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Note: This is my first Degrassi fanfic. Stick around for the read. Trust me. It's going to be good. With word like that from ze Great Nanaki BH, you know it's true.
And I Meant It
By: Nanaki BH
"Papa, I'm gay!"
It was one of those typical Italian fights over women, politics or racial profiling. This one was about women. My father was your traditional Italian guy. He thought the only good people were Italian, he thought women were only good for romance novels and cooking, he insisted that he paid for dinner even when someone else took us out, and of course, he thought gay guys were total fairies that should drop off the face of the earth. I always wanted to crawl under a rock whenever he started a conversation with me that started like "why don't you get a girl friend". Generally, when someone comes out they either get a good reaction, a bad reaction, or no reaction at all. In an Italian family it is almost guaranteed a one hundred percent chance of a bad reaction. It's not just a reaction from your own parents and siblings. Oh no. It's much more than just that. Once your immediate family knows, then your aunts and uncles know and then your grandparents, and then they tell the cousins and then the cousins tell your distant family members back in Italy. It's like some cruel circle. Once the last of your family knows, they'll send an infuriated letter back home. At least that's how it seems to go.
My father kept nagging to me this Saturday afternoon how I should get a girl friend. He had his heart set on me being King of Degrassi. It was either me or another Italian kid in his mind. He went through a list of almost all the girls I knew in the process.
"Ashley? She doesn't seem too bad. You must like her!"
"No, papa. Ashley's not my type."
"Well, how about Paige? You're good friends with her brother, right?"
I blushed, knowing I was much more than just a good friend with Dylan. "She's not much like her brother."
"So you don't like her?"
"No." I was frustrated by now. Just keep cool... One word answers always work well.
"There's that Ellie girl. You were dating her once, no?" From standing in the kitchen doorway he came to sit down in the chair across from me. "What happened with her?"
Oh crap! Quick excuse! "Uh... She didn't think it would work out." Smooth catch, Marco-boy.
"Well why did she think that? You're such a nice boy, how could it not 'work out'?" he leaned a little forward in his chair, apparently expecting a good answer.
I gave him one. "It's a girl thing."
"Ah." Hey, he took it. "So how's that Liberty, she..." I had to cut him off before he could continue. There was no chance that I liked Liberty anyway.
"She's strange, papa. Besides, she likes someone." Or so I think. I'm too worried about my own relationship with Dylan to think about anyone else.
"Spinner?" he asked.
"Don't like his hair. Looks too much like Dylan's."
...Aw crap. I didn't have time to think! Redo! Redo!
He raised an eyebrow at me. So he pressed, "Eh... Marco, what do you like about that Dylan?" He was almost right up in my face he was so close. He should be able to tell I was blushing. How could I answer that without sounding completely gay? What did I like about Dylan... he was funny, sweet, gentle, he took things slow with me, he understood my feelings, and best of all, he was practically the hottest guy at Degrassi.
He narrowed his eyes. It was now or never.
I could feel myself on the verge of tears as I said it. "Papa, I'm gay!" And that's how it worked out. Just after I had it said, I saw my mother in the kitchen doorway looking devastated. This was such a bad idea. It was like I had just jumped in a tank of man-eating sharks and I was staring into the eyes of the biggest one. I barely registered it when I felt a hard slap to the face.
"Marco!" It was my mother's voice but it felt so far away. I think I heard my father screaming something, but I couldn't tell what he was saying. All I felt was grief, a sort of pain that grabbed at my stomach and made tears come to my eyes. I looked back up and my father was gone. My mom was dragging him by his elbow into the kitchen and he was still screaming his head off at me. "Be quiet! Stay in here and don't do anything!" He still kept yelling but he listened and stayed in the kitchen.
She stumbled over to me. "Marco... my Marco." I was sobbing by now, unable to control myself. She stroked my cheeks. "Listen, I... don't know what to say or how to feel about this just yet, but it would be a good idea if you left for a little while. Go to your friend Dylan. He has a nice family. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having you. Just tell them I'll pay them back for it, okay? Go upstairs and get a backpack with some things." She glanced over at the shut kitchen door, "I don't know how long he will be like this." She patted my cheek. "Get going!"
I nodded numbly. "I... I'm sorry, mamma. I love you." I ran upstairs, gathered together some clothes and I was out the door without a second thought.
I had to get to Dylan.
Author's notes: Aw... Poor, poor Marco! I know how you feel buddy! Marco's parents remind me of my grandparents who have passed away. I miss them bunches, but I know my grandfather might have had a similar reaction to Marco's father. I've recently become a fan of Degrassi because I'm in almost the exact same situation as Marco... except I'm a girl. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this so far. I know I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this story. If you're interested in this story, feel free to check out my extensive collection of fics. Reviewers are loved!
Note: This is my first Degrassi fanfic. Stick around for the read. Trust me. It's going to be good. With word like that from ze Great Nanaki BH, you know it's true.
And I Meant It
By: Nanaki BH
"Papa, I'm gay!"
It was one of those typical Italian fights over women, politics or racial profiling. This one was about women. My father was your traditional Italian guy. He thought the only good people were Italian, he thought women were only good for romance novels and cooking, he insisted that he paid for dinner even when someone else took us out, and of course, he thought gay guys were total fairies that should drop off the face of the earth. I always wanted to crawl under a rock whenever he started a conversation with me that started like "why don't you get a girl friend". Generally, when someone comes out they either get a good reaction, a bad reaction, or no reaction at all. In an Italian family it is almost guaranteed a one hundred percent chance of a bad reaction. It's not just a reaction from your own parents and siblings. Oh no. It's much more than just that. Once your immediate family knows, then your aunts and uncles know and then your grandparents, and then they tell the cousins and then the cousins tell your distant family members back in Italy. It's like some cruel circle. Once the last of your family knows, they'll send an infuriated letter back home. At least that's how it seems to go.
My father kept nagging to me this Saturday afternoon how I should get a girl friend. He had his heart set on me being King of Degrassi. It was either me or another Italian kid in his mind. He went through a list of almost all the girls I knew in the process.
"Ashley? She doesn't seem too bad. You must like her!"
"No, papa. Ashley's not my type."
"Well, how about Paige? You're good friends with her brother, right?"
I blushed, knowing I was much more than just a good friend with Dylan. "She's not much like her brother."
"So you don't like her?"
"No." I was frustrated by now. Just keep cool... One word answers always work well.
"There's that Ellie girl. You were dating her once, no?" From standing in the kitchen doorway he came to sit down in the chair across from me. "What happened with her?"
Oh crap! Quick excuse! "Uh... She didn't think it would work out." Smooth catch, Marco-boy.
"Well why did she think that? You're such a nice boy, how could it not 'work out'?" he leaned a little forward in his chair, apparently expecting a good answer.
I gave him one. "It's a girl thing."
"Ah." Hey, he took it. "So how's that Liberty, she..." I had to cut him off before he could continue. There was no chance that I liked Liberty anyway.
"She's strange, papa. Besides, she likes someone." Or so I think. I'm too worried about my own relationship with Dylan to think about anyone else.
"Spinner?" he asked.
"Don't like his hair. Looks too much like Dylan's."
...Aw crap. I didn't have time to think! Redo! Redo!
He raised an eyebrow at me. So he pressed, "Eh... Marco, what do you like about that Dylan?" He was almost right up in my face he was so close. He should be able to tell I was blushing. How could I answer that without sounding completely gay? What did I like about Dylan... he was funny, sweet, gentle, he took things slow with me, he understood my feelings, and best of all, he was practically the hottest guy at Degrassi.
He narrowed his eyes. It was now or never.
I could feel myself on the verge of tears as I said it. "Papa, I'm gay!" And that's how it worked out. Just after I had it said, I saw my mother in the kitchen doorway looking devastated. This was such a bad idea. It was like I had just jumped in a tank of man-eating sharks and I was staring into the eyes of the biggest one. I barely registered it when I felt a hard slap to the face.
"Marco!" It was my mother's voice but it felt so far away. I think I heard my father screaming something, but I couldn't tell what he was saying. All I felt was grief, a sort of pain that grabbed at my stomach and made tears come to my eyes. I looked back up and my father was gone. My mom was dragging him by his elbow into the kitchen and he was still screaming his head off at me. "Be quiet! Stay in here and don't do anything!" He still kept yelling but he listened and stayed in the kitchen.
She stumbled over to me. "Marco... my Marco." I was sobbing by now, unable to control myself. She stroked my cheeks. "Listen, I... don't know what to say or how to feel about this just yet, but it would be a good idea if you left for a little while. Go to your friend Dylan. He has a nice family. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having you. Just tell them I'll pay them back for it, okay? Go upstairs and get a backpack with some things." She glanced over at the shut kitchen door, "I don't know how long he will be like this." She patted my cheek. "Get going!"
I nodded numbly. "I... I'm sorry, mamma. I love you." I ran upstairs, gathered together some clothes and I was out the door without a second thought.
I had to get to Dylan.
Author's notes: Aw... Poor, poor Marco! I know how you feel buddy! Marco's parents remind me of my grandparents who have passed away. I miss them bunches, but I know my grandfather might have had a similar reaction to Marco's father. I've recently become a fan of Degrassi because I'm in almost the exact same situation as Marco... except I'm a girl. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this so far. I know I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this story. If you're interested in this story, feel free to check out my extensive collection of fics. Reviewers are loved!