"If I wear mauve on the first day do you think that would scream 'pretty boy'?" Gavin asked, lying a purple polo down on his bed next to his sprawled out cat. His sister Jamie caught the tennis ball she had been hurling at the wall and gave him a disgusted look.1
"What the hell is mauve? I didn't think that word was programmed into testosterone vocabularies." she said sweeping her pale fingers through her hair.2
"You didn’t answer..."3
"Why can't you just say 'purple' like everyone else?" She interjected.4
Gavin rolled his eyes. 5
"Honey that is no purple...that is mauve." He said brushing a stray hair off the shirt.6
"Homo" Jamie said tossing the ball again. 7
“Fuckin’ A.”8
Gavin took a pinstriped suit coat out of his closet along with a pair of grey slacks.9
“Doesn’t it bother you what people say about…you all?” Jamie asked carefully. Her eyes watched the ball she had thrown; the dog ad a headlong leap after it.10
“What, all of us fags?” Gavin retorted trying to get the cat to stop rubbing against his slacks. “Just go on and say it. I know you want to. Then I’ll start complaining about the flaws of this country and then you’ll go on about the bible and everything that Dad ever said to us.”11
There was a short pause between the two. “Anything else?” She asked rolling her eyes skyward.12
“Then I’ll make a statement about how fucked up this country is.” Gavin stated, picking up his cat and cradling her unwillingly in his arms. “What on earth do you lot have against homosexuals?”13
Jamie ignored him. “What are you going to do when you have to so see Dad every week? He’s going to open the door to a…well you know…god forbid he sees you with Erik…”14
“Shut up. And actually I’ve been thinking about Thursdays with Dad. I think I’ve got it. I’ll just go with the flow…and on Tuesdays I’ll be straight and Thursdays I’ll be gay, mark your calendar.” Gavin replied thoughtfully.15
“What about the days in between are you still going to be a fruit then?” she asked sarcastically.16
“No actually. I’ll be a wild man eating spork that lives off of a rare breed of Tsetse fly in the coast of Madagascar.”17
Jamie flipped Gavin a choice gesture as his phone rang out a cheesy Pink Floyd imitation. 18
“Hello” Gavin said into the phone.19
“Hey!” A voice said through a wall of static.20
“What happened” Asked Gavin nervously.21
“What”, screamed the man on the other end. “I can’t hear you!”22
“Stop fucking yelling into the phone and tell me what happened” Gavin shouted into the phone. “Where are you?”23
“Corner of 45th and Essex” yelled Erik on the line.24
Gavin groaned. “Be right there.”25
Gavin pulled up in the corner parking lot of a Jewish Deli. Erik was on the side of the sidewalk; long light brown hair tussled over his facial features taking a long drag on a cigarette. In the glare of his car’s lights, the hoop in Erik’s earlobe glimmered like a switchblade knife. The stubble on his chin collided with his hidden dimples that made shadows in the light of his blue eyes.26
Gavin unlocked the passenger door as Erik threw down his cigarette and walked right over it to the car. The door opened, and Erik and Gavin sat in darkness and silence. 27
“Since when do you smoke” asked Gavin quietly.28
“Since six minutes ago when I realized how fucked we are” he replied, his words sloshing against his rosy lips like cheap whiskey.29
“I guess it didn’t go over to well with them” Gavin halfheartedly replied. 30
“I just said the magic three letter word. Mom just grabbed her keys and left. Dad told me he couldn’t live with a “faggot bastard” for a son.”31
“So you left?”32
“No, he left” said Erik culling his words slowly. “Then I did.”33
There was another long pause. Gavin started to speak but Erik started to whisper.34
“It was the letter…in my name. That fucking ‘K’ is what made me different, he said. A normal straight kid named Eric has a ‘C’ instead of a ‘K’. There had to be something wrong with a kid that has a name with a defective letter. Defective letters…defective letters make defective words. G and A and Y top them though, when they’re arranged in the same word.” Erik whispered in a husky I’ve-seen-better-days voice. The grin he had started his words with slowly had become inverted. Tears leaked at the corners of his eyes. 35
“Are you okay?” Gavin asked, putting his arm around Erik.36
He shook his head and breathed in his tears. “Fuck ‘em. They’re only my parents.”37
“Erik…don’t worry babe…they’ll come around. They’re just being conformist ass holes like the rest of the world right now.” Gavin said, leaning over to take Erik’s head on his chest. “You’ve got me. I love you. Your parents can’t change that…the law can’t change that…hell, god can’t change it. To the rest of the world…we’re just an unmentionable mistake…hidden. The world can’t feel our pain or our love. And they’re not going to stay that way for long. They can’t ignore us anymore…not in these times, babe.”38
Erik raised his head. “We’re going to hell for this you know” He said.39
“There is no hell…if there was you’re a flaming pyro already.”40
Erik chuckled. “I need a drink” He groaned.41
“No you don’t. You don’t need a smoke either. By he way, how did that taste?” 42
“Like shit.” Said Erik.43
“Good. Keep it that way...oh and Erik?”44
“Yeah?” Erik said, eyes drifting away on clouds in Gavin’s shoulder.45
“Keep smiling babe…it keeps the rest of the shit away…”46
47
Author notes
Okay...I know...what the hell was I thinking right? Well, I wanted to do something totally opposite of my style. I'm a straight girl, but I thought it would be fun to capture a different point of view. If Ioffend anyone I really don't mean to. Inspired by Angels In America.
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 17 of 17
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"the dog ad a headlong leap after it." 'ad' should be 'at' i think
"I guess it didn’t go over to well with them" 'to' should be 'too'
Hmm.. Definitely sad. Most people have problems with not being accepted by their parents. It upsets them. Most people don't have someone they can go to and feel okay about it. I'm glad Erik has someone to go to. Good story, shows hope in the world -
haha...I was suprised at the reactions I got from this. Only a few people have ever seen angels in america...which is a crime because it is one of the best films ever made. The movie is actually based off of a broadway stage show, odd no? lol wow...I rock...wow...Never got that before...
Edited on Aug 04, 9:34 p.m. because 'Don't be a fool for the grammar, darling
'.
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Angels In America is a great movie, and this is a great story! You manage to take the reader on a walk through homophobia and love in just a few moments. You have a great talent for writing, and I especially enjoyed the character's and thier personalities. Even I learned some stuff from this! Now I know never to:
1. Call the color 'puprle' 'mauve'.
2. Name my child Erik or Eric for that matter.
3. Buy a Pink Floyd ring tone.
I also found out that there are Jewish Delis! Yay!
Hehe, great story!!! You rock! lol -
Wow! This was so great, I didn't assume that a guy had written it, but you had such insight into the prejudice etc I presumed you were gay.
Great write
I liked this a lot, wonderful story showing the strength and horror of homophobia, but also the power of love Keep writing and thanks for entering
All the best,
Pozo
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Great!
For a straight girl you really did a good job. LOL! Seriously. This story was so good because you really were able to bring out details. A Pink Floyd song as a ringer, pulling into a Jewish deli, Erik's pierced ears, these are very important with the story. Small details like that really enhance a story, they give it life rather than just words on paper or on a computer screen.
Great job and good luck.
Dominik -
Amazing write, the story sounds almost exactly like what happened to one of my friends.. actually named Eric but wiht a "c". Anyways, I'll have to let him read it. Keep writing, it was truly amazing.
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I think this is awesome -- a refreshing point of view. Even though it's not your lifestyle, you explained it well and it was believable. Great write.
A. M. Adrian -
That was awsome. When I started reading it I just wanted to know what the three letter word was lol. When i found out, well, I just kept reading. You have talent here. Great job. I can see why some might get offended, but the majority wouldn't I don't think. I can't critisis this, because I totally loved it. You being a straight girl, well, you can express his feelings towards Eri~~K~~ better then a lesbian girl could. Great write again!
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Thank you so much for your comment, and I'm thankin' her as well . Grammar isn't usually my strong point but I had to eventually get it right sometime lol. I really appreciate someone with honest criticism.
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I could see ya writing dialouge in scripts and having people rolling....you have a knack for the unexpected...Keep it up!
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I am most impressed with the style and quality of this piece. I'd give an A+ for grammar and vocabulary. The story is believeable, rock steady, and quite sad. I was immediately drawn into the story and the way you developed the characters.
I was very pleased with the way you compassionately handled the subject matter. Extremely well done.
Sincerely,
Leo Long
ps. A little birdie peeped your name in my ear...lol... glad she did. -
Wonderfully written story! didn't find the way immediately to read it completely, but it is just excellent! though the situation isn't completely the same about the parents of Erik, in some way I can relate to it... first time my mom knew I was gay she was calling me names, that she doesn't want a 'fag', I only do this to bully her and stuff... my dad destroyed half of the house' furniture... eventually, situations are better now with my mom, but my dad still acts he doesn't know a thing, always talking about boobies and sex with girls and whatever things that don't really interest me...
Anywho, enough with my brabbling, an applaude, well deserved!
Leander -
wow this was awesum i really liked the last line
“Keep smiling babe…it keeps the rest of the shit away…”
great job!! and yea..anywayz im speachless i really enjoyed reading this..i hope u enjoyed writing it
Melyssa
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Ohh! I loved this! You did a great job. I don't see how you could offend anyone. This country IS screwed up. Hypocrites..Lol. My mom's a lesbian, and a lot of my friends are gay, so I've been kinda surrounded by it..And..Just..GR! Lol. Yes! Very nicely done, indeed! =P
-kayla=/ -
Thank you so much! I was really afraid of what people would think of this piece because everything is so borderline in here. This piece really i alot different than any of my other in certain ways. Oh, I have never met anyone who has ever seen angels in america!!!That is so awesome!!!!!
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This is just beautiful. =) I know what it can be like to grow up in a family with that kind of mindset.. My step brother's gay, and when he told our parents, they just said he was 'young and dumb.' And, I've yet to tell them that I'm bisexual.. But, I know they'd just give me the same short reply. Anyway, I digress. e e; This is wonderfully done. You did a great job capturing what it would be like to be a boy whose homosexual, and all the shizzat he'd have to go though, with family and the rest of society. Very nicely done. =)
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That was a really great movie and I think you've done it uber great justice! I felt like it was some kind of "hidden chapter" lost to the madness of the rest of the world. But I really am impressed. As I watched the movie I felt tiny and boorish at the skill it showed in dialoguing and scene-setting.... but now you've gone as re-creating it with such ease! I so wish I had your gift! My dialogue is always the low point of the prose I write. But anyway, this rocked! Keep up the cosmical creativity!
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