Page 16 of Pride High 2: Orange

“My parents,” Cameron began.

“Another argument?”

Cameron nodded. “Except this one was about me.” He explained what had transpired and finished with, “They must have had a conversation about me recently. My mom let that much slip.”

“She knows you’re gay, right?”

Cameron nodded. “She must. I don’t know if she talked to my dad about it, or if the Broadway comments were random. Either way, he seems to think that being gay is a choice. And a fate that is best avoided.”

Anthony grimaced. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t want to come out either, if my dad said horrible things.”

“That’s not it,” Cameron said. “I can deal with him not approving of me. It’s the way they were arguing about it… I don’t want to be the reason my parents finally get a divorce.”

Anthony tried to imagine how terrible that would feel. And yet, he couldn’t help asking, “Would it be so bad? If your parents are always fighting, maybe they’ll be happier if they separated. I mean, nobodywantstheir parents to split up… But is it ever going to get better?”

“I don’t know,” Cameron said, not sounding offended. “I’ve had similar thoughts. But there’s more to it.”

“Like what?”

He watched Cameron clench his jaw a few times before he shook his head. “I’ll tell you. But I want you to meet my mom first. You’ll understand better afterwards.”

“Okay.” Anthony freed his arm so he could take his boyfriend’s hand. “You don’t have to come out to your parents. Not for me.”

“I want to,” Cameron insisted. “The timing needs to be right, that’s all. So when you came out today—”

“You were thinking of your parents,” Anthony finished for him. “And you stood up anyway, which makes it twice as meaningful that you did.”

“Thanks,” Cameron said with transparent relief.

“We’ll take our time,” Anthony said. “Our closest friends know. That’s the most important part. I’m still trying to figure out how to tell my parents anyway. I’m sure as hell not going to with so many relatives around.”

“Are you worried what they’ll think?”

Anthony snorted. “Not really. I just know that they’ll make it tedious. And like you’ve pointed out to me before, my parents are probably fine with me. I’m way more intimidated about coming out at school.”

“There’s no rush,” Cameron said.

Anthony shook his head. “There is, because I bet we’re not the only ones. Ricky was telling me about a study. I can’t remember the name of the book, but it claimed that one in ten people are gay.”

Cameron whistled in a way that sounded impressed. “That’s way higher than I would have expected!”

“Same here. Even if those numbers are wrong, and it’s one in a hundred or even a thousand, there are other gay people at our school. The prospect of coming out to everyone is intimidating, but I won’t let that stop me.” He thought of Ricky, and how events would have played out differently if they’d been honest with each other from the start. Ricky had nearly killed himself while Anthony clung selfishly to his secret. He wouldn’t let that happen again. “Too much is on the line. It might be the difference between life and death.”

“You’re right,” Cameron said. “Parents get divorced. That happens, and people survive it. If someone else tries to take their own life… My problems don’t matter compared to that.”

“They do to me.” Anthony squeezed his hand. “Let me go first. I’ll come out and be a beacon of hope—or whatever foolish delusion I’ve convinced myself of—and you can wait until the timing is better. I don’t mind.”

Cameron looked pained. “You know what I used to imagine? Back when the idea of having a boyfriend was still a dream. I always pictured walking down the school halls with him, hand in hand.That’sthe way to come out to everyone.”

“I’ll look dumb holding my own hand,” Anthony teased, “but I’ll try my best. For you.”

This coaxed a smile out of his boyfriend. They remained in the embrace of the willow tree, their voices meandering through subjects both serious and silly, until the sun became a humble orange sphere on the horizon. Then they stood and brushed themselves off.

“Time to go home?” Cameron asked.

“Almost,” Anthony said. “Before we do, I need you to help me dig a shallow grave. Five of them. At least fifty paces from this tree, if not more.”

Cameron searched his eyes. Then he laughed. “The deviled eggs?”