"Dad."
"Yes?"
"I'm gay."
"I know." My jaw drops to the floor in shock from his words. I thought I was slick. Why can't I ever keep top secret secrets?!
"Are you bitching me for real right now?" I shriek. "God I can't even come out to my own father without him already knowing."
He tries to say something but I don't let him. "I am Leonardo Giovanni, I look like I'm constipated half the time and I know all your secrets." I mock him, making my voice lower to sound like his.
"I do not look constipated all the time." He scoffs.
"Oh yeah and I am not gay. Which apparently you already seem to fucking know!" I groan, crossing my arms over my chest staring out of the car window. We are stuck in the typical NYC traffic.
"Maggie," he sighs, smiling a bit. "It's okay that I knew. I just wanted to wait for you to be ready to tell me."
"How did you know?"
"Every single time we go out and we pass a girl you shamelessly check her out." I huff at his explanation, however he continues. "You also, whenever we watch tv or movies and there is a actress you find attractive, you say that you'd let them run you over."
"Ugh! God I can't have anything." I groan. This is no fair. He's right. I won't let him know that though.
"Hey, my no boyfriends rule now applies to girlfriends too."
"Yeah good luck with that."
"You're dating your friend Logan right?"
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" I scream at him. He starts to hysterically laugh. This is not funny.
"What else do you know huh?!" I question him accusingly, flailing my arms as he continues to laugh.
Why can't I have the element of surprise? That moment were he freezes and then says: "damn I didn't expect that." But no, he already knew. How long? I am unsure. He probably has known since before I was born because he's Nardo and Nardo knows everything.
"Quick what's fifty-seven times ninety-eight?" Let's see if he really does know everything or if he's just a faker. I mean who could get that number off the top of their heads I mean they must be so–
"Five thousand, five hundred and eighty-six." He answers not missing a beat. My jaw drops off it's hinges or whatever they are called and I plug the numbers into the calculator.
Of course he was right.
"Unfucking believable." I roll my eyes resorting to look out the window. I don't need to see his smug face. However the world seems cruel to me as I can see his stupid face in the stupid reflection in the window.
"Lighten up Maggie." He pats my shoulder, clear amusement lacing his tone.
"Light up Maggie." I mimic him while making a disgusted face. "We should have a competition to see who's better at what."
"No."
"What?! Why not?"
"Because you'll lose."
And back to ignoring him I go.
-
Ignoring him didn't last more than four minutes and twenty-two seconds. I remembered a story from school today so I just had to tell him. We got into a slight disagreement about how I handled my situation but at least I didn't get suspended.
I mean that's a bonus right?
No.
Fuck you Tina.
"Why are we going to the airport?" I ask him obnoxiously sipping my Starbucks drink that he bought me as my coming out present.
"I have a surprise for you."
My eyes light up. "Ooh, what type of surprise? Did you buy me an airplane?"
"Do you want one?" My eyes widen at his question.
"Yes, no, maybe." I shrug. Rich kid problems.
"Well, we can look at some models, maybe get you a sage green one because it's your favourite colour."
"Are you for real?"
"Yes?"
"Do you realize how bad for the environment flying private is?"
"Oh don't be all high and mighty Maggie. You can't recycle for the life of you."
"Okay Leonardo," I start. Oh boy he's in for a treat. "If we are talking ethics and environment here then be prepared because I just so happened to learn about the Paris Agreement today in school. So my suggestion to you is that you don't test me because if you do, you will be blown away by my facts. Facts that will make you so guilty for flying private that it will eat you away from the inside out. So maybe you should really think before–"
"What's the Paris Agreement Maggie?"
Oh shit.
Silence.
He scoffs. "Well you see about that," I start trying to make this sound like i am the innocent one. "So I just so happened to be walking into English class and I saw the words: Paris Agreement, Global Warming initiative on the board. So I sat down and realized that I forgot my text book. So I left the class in search of my locker when I saw this boy beating up another boy."
"Oh for gods sake."
"Anyways," I roll my eyes. "So of course I stand up for the boy. Gave the bully a black eye and then got caught by a teacher. So I spent the rest of the class in the office. I told the principal that I could be called the "Bully Patrol" so I can stop bullying in the school. She rolled her eyes and told me to go for lunch!"
"Wow." He's speechless. What a loser. He wordlessly pulls into the airports private section. Gate sixteen to be exact. "Good thing I didn't but you a plane, I would be encouraging this bad behaviour."
"If you were worried about my "bad behaviour" then you would've scolded me for being the Bully Patroller and not just respond with a Wow."
"Some kind of mood you're in today." He huffs getting out of the car. I sit in my seat waiting for my door to be opened. Dad, Marco, Gramps, Martin, and literally any of Dads workers insist that I never touch another door handle in my life.
"Let's go." He opens my door for me.
"Let's go." I mimic him. He grabs my hand and we both walk along the tarmac.
I see his world polluting airplane sitting a couple hundred meters away. I squint my eyes at the two people standing with their bags near the bottoms of the stairs that go up to the plane.
Maybe I need glasses I can't see shit.
"Dad who are they?" I look up at him. He smirks down at me before looking back up taking his sunglasses off.
"Keep walking."
"Oh my god you're finally sending me off." I dramatically cry. "Oh! And I never even got that plane!"
"Quit being dramatic and look ahead of you." I purse my lips in response and squint my eyes at the two people.
No fucking way.
Holy cannoli.
"RAYMOUND IS THAT YOU?!" I yell at the older dark skinned man standing next to what looks like his wife.
"It's just Ray kid!" He responds back laughing. I drop my fathers hand and book it to my dearest friend Ray.
It takes less than twenty seconds to reach him as I jump into his outstretched arms. "Ray!" I cry, never really realizing just how much I missed him.
"Hello Maggie." He sighs, happiness clear in his voice. His arms are tightly wrapped around me as he shakes me a bit. "I missed you kid, the station hasn't been the same."
I laugh through my tears at that statement. If only he knew that I am still causing trouble. "I missed the station too." He puts me down and I see that my father is greeting Rays wife.
My lip wobbles seeing her appearance. She looks really sick, her head covered in a scarf and she looks considerably skinnier.
"Hi beautiful." She opens her arms for a hug. I instantly step into the woman's outstretched arms. She smells like your typical grandmother, roses and old person.
Is that rude?
Very.
Shit.
"Hi Joanne." I carefully hug her back. I let go of her soon after and look at my favourite married couple on earth. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We wanted a change of scenery. Your father has helped us out with that." Ray tells me looking extremely grateful at my father.
"You're a saint Leonardo." Joanne says to my father clasping both his hands in hers. "A saint."
I snort, starting to choke on my own spit. Ray starts coughing and my father looks considerably uncomfortable. He gives me a warning look telling me to shut my mouth but I simply cannot.
Leonardo.
A saint.
Buddy is friendly with Satan at this point. If anything I am the saint here. I am best buddies with God. I learned the sign of the cross and that Jesus married a prostitute that had the same name as his mother.
After a few minutes of talking my father leads us to the car. Ray helps Jo in the car while Dad and I load their bags into the trunk.
"Never wouldve thought you'd be a saint." I snort.
"Shut up Maggie."
"Fine load the bags yourself." I huff going around to the front seat. Throwing myself into his car I look back at the two people in the car with me.
"You guys are religious right?" I rest my elbow on the middle console and hold my chin up with the palm of my hand. I give them a big grin.
"Yes sweets."
"Great, I have a question for you." Ray squints his eyes. He seems to know that some out of pocket shit is going to leave my mouth. "Was Jesus married to the prostitute?"
Jo's eyes widen and Ray puts his head in his hands shaking his head. "Not even ten minutes." He mutters to himself.
Leonardo gets into the car and instantly notices the unusual silence. Looking at me accusingly he scrunches his face up. "What did you say to them?"
I make the look of shock and confusion at the out of pocket accusation. "Just asked about Mary Magdalene." I shrug like it's no big deal.
"Is everyone alright?" He doesn't acknowledge me. Rude.
When the two oldies in the back give him the go ahead he starts to drive out the airport. I secretly connect my phone to his car. Next thing we know Pitbulls, International Love song is blasting through the speakers.
-
We have just finished helping the Reynolds set up in their new apartment ten floors down from ours.
"Who would've thought you have a heart. Helping out the elderly." I pat Dad on his shoulder as I stuff a croissant down my throat.
"Who says I don't have a heart?"
"God."
"Jesus Maggie, what is it with you and god today?"
"You just said Jesus, in the same sentence you questioned me about my interest in God." I turn around so I am facing him. "Think before you speak Nardy."
"What do you want to do tomorrow?" He questions me as he plops down next me with a bowl of popcorn on his lap.
"I don't know, maybe kill myself?" I reach to take a piece of popcorn from the bowl but my hand gets slapped away. My jaw drops as I look up at him in betrayal.
"You bully me all day long and now you want to steal my popcorn?" He sighs sadly being a dramatic little b word.
I guess we know who you got your dramatics from.
I'm not dramatic Tina.
"I didn't bully you stop being so sensitive."
"Why don't you stop being so insensitive."
"That's not a word."
"You're joking right?" He chuckles awkwardly as he stares at me with a concerned look in his eyes.
"No Nardo of course I am not joking."
"Holy crap, looks like someone needs a dictionary."
"You know what Leonardo," I stand from the couch putting both my dogs underneath my armpits. "Watch tv yourself tonight."
With that I make my way to my room smirking slightly.
You shouldn't be Bully Patroller.
Why the fuck not Tina?
Because you're a bully.
No... okay yes. It's not my fault though. My father is like another level of bully.
I get it from him.
-
In two days I am getting my wisdom teeth removed so I probably won't post a chapter for a few days.
Wish me luck 🤞
Lots of love 💕