he loved?
No. No, no, no. There was no time for doubts. It was time for him to grow up and face reality. It was time for him to become the man he needed to be for Isaac.
As he made his way inside, Michael was surprised when he didn’t hear the sounds of his parents laughing and carrying on in the other room. For a moment he hoped that they weren’t home, and he would have more time to think about how he would approach them. But as he walked through the living room, he found his parents sitting on the couch, holding and snuggling with one another affectionately. They both appeared to be happy to see him, and greeted him as soon as they saw him.
“Hey, son. Did you have a good day at school?” Richard asked.
Michael shrugged, and forced a smile.
“I guess,” he replied.
“That’s wonderful,” Miranda said. “You’re father and I were just talking about how we should all go on a family trip sometime in the next few weeks when you’re out for spring break. Doesn’t that sound great?”
Michael felt like somebody was twisting his heart around inside of him, squeezing it. He had wanted to have a normal family that enjoyed one another’s company and go on family vacations for so long, and now that they were capable of doing just that, he had to live with the burden of potentially ruining all of that. If he had any reason to change his mind about doing what he was about to do, that would be why. But he had battled with himself long enough over this. It was something he had to address, and there was no time like the present. But even as he stood facing his parents, he still hadn’t come up with a way to break the news to them. Fear was getting the best of him.
“Michael? Is there something wrong, dear?” Miranda asked.
Michael snapped out of his reverie, and looked at his mother.
“Huh? What?” he asked.
“Is there something wrong? You look troubled,” she asked.
Yes, there was something wrong. But how could he tell his mother and father that their only son was gay? He had to think of something fast, or else he feared he would never get a chance to tell them.
“Son?” Richard said. “Are you feeling okay?”
Michael swallowed, and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m... fine,” he said. He took a deep breath, and exhaled as he prepared himself. If he couldn’t think of anything good to say, then he’d simply have to wing it as best as he could. “Mom, Dad... I have something to tell you,” he said.
Miranda looked to Richard, and then back at Michael.
“What is it honey? Is everything okay?” she asked.
Michael tightened his jaw, and closed his eyes. This was it. This was the moment that would change his life, for better or for worse. Either way, he was nervous as hell.
“Mom, Dad... I... don’t know how to tell you this but...” Michael trailed off, struggling with himself to say what he needed to say.
Richard raised an eyebrow, and waited a moment for Michael to continue.
“But... what son?” Richard asked.
Michael hung his head low, and closed his eyes. He balled his fists up, and squeezed them tight to the point that he began to shake. Finally, he released his fists, opened his eyes, and lifted his head to face his parents. Then, he spoke.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it,” he said. “Mom, Dad, I’m gay, and I am in love with Isaac Gilman.”
There it was. The truth had been exposed at last. Michael wasn’t sure what to expect at this point, but despite the uncertainty of what would happen next, he suddenly found himself feeling relieved, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted off his chest. He knew he shouldn’t be, but in that brief moment of revelation, Michael felt happiness. True happiness...
And then he returned to reality.
He hadn’t been quite sure how his parents would respond to the news, but he also wasn’t quite sure what was worse. A part of him had been expecting them to fly off the handle and get into a loud exchange of shouts and curses. Then there was a part of him that had been expecting them to break down and embrace him, accepting the fact that he was gay. But nothing had prepared him for what he had coming.
At first, there was silence, his parents looking at him as if he had just told an awful joke that was followed by one of those weird, awkward silences. But then, it was followed by Miranda shaking her head, and beginning to break down into tears.
“No,” she said in a shrill, high pitched voice. “No! You’re lying! You’re just joking!” She turned to Richard, her eyes getting red and puffy as tears began to streak down her face as she slapped Richard across his shoulder. “Do something! Tell him he’s not serious!” she plead.
Richard bolted up from the couch, and suddenly backhanded Miranda across the face.
“Don’t talk to me like that! You don’t think this isn’t you’re fault? I always told you that you coddled him too much! That’s why he’s so soft and has never had a girlfriend before!” Richard shouted.
It seemed as if all hell had broken loose, and in the midst of it all, Michael stood there, frozen, watching as his parents began having a major meltdown over his revelation. It seemed so unreal, as if none of what was happening was real. He’d never heard his parents yell like they were, nor had he ever seen his father hit his mother, at least not when he’d been around. Was this real? Was he imagining all of this?
As much as he wished he was, he suddenly returned to reality to find his mother flinging herself at his father, screaming and crying, something he had seen and heard more than enough of in his lifetime. As Miranda came at Richard, Michael saw his father rear his hand back to strike his mother again. In that instant, Michael took it upon himself to intervene, and protect his mother against his father’s fury. Wedging himself between the two of his parents, Michael stood up to his father, grabbing his hand to stop him from hitting her.
“Leave her alone,” Michael said. “This isn’t her fault. It’s no one’s fault. Its just who I am.”
Richard stared his son dead in the eyes, his blood boiling in his head. He shook his head, and scowled.
“No. Its your fault,” he said.
At that instant, Richard used his other hand to backhand Michael across the face, sending him toppling over onto the floor with a busted lip. Once their brief exchange had ended, Richard stood over his son, glaring down at him in disgust.
“I want you out. Now!” he shouted.
Eager to comply, Michael slowly rose back onto his feet, and wiped some blood from his mouth with his hand. Glancing over at his mother, who had curled up on the couch and closed her eyes, Michael backed out of the room. Once he was out of his parents sights, he turned and hurried out of the house to his truck. When he had gotten in and started the engine, he then sat there for a moment, letting everything that had occurred within the past ten minutes sink in. Before he pulled out of the driveway, Michael had thought about going back in to get his mother, but couldn’t risk anymore harm being done to either him or his mother, and instead continued on, leaving his parents, his house, and his life, behind.
—
Isaac still wasn’t certain what exactly had happened to him at school. He remembered talking to Michael for a minute in the hall, and then he remembered going to the bathroom to cry without having to worry about anyone hearing him or see him crying. But then, the last thing he remembered, was seeing someone come up behind him, cover his mouth and nose up, and before he knew it, he had passed out. Everything past that was a complete and total blur. It wasn’t until he had awakened at the hospital to find his parents there at his side what had happened. They didn’t go into any deep detail on the situation, or if they did, he was still groggy from having just woken up for any of it to register.
When Isaac had finally gotten to come home, the only thing he wanted to do was to take a shower, and go to bed. But when he had gone to his room to get his things gathered up for a shower, he heard a knock on his door, and before he could answer, Jem came bursting in on him.
“Oh my God, Isaac! Are you okay?” Jem asked, having just heard about what happened to her brother at school.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Isaac replied softly.
“Mom and Dad told me everything. I can’t believe that sick freak made a move on you again!” Jem exclaimed.
Isaac raised an eyebrow, and scratched his head.
“You mean it was... Josh?” he asked.
“Yeah. Didn’t you know?” Jem asked.
“Not really... everything sort of just became a blur after I passed out,” Isaac replied. He swallowed. “Did he... do anything to me?”
“I don’t think so, at least not what Michael said.”
Isaac paused, and looked at Jem in surprise.
“What?” he asked.
“Michael. He found you in the bathroom and got Josh off of you,” Jem replied. “Don’t you remember anything?”
Isaac shook his head.
“No... not after passing out.”
“Oh,” Jem said, shifting her eyes nervously. “Well, thankfully Michael found you before the freak did anything bad to you.”
Isaac sighed, and nodded.
“Yeah,” he said, “good thing.”
Isaac sat down on the edge of his bed, and hunched over, staring down at the floor while Jem remained standing by the door.
“Isaac, you had me worried sick about you this morning,” Jem said. “Is all this about Michael?”
Isaac sighed, and sat up straight.
“Yes... it is,” he replied.
“I figured as much,” Jem said. “You’ve never loved anyone like you have him, have you? That’s why its so hard for you to accept the fact that, unlike you, his parents may not be so supportive of the fact that their one and only son is gay. Michael has a lot riding on him, and he can’t just give up everything to pursue the kind of relationship you’re looking for.”
Isaac closed his eyes.
“I know...”
“But Michael loves you, Isaac. He really does. He’s told me numerous times before that he loves you,” Jem said.
Isaac suddenly looked up at Jem in shock and surprise.
“Wait... you mean... you knew he was gay?” he asked.
Jem smiled, and nodded.
“Yeah. He didn’t just come out and tell me, but yeah. I kind of figured it out,” she said.
“So all this time you’ve known Michael was gay and never told me?” Isaac asked angrily.
Jem shrugged.
“Yeah. But I really do fail to see how that’s supposed to change anything. Me knowing means nothing. Look, the fact of the matter is, you know how he feels about you, and he knows how you feel for him as well. Everything can’t always turn out the way you want them to. Sometimes you have to accept things the way they are, and make the best of it. If you really, truly love Michael, then you can compromise your life enough to help accommodate his. He hasn’t always had friends and family who have known about his homosexuality and been there to support him like you have. And at this point in his life, it’s a bit more complicated than you might think. If you love him, love him, and don’t let your beliefs jeopardize what could very well be the best thing to ever happen to you,” Jem said.
Isaac heaved a deep, heavy sigh.
“You’re right,” he said. “I was expecting too much out of him... I was pushing him to do something he wasn’t ready to step up to yet.”
“Good. Now that you realize that, you know what you need to do now,” Jem said, smiling.
Isaac moaned.
“Yes... I do. I have to apologize to him, and hope that there’s something I can do make it up to him.”
“That’s the spirit,” Jem said, winking. “Well, you’ve had a rough day. I’ll let you go on with whatever it is you were doing. Later bro.”
As Jem turned to leave, Isaac sighed, and called out to her.
“Jem, wait.”
Jem stopped, and turned back.
“What is it?” she asked.
Isaac smiled, and swallowed.
“Thank you... for everything,” he said.
Jem grinned, and chuckled.
“Don’t mention it,” she said. “Maybe when I find the right guy for myself, you can help me reel him in.”
Isaac chuckled.
“Yeah, sure. We’ll see.”
—
Ben and Sharon were sitting in the living room, both of them reading the newspaper. It was getting close to 7:00, and neither of them were expecting any company. But there was a sudden knock on the front door, which caught them both off guard.
“Who could that be?” Sharon asked. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
“Who knows,” Ben said, standing up to answer the door. “I’ve got it.” As Ben went to open the door, he wasn’t sure who he should be expecting at this hour. But as soon as he opened the door, he didn’t find himself the least bit surprised at who it was.
“Hey, Mr. Gilman...” Michael said softly with a bloody lip.
It was all too clear to Ben what had happened. There wasn’t any need for him to ask any questions. Without speaking a single word, he stepped aside to allow Michael passage into his house.
“Thanks for offering to take me in if I needed it,” Michael said gratefully.
“No, no. There’s no need to thank me,” Ben said, putting his arm around Michael’s shoulder and guiding him into the living room where Sharon was. As soon as she noticed Michael coming in, she jumped to her feet.
“Good Lord! What happened to your lip?” she asked.
“Now’s not the time for questions, honey. Why don’t you go get some iodine and some ice to put on his lip,” Ben suggested.
“Alright. I’ll be right back,” Sharon said, rushing off to the kitchen to get what she had been asked to get.
Meanwhile, Ben sat down beside Michael with a hand on his back.
“I take it you told them?” Ben asked.
Michael nodded.
“And they must not have taken it very well then, huh?” Ben asked.
“No... they didn’t,” Michael replied.
Ben sighed.
“I know this probably isn’t easy to hear, but I think you did the right thing, admitting the truth to them. Sometimes we get so caught up with trying to please everyone and make everybody happy that we lose sight of what’s most important, and that’s the truth. It isn’t always easy, but it helps protect our integrity.”
“Yeah,” Michael said quietly.
Sharon returned with the iodine to clean Michael’s lip. She knelt down in front of him and treated his wound, and in the matter of seconds, she was finished. She handed Michael an ice pack, and returned to her seat on the love seat nearby.
“So what now?” Michael asked.
“I don’t know. Right now, we just need to take this one step at a time,” Ben said. “You can stay here tonight. We’ll see what we should do next tomorrow, maybe try getting everything sorted out.”
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to,” Sharon interjected.
Michael smiled weakly, and nodded.
“Thank you,” he said.
“I’ll show you upstairs. I’ll see if I can scrounge up anything for you to wear,” Ben said.
“Is Isaac doing alright?” Michael asked.
Ben glanced at Sharon, and smiled.
“He’s doing fine,” Ben replied. “You’re more than welcome to talk to him if you’d like.”
“No. He’s had a rough day. I think I’ll let him be for tonight,” Michael said.
“Alright then,” Ben said. “Now let’s go get you something to wear.”
—
The next morning, Isaac woke up feeling exhausted. He hardly slept any at all the night before, and what little sleep he did get wasn’t very peaceful. And now, once again, it was time for him to get up to get ready for another day at school. There, he hoped he would get the chance to talk to Michael, and hopefully smooth things out between the two of them. It was that which made him so restless throughout the night. He was eager to express his gratitude to Michael for rescuing him the day before, as well as tell him everything he thought and felt about him. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any bitterness from the way Isaac had treated him several days before.
As Isaac crawled out of bed and headed out to the bathroom, he hardly noticed that the door was shut and locked on the inside. When he went to try opening it, he found it wouldn’t budge. He wiggled the door knob trying to get it to turn, but to no avail, the door was securely locked. Isaac knew it was locked. The question he had to ask was why was it locked? Who else could possibly be up using the bathroom at this hour in the morning?
Suddenly, the door unlocked, and as it opened, Isaac felt his heart jump. Standing just inside the bathroom was Michael with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Isaac could have sworn this situation felt familiar, and it did: something very similar to this happened the first morning Michael had been staying with them months ago, and the sight of Michael with nothing but a towel wrapped around his body was a sight Isaac didn’t mind seeing again.
“Uh, hey... Isaac,” Michael said nervously.
Isaac swallowed.
“Hey... Mike.”
After a brief moment of awkward silence, Michael continued on back to his room, and quickly glanced a quick peek back at Isaac before he went in and closed the door. Once he had gone, Isaac felt like his heart was melting inside his chest. After the initial shock of having seen Michael’s gorgeous body stride past him once again, Isaac finally returned to reality.
What the hell was Michael doing in his house again?
It seemed uncanny that Isaac should lose sleep over thinking about someone who ended up being in his house once again. But Isaac still couldn’t figure out why Michael was there. But that was something he would have to figure out later. Right now, he had to finish getting ready for school.
And think about Michael’s gorgeous body...
—
At breakfast, neither Isaac nor Michael spoke directly to each other. There was still an uncomfortable awkwardness about them as Isaac continued trying to figure out why Michael was there without directly asking why, and Michael still coping with the events that took place the previous day. Finally, as they were about to finish their breakfast, Ben spoke up.
“Isaac, I was thinking Michael could give you a ride to school today. Do you mind?” he asked.
Isaac perked his head up.
“Huh? Oh, no. I don’t mind,” he said.
“Good,” Ben said.
‘Good?’ That’s all he had to say? What was going on? Isaac was more confused than ever now. First he wakes up to find his crush walking out of the bathroom in nothing but his towel again, and now his father’s just saying ‘Good’ after asking if it’s okay if Michael gave him a ride to school? Something was up, and with any luck, he would get his answers on the way to school.
—
There he was again, alone in the truck with the guy of his dreams. Somehow, this entire morning felt like one huge flashback, one giant dream. But still, there was no denying that things were different this time around. The awkward silence was still there, but it wasn’t the same as it was the first go around. There was something about Michael that made trying to talk to him feel... wrong, like something had happened that he didn’t want to deal with. And yet, Isaac couldn’t help but wonder: What the hell was going on?
“Isaac,” Michael said all of a sudden.
Isaac turned to Michael, whipping his head around like a bullet.
“Yeah?” he said.
“I... know you’re probably wondering what’s going on, but I can’t really talk about it right now. If you want, we can meet up after school and I can tell you everything then.”
Isaac smiled, and nodded.
“Oh. Alright then. That’ll work.”
And that was that. The only real exchange they had all morning. Even though Isaac still didn’t have his answer, he knew he get one soon enough, and when he did, he’d be totally satisfied.
—
The day seemed to speed by. Normally when one is waiting for something to happen, time tends to seem as if it’s passing by slower than usual. But not this time.
The final bell of the day had rung, and once everyone had cleared out, Michael found Isaac waiting at his truck. He walked up, and made eye contact with Isaac.
“Mind if we go somewhere to talk?” he asked.
“Sure,” Isaac replied.
They got in, and head out. There was no conversation the entire time, but Isaac could feel the tension rising within him. But before he knew it, they had come to a stop, and were parked at a spot with the most beautiful view of a lake.
“Is this it?” Isaac asked.
“Yeah,” Michael replied. He gazed out at the lake, which seemed perfectly calm and peaceful, not a single wave to be had. Isaac could tell he was a million miles away.
“Uh... you said you wanted to talk?” Isaac said.
“Yeah, I did,” Michael said. “I’m just not sure where to start.”
Isaac swallowed, and bit his bottom lip.
“Well... I guess I’ll say what I have to say then.”
Isaac slipped his hand onto Michael’s lap, and he began.
“A few days ago I said some... pretty hurtful things to you. I know I didn’t have any right to say them, and I’m sorry. I didn’t stop and think about the situation you were in, so naturally, I didn’t give any consideration to the things I was saying to you. So, if it’s any consolation, I’m sorry, and if you’re still willing to, I’d be honored to be with you, even if we do have to keep it secret,” he said.
Michael looked at Isaac, his eyes filling with tears. He sat there for a long while, just staring at Isaac as tears began to run down his cheeks.
“Michael? Are you okay?” Isaac asked.
Michael seemed to smile and laugh, even though he was still crying. He put a hand on Isaac’s cheek, and rubbed his fingers down his face.
“No, Isaac. I’m not okay. In fact, I’m probably worse off than I ever have been,” he said, cupping Isaac’s chin in his hand. “But hearing you say all of that to me means more to me than anything else right now.”
Isaac swallowed, and put his hand over the hand Michael had on his face.
“What happened?” he asked.
Michael breathed in, and smiled.
“I told my parents, Isaac. About me. About how I loved you. I told them everything I needed to tell them, and nothing more,” he said.
Isaac’s eyes grew ten times larger. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“You... told them you were gay?” he asked.
Michael nodded.
“Yep. And now that I’ve told them the truth, I don’t feel quite as miserable as I did before. I feel... different. I feel... I feel...” he trailed off.
Isaac smiled, and put one hand on Michael’s cheek.
“Free?”
Michael grinned, and nodded. He then embraced Isaac, and held him tightly in his arms.
“Isaac... I love you. More than words could say. I want to be with, to love and protect you, forever and always,” Michael whispered into Isaac’s ears.
As Michael whispered into his ear, Isaac feel an overwhelming joy swell up from the pit of his stomach. He felt something cold streak down his face, and before he knew it, he had closed his eyes with tears streaking down his cheeks.
“Oh, Michael...” he said. “I love you, too. And I want to be yours, forever and always.”
The two drew away from one another, and gazed into each other’s eyes for a long while. Finally, they smiled.
“You’re beautiful,” Michael said.
Isaac blushed, and smiled.
“You’re wonderful,” he replied.
Then, embracing one another, they drew close, and indulged themselves in their first true kiss, and it would certainly be the first of many, many more...
The End