Yeah. I know. I'm 14. Not even close to driving age. But I needed to get out of there. I slammed the truck door and angrily drove, my tears blurring the road in front of me. As I pulled up to my girlfriends house, I wiped my eyes and took deep breaths. I was dreading this conversation, but I knew I needed to get it over with.
"Braid? What are you doing here?" Charlie asked, coming out of the front door. "Why are you driving? Whats--" I cut her off with a hug.
"I need to talk to you," I said into her hair. "It's important."
"Okay," she sighed, puzzled, "My parents and Emily (her little sister) went to my grandparents house. They're gone for the weekend. Let's go inside." She took my hand and led me to the front door. We went into the living room and sat down on the couch facing each other, still holding hands. I took a deep breath, knowing there was no going back now.
"I--I'm...." I couldn't get the words out. I cared about Charlie so much, and couldn't bear to see her hurt.
"You're what? You know that you can tell me anything."
"I know I can. I love you so much, this is just hard for me to tell you."
"I love you, too, Braid. You can tell me."
" Alright. Here goes. I'm....gay." Charlie just stared at me, blinking. Then, suddenly and unexpected me, she pulled me into a tight hug.
"Oh, Braid!" She said, still embracing me. "Did you tell your mom?"
"Yeah..." I trailed off.
"And....." Charlie prompted.
"She kicked me out. I was planning on going to Crossroads, that shelter in the nex neighborhood."
"No. I won't let you do that. You're staying here. We have a guest room."
"Oh, Char, that would mean so much to me. Do you think it'll be okay with your parents?"
"Of course! You know how much they love you. You don't have to...to tell them everything. Only that there was an emergency and you needed somewhere to stay."
"Char?"
"Yeah?"
"I still love you."
"Not like that?" I sighed. I knew this was coming.
"No. Not like that. But I never, ever will stop caring for you. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do."
"This was not the reaction I expected from you. I pictured you to be mad, screaming, throwing things, never able to forgive me."
"Braiden, c'mon, you know I'm not like that," Charlie sang.
We must've stayed up past midnight, talking. About anything and everything that we could think of. In the back of my mind, there was one thing bothering me. Even though Charlie said that her parents love me, I couldn't help thinking that I would be kicked out, once again. But Charlie would never let that happen. Would she?
TO BE CONTINUED
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