Lie Like You Mean It

My uncle led us to my room and sat us down on my bed. Zero sat closer to me than usual, which meant one thing; Zero knew that Blake found us out.

“Okay, Nicolas, what were you really doing in the bathroom?” He asked bluntly, cutting to the point.
Before I could answer, Zero stepped in, saving me from completely giving it away.

“He was just coloring my hair.” Zero said it with an aggravated tone that suggested he was angry at Blake for thinking we did anything but that (which, something did happen, but whatever).

“If you were only coloring your hair then neither of you would be panting like you were.” He stated. He didn’t look mad; I think he only wanted the truth from us.

“We didn’t want to breathe in the fumes.” Zero said casually. He was really good at lying, wasn’t he?

“Please, just tell me the truth, Nicolas?” He pleaded, rubbing the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed.

“I-It was j-just the fumes.” I stuttered. But I mentally slapped myself for doing that.

“You always stutter when you’re nervous.” Then he sighed and opened his eyes, trying to search me for answers. “So… are you two just experimenting? Or are you… dating?”

I guess he decided to just ask us straight out after the long silence since apparently neither of us were going to say anything. I’m sure Zero would’ve said something if he wasn’t so concerned about me not wanting people to know.

But Zero snapped in his efforts to defend me and he stood up. “If you tell anyone I’ll-” He growled, but I cut him off by pulling his back with both arms wrapped around his torso. It wasn’t like he was trying to defend himself; he was trying to defend me because I didn’t want people to know.

“S-stop.” I whispered. He instantly relaxed and I pulled him back over to the bed to sit down.

“Nicolas doesn’t want anyone to know. I don’t mind if people know, but as long as he doesn’t want people knowing, I’m willing to do anything to keep people from finding out.” I looked down at the floor and played with the hem of my shirt as I bit my lip nervously.

“I’m sure no one in this house would condemn you for going out with him, Nicolas. However, do you really want this life? I know firsthand what it’s like to be judged based on the people I dated.”

“I-I… It’s not like I like other guys, I didn’t even really like girls.” I said it all kinda of fast and I didn’t bother to look up. “I-It’s only Zero.”

“Listen Nicolas, I have no right to tell your parents. But I think they have should know their son is dating a member of the household.” He said, standing up and walking over to where I sat on the bed. He placed a hand on my shoulder. “But I’m sure your parents will understand.” Then he left us in the room alone with our thoughts.

“He poses a good point.” Zero was the first one to speak, jolting me out of my thoughts.

“With what?” I asked.

“Both the fact that your parents have a right to know and that they’d most likely understand.” He looked at me with a serious expression on his face that made me want to turn away from his eyes. “Do you want to tell them?”

I considered the options for a few moments. Not telling them would result in them just finding out sooner or later. And if that happened they might be disappointed that I didn’t tell them or maybe even sad because they might think I didn’t trust them enough to be able to confide in them.

My parents themselves were very understanding people. I mean, hell, my mom has been ignoring my grandpa ever since he gay-bashed my uncle and told him to basically, ‘get the fuck out of my house’. And my dad pretty much treats Blake like a best friend.

“Y-you’ll come with me right?” I was almost afraid to ask that of him.

He rolled his eyes exasperatedly. “Do you really have to ask? But I want to follow your pace. Don’t think for a second that just because I asked means you have to go along with it.”

“A-as if I would think that!” I said back at him.

“If you were brave enough to let me stick my tongue in your mouth, I’m sure you can do this.” He chuckled. That evoked a shy laugh from me, just thinking that not only fifteen minutes ago we were making out (I hoped that was the right word for what it was.) in the bathroom. It wasn’t an unpleasant memory. Okay, so maybe I liked it… a lot. But it might just be because I liked Zero a lot.

He slid a palm over my cheek and forced me to look him in the eyes. “Are you sure you want to tell them?”

I nodded, making up my mind once and for all. I practically dragged him out the door because I didn’t want to stay in here any longer and risk losing my resolve.

“Wait.” Zero pulled me back before we could get downstairs. He wrapped his arms around me and bent down to place a kiss on my forehead. “Don’t be so tense.”

Then I looked down to realize that the hand that I had caught with my own was squeezing the other one harshly. I let go instantly, worried that I had hurt him. But then I remembered who he was. He was Zero, the invincible, foul-mouthed brat whose only weakness was me. Oh yeah, he was arrogant, selfish and conceited too.

On the note of selfishness, I doubted he’d let my parents keep him from me.

Zero grabbed my hand again, entwining his fingers in mine. “We’re going to approach them as a couple. If that’s okay with you?” I only had to think about it for a second before nodding.

Mina and Michael were the only ones in the living room. “Aw, they’re so cute!” Michael squealed. Mina however, had a more worried, serious expression on her face. She rushed over to us, hiding our hands by standing right in the middle of us.

“What are you doing?” She hissed. I think that was the first time I’d heard Mina like that. She didn’t really sound angry but it was like it was more out of concern. “Anyone could’ve seen you!”

She was really serious about keeping our secret. Michael walked up behind her, his face contorting into a seriousness identifiable to Mina’s. “What’s going on?” He asked worriedly.

“They’re walking around in the open like this.” She explained, turning towards him.

“My uncle found out.” I said in an ashamed way. I was only feeling like that because I had been stupid enough to open the door while we were still out of breath which led to my uncle finding out.

“How?” Michael asked. It was strange to see him this stern. Usually he had the same nonchalant grin on whenever I saw him.

I blushed at this and lowered my head. I really didn’t want to say.

“He gay and he knows Nicolas pretty well, so I guess he just knew.” Zero came to my defense.

“Bullshit! He’s blushing. What did you really do?” Mina whispered back, pointing out his lie.

Zero rolled his eyes before responding, “Okay, so let’s just say that after we colored my hair we did something that made us out-of-breath enough for Blake to catch on even though he didn’t see what happened.”

“Good job Zero.” She said sarcastically, flicking his forehead.

“Man, I wish I could’ve been there.” Michael said thoughtfully, laughing.

“It wasn’t anything like that!” I defended. Michael backed off a bit since I was so obviously embarrassed by a public mentioning of the act.

“So you guys are-”

“We’re t-telling my p-parents…” I stuttered nervously, cutting her off.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she asked, “Are you sure?” I nodded, trying to keep up my resolve.

Michael wrapped the two of us into a hug. “Aww… you guys know we’re behind you all the way, right?”

“Somehow you being behind us doesn’t sound right.” Zero muttered, making me laugh.

“But in all seriousness, we are, okay?” Mina said.

“Alright, this is all too sentimental, let’s go Nicolas.”

Zero pushed our way out of the hug and we proceeded to the kitchen where the four adults were. My mom was behind the counter and my dad was at the table playing a card game with Blake and his boyfriend. My uncle’s boyfriend looked like someone he’d date with the neatly cut cinnamon hair and blue eyes.

My mom was the first to notice our presence. “What can I do for you, Sweetie?” She asked me.

“Mom, we need to talk.” I glanced over at Blake, careful not to let him see that I had. He had a slight grin that said he was proud of my decision to tell my parents.
“Honey, can’t you see that-” She wasn’t trying to blow me off or anything, she just wanted to be nice to our guests.
“Mom.” I cut her off. “We need to talk.” I said urgently. That got Dad’s attention and he looked over at us and the other two’s gazes followed. At that moment I felt scrutinized.

She sent a questioning look over at her brother. “Go on, don’t mind us.” He said, encouraging her.
“Dad, you might need to hear this too.” I was looking down at this point to lessen the intensity of the stares.

Nonetheless, he got up from his chair and followed Zero, me and my mom out of the room and out to the living room.

“Uh… we’ll be going now.” Mina suggested nervously, pulling Michael behind her and up the stairs.

As soon as they were out of sight my mom took the liberty of asking, “So what’s this all about you two?”

“U-Umm… Z-Zero… and um… and I… we, uh… it’s…” Somehow I couldn’t get the words from inside my head to pass through my lips in the same order and it came out like that.

“I think we should take a seat for this Anya.” Dad said. “Looks like it’ll be awhile before he says something coherent.” He grinned up at me from his seat on the couch.

“What are you trying to say Honey?” She asked. “We’re listening.”

“Mom… I-I…” I drew in a shaky breath. “I.. l-l-like Ze-Zero…” I whispered, hoping she’d heard me so that I wouldn’t have to repeated myself. But I also hoped she didn’t hear because then I’d still have time to back out and abort the whole thing.

“Really?” She asked, surprised. Her tone of voice made me look up to see her smiling. “That’s good, I didn’t think you two would become friends what with your little squabbles in the beginning.”

Then I glanced over at Dad and my heart sank. His eyebrows were furrowed as he chewed his lower lip. I was scared of his reaction now. He placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“No, Anya, I think he means…” He trailed off. Apparently he couldn’t find the right words for it. She glanced over at him and I think she understood then the real depth of my words.