Array
(
[text] =>

Chapter 20

It had been two weeks since Tobias first came for Gale, and since then, he's come to my house everyday at exactly 5:30 asking for him. At first, Gale would refuse to see him or speak to him, but after a week, he stopped asking to stay out my house. Instead, we went to greenhouse everyday after school until seven, when I had to go home for dinner. It took me days to convince Gale to come to my house for our Friday sleepover. Danny, Ashton, Shannon, and Hayley were coming as well.

"Okay, one, two three, CHUG!" Shannon yelled and Gale tipped his can of Dr. Pibb, gulping it down. I shook my head laughing. Ashton and Danny were cheering him on as Hayley kept score. My parents weren't home, so we could be as weird as we wanted to. And right now, we had reached a whole new level of weird.

Gale dropped his empty can and we all quieted, waiting eagerly. He held up a finger, took a deep breath, and let out an enormous belch, successfully beating Danny's score. We all whooped and Hayley added to his score. Depending on how loud the burp is, Hayley would score each burp on a scale from one to ten. When the game was done, she'd add all the points together and whoever had the most points won.

"It's official. You have been beaten by a mute guy in a burping contest. How does that make you feel?" Shannon teased to Danny. Danny rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Just because he's mute doesn't mean he can't burp." Hayley defended, tossing her notepad into her duffle bag. Gale had beaten Ashton by twelve points, me by ten points, Shannon by five, and Danny by two. Apparently, being a an awesome violinist isn't his only talent.

Gale shrugged and seated himself in my lap, me leaning against the window. It was six o'clock, and almost dark. Ashton and Hayley argued over what movie to play on the tv while Shannon and Danny struggled to carry all the snacks into the living room. I actually kind of wish Damian was here. After he and Shannon broke up, he stopped hanging out with us. Sure, he still talks to Danny and sometimes Gale (although Gale isn't too keen on responding), but I hardly see him anymore.

"So..." Shannon started, nodding at Gale, and I groaned along with Danny. We both knew how these conversations began. She was going to ask Gale something personal, and wouldn't leave him be until he answered.

Yes?, poor Gale signed, unaware of what was in store.

"Have you and Jasper done the naughty yet?" She asked and Gale immediately blushed to the tip of his ears. I choked on a piece of popcorn and glared at her, blushing as well. Hayley, Ashton, and Danny were all laughing at our faces.

"N-no!" I sputtered. "Seriously, Shannon?"

"What? As your female best friend, I have the right to know exactly when you two hook up and I have access to all the juicy details." She said casually and I rolled my eyes. Danny was fake gagging and Shannon raised an eyebrow at him.

"What about you and Ashton, Danny?" She asked. "Don't forget you're officially gay as well."

"I'm not gay!" Danny snapped and glanced at Ashton. "I just like Ashton." We all awed at the confession and he glared at us until Ashton rewarded him with a kiss. Everyone soon went back to what they had been doing.

"Hey, Gale, you're by the window. Can you close the curtains? It needs to be completely dark for the perfect theatre effect." Shannon yelled from the pantry in the kitchen. Gale twisted in my lap and reached over my shoulder to close curtains. He had just taken hold of the curtain when he paused, staring out the window. Then, he froze, wide eyed as if he were in shock. I glanced up at him, frowning.

"Gale?" I asked and he sprang into action. With speed I had no idea he possessed, he backed away from the curtains and sprinted up the stairs. Distantly, he heard my bedroom door slam shut and the lock click into place. The others stared after him in awe.

"What the hell?" Ashton broke the confused silence. Before I could respond, the doorbell rang and I went to get. Standing on my porch was a tall woman and an even taller man. The woman hair was a sleek light blonde, and her eyes a beautiful blue identical to Gale's. She looked delicate and worried. The man was also blonde, but it was a shade closer to brown and his eyes were a cold, hard brown. He just looked upset and annoyed. It didn't take a genius to see that these were Gale's parents. No wonder Gale bolted as if demons were clawing at his heels.

"Are you Jasper Whalen?" Gale's mother asked me, her voice airy and fluid.

"Yes, ma'am." I replied politely. From the side of my eye, I caught sight of Tobias, who leaned against a silver Camry, looking smug. "May I help you?"

"Cut the bull," The man suddenly snapped, a vein throbbing on his forehead as his teeth clenched. "and retrieve our son immediately before I get him myself." I gulped and his wife glared at him.

"Stop." She whispered in her light voice, but the command was effective. She sighed and turned to me. "We know Gale is here and we would like to speak with him." I hesitated before calling out for Shannon to watch the door. I went upstairs to my room, ignoring the others' questions. Gale was sitting on my bed, head buried into the pillow.

"Gale?" I whispered. He looked up, face crumbling. I sat on the edge of the bed next to him. He leaned against my shoulder.

They're going to take me away, he signed.

"Maybe, but you don't have to be miserable when you do. If you just talk to them, you could come to an agreement."

No. I'm not going with them. They're only luring me out so they can take me and get you in trouble.

"Gale, I promise you don't need to worry about me, but you have to face them eventually. You can't keep running forever. Not if we want to be together." It was true, as much as I hated to say it. I can't hide him in the greenhouse for the rest of our lives. Not to mention, I'd be leaving for college soon. I'd already been accepted into three different colleges, one being a university all the way in California. I told him this and he looked away.

Then I should leave. Go somewhere else and find somewhere else to stay.

"What?" I gasped. "Hell no. Gale, you can't go back to sleeping in Wal-Marts and eating your only meals at school."

I'm not going back home. It's my prison. They won't let me talk to you, they won't let me be myself, my dad and Tobias not so secretly hate me. I'd rather wander the streets alone.

"No you wouldn't." I said and he glared at me, but sent argue, so I continued. "You know that isn't true. I see how you look at Tobias. You miss him. You miss your parents. And I'm positive they miss you too. They may not be able to except your sexuality but they love you and want you home. That has to mean something."

It isn't enough to make me go back.

"Just try, Gale." I urged. "And if it doesn't work out then...then I swear I'll never let them take you."

All hell had broken loose downstairs. Shannon was arguing with Gale's dad, Hayley was yelling at Tobias, and Gale's mom was sitting on my couch, trying to remain calm although you could tell her patience was wearing thin. Daniel and Ashton had retreated to the kitchen, not wanting to be caught in the middle of their madness. As soon as Gale entered the living room, Gale's mother looked up and gasped, catching everyone's attention.

"Gale." She whispered and his dad glared at Shannon one last time before pushing past her and into the house. Tobias followed grudgingly, as if he'd rather be anywhere else but here. Gale's dad walked up to us and, to my surprise, grabbed Gale by his arm roughly.

"Do you know how much trouble you are in?" He growled. Gale flinched and tried to pull away, but his dad's grip was too tight. I could see the skin beneath his fingers color a deep red and I put myself between him and Gale, our noses inches apart. I glared hard and stepped forward, making him take a step back and let go.

"Take your hands off him or I'll be forced to throw you out of the house." I snapped, standing my ground as is father flowered furiously. Finally, he joined Gale's mother on the sofa. I waited until Gale was no longer shaken before I led him to sit across from his parents. Shannon and the Halyey joined Danny and Ashton in the kitchen to give us privacy. Tobias refused to sit and stood stiffly behind his mother. It was silent until Gale's mother sighed, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"How are you?" She asked, sniffling. "We miss you, baby. And we want you to come home. I'm sorry we made you feel like we don't love you, but we do. I promise that you will never be treated in such a way again. Just come home."

I'm gay, Mom. That won't change, Gale signed. If I'm to come back, you'd have to accept that.

"I know you think that, but we can guide you through this...this phase you're in. We won't alienate you and we'll accept that you're going through a rough stage in your life. We can help you." My jaw nearly unhinged as it dropped, stunned. This was what Gale had been trying to make me understand. His parents were in denial, and by being so, they were denying who he was. Gale shot me an exasperated and hopeless look before replying.

You don't understand. You'll never understand! I'm gay! You can't fix it, can't change it. I know I am, even if you refuse to accept that. I'm not coming home until you are willing to take me as I am.

"And where the hell do you think you'll be? Here?" Hi s dad growled. "Because if you think that we won't call the cops to come get you, we will."

Then I'll leave. I'll leave New York if I have to, because I'm not going to live with a family who won't accept who I am, Gale signed quickly, his fingers trembling anxiously.

"We do accept you, Gale." His mother cried. "But this, this isn't you. The Gale we know wouldn't run away from home and stay with random boys he just met. Our Gale isn't this impulsive, and our Gale isn't convinced that he is gay."

Your Gale doesn't exist!, Gale stood, signing angrily. He never did! You all want me to be the perfect son who did whatever he was told and followed blindly in his brother's footsteps as if it were something to be proud of. You want the Gale who would've grown to be just as fearful of judgement as you all are. Well, you know what? I hate that Gale! I never want to be him, and if that means I'll never have a home or family, then so be it.

Gale ran upstairs and slammed my bedroom door, all the while, his family all gaped at his outburst. Even Tobias, who always kept an emotionless mask on, was shocked. Gale's mother let out a shuddered sigh, trying to hold back tears.

"I think it would be best if we just gave Gale time." She said, and for once, no one in her family disagreed. She stood and shook my hand politely, bid us all goodbye, and left. Gale's dad shot me a look that could kill, and I expected Tobias to do the same, but he looked thoughtful and hardly glanced back at us.

It took a lot of convincing to get our friends to leave. I understood that Gale needed space, and bombarding him with loud opinions and sympathy wouldn't help at all. Finally, Shannon and Hayley left, after threatening to chop my legs off if I didn't call them when Gale felt better, of course. When they were all gone, I crept into my room. Gale was curled up against the headboard, his legs hugged tightly to his chest and his faced buried in his knees. I curled up next to him and hugged him. I didn't say a word, knowing he wouldn't want to talk. Right now, he just needed me to be here.

***

Gale's parents hadn't come back in a few weeks. Occasionally, I'd see Tobias loitering outside our school, but he never interacted with us. He just observed. Gale and I slowly began to return to how we used to be, going on unofficial dates and having a blast, which was good for him. After school on a Tuesday, we went to Freezi's Yogurt Factory, the place where we had our first unofficial date.

"Freezi's Yogurt Factory is the best place to be!" I sang off key as Gale and I entered the frozen yogurt shop. "Yogurt in my tummy, good for you and me!"

Jasper, Gale signed, smiling. Is that really necessary?

"Of course it is! Freezi's got tons of flavors you're guaranteed to buy!" I belted out. "Unless you're allergic, then you'll probably pass out and die!" Ashton was leaning against the counter, laughing his ass off. Luckily, we were the only three here so we couldn't get in trouble.

"Oh yeah." Ashton chuckled. "That's definitely going to be our commercial jingle." I laughed and grabbed a yogurt cup from the back table. Gale followed behind me, checking the ingredient labels before picking a flavor and moving on to the toppings. I was already there, drowning my frozen yogurt in chocolate syrup and sprinkles.

How are you and Danny?, Gale signed and I translated, seeing as Ashton has a hard time understanding Gale, even when Hayley has been trying to teach him and Danny. Danny has already given up trying, content with someone else translating it for him.

"We're good. He hasn't been around much because he's studying for finals and working." He replied and we nodded. While I paid for our yogurt (and ignored Gale's insisting to pay for himself) the store door bells chimed and in walked Tobias, decked out in black combat boots, seemingly a larger version of the ones Gale always wears, and his black grey Letterman jacket. Gale avoided his piercing blue eyes and stared at our yogurt.

"Hey." I said and carried our yogurts to an empty booth. Gale followed closely and sat next to me. Tobias took the seat across and narrowed his eyes at our intertwined hands. Gale's grip tightened as he nervously ate a huge spoonful of yogurt. Ashton went out back to avoid the awkward tension.

"I'm not here for formalities. I'm here to talk to my brother, so I suggest you just sit back and shut up." He snapped at me. I glared at him and was going to seriously give him a piece of my mind, but Gale stopped me by patted my hand lightly.

What is it, Tobias, Gale signed. You can't convince me to come home.

"I'm not here to convince you to come home. I'm here to let you know that our dad has lost his patience. He's coming to pick you up tomorrow, and if you aren't at your boyfriend's house when he gets there, he will call the police to track you down and your boyfriend will get in trouble." Tobias said, voice monotone, before taking a sip of his Vitamin water. Gale gaped at him.

"What? He can't do that!

"He can, and he will." Eyes tearing up, Gale took another bite of yogurt, desperately trying to hide his sadness. I hugged him to my chest and stroked his hair, kissing his forehead. I didn't care if Tobias was glaring at us. This could be my last day with him. Gale's parents live in the next city over and I doubt his parents would let us see each other.

"It's okay, Gale." I whispered. "We...we'll be fine." Gale let out a gasp, and I pulled him closer to comfort him. To my surprise and hurt, he shoved away from me, fists clenched at my chest. At first, I thought he was upset with me. But then I noticed his face was pale with red blotches painted across his cheeks. He let out another gasp and signed frantically.

I can't breathe!

I cupped his face in my hands, worried and terrified, as he struggled for breath. Tobias dipped a finger in Gale's yogurt and tasted it, eyes wide.

"Shit, he ate coconut. A lot of it." He exclaimed. "Dammit Gale, don't you know how to read?! And aren't you supposed to be watching him?"

"He isn't a puppy, Tobias." I snapped, holding Gale's hand and guiding him out of the yogurt shop. "And as much as I love to play the blame game, this really isn't the time."

I jogged out into the parking lot and carefully laid Gale in the backseat. He was crying and gasping for breath, so I planted a hasty kiss on his forehead. I tried to keep calm as I started my truck, but I was panicking on the inside. Tobias was on the phone as he swung open the backseat door and sat next to Gale. I didn't question his actions, and instead just left.

"I just called my parents. They're meeting us at the hospital." Tobias said as I broke nearly every driving law. The nearest hospital was fifteen minutes away, which was ridiculous considering this was New York. There should be millions of hospitals around.

This can't possibly get any worse, I thought to myself, but of course, God or whoever has a sick sense of humor, because my truck began to groan and shudder. I pressed my foot on the gas petal harder, but my girl slowly came to a halt. In the middle of the street. I cursed and turned the key, but it stuttered and died. I pounded my fist on the steering wheel.

"Dammit!" I cried, throwing my hands up. "You are a serious bitch! I spend money to get you all fixed up instead of replacing you with a fancy new car, and this is how you repay me!" Tobias stared at me as if I had lost my mind.

"You really now how to pick 'em." He muttered to Gale. I dug around in my glove compartment for my phone, hoping to find my cell phone, even though I'm sure I left it at home, when something caught my eye. Oh my God, my mom's EpiPen. I snatched it up and leaped out of the car, ignoring the impatient honks I was getting. With vigor, I nearly tore the backseat door off and pulled Gale into sitting position.

He had gotten a lot worse. His eyes were puffy and red, and his breathes were coming out in high pitched wheeled. Even his cheek were inflated. Tobias was yelling into his cell phone when he caught sight of me.

"Wait, what are you doing?" He asked but I ignored and quickly removed the cap. Gripping it firmly, I pressed it to Gale thigh, waiting until I heard the click, and waited. After ten seconds, I tossed it aside and scooped Gale into my arms, an arm under his knees and neck.

"What did you do to him? Where are you going?" Tobias was yelling. All I could focus on was Gale. The injection would allow him to intake a little more air, but it would last forever, nor would it stop the allergic reactions. I grabbed the keys from the ignition and tossed them to Tobias.

"Call my dad!" I yelled. "518-256-8171!" With that, I crossed the street and sprinted down the street with Gale in my arms. I breathed hard and looked down at Gale's face, but his eyes were closed and his breath was shallow.

"You'll be alright. I won't let go, I promise." I whispered.

-

Yes! Finally! Got through all the technical difficulties and ridiculous Mom interference! I feel so accomplished. This story is almost over (probably two or three more chapters) and I actually like how it turned out. It's nice. And, I managed to edit & italicize :)

Don't have much else to say so....BYE.

COMMENT/FAN/VOTE

You do your thing, and I'll do mine ;)

[text_hash] => 2760bfa8
)