AN: I do not own anything recognizable.
Chapter 16
As the group sat in Andi's living room, they knew they needed to move on to something more positive after the awkward moment with Cece. Instead of shifting their attention to another topic altogether, Andi turned to Cyrus and asked, "So, have you told your parents yet?"
"Not yet," Cyrus replied, and then hastily turned to TJ to assure him, "but I will soon."
Seeing the look of urgency on Cyrus's face, TJ took Cyrus's hand back, gave a soft smile, and said, "Take your time."
This caused Cyrus to smile because he knew that he and his boyfriend were finally on the same page. His smile then faded as he thought about the task ahead of him. "I just don't really know what I'm going to say yet."
As if out of nowhere, Marty chimed in encouragingly with a smile, "All you have to do is tell them. There's not much to it. You'll be alright."
Andi and Buffy gave each other a quick glance following Marty's unexpected words of wisdom.
Jonah then added, "The more you think about it, the harder it's going to be."
"What wise words from the peanut gallery," Buffy joked, as Marty and Jonah weren't usually they advice-giving type in these kinds of situations. Andi laughed along with her.
"They're right," TJ said. "Don't overthink this. And don't act like you feel the need to explain yourself. That will only make them think that you think there is something wrong. Whatever happens, I'm here for you."
"And so am I," Andi jumped in reassuringly.
"Me too," Buffy added.
"You got this!" Marty and Jonah said simultaneously in their own cheesy ways, before exchanging a glance characteristic of two people who had just startled each other with how alike they were.
Cyrus took in the support of his friends, and he couldn't help but smile and feel good about the support he had around him. In that moment, Cyrus knew that it was time. He took out his phone.
"What are you doing?" TJ asked curiously.
"I'm texting my parents!" Cyrus said confidently.
"Wait," Andi was taken aback, "you're telling them now? By text?"
"No," Cyrus clarified as if what he was doing should have been obvious. "I'm texting them to say that I want to talk to them. I'm seeing if all four of them are free tomorrow."
Cyrus texted his parents, and his step-parents. His tactics could have been a little better as the first text he sent simply asked if he could sit down and talk to all four of them in person at the same time the next day. They all found it was sort of an odd request to make, so his phone started blowing up with his four parents' worries almost instantly.
Did something happen?
What's wrong?
Did you get in trouble?
Do we need to talk now?
What's going on?
Are you okay?
The string of messages went on so long that he lost track of who was who. He replied to all of them to reassure them.
I'm fine. I'm not in trouble, and nothing is wrong. There's just something I want to talk to you all about. We'll leave it for tomorrow.
As Cyrus continued to talk with his friends, he set up with his parents a time that they could all meet. They decided it would be best to do so in the afternoon, a little before dinner time.
The deeper Cyrus got into his planning with his parents, the more nervous he became once again. His friends noticed.
"Cyrus," Buffy snapped him out of his nervous daze, "You okay?"
"Huh? Oh, um, yeah," replied Cyrus as he came to.
"We're here for you, bud," Jonah assured him, sensing Cyrus's nervous energy.
Without saying a word, TJ put his arm around Cyrus, successfully calming his boyfriend's nerves.
The rest of the day went by, and the group enjoyed their time together. Fortunately, the group split up early enough to the point where TJ and Cyrus were able to avoid another awkward encounter with Cece as she left the place. Cyrus already had troubling thoughts about coming out to his parents; the last thing he needed was for Cece to solidify them and turn them into legitimate fears. Instead, he went home and went to bed that night making the conscious decision to focus on the support that he had around him in his new and old friends.
After a good night's sleep, Cyrus woke up the next morning.
Today's the day, he thought, as he sprang out of bed, eager to get to it – well, more like to get it over with.
He took a shower and then gave himself a boost of confidence by spraying on that macadamia cologne of which he had become so fond since his first kiss with TJ. It was finally time. It was time to go get a pep talk from Buffy and his boyfriend so that he didn't just have to wait around all day until all four of his parents were together. They had decided the day before that the three of them would meet just in case Cyrus started doubting himself.
"Where are you going?" Cyrus's dad asked as he noticed Cyrus about to walk out the door.
"Oh, I'm just going to go meet some friends," Cyrus responded. "I'll be back by the time Mom and Todd get here."
"Alright, see you later."
Cyrus met Buffy and TJ at The Spoon.
As soon as he sat down, TJ put a hand on Cyrus's shoulder and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Truthfully, Cyrus felt alright. He wasn't as nervous as when he told his parents that he needed to talk to them.
"I feel good," Cyrus told them.
"Nervous?" Buffy asked.
"A little, but not as much as yesterday for some reason."
"Glad to hear that," said Buffy.
"I know we said not to overthink it," TJ began, "but have you thought about what you're going to say?"
"Just like Marty said," Cyrus replied, "just say it."
At this remark, TJ gave a half-hearted smile. Cyrus knew what it meant.
"And I'm definitely going to tell them about you," Cyrus assured TJ. "How could I not?"
TJ lit up at that remark. A big part of the reason that he wanted Cyrus to come out was so that the two of them could be together in public and not have to be worried about who knew or found out. It was a relief for TJ to hear that Cyrus wanted to be open with his parents about their relationship.
Cyrus really did want his parents to know that TJ was his boyfriend and not just his friend. Not only did he not want to keep that secret anymore, but he started feeling the same way TJ did about wanting to live their lives without worrying about outing themselves. Cyrus recognized that coming out to his parents was his final step in that endeavor.
The trio hung around each other for a little while and had a nice brunch. Even though Cyrus turned out not to be in need of a pep talk when he got there, it was nice to have the company that he had so that he didn't get trapped in his own mind before a really big conversation with his parents. In a little while, however, Cyrus did start to have some worries.
"What if I get so nervous that I have a panic attack?" The question came out of nowhere, and it turned Buffy's and TJ's heads.
"You haven't had one in a while," Buffy said
It's true. Cyrus hadn't had a panic attack in months. Even his relationship troubles with TJ didn't trigger his anxiety as much as it might have in another time in his life. He was just aware that he was entering an anxiety-inducing situation that could cause his stress levels to get higher than normal.
"Yeah, but I still want to be prepared," Cyrus responded to Buffy's observation with an air of caution.
"That's not something you can control," TJ said, trying to be reassuring, but momentarily causing Cyrus to get a little bit more nervous. He noticed Cyrus's shift in mood and clarified, "What I mean is that you should focus on what you can do. Know what you're going to say. Be prepared for any outcome. If you have a panic attack, then stop and ground yourself."
"You're right," Cyrus said. "I'm overthinking this."
"Cyrus," Buffy acknowledged him, "it's okay. Just don't freak yourself out. We're here."
"TJ, how did you tell your parents," Cyrus had only just thought of the question, upon realizing that TJ was already out.
"I just told them."
This didn't really help Cyrus's nerves settle. It was the same thing he had been hearing, but it didn't offer any new insight into what exactly to do.
"You're tough, Cyrus," TJ said. "Whatever happens today, you'll be okay."
"I'm tough?" Cyrus couldn't help but to laugh at the thought of someone thinking he was strong. "Have you seen how scrawny I am?"
"Yes, and it's adorable," TJ said, causing Cyrus to blush on the spot and Buffy to chortle at the remark. "But you're one of the toughest people I know," he continued. "Even when something gets in your way, you find a way to get back up and power through it. That's tough."
Upon hearing TJ's flattering remarks, Cyrus sized himself up, squared his shoulders and smiled. "Yeah, I'm tough," he convinced himself. Of course, he did it in his typical goofy Cyrus way, causing the others to laugh. Cyrus then let down his guard again and laughed with them. "Thanks guys, I needed that."
"Any time," Buffy assured.
"I should probably get going," Cyrus noticed the time.
"Do you want us to walk home with you," Buffy asked. She and TJ had spoken earlier and agreed that they would offer to do that.
"Sure, why not?" Cyrus agreed.
The three of them walked to Cyrus's house. About 200 feet away from the driveway, Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks, his smile faded, and his expression dropped.
"Oh no," he said with a sudden worry.
"What is it?" Buffy asked, concerned.
"They're here."
He saw Todd and Leslie's car in the driveway. They were early. The realization that the moment was about to happen was enough to get Cyrus's nerves going again.
Buffy took Cyrus and put her hands on both his shoulders. "Deep breath," she calmed him. "You got this."
TJ broke Cyrus's contact with Buffy so that he could hug his boyfriend. "Good luck, tough guy," he whispered in Cyrus's ear.
Cyrus laughed, and he regained some of his confidence. "I'll let you guys know how it goes."
With that, TJ and Buffy took off, and Cyrus made his way home. As he walked in, all four of his parents were sitting around the living room.
"Sorry I'm late," Cyrus apologized. "Hi Mom, hi Todd."
The four of them were a little too worried for colloquial greetings.
"What's going on, Cyrus? Is everything okay?" Leslie asked, but they were all thinking it.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Norman.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Cyrus responded. "Nothing's wrong."
Cyrus hung up his coat and he made his way into the living room to sit with everyone else. When he sat down, he knew he had to start talking. His heart started racing. They weren't the type of nerves that he couldn't hide, but that didn't make them any less present.
"There's something I want to tell you," he started, his hands sweating. "I thought it was best if I told you all together in person."
"Okay?" Sharon prodded with a look of worry on her face.
Cyrus waited so that he made sure that he could say it without nerves getting in the way and making his words incomprehensible. He had never come out to more than two people at once, and now he would have to come out to four. He felt pressure as the four people in the room were staring at him, awaiting his next words. It made every second he didn't say anything feel that much longer.
"I'm gay," he finally said.
Everyone in the room relaxed their shoulders and exchanged looks with each other. This time, they weren't worried looks, but looks of understanding.
"And TJ and I aren't just friends," Cyrus continued, "he's my boyfriend. We've been dating a few months now. And I thought it was time to tell you."
Leslie, being the closest parent to Cyrus, grabbed his hand in hers. "Honey," she began with a soft voice, "I think all of us knew that. I'm just glad that you finally felt like you could tell us."
Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't even question how they all already knew; he was just happy that he told them and that they were supportive.
Norman chimed in, "That takes courage to say that. I'm glad you did."
"Me too," replied Cyrus with a smile.
"There's nothing that could make us not love you," Sharon added.
"We'll always be here for you; that's what family is for," Todd gave his piece.
Cyrus was delighted by the reactions from his parents. It was done. He told them what he needed to tell them, and the people who mattered the most to him were supportive of him.
As they sat there, Cyrus explained the events of the past several months in clearer detail. He didn't tell them everything, because he knew that some of the experiences he shared with TJ were special because they were between the two of them. He did, however, tell them about the party when they first became official. He also told them about the rough patch they recently experienced to give them the full truth about why he pushed for that ski trip.
"I was stressed about my relationship with TJ," he said on the matter, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just wasn't ready yet."
The four of them were forgiving, and they listened to his story. He even told them about his former crush on Jonah. He knew that the combination of everything he said was a lot to dump on his parents immediately after he came out, but he had hidden it all for so long and now he finally felt like he could talk about it. No one in the room cared that it was a lot; they all just took the moment to connect with each other and get to know their son a little better.
"In the future," Norman began his concluding remark, "you shouldn't ever have to be afraid to tell any of us anything. Got it?"
"Got it," Cyrus said with a smile on his face.
The five of them decided it would be nice to have dinner all together since they were already together. It was a nice night with a lot of camaraderie and Cyrus took in every pleasant moment of it.
The next day at lunch, Buffy and TJ found Cyrus immediately and asked him how his talk with his parents went. He told them what happened, and they both expressed how happy they were for him.
"To celebrate, we should all get lunch at The Spoon!" Buffy exclaimed. "I'll text Andi!"
Sure enough, later that day, TJ, Cyrus, Andi, Buffy, Marty, Jonah, and Amber all met at The Spoon. Amber didn't work that day. They were at the point where they had to push tables together. Everyone was happy for Cyrus having surpassed this step of coming out to his parents.
Much of that Monday afternoon was just the seven of them talking about stuff. Amber was a lot more confident in herself and had learned to find that inner voice rooting for her so that she didn't have the compulsive need for a boyfriend. Marty was doing well on the track team, setting records that were quite impressive for a freshman. Buffy was doing the same on the girls' basketball team at the school. Andi had news.
"I think now is as good a time as any to tell you guys this," Andi said excitedly.
She was met with a chorus of "What?! What is it?!"
"Alright, alright," she laughed. "I have a boyfriend."
"What?!" Cyrus said with so much excitement that he could barely contain himself. "Who is he? What's his name? When can we meet him?"
"Cyrus!" Buffy stopped him, "let her breathe first – and then let her answer all of those questions, because this is so exciting!" She sped up as she said every word.
"His name is Jack," Andi responded to the bombardment of questions. "He's in my introduction to arts class, and he's really sweet. We've been talking for a while, and a few days ago, we finally became official. You'll get to meet him soon, but we're both super busy, so it won't be immediately."
"Congratulations Andi!" Marty exclaimed.
"Yeah, good for you," TJ agreed.
"I'm really happy for you," Jonah was the last to chime in.
When Andi looked at Jonah, a bit of sympathy creeped in. She started to wonder if telling him in front of everybody else was potentially not the most courteous thing she could have done. Before she could think about it anymore, she was interrupted by Cyrus, who had his milkshake raised over the table.
"Cheers to the new expanded Good Hair Crew!"
Everyone at the table was a part of it, and they all raised their glasses for the toast.
TJ looked over at Cyrus and couldn't help but to think how lucky he was to have this boyfriend. Not just any boyfriend, but this boyfriend. TJ believed that Cyrus's enthusiasm, courage, and spunk was more than he deserved and he couldn't help in the moment but to lean over and plant a kiss on Cyrus, who accepted the gesture as he also thought about how lucky he was himself.
Suddenly, everything stopped. TJ and Cyrus felt all ten eyes of everyone else on them.
"What?" Cyrus asked.
"That was the first time you've kissed in front of us," Andi stated.
They both blushed, and the table shared a good laugh.
When it was time for them to leave, Andi walked out with Jonah.
"Hey," Andi said, believing that she needed to acknowledge Jonah. "How are you feeling?"
"About what?" Jonah said, all perky like his normal self.
"I said I had a boyfriend. I know we have a history. Are you okay with all this?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Jonah," Andi sighed, "you can tell me if you're not."
Jonah got a little bit more serious, but maintained his smile. "Andi, you shouldn't need me to be okay with this. You need to live your life."
"I know," Andi said, "but are you?"
"Yes," replied Jonah, "I'm happy for you."
He was. Upon first hearing the news, he didn't think he would be, but Jonah was legitimately happy for Andi. He understood that the relationship between the two of them wasn't romantic. That part of it was in their past. He came to the conclusion that he needed platonic friendships more than a relationship at this point in his life, and Andi was one of the best that he had.
Andi could see that Jonah was being genuine, so she offered a simple "thanks," and moved on from the subject.
Meanwhile, Buffy walked back with Cyrus.
"Do you remember when we walked down this street and you were telling me about your date with Iris?" Buffy asked nostalgically.
"Yeah, it seems like forever ago," Cyrus replied.
"But it wasn't. So much has happened in the past two years."
"Wow, you're right. I went from this scrawny little kid who was afraid of everything to a tough cookie who has a boyfriend and is out of the closet and can kiss his boyfriend in front of his friends," Cyrus laughed.
"You've come a really long way," Buffy acknowledged. "I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks," Cyrus couldn't help but to feel great about himself and where he was in his life. He really had grown a lot over a short period of time, and that was everything to him. Buffy was proud of him, and he was proud of himself, too. For once, he didn't worry, and he didn't begin to freak out about everything; he sat back and was grateful for everything that he had.
Chapter 17 Coming Soon!