Disclaimer: I do not own Doug or it's characters.
Chapter 12,
Doug hid his suitcase behind some stage equipment while Roger and his band practiced their number. They performed the song 'Grenade' by Bruno Mars. And as Roger sang the song, he couldn't make eye contact with Doug, and he knew why; Doug knew him too well. Roger was hurt before, when he thought that Doug told his parents about them and was instead disappointed by the news of the sleepover. Like the song talks about, Roger would die to save Doug, and he felt like Doug wouldn't do the same for him.
It still disappoints Roger, but now that they're not fighting, Roger feels guilty for his song choice. It got to Doug, it really did. But Doug tried to reassure himself that everything will be alright; and he looked over his paper, reading and rereading his words as he grew more nervous by the second.
"That JERK!" Patty said as she entered the backstage door; and the shriek of her ultrasonic voice nearly scares the soul out of Doug's body.
"AH! Oh... Hi Patti. Please don't do that again." Doug said, putting a hand over his heart and leaning against the wall.
"Oh, I'm sorry Doug." Patti said and she walked over to him. She was wearing her beetball uniform.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Patti. It's after 3, shouldn't you be at your beetball game?" Doug asked and Patti took off her ball capsid held it in her hands.
"Oh, the couch's wife got on to him. Said something about doing a couple's act for the talent show, and how dare he try to do a practice while they were suppose to be rehearsing." Patti said annoyed and Doug rose an eyebrow at her.
"Is that why you're upset?" Doug asked. Patti physically growled and threw her hat down at her feet.
"Stupid Jerk." Patti raised her voice once again.
"Who? Your couch?" Doug asked and Patti couldn't help but scoff.
"No, your disgusting friend Skeeter." Patti said and Doug blinked and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I guess you heard about their break up." Doug said and Patti crosses her arms over her chest.
"He broke Beebe's heart as if she meant nothing to her; how dare he. And then he had the gall to come to our practice to try and find her 'just to talk'; that loser." Patti said bitterly, and then she wiped her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry, Doug. I know Skeeter is your best friend and all, but Beebe is my best friend, and I really need to hate Skeeter right now." Patti explained and Doug thought about this before he answered.
"It's ok to be upset. To be honest, I was upset with him too." Doug said.
"Well, thanks for being sympathetic, but I kinda lost it. I even threw a baseball at his head." Patti admitted, somewhat bashfully.
"Ouch, that had to hurt. You're the strongest pitcher in town." Doug said and Patti shrugged.
"He went down. I was mad, so I didn't check on him, but I might have knocked him out." Patti said and Doug bit his lip.
"Again, ouch." Doug said and Patti sighed.
"Oh, I know that crosses a line, but quite honestly, I can't bring myself to care, Doug. I won't apologize for it. Er... well, maybe tomorrow, but not today." Patti said and Doug whistled.
"I hope he doesn't have a concussion. He was already sent to the hospital." Doug commented. Patti glared at him and then she swooped down and picked up her hat.
"Are you trying to make me feel bad, Doug? 'Cause it's working." Patti said.
"Ok, I'll stop." Doug said.
"Alright boys, get off the stage; we're about to open the doors; show starts in ten minutes." The stage manager said, and Roger walked his guitar off the stage and over to Doug and Patti.
"Hey Patti, how are you doing?" Roger asked, resisting the urge to wrap and arm around Doug.
"Well Patti hit Skeeter in the head with her fast ball." Doug said and Roger blinked.
"Can't you throw a ball 90-miles an hour?" Roger asked, concerned and Patti rolled her eyes.
"It was like 85. And he deserved it." Patti said and Roger whistled.
"Well, maybe. I know I told him off, but you could literally kill a man with an arm like yours." Roger said and Patti shook her head.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous. No one is gonna die being bopped on the head with a beetball." Patti said.
"Alright, alright, whatever." Roger said, and then Roger looked at Doug.
"So are you finally gonna tell me what your act is? Since you're one of the first guys out there?" Roger asked and Doug swallowed roughly.
"Um... just reading something I wrote." Doug said bashfully and Roger eyed him.
"A short story?" Roger asked, suspiciously.
"Wow, Doug that sounds great. You've always been a fantastic writer." Patti said and Roger still caught red flags.
"But... if you're reading something, then why did you bring the suitcase?" Roger asked and Doug sighed a little.
"I told you, it's like a surprise... don't you trust me?" Doug asked, and it was clear that Roger wanted to argue, but he just couldn't.
"Are you stupid; of course I trust you, ya jackass." Roger said and Doug smiled flirtatiously as the green boy.
"Good." Doug stayed and Patti smirked.
"Lordy, could you two be more obvious?" Patti whispered.
Patti has been Roger's friend all of his life, and Roger trusted her as much as a close sister. So he wanted to tell her about their relationship, because she was the first person he came out to.
"Well, actually yeah, we could make out and strip naked right here and now." Roger said, and they all chuckled.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to our annual talent show. As you all know, this year, we are assisting the school district with their anti-bullying programs. Up first, we have Chalky Studebaker with his-"
"We have an anti-bullying program?" Roger asked.
"It's been ten minutes?" Doug asked, looking down at his watch.
"I think the anti-bullying programs do a lot of little things. You know, flyers, and the occasional 'don't bully others' assemblies they'll do. I think this is to help provide an office for the school psychologist." Patti said, ignoring Doug's comment.
"Is that really all they do?" Roger asked and Patti shrugged.
"What else can they do? If people are caught, they'll get in trouble, but unless the person bullied comes forward, or someone else reports it, there isn't much they can do." Patti said and Roger scoffed.
"What a crock. Is that all schools, or just ours?" Roger asked.
"I don't know what other schools do, I haven't asked around." Patti said.
"Thank you Chalky. And now get ready to laugh with the very expensive high-tech comedy stylings of Mr. Dink." The announcer said and Patti smiled.
"Hey, I see my friends. I bet I can join in on their ballet routine. See y'all later." Patti said.
"Well, that should be fun to watch. Patti's the best dancer in town." Roger said, and he turned towards Doug, who had backed himself into the corner; hyperventilating.
"Doug?" Roger said, rushing over.
"I-I-I-I-I'm fine." Doug panted out and Roger glared at him.
"You're not fine. Why are you freaking out?" Roger asked, and Doug panted even harder.
"Ok, ok." Roger said, and he carefully reached over and held Doug's face.
"Focus on me." Roger said gently and Doug looked into his eyes.
"It's ok, it's ok. Listen to my voice and breathe as I breathe. In... out... in... and out." Roger said in a low, soothing tone, and Doug did start to calm down. After a moment, Doug was fine.
"Thank you." Doug whispered and Roger smirked.
"Are you ready to talk now?" Roger asked.
"I... I just..." Doug started and then he decided to tell Roger the truth.
"I wrote a little something to help me come out tonight." Doug said and Roger's eyes widened.
"Wh... are you serious?" Roger asked and he nodded.
"Yeah. I kept thinking about how we've been together for so long, and you were so upset about the sleepover thing-" Doug was cut off by Roger gently holding his face and staring at him seriously.
"Don't do it." Roger said and Doug blinked.
"Why not?" Doug asked and Roger sighed.
"I'm out- well, sort of. My mom knows, Patti knows, and if somebody asks I'll tell them I'm gay, but no one asks. As for my three buddies, I just kinda like messing with them while flirting with you." Roger said and he let go of Doug's face.
"But baby, you've had this anxiety about coming out, having us sneak around, lie and such, because of how nervous you are about it. And as much as I don't like the fact that I can't hold your hand and kiss you whenever I want, I'll tell you something I hate even more then that." Roger paused to cross his arms over his chest.
"I hate the idea of you coming out because you feel guilty, or that it's something you have to do. Doug, I love you. And as far as I'm concerned, we can live out the rest of our lives without telling these strangers our business. Coming out should be your decision, Doug. You should do it while you're comfortable, and prepared for the positive and negative reactions people. But it's not about me, it's not about your parents on our friends, it's about you." Roger said. He put his hand on Doug's shoulder and stared at him sadly.
"Doug, you're so stressed out about this that you're having a panic attack; then I don't think you're ready. Now please... promise me that you won't come out, until you are actually prepared to do so." Roger said and Doug went ahead and nodded.
"Ok... ok." Doug said slowly and Roger smiled.
"Good. Now as for the talent show, why don't you read that thing you just did for Quailman?" Roger suggested and Doug blinked.
"You mean his origin story?" Doug asked and Roger nodded.
"Yeah, you wrote that a day or two ago, so it should be in your notebook too." Roger said.
"Doug come on, your act is next." The stage manager said and Doug nodded. He turned his notebook to the Quailman page and he followed her to the stage wings.
"Good luck." Roger called out and Doug smiled when he looked back at Roger, a sense of calm washed over him.
"Thank you, thank you. Our next act has prepared a written work, which he shall read for us. Come on up Doug." She said and Doug inched his way towards the microphone. He held up his notebook and started to read.
"Back before there was the mighty Quailman came to live in the thicket of solitude and defeat Rulemeister, Robobone, and Wacky Weatherman, he was just an ordinary Quailboy. Well, as ordinary as you can get for being an alien on Planet Bob. But regardless of how different Planet Bob was, Quailman was just a normal kid who thought he... had it all." Doug paused.
This line reminded him of the short story he wrote about coming out. He looked out into the audience and in the blinding light, he couldn't really make out who was who, and for a brief moment, he felt nothing. No happiness, no sadness, no fear... and even though he felt nothing, Doug had this sense of clarity. And more then that, he felt ready. He noticed Roger standing in the wings, concerned that Doug had stage fright, and Doug felt so loved. With a smile, and a quick wink to Roger, Doug closed his notebook and dropped it beside him:
"And then Quailman met a stranger. An earthling who had gotten lost and crashed into Planet Bob. Quailman had never met an earthling before, and he was quite perplexed that this earthling was so interested in leaving Planet Bob. And one day he asked this earthling what was so special about Earth. The earthling had one reply; 'it's home', he said simply. And it was such an honest answer that Quailman knew right then and there, that he needed to help the earthling return home." Doug looked over at Roger and it was clear that Roger was nervous. He knew the origin of Quailman involved a cultural-exchange program, and this was not it.
"Over time, Quailman and the boy started to develop... feelings... for one another." Doug said. Roger's eyes widened and a gentle murmur fell upon the crowd. Doug's heart was racing, his hands were shaking, and yet he felt strong knowing that Roger loved him so much.
"Driven by enthusiasm and love, they repaired the earthling's spaceship and left Planet Bob. The trip to earth took several days, and the earthling was nervous. He kept a piece of paper on him and hoped that Quailman would never have to read it. But alas, when they finally made it to earth, their spaceship broke apart. Both crash landed in The middle of a thicket, but only one survived. Quailman woke to see his beloved earthling dead beside him." Doug swallowed as he looked down sadly. Quailman was so close to him, it was as if Quailman's pain were his own. Possibly because Doug used so much of his own troubles for Quailman's comics/adventures.
"He returned the earthling to his family who mourned and buried him. And later they gave Quailman the paper his earthling kept with him. These were the earthling's final words to Quailman, a final goodbye in case things had gone wrong. Dear Quailman, if you're reading this, then I must have died. I'm sorry to put you through such pain, but I wanted to let you know that my time with you may have been short, but I wouldn't replace it for anything else in this world... including living." Doug took a breath and glanced at Roger for emotional support, then out at the audience. Doug's eyes widened when he saw his father. Mr. Phil Funnie was glaring at his son with such hate that Doug knew that if he were to continue, the man would never forgive or accept him.
"Before I met you, I thought I had it all. It wasn't until I left everyone and everything I had ever known, that I realized how much I was missing. You understood me in away I never could expect; even then you managed to turn my whole world upside down. You were so different then me, but you made me feel strong like a hero, brave like an adventurer, clever like a secret agent, and loved like a soulmate. I don't know if Planet Bob Really has gay people, but I like to think that you loved me as much as I loved you. Thank you for trying your best to bring me home. I love you Quailman." Doug said. Phil couldn't stand to hear another word. He stood up abruptly and left the auditorium. Which broke Doug's heart.
"Quailman was so moved by the words of his earthling, that he decided to stay on earth and protect the home of his beloved. Never realizing the enemies he would need to fight in the future. Thank you." Doug said and the crowd clapped loudly. Doug walked off the and right into Roger's awaiting lecture.
"Doug, I can't believe you did that. Everyone knows that Quailman is essentially you, and they will know that-"
"Roger, shut up." Doug said, grabbing the front of Roger's jacket and pulling him into a kiss. It was short, but it made Roger's blood boil. These types of kisses were generally reserved for their camping trips.
"Roger, baby. Can I stay at your place tonight. I don't think I'm really welcomed at my place." Doug asked and Roger sighed.
"You've always been welcomed at my place." Roger said and Doug grabbed Roger's hand and gave him a naughty grin.
"My Heart is still pumping from the adrenaline. You wanna pop into the supply closet for some pumping of our own?" Doug asked. Roger smiled and scoffed.
"Good God, you're insane." Roger said, allowing Doug to lead him to a more private location.