His long, muscled arms wrapped around my torso as I climbed into his lap. I leaned against his warm chest and could feel his heart beating against my back. My cheeks grew hot as he hugged me tighter. Jenna walked past with a bowl of popcorn and giggled at us. "Hey, cool it Logan and Spencer. I know it's romantic and all to be together in a dark room but the last thing I need is for my mom to come down here and see you two going at it." Jenna collapsed into the recliner next to ours. She sat in her boyfriend Lane's lap. I looked around the room to see all of the couples cuddling close together in Jenna's home movie theater.

Every month we did this; Jenna and Lane, Morgan and Tyler, Raine and Adam, and Spencer and I. We went home with Jenna and spent the weekend watching romantic-comedy movies and talking gossip. This was the eighteenth time Spencer and I had come. We'd been dating a year and a half and it still felt like I had just met him yesterday. It still felt like it was the first time we ran into each other on the field. The first time I saw his sun tan skin glistening in the shining sun. The first time I saw his curly, black hair whipping against his face in the wind. The first time he spoke to me in his deep, soothing voice. The first time I stared in his captivating hazel eyes. The first time his smooth hands grabbed mine. The first time his long, buff arms wrapped around my thin frame. The first time his sweet, soft lips graced mine. It was still the first time to me. It felt like the first time, every time. I couldn't help but stare at him the whole time the movie played. I wondered how I had gotten such a handsome, young man, and how lucky I was that he was gay too.

"What ya thinkin' bout?" Spencer whispered into my ear.

"What else?" I whispered back.

"Taylor Lautner is extremely hot?"

"What?! No! You, stupid." I hit him softly on his arm. Spencer laughed quietly, then leaned in and said, "I know." He kissed me. I blushed and laid my head in his chest and imagined the first time all over again.

The next morning I drove Spencer home. "Am I picking you up tomorrow for school?"

"Yeah, my mom's got an early shift tomorrow."

"You're making me get up early on a Monday? I'm starting to not like you anymore." Spencer leaned across the seat and kissed me.

"Stop lying. You love me!" He kissed me again and got out the car. "Te amo, te veo manaña." I thought my skin would melt every time he spoke Spanish in that smooth, seducing accent. I waved good-bye then drove home.

As I walked into the house I called, "Mom, Dad, I'm back." I came into the kitchen to find my father reading the newspaper and my mother putting away groceries.

"Hey, son, how was the party?" My father asked from behind his paper.

"It was cool, Jenna's always are." I threw my bag into the living room then came back into the kitchen for a snack. "What'd you guys do without me?" I said before I chowed down on a family size bag of Doritos.

"We watched a very interesting television show." My father said. "What was the name of that show we watched, honey? The one with the skinny, Black woman."

"The Tyra Show, Robert." I could hear the irritated tone in my mother's voice. She knew what was coming next. The way my father said, 'Black' was harsh. The way he said anything was harsh. There wasn't a person alive- no scratch that- a person alive or dead, more closed-minded, judgmental, racist, sexist, or homophobic than him. I could tell by the way he said "very interesting" he was about to insult someone or some type of people.

"Yes, that one. Son, let me tell you, this woman had the nerve to have fags on her show!" I almost cringed at his words. My parents were the only people that didn't know about Spencer and me. I had sooner tell my entire school that I was gay than my own family. I drowned out my father's usual speech about gays. I had heard him call them faggots, queers, sinners, disgraces, everything under the moon, a million times before. I just ignored him and shook my head like I was really listening. "Those people disgust me. They just made that choice for attention. I swear if I ever knew one…" My father's rant finally ended.

"I have some homework to finish. I'll be down for dinner." All emotion had left my voice; I sounded like a robot.

"Alright, Logan, see you at dinner." He lifted his paper again and I cursed him under my breath as I trudged up the stairs.

The sun hadn't even risen as I pulled up to Spencer's house on Monday. I greeted him with a yawn. "Morning…"

"Hey, sleepy-head, long night?" He asked as he slid into the car.

"Always is in my house." I pulled away from the curb and started out of the neighborhood.

"Old man go off on another rant? You have to learn to ignore him Logan. His words are just that; words. They don't mean anything." He placed his hand on my leg. Spencer was a strong believer in the saying; "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." I, however, was less convinced, experiencing first hand some of the words that escaped my father's mouth. They were like swords cutting my very flesh; those words definitely hurt.

"I guess, but you should hear the stuff he says sometimes; if only he knew. Maybe if he knew he'd change his views. Maybe he'd be different." I stopped at a red light and Spencer pulled my face close to his.

"The only way you're gonna find out, is if you tell him." This was the start of an argument Spencer and I had often.

"Spencer, don't start this morning. You know I don't like talking about this."

"Fine, fine." Spencer reluctantly let it go as I pulled into the school parking lot.

"Let's go." I said harsher than intended. Spencer grabbed my arm before I got out the car.

"Don't walk away from me angry." I got out of the car anyway.

At lunch I met Spencer and Lane at our table. Spencer dropped into his seat with a thud. "What's wrong?" I said as I put my arm around his waist. He unfolded a piece of paper and slid it down the table. I opened it up and saw that it was his report card. I quickly scanned it and the grades looked good.

"I don't see the problem. These grades are good, Spence." Spencer lifted his head out of his arms. "Look again." I scanned over the paper again then noticed the 'F' in geometry. "Oh…" I said in a low voice.

Spencer's head jumped up from the table. "Logan, my mom is going to kill me!"

"Chill, I can tutor you after school today." Spencer practically jumped across the table. "Gracias!" He wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me. "This is why I love you."

Lane coughed loudly and rudely said, "Uh, I think you're forgetting something, bro."

I looked at him strangely and asked, "What?"

"Basketball practice? Right after school?"

"Oh, shoot. I forgot!" I turned to Spencer. "Wanna watch?"

I could see his eyes open wide as he exclaimed, "A bunch of hot, sweaty guys in short shorts? Hell yeah I wanna watch!"

After practice we rode to my house. It was almost five o'clock when we got there so my mother invited Spencer to dinner upon our entrance into the house.

"Sure, I just gotta ask my mom." He pulled out his phone and turned his back to us. "Mamá, ¿puedo comer la cena en casa esta noche de Logan?" He paused. "Sí, mamá. Me comprometo a estar en casa antes de las diez." Pause. "Gracias, mamá. Adiós."

Basic translation; he could stay until ten.

"Mom, I'm gonna help Spence with his homework. Can you call us when dinner is ready? Oh and when dad gets here?"

"Sure sweetheart." She disappeared into the kitchen. Spencer and I rushed up the stairs.

Only half an hour into our tutoring session, Spencer was already bored. "I'm tired of doing this. Can't we take a break?" he whined.

"You've only done three questions! Come on, you have to finish this extra credit."

"I don't wanna!" He complained like a three year old.

"Spencer. Do. The. Work. Now." I put the packet and pencil in front of him on the bed and crossed my arms. Spencer lazily picked them up and started on the next problem. Every few minutes he'd stare up at me, hoping I'd let him take a break. I kept the same stern face for a whole hour, until he finished the first two pages, front and back.

"Can I stop now?"

I checked over the packet and tossed it back at him. "You missed numbers twenty-seven, thirty-three, and forty-eight."

With a loud groan he collapsed on the bed. "Come on! Mr. Brady doesn't even check for accuracy, just completion!"

I stared at him with the same unrelenting face. "Correct them."

Spencer glanced over at me with the puppy dog face, which looked even cuter with his big hazel eyes. In a moment I fell for it. "Dammit, I hate when you do that." I sighed, knowing I was defeated because I just couldn't resist those eyes. "Fine, fine." I said. "You can take a break, but only a short one!"

With a loud, "YES!" Spencer jumped off my bed and ran over to my dresser to get the TV remote. He jumped on the bed and clicked the on button. The TV turned right to the movie channel. The movie playing was The Back-Up Plan.

"J-Lo sucks as a singer but rocks as an actress." Spencer said after he'd lain down in my lap.

"Would you want kids one day?" I blatantly asked him.

"Yeah, would you?"

"Really? Uh, yeah, I guess so."

"Boy or girl?"

"I don't know. I guess it doesn't make a difference to me."

"Me neither, I just want to be able to teach him or her how to run track and you can teach them soccer and basketball."

"Oh, true." I was glad Spencer wasn't facing me or he'd see me blushing. I was thinking about when he and I grew up; if we'd still be together, if we'd get married, adopt kids. That would be the life. I was so entranced by these thoughts I didn't notice Spencer had turned around and was not even an inch away from my face.

"We'll always be together." Spencer leaned in and kissed me, hard.

"LOGAN RILEY MORRIS!" My father's voice boomed through the neighborhood.

"Dad!" I shouted as Spencer and I sat frozen in place.

There was no mistaking the fury and disappointment on my father's face. I didn't know what he would say but I never expected what he did. In a rush he ran across the room and grabbed Spencer by the collar and threw him onto the floor. I could hear the impact of my dresser corner jabbing Spencer right in the ribs. Before I could even sit up on the bed, my father grabbed my shirt and yanked me off the bed.

"YOU ARE NOT GAY! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT! I WILL NOT HAVE A GAY SON!" He shook me frantically and spat in my face as he hollered. I could barely comprehend what he was saying. He was shaking me so hard I swore I could feel my brain sloshing around in my skull. I tried to push him off me, but in a moment he dropped me on the bed. I blacked out for just a moment and awoke to see Spencer's muscled arms wrapped tight around my father's neck. I jumped up to stop the fight but my father's arm flew up and I heard a loud crack. I wasn't sure if it was from the impact of my father's fist against my jaw or Spencer's skull against the doorframe. Spencer quickly gained consciousness and was on his feet again. "Spencer, no!" I tried to shout at him, knowing he would attack again. He would do anything to protect me.

"GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU DISGUSTING DISGRACE TO HUMAN NATURE!" My father screamed. Spencer took a long stare at me then my father and wobbled down the hall. I slid off the bed and fell to my knees on the floor. "Dad…I…" I could barely breathe now.

"Shut up." His voice was low but still agitated. He whipped around and I could see his chest jump up and down; his heart pounding against his rib cage. The veins in his arm and neck seemed to have a life of their own; they were almost beating their way out of him. The normal light brown in his eyes faded and a black, shadow shielded his face. He said again, "Get out of my house. You're not my son. You disgust me." His spit was like a bullet to my flesh as he spat in my face then stormed out of the room. My head drooped and I couldn't tell if it was my tears or his saliva that slid down my face. The lump in my throat made me cough and red droplets fell into the beige carpet.

"Oh…my god…what did….what did he do to you?" Great; now my mother comes.

"Don't…worry…about it." I finally managed to say.

"You…you have a black eye and… and you're coughing up blood…and why should I not be worried about this?!"

"I'm fine." Physically; no. Mentally and emotionally; yes. I found enough energy to stand but swayed when my head reached the new altitude. I limped my way to my closet and pulled down a giant suitcase. I pulled up the handle and rolled it out of my room, down the hall and out the house. I could hear my mother crying and yelling at the door. "Logan! Logan! Where are you going?! Logan, come back!"

I threw my suitcase in the trunk of my car and carefully climbed into the front seat. I wasn't surprised to see Spencer lying in the passenger seat, with the seat pushed all the way back. My tires screeched as I sped out of the neighborhood. I debated where I should go first; Spencer's house or the hospital. Either way, at least we'd be safe.

He groaned and turned his head toward me. "House or hospital?"

By the way he was holding his head and the fact I could barely drive down a straight road I decided hospital.

Spencer winced as he grinned then asked, "So?"

"It's not the way I wanted it to go or even expected it to but…he knows." I took a deep breath. "Happy now?"

"Your Christian extremist, homophobic, former military sergeant, fifty year old, father just caught his, now disowned, son making out with another boy then beat the crap out of us…I'm very happy."