Chapter 10: Out in the Cold
By Star
Portman's POV"Dean? Fulton's on the phone for you." My Mom gives me a grin and I drag my overfed self to the phone.
"Hey, man, what's up?" I say cheerfully.
"How's it going for you?" He asks in return. The connection is really weak, there's lots of background noise.
I grin, I can't wait to tell him how good things are. "How's it going? It's great. I told them. My Mom and I have spent the afternoon giving guys marks out of ten in all the movies that have been on. My Dad is still in the process of working out exactly how much money he has saved by having a gay son, no wedding, therefore no divorce, no grandchildren…"
I hear Fulton clear his throat.
"Chill out, you get a ten. The nearest to that was that guy from Cruel Intentions he got a seven." I tell him with a grin.
"So your parents are totally ok with it?" He sounds unsure, and kinda quiet.
"Yeah, she's cool…" I hear a babble in the background, it sounds kind of like the lunchroom at school… except the lunchroom doesn't announce times for… trains? "Where are you calling from?"
He clears his throat again and replies in a really low voice. "Union Station."
I'm stunned and have to clarify. "As in, in Chicago?"
"Um, yeah."
"I'll be right there." I tell him. "Stay where you are."
"I can get a cab." He says softly.
"And pay three times more than you should because it's holidays? No, we'll be there soon."
We say goodbye and hang up. I wander into the living room. "Mom, you've not had too much wine to drive, have you?"
She gives me an odd look.
*~*~*~*~*
My Mom had waited in the car while I scoured the station for him. When I found him he looked awful, his eyes were bloodshot, he was pale and the worst was that he was covered in bruises. I wanted to ask about them, but he told me not to ask.
"I will ask." I had responded. "Just not now."
And now we're sitting in my room, I'm asking.
I get the worst possible reaction. His face crumples and he starts to cry. I take him in my arms and rock him. I feel awful, so useless like I can't help him.
Eventually he calms a little. I want to ask what happened, but it's just such a stupid question. They obviously didn't react in quite the same way as my parents.
"Mr and Mrs Reed no longer have a son named Fulton. He's dead." He tells me.
"What?" Maybe I had envisioned a big fight, but to disown him?
"As far as they're concerned I don't exist." He wipes his eyes. "They gave me two hundred dollars, and told me to have a nice life… well, except they didn't say 'have a nice life'. They told me not to come crawling back to them when I was struck down with AIDS." He starts to cry again.
I swear, using a word that would make even Taz blush. I stroke his back, not knowing what to say or do. I feel so helpless. "Maybe they'll calm down." I say, but can't help thinking about what Banks said about some people being born dumb and they won't change.
He looks at me, his face mottled with bruises and shakes his head slowly.
I run my fingers over his swollen face. "They did this to you." It's not a question, it's an expression of disgust. How could someone do this to their own son? I thought there was no-one I hated more than Connie, that pales in comparison to this.
"My Dad did." He admits. "My Mom did all the yelling."
I know his parents quite well. Mrs Reed is a lot like Taz in temperament, wind her up and set her off and nobody's safe. Mr Reed terrifies even me, he's a huge guy with a deep voice. The thing that confuses me is that they were always so kind to him before. How can they suddenly decided the no longer love him over this? Why are people so hung up on sexuality?
As if to prove that not everyone is evil, my Mom knocks on the door. "Can I come in?"
I feel slightly guilty that my parents were not only accepting, but somewhat delighted to find out I was gay.
I look at Fulton and he nods. "Come in, Mom."
She immediately goes into worry mode over him, promising to make him something to eat and telling him that he's more than welcome here. Fulton's almost in tears again, this has been a rough day for him. One set of parents whale the tar out of him, the next welcome him into their homes with open arms.
She backs off, noticing how upset he is, but pauses at the door. "Fulton, I just want you to know, I'm very glad my son has chosen you as his boyfriend. I can't imagine anyone better."
That does it for Fulton, he manages to wait until she leaves before bursting into tears again.