The Quantum

By Dabeagle

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Chapter Fourteen

If dinner at the Charbonneaus’ was supposed to be relaxing after a busy day, someone needs to redefine relaxing. To begin with, the ride over was chaotic, what with Jake turning into my grandfather’s sidekick in making fun of my driving. By the time we got there, I was ready to go back home and sulk under my covers for a week. That proved to be just the tip of the iceberg as we hit the front door, or maybe I should say, as the alien hit me at the front door.

"Hi Kris!" she screeched while locking her frame around my legs. I teetered briefly before latching onto Jake and not falling unceremoniously on my face.

"Let him go, you little freak," Jake muttered at her.

"No, hugging Kris," she responded petulantly. Her grip strengthened and she pressed her face against my legs.

"Let him go or I’ll tell mom," Jake said through gritted teeth. She merely stuck her tongue out at him. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the whole thing since I had never had siblings. Was she doing this just to get under his skin?

"Ok, fine," Jake said as he started to walk away, "I’m just going to see how fast I can break the head off a Barbie."

"No!" she screeched and my legs were suddenly free to move again. She scuttled across the room and disappeared towards the back stairway, presumably to her room to defend her dolls. I looked at Jake and he gave me a smirk. I had a new reason to be glad I was an only child.

"There you two are!" his mother walked in from the kitchen. "You guys are just in time; get cleaned up so we can eat."

"What are we having?" Jake asked.

"Nothing too fancy, just hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. Your father is at the table now and he’s ready to eat."

Jake and I washed up and joined his dad, who was already seated and filling his plate. The grill could be seen just outside with tendrils of smoke rising from it. Jake’s mom was inside the house trying to get the alien to come outside and eat.

"Hi Dad," Jake said as he sat down.

"Hey guys, what’s up?" He asked just before taking a huge bite of his hamburger. Jake’s dad was huge, like tall and wide. No way he bought clothes off the rack. He could probably step on me and not even notice I was stuck to his shoe.

"Spent the day pulling car parts," Jake replied.

"How can you be gay and like cars? I don’t get it." Jake’s dad shook his head.

"Dad’s in denial," Jake said to me in a stage whisper.

"I am not. You’ll grow out of it," his dad grunted. Jake’s mom appeared just then and shot a pointed frown at her husband.

"He’ll be saying that when I marry you," Jake said to me. His mother burst out laughing and I blushed, but gave him a pleased smile for the comment.

"You laugh now, but I’m telling you…." He was cut off by his wife.

"Al," she said in a tone laced heavily with warning.

"What? I’m not allowed to speak to you." His dad directed this at me. "They’re afraid I’ll embarrass them." He turned his attention back to his wife. "All I am saying is he’s only sixteen, no son of mine—"

"Alan Beauregard Charbonneau, if you say one more thing you’ll be sleeping on the couch!"

"I sleep there half the time anyways! What’s the difference?" he muttered as she continued to glare.

"There is nothing wrong with him, so you better stop it."

"I wish you’d get over it, Dad. You paid for me to go see Uncle Randy. It’s not like you didn’t know what was up."

His father set his hamburger down and fiddled with the bun for a moment before looking at his son.

"I just—I didn’t want this for you, Jake. I wanted you to grow up and be happy, have kids and someone to take care of you when you get older. It’s not the kind of life I wanted for you."

"You don’t get a vote, Dad. I didn’t either — it’s just what I have to be. I’ll be okay later in life. I’ll have Kris I hope, and maybe we’ll adopt. It’s a little premature to think about it now, since babies outweigh Kris right now, but—"

I slugged his arm for his comment and shot him a warning look that if he continued, the slug was just the opening shot.

"Al, you are a big worry wart. Jake has a lot of time. He’s smart. He’ll be all right." His mom glided around the table filling a plate before turning to yell down the hallway. "Allison! Get down here now!"

"Jake’s gonna break my Barbies!" Her voice warbled from deep in the house.

"No, he’s not." Jakes mom shot him a look. "He’s down here eating! Kris is here too. Come on down." She sat down next to us and reached for the ketchup.

"Seems my son isn’t the only one in love with you, Kris," she smiled at me. I’m sure I blushed. Good lord, that was evil! That explains why the little beast grabbed me by the legs earlier though.

"So dad," Jake smirked mischievously, "Will you give me away at my wedding?"

His father glowered at Jake, pointing his finger at him as he spoke. "That’s not funny."

Jake and his mom burst out laughing while his father continued to look at them and tell them it wasn’t funny. Each time he did, they snorted and giggled, his mom covering her mouth, to no avail. He finally stood and threw his burger on his plate and left the table. I was smiling because of all the mirth, but also wondering why they were antagonizing his father.

"Why do you guys do that to him?" I asked.

"Because he still loves Jake, but his father needs to accept him for who he is, and not what he wants him to be." His mom leaned across the table to get some more to drink. "It’s Jake’s life, and only Jake knows what he feels. All the pouting and denial in the world won’t change that." She smiled at me. "Besides, it’s fun!"

**

After dinner we sat down on the couch to watch TV. Jake’s dad idly flipped through channels while his mother bustled about. Jake’s dad remained quiet to our presence, and finally Jake dragged me off to his room. He made sure to hold my hand the whole way. I rolled my eyes as he sat on his bed and I took up a spot beside him.

"Are you just going to keep throwing this in your dad’s face?"

"Until he gets it, yeah, pretty much."

"It’s weird, you know? My dad would have just knocked the crap out of me. Your dad didn’t even look like he’d raise a finger at you."

"Mom and Dad don’t believe in hitting. Well, mom doesn’t, but Dad goes along with it. I don’t think Dad would ever do that, though. Besides, he has my brother to make grandkids and all that shit."

"Do you think you’d want kids someday?"

"I don’t know; I never thought about it. My uncle Randy has a dog; maybe I’ll just get a dog."

"Don’t you think you’d make a good Dad?"

"Sure, and you’d be a great Mom," he laughed at me and I slugged him again. "I can see you with an apron, in the kitchen making cookies."

That’s it! I was on him, tickling and trying to twist his nipples—anything to get even since I couldn’t think of a word in my own defense! He writhed under me, laughing and then he grabbed me with both hands, inexorably drawing me into an embrace where I couldn’t move my arms in combat anymore.

"Boy, you sure are sensitive."

"I’m not girlie, and I’m not a sissy."

"Cooking doesn’t make you a sissy. I cook, I like it. I’ll make the cookies, and you do the laundry. How’s that?"

"I dunno, who gets diaper duty?"

"You want kids, you change ‘em."

"So what will you do then?"

"Make cookies, I told you."

"That’s not fair!"

"Why not?"

"Because," I sat up to face him, "If we were parents we’d have to show teamwork to set an example for them. It’s a fifty-fifty job to raise kids, don’t you think?"

"Listen, I still have to baby-sit my sister. I am in no hurry for more like her!"

"Well, it’d be a long way off. I know that. Besides, it’d be different if they were yours, right?"

"Kris, where is this coming from? We’ve been dating for, what, a month?"

"Forty-two days."

"So why is it so important to talk about having kids? How about we figure out how to handle being outed and graduating before we plan the house with a white picket fence and three-point-five kids?"

"You forgot the two cars and the dog."

Jake rolled his eyes at me.

"Because, I’d want to give someone a better childhood than I had, that’s why. Besides," I smirked at him, "Imagine the fun you could have with your father."

"Well, I guess it has possibilities. What do you think about this whole ‘out’ thing?"

I laid my head down on Jake’s thigh, stretching out on the bed. His hands began to idly stroke my hair and I snuggled into him before addressing his question.

"Actually, I was going to talk to you about that last night."

"You were?"

"Yeah, I went to get my permit and we ran into Eleanor over there. She bullied this guy into giving her a new license, it was kind of amazing actually. But anyways, she asked if I was going to the prom with you."

"She did what?" Jakes hand froze on my head. I rolled over so that I could look into his face while speaking, continuing to use his thigh as a headrest.

"She assumed that we would go to the dance together. Then she started talking about some formal wear place, and grandpa said he knew a limo driver that owed him and—"

"Wait. Your grandfather agreed with Eleanor?"

"Yeah, scary huh?"

"Sounds bad," Jake muttered.

"There’s more."

"More?"

"Yeah. It’s funny, grandpa started in about how no one should tell us how to live and if we wanted to go to the prom together we should be able to."

Jake’s brow furrowed. "So do you want to?"

"I—I don’t know. I thought it was kind of funny because—"

I hesitated, a little embarrassed, and then plunged forward. "It was funny because I was the one who came out to you, told you I liked you—up until this morning I felt strong, where you were concerned--like I was your protector or something and I was so busy wondering how to protect you from this ‘axis of evil’ that my grandfather and Eleanor were forming, I never really thought about actually going."

"What did you think I’d do when I found out?" Jake smiled down at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I actually told my grandfather that I was afraid it would scare you away."

"Do you still think that way?"

"Well, no, not really. I have to admit I liked being your protector though, or feeling like it."

"Well, you are pretty brave, I’ll give you that." Jake resumed stroking my hair while he bunched his eyebrows in thought. "I guess you can be my protector. If you get scared, I’ll protect you. How’s that?"

I rolled onto my side, stroking his leg at the knee as I answered, "I never had a protector before. What will you do if that guy finds me again? That huge ape that threatened me?"

"I’ll bitch-slap him."

"You’ll bitch-slap him?" I chuckled. He pulled me back to face him and traced the side of my face.

"Yeah, twice if he’s really bad."

"I don’t think protectors are supposed to have black roots and blond hairs. You still need to bleach your roots."

"You are such a fashion queen. If it bothers you so much, come on." He pushed me off his legs and I followed him to the bathroom. He dug in the cabinet for a minute until he produced a box of hair coloring, which he handed me.

"Here, let’s do this."

"Jake, it’s like eight thirty."

"Your point is?"

"We have school tomorrow? Don’t I have to go home?"

"Stay over, we’ll get up early so you can go home and change."

"Do you think we should ask first?"

"Sure, if it makes you happy." Jake laughed at me and I rolled my eyes. Just then his dad walked into the room and I opened my mouth to ask, when Jake kicked me in the shin.

"Ow! Jerk! Why’d you do that?"

"Let’s go find my Mom, Kris."

"Fine, jeez, you didn’t have to kick me." Jake took my hand, again in full view of his father, and dragged me out to the living room.

"Mom, can Kris stay over tonight? We’re going to bleach my hair."

"Sure, as long as you guys get up for school on time."

"Can you believe Kris was going to ask dad if he could stay over?"

"Oh, good thing you asked me first, huh?" she chuckled as his dad came back in, laden with a bowl of ice cream.

"Asked you what first?"

"If Kris could stay over."

"No! No way," his father shook his head as he sat down.

"Mom already said it was ok."

"What the hell? Mar, doesn’t what I think count for anything around here?"

"I didn’t give them permission to spray-paint cars, Alan. It’s a sleepover!"

"But this is different, and you know it. We didn’t let Mike have girlfriends overnight," his dad pointed out.

"He did it anyway, when we weren’t home. I think we can trust Jake with the rules, and if he breaks them, then we change the rules. Right Jake?"

"Definitely. Don’t worry dad, I like the idea of waiting for marriage to lose my virginity."

His dad looked apoplectic at the thought and stomped from the room, muttering darkly.

"You know, I back you, but you don’t have to tweak his nose every chance you get."

"Ok, mom," Jake smiled at her. "Come on Kris, let’s call your grandfather."

**

We sat in the kitchen, plastic around Jake’s neck and the bleach in his hair. We decided to leave it in extra long so that it would go really light. We were pretty quiet while I was getting the stuff into his hair, and now all we had to do was wait and rinse.

"So, about Prom." Jake prompted me.

"What about it?"

"You wanna go with me?"

"Are you sure, Jake? I dunno about this, it’s—"

"Risky? Exciting? Dangerous?"

"Yeah, to all three."

"But you’d be with me."

"Jake, if you want to go—I’ll go. But I’m worried."

"I know, we don’t have to. I have to admit, I like the idea."

"Why?"

"I think you’d look hot in a tux."

I blushed, "That’s funny, because I was thinking the same thing about you yesterday."

"You’re cute when you blush."

"Cut it out, dork."

"I will if you kiss me."

"You’re blackmailing me into kissing you now?"

"Well, if it works—a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do!"

I leaned in and kissed him, slowly pulling away and looking deeply in his eyes.

"Now that’s what I’m talking about!" Jake grinned happily and I just smiled at him.

**

After the time limit on the bleach had been exceeded by about fifteen minutes, Jake went to go rinse off by getting in the shower. I sat in the kitchen on a barstool at the center island. I was sipping a Coke and wondering about this prom issue, debating if I was doing the right thing when Jake’s dad came in the room. He glanced at me and then placed his empty bowl in the sink.

"So, uh, Kris. How long have you, ah, known? About you?"

I was taken aback that his father was asking me anything, much less about my sexuality. I knew I had to give him some answer, but I wasn’t sure what to say.

"Well, I didn’t really deal with any of it until I got here." I held his gaze steadily.

"I don’t like this, but I want you to know it’s nothing against you. I don’t have a problem with gay people. I never have. I just don’t want my son to be gay."

"If you don’t have a problem with it, why do you feel that way, sir?"

"Don’t call me sir. Al is fine. Don’t try logic on me either. I know it doesn’t make any real sense; it’s just how I feel."

I shifted a little in my seat and chose my words carefully. "I think Jake loves you a lot. I know he wishes you could be more accepting, and I think that if you can see past that—"

"I can’t," he said simply. "Look, you’re a nice kid, you really are. Jake could have done a lot worse for a first boy—for a first time. I still say he’ll grow out of it, and maybe you will too."

"I’m happy with Jake, he makes me very happy," I stated firmly. "I don’t want to grow out of him, how I feel about him or how he makes me feel. I haven’t been this happy since I got out of my parents’ house, and he makes everything better."

"Why are you here?"

I debated that for only moments. It’s funny, his dad was against our relationship, but he was surprisingly easygoing about it.

"My dad used to beat on me. I got taken away from my parents, so my grandfather took me in."

"That’s rough. Sounds like you got lucky with your grandfather."

"I did. I never even met him before I moved here. I didn’t know adults could be anything besides mean and drunk."

The shower stopped and Jake could be heard sliding the glass doors open. His dad looked at me, nodded a goodnight, and left the room. Jake emerged moments later only in his boxers, drops of water on his chest.

"Ready for bed?" he smirked.

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