Lonely People

Only Those You Trust The Most

It's one thing to live your life hidden away from society, but it's another to hide away from your friends. Friends are meant to support you and love you no matter what, even if you went against the common ideals of the world. If there's anyone you should never have to hide from, it's your friends.

I was faced with the moral dilemma of telling two of my closest friends. The only ones who knew about Molly and me were Paul, Janice, Brian, and Regina. Besides them, the entire world simply saw us as two of the closest best friends to ever exist. Each and every one of them was supportive. There was no way we would have made it through this without them.

George, Ringo, and John still didn't know. They were completely in the dark during one of the hardest times in my life. I found myself aching to tell them. I wanted to hear them tell me they didn't care who I loved.

Brian told me to tell only those I trust the most. In this entire world, there are only eight people who I trust with my life. More importantly; who I trust with the secret that could get Molly and I both killed. George, Ringo, and John were three of the eight.

I was nervous to tell George and Ringo, but I was absolutely petrified to tell John. He was the one who would always leap at the opportunity to make a queer joke. It was John that was the least tolerant. While I knew he wouldn't report me, if not for me then for Paul, I knew he wouldn't be kind about it. Either he would make obscene and hurtful jokes at every possible opportunity, or he would completely cut me off. I didn't want to lose him, which was why I decided to stay in the closet with him.

George and Ringo, however, were different. Never once had I heard them make a real queer joke. They knew about Brian, and Ringo was the very first to tell him they didn't care. Deep down, I knew they wouldn't care that I was gay, but my anxiety didn't listen. I stood in front of Ringo's door at a time when I knew George would be there with my knees knocking and my muscles trembling.

Every logical part of my brain screamed at me to run. Even the parts that longed for love told me to run, but my heart said otherwise. My heart pumped blood through my veins with enough force to launch me forward. I found myself knocking before I even realized what was happening.

"Mel? You look pale as a sheet," Ringo commented as soon as he opened the door.

I coughed, "Just feeling a bit under the weather. Nothin' bad."

"Maybe I shouldn't invite you in," Ringo smirked, "Might get us all sick."

"Aw, bugger off, Ringo, it's cold out here."

Ringo laughed before stepping aside and letting me in. His flat was a few floors above mine, but it didn't look any different. He even had the same couch, which made me chuckle a bit. George sat on that couch setting up a game of Monopoly.

"Good, we needed another player," George commented.

I fell to sit next to him, "Hello to you too, Georgie."

He rolled his eyes. Ringo sat in the armchair across from us and handed us each a bottle of pop. I gratefully took it, hoping the bubbles would help calm my nerves. As it happens, the caffeine simply made me shake more. I began to shake so much that the pop sloshed around in the bottle. Ringo took notice and asked, "You sure you're alright, Mel?"

"You're shaking worse than me Mum," George commented.

"Nerves, is all."

"Why?" George smirked, "Scared we'll beat you in Monopoly?"

I rolled my eyes, "Course not, I can wipe the floor with you two gits."

"I'd like to see you try."