Damon and I have been secretly dating for three weeks. Charlotte doesn't know, Theresa doesn't know. No one knows. Damon says he wants us to be a secret until I come out to my family. I know Theresa won't mind me being gay. I feel like mom would still love me. My only worry is dad. I don't think he'd be very happy. Damon hasn't met my parents and I haven't met his. I don't know how much longer I can be kept in the dark. I hate keeping secrets.

"Hey, Guy, what are you thinking about?" Charlotte asks as she joins me at the lunch table we usually eat at. I was zoned out, staring at the wall. I smile and shake my head.

"Nothing really, I'm fine."

"It's obvious you're not, your cheeks are all red and your hands are clasped together." Charlotte has this special ability, she studies people. She can tell what you're feeling just by body movement.

"What's up, Tris?" Liz asks. Damon is not here right now. He's having lunch detention with the P.E. teacher, Mr. Filly.

"I was just thinking, about ya'know, coming out." for a second, they're confused, then they realize what I mean.

"Wow,"Jace says.

"That's..." Liz begins,

"Great," Jay finishes.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Charlotte asks. I scoff.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? It's just my family. They'll understand."

They all exchange unsure glances. "Tris, you know about Marisol right?"

"Her family kicked her out."

"For being lesbian."

"Your family could possibly take it well,"

"But they can also possibly not take it well," I look at my group of friends like they've just told me they're from the future.

"Are you guys trying to stop me from coming out, why the fuck would you tell me—" Charlotte grabs my shoulders to calm me down.

"Tristan, calm down. This is like when Damon told you we knew you were gay. You're thinking we're out to get you but we just want to help you! Coming out is hard for anybody! Some people take it well, others don't. We just want you to make sure you're ready for any possible outcome." I look at Charlotte, then at the rest of my friends.

"Okay, I'll think about it."

Soon the lunch bell rings and we're off to our fourth class. I've been distracted all day thinking about the possible reactions my family could have to me coming out. Truth is, I don't think I'll ever be ready, but it's best to tell them now rather than on their death bed.

Damon and I take the school bus since we both were dropped off at school. I don't feel like walking, I want as long a delay as possible. "Hey, what's wrong? Your hands are shaking." Damon tells me.

"I'm going to come out to my parents." He sits up straighter and leans towards me so only I can hear his voice.

"Are you sure you're ready?" I look at him, butterflies in my stomach and sweaty palms.

"No, I'll never be ready, but I'd rather tell them now and get it out of the way rather than never tell them." he looks unsure of my decision.

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Tristan, I don't think you—"

"Moretti, it's your stop!" the bus driver yells from the front. We're at Damon's stop. He sighs before looking at me.

"If anything happens, call me." I nod my head before he kisses my cheek and gets off. My stop is next. My breathing has accelerated. I'm beyond nervous. I don't know what I'll do if my family doesn't accept me.

—

It's 7:30pm, we're sitting down to eat and have just finished praying. Mom made tuna casserole. I told Theresa right when I got home and asked her to sit beside me if anything happens. She said she still loves me, she'll never stop loving me and she'll always be there for me. I'm holding her hand underneath the table and squeezing it. I'm terrified, I feel like vomiting. I stand up abruptly catching mother and father's attention.

"Tristan, honey, what's the matter?' mom asks. I look from her to dad before blurting it out.

"I'm gay." Mother doesn't look surprised at all. In fact she looks relieved. Yet father looks furious.

"I knew, son." Mother says. We all look at her in surprise. That's when father speaks.

"You knew? You knew and you let this abomination stay in my house!"

"He is not an abomination, Steven, he is your son!"

"No son of mine is going to be a homosexual! He is not a son of the Lord almighty and he certainly is not mine!"

"How can you speak of him that way? He is your flesh and blood!"

"No he's not! He's the spawn of satan!" Tears are falling down my face as mother and father yell at each other. Theresa is hugging me.

"Get the hell away from him, Theresa!"

"No, dad! He's still my brother and I love him regardless of his sexuality!" He steps towards us. Mother tries to stop him and Theresa pushes me behind her. She slaps her, leaving a red hand mark on her face.

"Steven!"

"Shut up!" he yells at mother. He looks at me with so much disgust. "I want you to leave right now! You may have poisoned their minds but you haven't tainted their souls and I will not be the laughing stock of the church! Leave now!" I grab my jacket off the coat rack, no shoes, no backpack, and leave my house. My phone is upstairs charging in my room. So I can't call Damon or Charlotte to ask them to come and get me. So I walk to Charlotte's home since it's closer.

"Hey Tris—oh, God. They didn't take it well," she sees the tears on my face and lets me in.

"My father, he-he called me the spawn of satan and kicked me out. I don't have any shoes, I don't have my backpack, or my phone." My socks have holes in them now and my feet are blistering. Her house is only a thirty minute drive, but my keys were in my backpack, so I walked for an hour. Charlotte engulfs me in a tight embrace and tells me she's sorry. I meet her parents, tell them my situation, and they tell me I can stay as long as I'd like. She calls everyone and tells them to get to her house ASAP. It's a Thursday, but I don't think I will be going to school tomorrow.

"Do you want me to go get your things? I'll go with Jace and Damon."

"No, no. My dad will probably call the cops and tell them you tried to rob us."

"Well, all I have to tell them is that your father kicked you out for being gay and didn't let you get your things. They won't do shit to us."

"I don't want you to get in trouble,"

"Tristan, I don't care about what your father will do to me, I'm going to get your shit and anything else I think you'll need, with your consent or not." I sniffle before telling her to talk to my sister.

There's banging on the front door and once Charlotte's mother answers it, Damon walks in and the rest of our friends walk in seconds later. He cups my face and asks me if I'm okay. Then he reminds himself that it was a stupid question before hugging me.

"Why did you do it?" Damon asks, but it doesn't seem like he was asking me, more like he was asking himself, but I answered anyway.

"I didn't want us to be a secret anymore," he looks at me with so much guilt as the others look at us in surprise.

"You two," Lilith begins but Charlotte finishes the question angrily.

"Together?"

Damon looks at her and shrugs. "surprise,"

—