The previous chapters have been updated, to be consistent and there are some content changes. Scan 'em to make sure you aren't missing anything! 8)
Chapter 5
"…so your telling me that you treated him like a bad dog!" Jack stood over Cory and was yelling now. In response, Cory stood up.
Cory spoke slowly and deliberately, "HEY! He's MY brother, and he KNOWS better. We weren't raised in a barn. We know that there are people like that out there, but that doesn't mean we need to associate or dare I say BECOME one of them!" Shawn jumped up to stand in between the two, as Topanga interjected, "How do you think we should have reacted, Jack? Handed him a GLAAD award and said 'good going, Eric, why dontchya try asking Jack out, maybe he won't punch you in the face and kick you outta the apartment!"
Jack sat back down, angry. He hadn't really stepped through that thought thoroughly. [Eric can't really be gay... can he? He seems so normal. I mean, Eric is one of us.] Jack pondered the thought a bit more as Shawn spoke.
"It's not a dysfunction. It's not a disease, social or otherwise, Cor. I thought you both were smarter than that..." Shawn had turned around to face Cory now. Cory sat down next to Topanga and put his arm around her.
"I know it's not like that, but it's a choice, Eric has control over it." He looked into his wife's face as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Topanga nodded in agreement.
"It is? All right. If it's that easy, if this is that simple to you, then it should work both ways, right?" Shawn sat down again, sounding nearly patronizing, his frustration quietly growing.
"What? Both ways? What are you talking about?" Cory watched Shawn with a look of perplexity.
"You say that Eric should know better, that he should just 'switch' back. Well, I propose a test." Shawn scooted up to the edge of his chair watching Cory and Topanga very closely. "I want the two of you to be gay for a month. Cory can get a boyfriend and Topanga can find a girlfriend. It's only for four weeks. Then go back to being straight and happily married. When you're finished, you can tell Eric all you want, how wrong he is and how he should know better." Shawn sat back, looking smug. Jack looked over at his brother with amazement.
Cory spoke while Topanga grimaced, shaking her head, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Why would I do that? I'm not going to TRY and be gay. It's wrong, why would I try to be like one of them…" Cory and Topanga looked at each other, bewildered.
"Exactly my point. If it were easy, and if it were the 'right' thing to do, don't you think that Eric, knowing better as you say, would have figured out by now how to 'fix' himself? He probably feels at odds with everything and everyone. Did it seem like he was enjoying himself when you turned on him, after he thought he could turn to you for help, or at least for a shoulder to cry on?" Shawn, who was very pleased with himself and his logic, beamed.
"Well, I guess… I dunno." Cory blinked, looked down at the floor and started to really think long and hard about Eric's situation. Topanga sat dumbfounded as well. "But God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," she added.
"True, but did he create them for the purpose of Love, or the purpose to procreate, to go forth, multiply and replenish the earth? Love and the propagation of our species have little to do with each other when you think about it. Any couple can have a child together. Not just anyone can fall in love with just anyone else." Shawn tried to hide his insecurity. Jack could see that Shawn wasn't sure he was expressing himself in an intelligent manner, though he had articulated his point quite well.
Suddenly Jack sat up,"I have to agree, it would be really weird living with a guy that likes you in that sense, but Eric is my friend and I still want to keep his friendship. He's a good guy." Shawn noticed that Jack was visibly uncomfortable with the idea of one of his best friends being attracted to him. He was still impressed that his brother wanted to be a true friend to Eric.
"We'll have to think about this some more… mind you, I'm not agreeing with you, Shawny, but we'll talk about it and really try to take a more mature and intelligent view of Eric's problem," Cory stated simply, looking for approval from Topanga, which he received.
"My work here is done," Shawn stood up and dusted each sleeve exaggeratedly. Jack stood up as well, walking with Shawn to the door. Cory and Topanga followed them to the hallway.
"Thanks for coming over and talking with us, I know we are all really worried about Eric." There was genuine concern in Topanga's voice. Jack reached the door before Shawn did and opened it.
"Thanks for being such good friends to Eric… and to us." Topanga brushed away another tear from her face as she reached out to hug Jack and Shawn. Shawn walked over to Cory and hugged him. "Be here for him and be kind, he's still your brother." Cory nodded to Shawn and smiled pensively.
He found himself standing in front of Feeny's door. Eric was so lost in thought and so upset that he didn't realize where he was for a moment. He knocked on the door, not feeling his usual impulse to call Feeny's name until he came outside. George answered the door in his robe; he was in for the night and had curled up with a good book.
"Mr. Matthews, to what do I owe this privilege?" George could see that Eric had been crying.
"Mr. Feeny, do you have a minute, I want to get this all over with." Eric walked past George and into his kitchen.
"Please, feel… free." George stood in the empty, open doorway for a moment after Eric had rushed past him, and then closed the door. Eric sat down at the table and slouched in the quaint wooden chair that matched the other five. George saw a vague, almost disjointed look on Eric's face. He took the chair closest to Eric.
"Mr. Matthews, I suppose you have something on your mind?"
"Yeah, Mr. Feeny. I wanted to tell you that I'm a fag. I'm a queer, a homo, a queen, a fairy, flamer, cake-eater, sister, twink, fruit, butt-pirate…"
"I get the point Eric, thank you very much." George leaned forward and put his hand on Eric's knee. "Is that all you wanted to tell me, Eric?" He looked into George's eyes.
"No." Eric leaned forward and kissed his high school teacher square on the lips, causing George Feeny's glasses to sit askew on his face.
"Eric, did you want to talk to me or just sit here in my kitchen?" George sat across the table from Eric, waiting patiently for a response. Eric shook his head, [what the HELL was that about?] a shiver ran down his spine. "Sorry, Mr. Feeny, I was somewhere else."
"That's alright, Eric. You look a little upset and a little tired, are you well?" George stood up and walked to the stove. He put the kettle on the burner with the intention of making some hot cocoa.
"Mr. Feeny, what is your opinion on homosexuality?" Eric sat there watching for George's reaction. He turned to face Eric and asked, "Is this for a school report or something?"
"No, I was interested in your personal thoughts." George sighed and thought for a minute. "Well the lifestyle in general is still considered a bit unorthodox, although society as a whole is becoming more accepting as time passes. I personally say live and let live." For the first time today, Eric felt at ease. He relaxed in his chair, slumping further down, enjoying the moment for as long as he could.
"So you wouldn't treat me differently if I told you that I was in love with Jack?" George turned back to the stove, reached up and opened a cabinet and retrieved two porcelain mugs.
"Of course not, Mr. Matthews. You are not who you sleep with. There are a myriad of components that make up who you are. Even those components have complex facets that further define you and your character." He dropped heaping spoonfuls of cocoa powder into each of the mugs as he spoke.
"That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me today, Mr. Feeny. Thank you," Eric intonated sincerely.
"Having trouble 'coming out' as they say?" The kettle began to hiss and whistle quietly, slowly growing louder. George removed it from the burner with a potholder and carefully poured.
"You tell me. My brother and his wife hate me, Jack threw up on me, and my parents want to commit me." Eric accepted the mug of hot chocolate and set it down, staring into it thoughtfully.
"Maybe they just need some time to adjust. Your family is opinionated, not ignorant, Eric. They may just be a little shocked and unable to assimilate what you've shared at the moment. Give them a little time. I know that they love you." George sat down across from Eric with his own cup.
"I dunno, Mr. Feeny. I'm having trouble dealing with this myself. I'm miserable. I live with my best friend, who I want to be more than friends with and I can't change the way I feel or the way he feels…"
"Don't upset yourself further by dwelling on what you can't control and instead focus on the positive and take control of that which you do have the power to change." George sipped his hot chocolate. A dark and almost sinister look washed over Eric's face.
"That's just what I'll do.
Thanks Mr. Feeny.
I'll take control of my life now." Eric stood up and walked out.
Chapter 5
"…so your telling me that you treated him like a bad dog!" Jack stood over Cory and was yelling now. In response, Cory stood up.
Cory spoke slowly and deliberately, "HEY! He's MY brother, and he KNOWS better. We weren't raised in a barn. We know that there are people like that out there, but that doesn't mean we need to associate or dare I say BECOME one of them!" Shawn jumped up to stand in between the two, as Topanga interjected, "How do you think we should have reacted, Jack? Handed him a GLAAD award and said 'good going, Eric, why dontchya try asking Jack out, maybe he won't punch you in the face and kick you outta the apartment!"
Jack sat back down, angry. He hadn't really stepped through that thought thoroughly. [Eric can't really be gay... can he? He seems so normal. I mean, Eric is one of us.] Jack pondered the thought a bit more as Shawn spoke.
"It's not a dysfunction. It's not a disease, social or otherwise, Cor. I thought you both were smarter than that..." Shawn had turned around to face Cory now. Cory sat down next to Topanga and put his arm around her.
"I know it's not like that, but it's a choice, Eric has control over it." He looked into his wife's face as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Topanga nodded in agreement.
"It is? All right. If it's that easy, if this is that simple to you, then it should work both ways, right?" Shawn sat down again, sounding nearly patronizing, his frustration quietly growing.
"What? Both ways? What are you talking about?" Cory watched Shawn with a look of perplexity.
"You say that Eric should know better, that he should just 'switch' back. Well, I propose a test." Shawn scooted up to the edge of his chair watching Cory and Topanga very closely. "I want the two of you to be gay for a month. Cory can get a boyfriend and Topanga can find a girlfriend. It's only for four weeks. Then go back to being straight and happily married. When you're finished, you can tell Eric all you want, how wrong he is and how he should know better." Shawn sat back, looking smug. Jack looked over at his brother with amazement.
Cory spoke while Topanga grimaced, shaking her head, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Why would I do that? I'm not going to TRY and be gay. It's wrong, why would I try to be like one of them…" Cory and Topanga looked at each other, bewildered.
"Exactly my point. If it were easy, and if it were the 'right' thing to do, don't you think that Eric, knowing better as you say, would have figured out by now how to 'fix' himself? He probably feels at odds with everything and everyone. Did it seem like he was enjoying himself when you turned on him, after he thought he could turn to you for help, or at least for a shoulder to cry on?" Shawn, who was very pleased with himself and his logic, beamed.
"Well, I guess… I dunno." Cory blinked, looked down at the floor and started to really think long and hard about Eric's situation. Topanga sat dumbfounded as well. "But God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," she added.
"True, but did he create them for the purpose of Love, or the purpose to procreate, to go forth, multiply and replenish the earth? Love and the propagation of our species have little to do with each other when you think about it. Any couple can have a child together. Not just anyone can fall in love with just anyone else." Shawn tried to hide his insecurity. Jack could see that Shawn wasn't sure he was expressing himself in an intelligent manner, though he had articulated his point quite well.
Suddenly Jack sat up,"I have to agree, it would be really weird living with a guy that likes you in that sense, but Eric is my friend and I still want to keep his friendship. He's a good guy." Shawn noticed that Jack was visibly uncomfortable with the idea of one of his best friends being attracted to him. He was still impressed that his brother wanted to be a true friend to Eric.
"We'll have to think about this some more… mind you, I'm not agreeing with you, Shawny, but we'll talk about it and really try to take a more mature and intelligent view of Eric's problem," Cory stated simply, looking for approval from Topanga, which he received.
"My work here is done," Shawn stood up and dusted each sleeve exaggeratedly. Jack stood up as well, walking with Shawn to the door. Cory and Topanga followed them to the hallway.
"Thanks for coming over and talking with us, I know we are all really worried about Eric." There was genuine concern in Topanga's voice. Jack reached the door before Shawn did and opened it.
"Thanks for being such good friends to Eric… and to us." Topanga brushed away another tear from her face as she reached out to hug Jack and Shawn. Shawn walked over to Cory and hugged him. "Be here for him and be kind, he's still your brother." Cory nodded to Shawn and smiled pensively.
He found himself standing in front of Feeny's door. Eric was so lost in thought and so upset that he didn't realize where he was for a moment. He knocked on the door, not feeling his usual impulse to call Feeny's name until he came outside. George answered the door in his robe; he was in for the night and had curled up with a good book.
"Mr. Matthews, to what do I owe this privilege?" George could see that Eric had been crying.
"Mr. Feeny, do you have a minute, I want to get this all over with." Eric walked past George and into his kitchen.
"Please, feel… free." George stood in the empty, open doorway for a moment after Eric had rushed past him, and then closed the door. Eric sat down at the table and slouched in the quaint wooden chair that matched the other five. George saw a vague, almost disjointed look on Eric's face. He took the chair closest to Eric.
"Mr. Matthews, I suppose you have something on your mind?"
"Yeah, Mr. Feeny. I wanted to tell you that I'm a fag. I'm a queer, a homo, a queen, a fairy, flamer, cake-eater, sister, twink, fruit, butt-pirate…"
"I get the point Eric, thank you very much." George leaned forward and put his hand on Eric's knee. "Is that all you wanted to tell me, Eric?" He looked into George's eyes.
"No." Eric leaned forward and kissed his high school teacher square on the lips, causing George Feeny's glasses to sit askew on his face.
"Eric, did you want to talk to me or just sit here in my kitchen?" George sat across the table from Eric, waiting patiently for a response. Eric shook his head, [what the HELL was that about?] a shiver ran down his spine. "Sorry, Mr. Feeny, I was somewhere else."
"That's alright, Eric. You look a little upset and a little tired, are you well?" George stood up and walked to the stove. He put the kettle on the burner with the intention of making some hot cocoa.
"Mr. Feeny, what is your opinion on homosexuality?" Eric sat there watching for George's reaction. He turned to face Eric and asked, "Is this for a school report or something?"
"No, I was interested in your personal thoughts." George sighed and thought for a minute. "Well the lifestyle in general is still considered a bit unorthodox, although society as a whole is becoming more accepting as time passes. I personally say live and let live." For the first time today, Eric felt at ease. He relaxed in his chair, slumping further down, enjoying the moment for as long as he could.
"So you wouldn't treat me differently if I told you that I was in love with Jack?" George turned back to the stove, reached up and opened a cabinet and retrieved two porcelain mugs.
"Of course not, Mr. Matthews. You are not who you sleep with. There are a myriad of components that make up who you are. Even those components have complex facets that further define you and your character." He dropped heaping spoonfuls of cocoa powder into each of the mugs as he spoke.
"That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me today, Mr. Feeny. Thank you," Eric intonated sincerely.
"Having trouble 'coming out' as they say?" The kettle began to hiss and whistle quietly, slowly growing louder. George removed it from the burner with a potholder and carefully poured.
"You tell me. My brother and his wife hate me, Jack threw up on me, and my parents want to commit me." Eric accepted the mug of hot chocolate and set it down, staring into it thoughtfully.
"Maybe they just need some time to adjust. Your family is opinionated, not ignorant, Eric. They may just be a little shocked and unable to assimilate what you've shared at the moment. Give them a little time. I know that they love you." George sat down across from Eric with his own cup.
"I dunno, Mr. Feeny. I'm having trouble dealing with this myself. I'm miserable. I live with my best friend, who I want to be more than friends with and I can't change the way I feel or the way he feels…"
"Don't upset yourself further by dwelling on what you can't control and instead focus on the positive and take control of that which you do have the power to change." George sipped his hot chocolate. A dark and almost sinister look washed over Eric's face.
"That's just what I'll do.
Thanks Mr. Feeny.
I'll take control of my life now." Eric stood up and walked out.