Invierna Romantica

"Yes, ma, I know," Andrew Zarate looked down at the rip in his jeans, the pain in his eyes was inexplicable. He wondered to himself why she made him so upset.

"Andrew, you know what stunts like that could do to our image! How could you have done something so stupid?"

Andrew scowled at the wall. "Yes, yes, I'm soooo sorry, ma."

"Don't give me that tone of voice, child, I am still your mother and you know you shamed our name! You owe us; you owe me, and your father."

Andrew snapped, irritated by his mother's stupid, pointless lecture. He was sick of having to hear about how he had dirtied their family's name and ruined their perfect image. Well, he was glad he had! His parents were such pricks sometimes. But, if he had to apologize for being gay one more time he swore he would be ill.

"Look, ma, just stop, shut your freaking mouth and just leave me alone will you? You haven't been my mother for over six years, what makes you think anyone would want to claim you as their freaking mom anyway? You suck at the job!"

Yes, he was proud to be who he was, never afraid to hide his true self; he lived a happy private life. Yet it seemed that every time his mother called he suddenly hated who he was and it helped not that she was a cold, heartless bitch who made him feel crap about himself. Andrew shut his eyes tightly and gripped the phone in his hands, shaking with anger as his mother continued with her ranting.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way, Andrew! You ungrateful son of ayou're lucky your father and I even stand for your bullcrap; you're lucky we even pay for you to give us crap anymore! Think of what everyone would think if they found out!? No Zarate has ever been like you. Why? Why did you have to be this way? You're all wrong! Where did you go wrong?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I can speak to you however I want, you're not my mother, and you said it yourself. And no, no, you're the one who's mistaken; you two are the ones who are lucky I keep my trap shut because I'm ashamed to be called a Zarate! Just leave me alone and I'll keep my freaking mouth shut! That is, with the exception of when I'm pleasuring my boyfriend!" Andrew sneered.

He heard his mother make a noise in disgust and, laughing, he shut his cell phone, tossing it on the couch next to where he sat, sighing.

For a long, silent moment Andrew sat on the living room couch of his home, the penthouse suite at Hotel D'Angel, sulking. He slouched down and sighed heavily, blowing strands of orange streaked hair out of his violet eyes from which tears slipped out of and down his face before he covered them with one hand.

Turning on his stomach, Andrew buried his face into the soft couch cushion and silently wept.

Andrew was now nineteen, he'd known he was the way he was since he'd been very small but had only come out of the closet at the age of thirteen. He had been tired of hiding the truth from his parents and had finally blurted out the truth at a family dinner. His father, a wealthy congressman with not a scratch on his reputation for being a very image-aware son of a dick, had been outraged. His mother, the ruler of the court, a judge herself, had been ashamed. Those judgmental bastards, Andrew thought.

That day Andrew's father had arranged for Andrew to live at Hotel D'Angel, all expense paid permanent vacation away from home. Andrew did not mind or care; he was content living on his own and going to school on a public campus gave him the freedom to bring home as many lovers as he wanted. Now he was on a prolonged break from SVA, the college he attended due to the snowy winter and the fact that he did not feel like going to school. Ha-ha.

Andrew was about to get up when his phone rang again. Sighing he reached over and took it in his hand, drying his eyes with his other hand.

The caller ID read Lex.

"Yo, how's it going?" Lex spoke before Andrew could even say anything. Andrew had to smile; his bodyguard had been the only possibly good thing that his parents had ever given him. Lex was twenty-six years old now, when Andrew had been fourteen; he'd been assaulted by some kids at school who'd written 'fag' on his locker. His parents had hired then twenty-one year old Lex Daviid as their kid's body guard.

The two had not taken to each other well until two years later when Lex had admitted to Andrew that he too was attracted to the same sex and that he had a boyfriend. Now, five years later, Andrew was completely comfortable with Lex and his boyfriend of nine years, Joseph Rodriguez, staying at his place whenever possible. He liked the company and the two older men were like real parents to him.

Lex was tall and built, with light chocolate colored skin and curly black hair that fell do his shoulders and his boyfriend was small with gentle caramel eyes and a very fine body. Andrew found both men attractive but they were no more than friends to him.

"Eh," Andrew sighed heavily into the receiver.

He knew Lex was scowling. "Don't eh me kid, what's wrong?" Lex asked sounding concerned for the younger boy.

Andrew had to smile, he knew he could always count on Lex to be worried. "It's no big freaking deal, my ma just called and lectured me. Again."

"Again? That's bad, kid, what was it this time?" Andrew heard Joseph scolding Lex in the background for being nosy; he knew he was scolding him because Joseph called Lex his full name when he was in trouble. Alexis Daviid.

Andrew leaned back on the couch and laughed a good-natured laugh. "Just the usual crap, no public stunts and no whoring around."

"Gasp! You? Whoring around? Ha!" Lex chuckled. "Well, that sucks kid."

"Yeah, but it's cool, I've become somewhat immune to her and other stupid people."

"You mean superficial people," Lex corrected.

Andrew laughed. "Yeah, that too."

"But hey, listen, Joseph wants to know how you're doing now, are you okay kid?"

Considering his answers, Andrew spoke carefully. "Yeah, I am completely fine."

Lex sighed and Andrew knew the face he was making and grimaced when Lex said, "Sure, lie to me, after all these years. Kid, I know you. But hey, it's a good night to go out, go get all prettied up and hit the clubs or something and take your mind off of things."

"Okay," Andrew shifted on the couch and said, "I'll be going out tonight then. What about you?"

"You don't mind going out alone, right? I'm going to be home in a few hours, it's only nine, but I'll have my phone."

"It's cool, Lex, I'll be good, well, mostly," Andrew snickered.

He knew Lex was rolling his eyes. "Not too much trouble, will you?"

"Fine fine, whatever, I'll be cool."

"Good then, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Joseph says good night."

"Are you two gonna have fun yourselves?" Andrew asked curiously, blowing his hair out of his face again.

Lex choked on his words on the other side of the phone and Joseph laughed in the background. Andrew heard the phone being picked up and Joseph spoke. "Yep, Lexy sexy is all mine tonight!" Joseph giggled with delight and a sort of mischief. He was a hyper little thing, only twenty four, four feet tall, two years younger than Lex.

Andrew grinned and laughed too. "Don't forget to wear protection!"

"Ha! Sure, sure! Good night, Andrew."

"Good night Joseph. Really good night."

Andrew hung up the phone smiling. He always felt better about himself after speaking to the two older men; they always made him feel better about everything and anything. No matter how bad things were. Forcing himself out of his depressive state, Andrew stood up and walked to his room. Going into his walk in closet he looked for something hot to wear out.