west hills [muke af]

vingt huit

vingt huit

"Dammit, Luke, you can't park straight!" His mother scolded him as he got out of the car. His birthday was coming up very soon, and he needed to pass his drivers test the first time around.

"It's because I'm not straight!" He yelled on instinct, before covering his mouth. "I mean, oops?" Michael taught Luke how great it felt to joke about his own sexuality, all the jokes they poked on each other about their sexuality caught on to Luke.

"What?"

Luke got back in the car, his heart beating in his chest. "Nothing," he told his mother as she got back in the car.

"Sweetie, is there something we need to talk about?"

"No, Mom." He buckled up his seat belt as he began driving off the course they used for maneuverability. Luke bit his lip, hoping their conversation was over.

But, Luke's prayers were never answered.

"Luke, we should talk."

"I'm driving, sorry. Don't distract the driver!" He joked, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips.

He's had this conversation with his parents one million times in his head, but never in real life. It felt so much scarier in real life, and he didn't know why.

"We'll talk tonight, then."

Tonight came much quicker than Luke would like. He was hoping tonight would mean in a few weeks, maybe a few months, maybe never. He was hoping tonight would be a quick conversation, just a few words to get it out. He was hoping tonight would mean they'd quickly go back to living their lives apart from each other.

Once again, Luke's prayers were never answered.

Luke picked at the pasta dish in front of him, ignoring the stares from both of his parents. They never had family dinners, even when the older two Hemmings brothers were home.

It was odd when they sat at the long, large dining room table. Luke on one side, his parents on the other.
Luke's toes kicked at the rose colored wood below him, trying to pretend he didn't hear his father clear his throat for the fourth time in two minutes.

"Luke, we need to talk about this," his mother finally sighed.

Luke shrugged his shoulders as he stared intently at a piece of cut up chicken. "Do we? I don't think we do. Sexualities are a lie. We are all dying."

His father laughed, only to be elbowed by Ms. Hemmings.

"We just want to hear it from you, Sweetie."

"Oh, okay. I'm gay," he bluntly stated. He stayed staring down at the meal in front of him, trying to hide the embarrassing red rising to his cheeks. "And, I'm dating my best friend."
His mother furrowed her eyebrows. "Michael?"

"Surprise." Luke looked up just in time to see the questioning looks on his parents faces.

"How long have you two been dating?"

He sat up straight, knowing there is no possible way he is able to get out of this situation now. "I don't know. A few months."

"A few months?" His mother repeated, louder than Luke. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Luke didn't know how to answer his mother. He truly did not know why he wasn't able to come out of the closet already. It's not 1970 anymore, it's okay to come out of the closet. Maybe Luke was just afraid of rejection.

"I don't know," he sighed.
Luke was raised by parents who always told him and his siblings that being gay was okay. He was raised to look at people before race. He was raised that everyone is different, and different is okay.

There was no real reason for Luke to look at his parents and fear their next words. He had no reason to think that they were going to kick him out to the streets.

"Okay, well, that's okay and all. But, I don't think I'm comfortable with you two sleeping in the same bed much anymore, really." She pulled her hair in front of her, playing with the blonde strands that matched Luke perfectly. "We love you as much as we did five minutes ago, you know that, right?"

He looked down at his lap. He was insecure and often questioned his parent's love for him. Luke needed to try more, he needed to try to be put into their lives more. He can't let them stay on one side of the house all the time, leaving him feeling all alone.

"Yeah, Mom, I know." Did he?

(a/n) my brother once went "nothing in nature is straight" and i went "neither am i". that's how i came out to my parents. literally. that's it. it wasn't a big deal for me nor them, so i didn't make it one. 

i'm lucky enough to have a supportive family, though. that's all i really know. 

i know lots of people who had a completely different experience through coming out, and it sucks that most of them are negative. 

i don't know how to write a negative coming out story, and i wish negative coming out situations didn't exist.