Steam Punk Goggles and Ink Stained Hands

BARRONE’S POV

~

Drew’s house was neat and quite typically suburban, well from the outside at least. It looked almost like it was an image plucked from the front of a home maker magazine, with white picket fences around the edge of a lush green lawn and a mahogany coloured door with hanging baskets on each side. It screamed ‘loving family home’, whereas my house? My house sung the more mournful tune of ‘this is where happiness comes to die’. Funny how the outside of someone’s house really gives you an idea of the inside.

As we walked up the neat path towards the front door, Drew procured a key from one of the pockets in his school trousers and gave me a quick reassuring smile. I smoothed down the front of my shirt for what seemed like the hundredth time out of nervousness. Though Drew was still in his school clothes, I was dressed in my own. I’d brought them with me to school this morning, so that I could change in one of the bathrooms after; that way, I wouldn’t have to have dinner in my school clothes. I’d tried to make myself look presentable, choosing a black shirt to go with my jeans instead of a band shirt, my more favoured way of dressing. As he unlocked the door, the smell of cooking wafted over me, making me inhale deeply.

I heard Drew chuckle quietly beside me, causing me to turn around and give him a joking glare.

“What? I know good cooking when I smell it! Oh wait, does your mum know I’m a vegetarian?” I asked, just then remembering that she may not know. In fact, I couldn’t even remember if I’d told Drew.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were a vegetarian! Wait! actually, it’s all okay, from what I can tell it smells like my mum’s vegetarian lasagne anyway. She doesn’t really like beef or lamb, so we usually have the veggie version” he smiled, clearly relieved that the meat thing wasn’t going to be a problem. I was too; I didn’t want to spoil the evening because I’d neglected to mention to Drew that I don’t eat meat or fish.

As we walked up the hallway, a woman with wavy dark hair stepped out of what I presumed to be the kitchen, based on the light blue apron tied neatly around her waist, the tea towel in her hands and the way that the delicious smells seemed to be emanating from there.

“Oh, hello there! You must be Drew’s boyfriend! Barrone, is it?” she smiled, looking genuinely pleased to see me. It was a change to be welcomed into the house with a smile, and it made me feel a combination of joy and sadness – sadness because this was only temporary, when I got home, I definitely wasn’t going to be greeted with a smile.

“Yes, nice to meet you Mrs Woolnough” I greeted, only to have her correct me.

“Call me Laura, dear” she cooed, pulling me into a quick hug. “Dinner is nearly ready, actually, boys, if you want to go get yourself settled in the dining room. I’ll just call your father, Drew” she gave us another warm smile before wandering over to the staircase. I followed Drew into the dining room, sitting down in the seat next to the one he took just as I heard Laura call up the stairs for her husband.

“Stuart! Dinner’s ready, darling!”

Once we were both sat, I stole a quick glance over at Drew. His mother seemed very accepting, but what was his father going to be like? He could be homophobic for all I knew; then again though, I doubt Drew would be this confident about dinner and as excited if he knew his father had a problem with his sexuality.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt Drew squeeze my hands, which I was wringing together in my lap out of nervousness.

“Don’t worry, baby, I can tell my mum loves you, and I know my dad will too, don’t be nervous”. He comforted, rubbing his thumbs over the top of my mine. Seconds later, we heard two sets of footsteps behind us. I turned in my seat slightly to see that Laura had returned along with a man who I presumed to be Stuart, Drew’s father. He smiled as his gaze landed on me and I rose from my chair to shake his hand, wanting to make a good impression.

“Hello, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you” he greeted, shaking my hand firmly, but not in such a way that it was painful.

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Shane, I go by Barrone though” I explained, sitting back down in my seat again as Laura re-entered with a steaming dish in her hands.

As everyone took their seats, I couldn’t help but smile. So far, it was actually going really well, the awkwardness I’d anticipated had yet to rear it’s face and all was good.

“Well then, everyone, dig in!” Laura smiled. The food did indeed smell excellent; I didn’t need to be told twice.

*****

Meeting Drew’s parents went brilliantly, and as Drew walked me home – he insisted that he had to do the gentleman-ly thing and walk me, despite me insisting that I would be fine - I couldn’t help but grin.

There was only one topic that I’d hoped to avoid this evening, and somehow, we’d managed to; so I was silently celebrating in my head on the way back. It was probably those thoughts that jinxed me, and made Drew bring it up just as we were so close to clearing the evening problem free.

“So, Barrone, you’ve met my parents, so when do I get to meet your’s?” he asked, bouncing around excitedly at my side. There it was, the topic of my parents.

I wasn’t going to be able to talk my way out of this, if we were serious, then he was going to find out one day. I knew that I didn’t want a relationship built on lies, but I couldn’t tell him the flat out whole truth. So I settled on telling him most of it, with the exception of just a few details.

Here goes, for the first time ever, I’m actually going to open up to someone and tell my story.

“Drew? I think there’s some things I need to tell you”.