Coming Out
Alert! This chapter contains some mild descriptions of the molestation of a minor. It is in no way attempting to glorify it. It is the opposite of that. It is meant to reflect the reality that is life and the trauma it inflicts on its victims. If you do not wish to read that part, please skip over it. This depiction is extremely mild in comparison to what happens in real life. If you suspect it is occurring, talk to the authorities.
When using first person (ie. I said,”), unless otherwise noted, it is the character, Jeremy Davis, who the story was first built upon. The story was initially set up with him being the title character.
“Mom, dad, I have something to tell you.” Matt squeezed Josh’s hand under the table in support. “I’m gay.” The words were met with silence as Mrs. Sanders glanced at her husband, Brock and then momentarily to Josh before looking down at her plate. Josh eventually asked, “Aren’t you going to say something?” Mr. Sanders looked at Josh and said, “Is this some kind of joke? If it is, it’s not funny. You’ve been dating girls since ninth grade. I even found condoms in your dresser one day looking for your jock you forgot for practice when you were in eleventh grade. I was going to say something, but I figured if you were at least wearing condoms, you were trying to be safe.” Josh turned beet red, embarrassed by what his dad just said in front of his boyfriend, Matt. Mr. Sanders asked, “So, is this a joke, Josh?” Josh looked at his dad and said, “No, dad. It’s not a joke. It’s true, I’ve dated girls and yes, I did have sex with them, so maybe that makes me bi, but I like boys too. Matt and I are boyfriends.” Mrs. Sanders stood up and began picking up the dirty dishes, “I need to clean up these dishes.” Mr. Sanders grew red in the face with anger, looked at Matt, and said, “This is your doing, isn’t it? You’re corrupting my son!” Josh protested, “No, dad! Matt isn’t the first guy I had sex with!” Mr. Sanders then said, “So, you two are sucking each other’s dicks I suppose! Are you fucking as well?” “Brock! Stop it!”, followed by the sound of a plate shattering on the floor. Mrs. Sanders hadn’t said anything until then. Her husband had gone too far. Mr. Sanders got up from the table and walked out. They heard the tires of his car squeal as he pulled out of the driveway. Josh and Matt looked at each other. Matt was still holding his hand tightly. Josh then said, “Well, that went about as well as I had expected.” Mrs. Sanders turned to look at Josh with tears in her eyes, “How did you think it would go, springing this on us out of the blue?” Josh said, “I had to tell you sometime, mom.” Mrs. Sanders then said, “Please go. I need time to process this.” She then began picking up the pieces of the broken plate. Josh looked at Matt with tears in his own eyes. Matt said to him softly, “Come on. Let’s give her some time.” They got up and left for Matt’s house.
Matt and Josh drove in silence for a while. Matt finally said, “I know it hurts that your parents reacted the way they did. Maybe they’ll come around after they think about it. You’re the same person they raised and you’re no different now.” Josh said, “I was afraid my dad would react that way. I can’t believe he said what he did. Then he tried to blame you. It made me angry that he said that to you.” Matt said, “I didn’t mind. I half expected it. A parent doesn’t want to believe that their kid has done something they believe is wrong without someone else being the cause. It makes them feel like they did something wrong raising you.” Josh’s tears finally stopped as he said, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks for being there with me.” Matt smiled and said, “I hope to always be there with you.” Josh smiled as he thought about the prospects of things becoming permanent with Matt. They arrived at Matt’s and went inside. Matt had Josh wait in the living room while he talked to his parents, “Do you mind if Josh stays here with me tonight? He just came out to his parents, and it didn’t go well.” Mrs. Fisher said, “I’m sorry to hear that. Is Josh ok?” Mr. Fisher said, “Of course Josh can stay here for as long as he needs.” Matt said, “Thanks, dad, and mom, Josh is hurting a bit after how his dad reacted. Hopefully they’ll come around.” Mr. Fisher said, “Well, I didn’t react too well at first either. Give them some time.” Matt then went in to where Josh was waiting and gave him the news. Josh smiled weakly and he and Matt went into the living room and sat on the sofa together and cuddled. Matt was happy to be there for Josh in his time of need.
Brock sat at the bar, drinking a beer after having downed two shots. He wasn’t a usual customer, but the bartender recognized him as a once in a while customer who usually had a beer or two and then left. He knew something had to be up for him to have ordered two shots first thing. He asked Brock, “Have an argument with the wife?” Brock answered, “No. Worse. Kid told me he’s a faggot.” The bartender said, “Oh. Guess that’s a hard one to take. You still love him though, right?” Brock didn’t answer and the bartender decided to leave him alone. A little while later another guy came in and sat two seats away from Brock. When the bartender asked what the guy wanted, he said, “Give me a shot of Jim Beam and a bud. Give the guy over here whatever he’s having as well (meaning Brock).” After the bartender gave Brock another beer, Brock said, “Thanks for the beer.” To the stranger. The guy said, “No problem, buddy. You look like you had a fallen out with the missus. My name’s Claude by the way.” Brock said, “Nice to meet you, Cluade, I’m Brock and no, it has nothing to do with my wife.” Claude moved over next to Brock and asked, “You ain’t been fired or anything, have you?” Brock shook his head and said, “Worse. Kid came out as gay.” Claude’s eye opened wide and he said, “That is worse, but didn’t you see the signs? I mean, not wanting to get involved in sports, walking funny, and talking with a lisp. Those should have told you something.” Brock felt himself grow angry at first. Then he replied, “My kid’s played sports all his life. He helped his high school team win the district championship his senior year as their star running back. He doesn’t walk funny, nor does he speak with a lisp.” Claude said, “Huh. I thought they all did. Are you sure he’s gay? I gotta take a piss. Be right back.” As Claude walked away, the bartender approached and said, “If what you just said about your son is true, maybe you should be proud of his accomplishments instead of embarrassed that your son is gay.” Brock just sat there and pondered what the two guys had said. Josh was none of what Claude was saying. He had always been proud of Josh’s accomplishments as well as his best friend’s, Elijah. They had been inseparable since grade school. He had taken them to more games than he could count, cheering them on and giving them pointers on things afterward. His son was no pansy as Claude had described. Claude returned and sat down and said, “Well, maybe now that you know yer son is a fag, you’ll start to see the signs in how yer son acts.” Brock’s face grew red once more and he wanted to punch Claude’s face in for talking about his son in this way. He then thought about what he had said to Josh before he stormed out of the house. He wasn’t much different from Claude. Claude then said, “Well, I need to get back home. Dinner should be ready. If not, I’m gonna raise holy hell with the bitch, haha. See you later, dude. Good luck with your faggot son.” Once again, Brock was about to slam his fist into this arrogant fool but held back because of his own guilt. He’s the only one who could call his son that. He only said, “Thanks for the beer.” As Claude walked out, the bartender approached and said, “Thanks for not requiring me to call an ambulance for Claude and the police for you.” Brock smiled weakly and said, “That guy was me earlier today when my son confided in me something that must have been anguishing to reveal to us. I say that, and I’m still angry that he would choose a life of homosexuality. I just don’t understand it.” The bartender smiled and said, “Are you convinced it’s a choice, or is it who he is? Did you or I choose to be heterosexual or is that just who we are?” Brock said, “You’re confusing me! Just give me another fucking shot!”
Brock stumbled into the house, and Julie jumped up from the recliner and went over to help him, “Brock, you smell like alcohol! I hope you didn’t drive home!” Brock slurred out, “The barchender dint let me. He caud me a uber or sumpin.” Julie said, “Let’s get you to bed. You have to work in the morning.” Brock said, “Fuck work! Fuck the fuckin’ world! My son is a fag! I don’t care anymore! Fuckin barcheder said it is who he is. Wha the fuck does that even mean?” Julie was concerned, but she also took in the parts of what her husband was saying that she could understand. She eventually got her husband into bed and made sure the alarm clock was set before going back downstairs to stare at the walls and think about what had transpired over dinner. She hadn’t intervened until Brock had spoken so vulgarly to their son that she’d dropped the plate on the floor she was holding. Even then, she was too stressed out to even find it in herself to console her son. What kind of mother was she? Brock had always been the dominant alpha male, and she was comfortable being the loving wife, bringing up a perfect son. Suddenly, there were cracks in that perfection, or were the cracks in her perception? What had changed in Josh other than what he had told them after dinner? She had glanced over and seen the hurt in his eyes after his father had said those vulgar things to him. Her heart broke seeing the look in her son’s eyes as she lost the grip on the plate she was holding. It was only then that her motherly instincts took over. Why hadn’t she defended her son sooner? Clearly, this was hard for him to tell them. He was admitting a flaw in himself and wanted his parents to understand what he was revealing to them. Julie reconsidered, was it a flaw in himself, or was the flaw in their perception that having a gay son was something they should be ashamed of? Maybe he was, as her drunken husband had described the bartender as saying, who he was. Maybe they should accept him for who he was and not dote on what that meant to them, but on what it meant for their son. After all, were they bringing up a child to be a successful and productive person in the world or were they bringing up a trophy to show the world how great they were as parents? This was his life, not theirs. Julie was soon crying as she realized she had not been there for her son in a time of his deepest need. She had failed him on this occasion.
Sometime during the early morning, Brock began dreaming of watching his son as a small child riding his bike. He watched in horror after he fell from his skateboard at the park and got some road rash and a bump on his head, but didn’t want to be taken to the hospital, he wanted to get back on that skateboard to try again. He was suddenly in the stands watching his son run into the end zone scoring a touchdown during their district championship game. Music was playing as everyone was cheering. The music seemed out of place though. Brock woke up to his wife shaking him. The clock radio was on, and it was on his side of the bed. Julie was saying, “It’s time to get up for work, Brock. Come on, get up. I’ll make you a cup of coffee. Why are tears running down your cheeks?” Brock mumbled, “Wha’? I don’t have tears.” Then he felt a tear reach his left ear, he reached up, and felt the wetness. He found the same on the right side of his temple. He didn’t answer his wife’s question though. He just sat up in bed, then flopped back down on the pillow. He had a huge headache. Then he asked Julie, “Could you please get me some Tylenol? My head is splitting.” Julie said, “It’s no wonder you have a hangover. You were drunker than I’ve ever seen you last night.” Brock didn’t respond, he just laid back and tried to remember what led up to his terrible morning. He recalled the dream he was having before Julie had awakened him, or at least what he could remember of it. Then he remembered dinner and the train wreck that had transpired. He had said some awful things to Josh after he told them he was gay. His son had told them he was gay or at least bisexual! The hurt returned, at first a bitter hurt, but then the dream and the memories of his son growing up flooded his head. What had he missed? What did they do wrong that Josh would turn out to like boys? Julie returned with a cup of coffee and some Tylenol, “Take these and then get in the shower. You can’t miss work because you went out and got drunk. We’ll discuss Josh when you get home.” Brock responded, “I’m not sure I want to discuss that right now or any time soon.” Julie said, “I don’t care what you think you want to discuss. We’re going to have a conversation, Brock.” This was one of those rare occasions where Brock knew he needed to just shut up. He nodded and regretted moving his head. Julie left to go downstairs and get ready for her own day. Brock eventually made it into the shower and after another cup of coffee and a bagel, went out to get in his car and go to work. Julie was smiling at him from the doorway and said, “I’ll drive you to the bar where the bartender insisted you leave your car.” Brock smiled sheepishly as he walked over to his wife’s car and got in the passenger’s side.
Josh woke up snuggled against Matt who had been the big spoon last night as he comforted Josh as he sobbed himself to sleep. He had been sure his dad wouldn’t take what he told them very well. He was sure of that, but he thought his mom would at least support him to some extent. It wasn’t until his dad began saying things just to be hurtful that she finally said something. He began to wonder if he’d ever be welcomed back home again. Matt whispered in his ear, “Are you ok? We have a class in three hours. We could miss it if you want.” Josh said, “I’m sorry my dad said those things to you, Matt. I’m not ok. I don’t know what’s going to happen now. I’ll probably have to get a job now to pay what my scholarship doesn’t cover, but what if they don’t let me come home? I thought mom would have my back, but she didn’t say anything until dad started saying those things just to be cruel to me.” Matt said, “It’s a lot for them to take in, Josh. Give them some time before fearing the worst. Like my dad said, his reaction wasn’t the best either, but he came around and now he’s supporting us. Maybe your mom and dad will too.” Josh rolled over to face Matt, kissed him and gave him a slight smile and said, “I hope you’re right, but either way, I can’t feel sorry for myself and sulk. Let’s go to our class.” Matt smiled and said, “That’s my Josh. Brushing the dirt off and going back at it. We’ll face this together and figure it out as we need to.”
Tim was dropped off a few blocks from school and went to his homeroom like nothing had changed. He talked with his classmates as if nothing had happened and the school day went by as it normally did. After school, he walked the few blocks to meet up with Mrs. Summers who was waiting for him. As he climbed into the passenger seat, Mrs. Summers asked, “How was your day, Tim?” He smiled and said, “It was good, just seemed like normal. I really appreciate what you and everyone else has been doing for me.” Mrs. Summers smiled at him and said, “We’re happy to help someone as sweet and polite as you are, Tim. I just don’t understand how your parents can be so cruel.” Tim wanted to tell her the reason he was expelled from his home by his father but was worried it might have her asking questions about Chris. He’d never betray Chris’ trust, so he just said, “My dad’s always been a fundamentalist Christian, and he has some very extreme beliefs.” Mrs. Summers said, “Well, honor thy father and thy mother only goes so far. Parents have a responsibility for their children as well.”
Once they arrived back at the Summer’s, Chris and Tim tossed the football around until dinner was ready. After dinner, Chris’ phone received a call from a place called The Village. Chris said, “This is them. I need to take this. Chris answered the call and the person on the other end said, “Is this Chris?” Chris replied, “Yes, this is Chris.” “This is Seth from The Village. Maureen Elkins with DDS told me you’re trying to help a teen whose parents kicked him out and asked me to call to see if I could help.” Chris said “Yes, sir. Thanks for calling. I’m hoping you can give us some guidance.” The voice on the other end said, “First off, call me Seth, and secondly, are we talking about a minor?” Chris said, “Technically, yes. He doesn’t turn eighteen until next month.” Seth then said, “Ok. We deal with adults over eighteen, but I’d be happy to talk to the him. Tim is his name, correct?” Chris said, “Yes, that is correct, Mr. um, sorry, Seth. He’s right here. I could put him on the phone if you’d like.” Seth replied, “Sure.” Chris went back into the living room and walked over to Tim and handed him his phone, saying, “It’s Mr. Seth Westin-Hall. Take it into the kitchen so you can talk privately.” Tim took the phone and went into the kitchen. He said nervously, “Hi, Mr. Westin-Hall, I’m Tim.” Seth replied, “Hi Tim, call me Seth” he said in a very calm, welcoming tone. “So, I hear your parents kicked you out?” Tim replied, “Pretty much.” Seth asked, “So, tell me what happened?” Tim said, “Well my dad and I had a disagreement.” Seth said, “I’m guessing there’s more to it than a ‘minor’ disagreement” then he paused sensing Tim’s trepidation. “Anything you tell me is confidential. Please, be straight with me. You can tell me anything.” Tim realized at this point that he needed to tell Seth everything. He told him everything that had happened to him, including mentioning the molestation by the priest. Seth knew then that he would do everything he could to help Tim. Seth laughed to himself when he realized that the guy he had just talked to had been the one who tackled Tim to the floor, and now was trying to help him. It was clear to him that Chris was a good guy, “So, I know you’re just trying to deal with today, but where do you see yourself in the next few years?” Tim replied, “Well, I had planned on college after I graduate but I’m sure my dad will refuse to pay for it now. I may need to just find a job, maybe save up for college.” Realizing he may need reinforcements, Seth asked, “Tim, would you be ok if we did a Zoom call with my husband, Zach. He’s a lawyer, and can probably help?” Tim said, “I don’t want to get my parents into any trouble because of this.” Seth said, “I just want Zach to hear your story, so he can help you figure out what your options are. The rest is up to you. We’re here for you, Tim. That’s what we here at The Village do.” Tim said, “I’m sure Chris would let me use his laptop. Let me ask him.” Tim called Chris into the kitchen and asked him. Chris then got on the phone with Seth and gave him his e-mail info so Seth could send the invite. Chris then went up to get his laptop. Mrs. Summers insisted they set it up in the formal living room and they’d let him have his privacy.
Tim waited nervously for the app to load and then clicked to join. Tim was shocked when the app opened and the face looking back at him was a hot looking guy who couldn’t have been too many years older than himself. He thought that maybe this was just an assistant at first, “Hi, I’m Tim. I’m supposed to be having a chat with Mr. Seth Westin-Hall.” Seth smiled and said with a chuckle, “It’s me, Tim. Nice to put a face with the voice. So, let me make sure I understand what you’ve told me. Let’s put a pin in the encounter with the priest for now…I’d like to discuss that when Zach gets on the line. You were caught experimenting with a friend by your father and he kicked you out. You were sleeping in a park where you watched a group of guys playing football. You later followed some of them after you heard they were talking about going home for the Thanksgiving holiday. You returned to their house and found they had gone and then broke in.” Tim said, “Well, I didn’t break anything to get in. I just used a knife to unlock a window. I even wiped down the kitchen counter after I was inside and returned the chair I had used.” Seth laughed, “I don’t know if the law on breaking and entering requires that you actually break something. That’s something my husband would know, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not judging what you did, I’m just summarizing what brought you to this point.” Tim apologized, “I’m sorry. You’ve got everything right so far.” Seth continued, “So, you took a shower and were getting dressed when you heard someone in the house.” Tim concurred, “Yes. I wasn’t expecting anyone would return until Sunday. I tried to be quiet and hope they would leave and not come into the bedroom I was in, but then I heard them approach the door and I panicked.” Seth picked it up, “So you tried to run, but you were tackled to the floor by Chris.” Tim replied, “Yes. I started to run, but I was suddenly on the floor with him on top of me. I thought I was going to jail.” Seth said, “But Chris let you explain yourself and decided to help you instead of calling the police? You’re a lucky guy. It could’ve been a helluva lot worse.” Tim smiled,” Yeah, Chris and his parents have been so nice to me. I’m staying with them right now, but Jeremy and Carl offered their house for me to stay at as well.” Seth asked, “Jeremy and Carl?” Tim smiled and said, “They’re the guys who live in the house I, um, broke into.” Seth said, “Shit, kid, you were dealt a crappy hand but it sounds like y’all drew a full house.”, then he laughed at himself because it sounded like something his friend, Brody, would say. Tim just laughed and said, “Yeah, these people are the best.” Seth then said, “So it seems, but have you told them what actually happened between you and your father. I’ve noticed you’ve been holding back the details.” Tim said, “I told Chris. He said he wouldn’t tell anyone unless I was ok with it. I’m going to tell Jeremy and Carl, too.” Seth said, “But not Chris’ parents.” Tim said, “I want to, but I don’t want to put Chris in a position to, um.” It was clear to Seth that Tim was holding back some details. Seth said, “It’s ok, Tim. Like I told you, anything we discuss is confidential. You need to tell me everything. I’m guessing that you’re protecting Chris from something. Am I close?” Tim nodded and almost in a whisper, said, “Yes.” Seth said, “I respect that, and frankly I don’t know Chris’ parents for shit, but they took you in, so I’m guessing that they’re pretty decent people. I get that Chris needs to come out to them on his own terms, but I think you guys should be honest with them. Would it be ok if I have my husband Zach join us now? He has a few questions and some suggestions.” Tim said, “I guess so.” Seth said, “Don’t worry, Tim. I promise, everything we discuss is between just us.” Tim looked relieved, “I appreciate that, Seth.” Seth then said, “I’ll be right back.”
About two minutes later, Seth returned and another very hot jock-looking guy sat down next to him. This one was blond. Tim was happy they couldn’t see his crotch because he was stiff as a board already just from seeing Seth. Now this hot jock was sitting next to Seth. “Hi Tim. I’m Zach, Seth’s husband, but more importantly for this meeting, I’m a lawyer. I’ve reviewed some of the laws in your state. There is a law covering child abandonment. It is against the law for your parents to force you out of your home until you turn eighteen.” Tim immediately said, “I don’t want to get my parents in trouble!” Zach said, “If that’s your choice, we’ll move on from there. Ms. Elkins mentioned something about a priest, but she didn’t go into any details.” Zach ended his sentence there and looked to Tim for answers. Tim lowered his head and looked at the floor. Zach said, “You don’t have to feel embarrassed, Tim. If you don’t feel like telling us, I won’t force you to. I just want you to realize that if he did something to you, in all probability, he’s done it to others and will continue to until he faces punishment. The only way he’ll face punishment is if someone comes forward. I know that’s a lot of weight to bear on your shoulders, but you have to consider those who it will also happen to in the future. I swear we’re just here to help.
ALERT!!!
Tim lifted his head up and tears were running down his cheeks, he said, “We were in his office alone. I was standing in front of his desk. He walked around behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. He told me I was growing into a very good-looking young man as he began rubbing my shoulders. He told me I was special, and he was thinking of making me one of the leads in the choir. It made me feel good, but then he moved his hands to my hips and began rubbing them. It felt weird. Then he said that he knew boys my age got hard all the time and then he reached around and grabbed my dick through my pants. I wasn’t hard though. I told him that it didn’t feel right. He said it would soon feel much better. He pulled down my zipper and reached inside and began massaging my dick through my underwear. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to get out of there, but I was afraid he’d just lie and say I had done something wrong. Then he opened my pants.” Tim then went on in detail how the priest had jerked him off. “ He told me I could get dressed and not to tell anyone. He said no one would believe me anyway. After I pulled my pants back up and opened the door to leave, he said behind me that he’d see me at choir practice on Saturday. I never went back.”
END OF ALERT!
“I quit the choir. My parents were angry because they didn’t want me to quit the choir. I was like a trophy to them as the congregation watched us choirboys sing every Sunday.” As Tim finished telling his story, Zach had a livid expression on his face, and Seth looked almost horrified. Seth had been through a lot with his father’s church but was never molested by them. He knew it happened a lot, and had dealt with other kids in his situation, but it never seemed to enrage him any less. Seth said, “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Tim, but none of this is your fault…You get that, right?.” Zach started, “I would like to…” Seth interrupted him, “Zach, we’ll get to that later. What about Tim’s schooling? Do you know the laws regarding that?” Seth hadn’t expected Tim to tell them about his molestation and didn’t want him to feel guilty about not coming forward. This was where the mental health of the patient and the criminal justice system collided. Right now, Seth wanted to protect his client. Seth knew that the lawyer in Zach had Tim’s best interest at heart, but Seth was more worried about Tim’s mental state at the moment. The kid had been through hell. Zach knew his husband well, and took the not too subtle hint and pulled back, “I’m sorry, Tim, I won’t pressure you about that any longer, but I think it would be smart to discuss it when you’re up for it. As far as you continuing your education, there’s no reason why you can’t continue going to school as you have been. The only problem would be if they were to find out about your situation. They might call Children’s Protective Services. I doubt your parents would say anything, because that would be more trouble for them than you. If you don’t say anything to anyone, once you turn eighteen, you have control over those decisions and can graduate high school without any problem, as long as you have a place to stay. Now, your parents are under no legal requirement to pay for college. Seth here may be able to be of assistance if that’s what you plan on doing. Seth chimed in, “We’ve got resources that can help you with college. We can discuss that another time.” Zach jumped back in the conversation, “I think that’s all I have for now. It was nice meeting you, Tim. I hope things go well for you in the future. If you have questions or need more help, let Seth know and he’ll bring me back in. We’re here for you” then he said goodbye and got up to leave As Zach got up and turned to leave. Tim’s jaw dropped as he watched another fabulous set of buns moving away from the camera.
Seth followed Zach out of the room and once Seth closed the door, Zach immediately turned to his husband and said, “I’m sorry about what I almost said in there. I was just pissed at about what that fucking priest did to that poor kid, and what he might do to others. I know you’re looking out for his mental health, but you know me and I got into lawyer mode and just want to see this pervert behind bars. Even if Tim would come forward, they’d still need someone to corroborate his story or else they could turn it all back on him pretty quickly and claim that Tim was just out for revenge or for personal gain by suing the church.” Seth kissed Zach and said, “I get it. I didn’t mean to cut you off. I was just as pissed as you but my brain goes right to Tim’s mental health first, and to not put too much pressure on him right now. The cool thing is he has a lot of support, It seems like his own mini Village around him.”
Seth returned and sat back down, “Sorry, Zach was a little angry about what the priest had done to you. Don’t feel under any pressure about that, but please feel free to talk to me about it if you’d like.” Tim said softly, “It felt so weird, so wrong. I mean, I know I like boys but not like that. He just did what he wanted to me.” Seth said, “That’s because it was weird and very wrong, criminal. You’re feeling exactly how you should be. No one has a right to touch you in that way.” Tim said, “After it happened, I was trying to think if I did anything to make him think I wanted it to happen.” Seth said, “No, Tim. You bear no guilt in this. You’re a minor. He had no right to touch you like that.” Tim lifted his head and made eye contact with Seth and said, “Thank you, Seth.” Seth smiled and said, “If you want to talk more about this to someone, I can check who might be available in your area, or if you want, you can call me anytime. Your friend, Chris, has my number. Is there anything else you want to talk about before we get Chris and his parents in the room, if that’s ok with you that is… and, if they are there of course.” Tim got up and said, “I’ll go find Chris and his mom. I’m not sure if his dad is home yet.“
After several minutes, Tim returned with a man and woman who looked to be in their mid to late thirties, obviously Chris’ parents. They were followed by three young men in their late teens to early twenties. All three had builds that reminded Seth of Zach. Tim began by saying, “I hope you don’t mind if Carl and Jeremy join us. They stopped by a few minutes ago.” Seth smiled and said, “Not at all. In fact, I’d be honored to be introduced to your mini Village.” Carl asked, “What do you mean by mini village?” Chris replied, “It’s what they call their organization, The Village.” Seth added, “Yes, a friend of mine’s grandfather left us an endowment in his will to start an organization to help young men, such as Tim, who’ve found themselves homeless without any support system. We help them with emotional support, housing, job placement, whatever they need to get on their feet so they can make it on their own. We’ve helped a lot of them get grants, scholarships, and loans for college, if that’s what they want to do. We try to give them a sense of family back in their lives, and it looks as if you’ve already got that kind of support.” Tim then introduced everyone and Seth asked them to sit and try to all fit on camera. Seth said, “So, now you understand why I called you Tim’s mini Village. He was tossed out onto the street and Chris caught him in his friends’ house, he decided to help him. Mr. and Mrs. Summers also decided to help this kid they hadn’t known up until that moment. Even though Tim broke into your home, Carl and Jeremy, you both decided to help him. You’ve stepped up where Tim’s parents have failed him. I’m impressed. A lot of kids in that position have to steal food or sell their bodies just to eat. They can end up on the street with nothing…No job, no home, no family, literally nothing. A lot of them end up in the prison system. We’ve built a network to find them and help them before it’s too late. Our ultimate goal is to open doors for them…I’m gonna be blunt, so forgive my language. Some kids have asshole parents, especially gay kids. Their life shouldn’t suck because of it. You’ve already done that for Tim for the most part. I’d like to help with the things that you don’t have the resources for.” Mr. Summers asked, “So, what do you get out of this? I mean, you don’t work for free.” Seth smiled, “Well, I do draw a paycheck, but The Village and Harrington House is a non-profit organization. We run on grants and donations from individuals and businesses, both local and national. Some, like BroMax Candles, The Resort, and Jordan Hotels give a percentage of their profits on an ongoing basis, others give periodically. We also have a program where local car dealers donate trade-ins that they don’t want to take to auction. A local mechanic helps The Villagers, that’s what we call the kids we help, fix them up and sell them for income. We’re doing pretty well for a nonprofit. For me, it’s a very satisfying but sometimes stressful job.” Tim asked, “What is Harrington House?” Seth replied,”Harrington House is the building Max, our founder, bought with the endowment his grandfather had given him o start The Village. The building is named after Max’s grandfather. My office is located there, and we have a few apartments above where some of the Villagers stay. The apartments are intended to be temporary, to buy them some time to get their lives together and can move on, get their own place.” Mrs. Summers said, “That sounds like a wonderful thing you’re doing.” Seth said, “Thank you. I’ll pass that on to Max as well. Anyway, I had a lawyer sit in with part of my talk with Tim and he advised him to not mention his situation to his friends at school or school officials because it may get Children’s Protective Services involved and, in this case, it may not be helpful. It’s against the law in Pennsylvania to kick a minor out, but Tim doesn’t want to get his parents in trouble. I’ll have our case worker, Rodney, look for college grants and things in your area and we’ll get in touch with you when we have any information. In the meantime, I told Tim that he could call me anytime if he needed to talk or if his status has changed in any way.” Seth paused, and took a long breath after that long spiel, then, with sincerity and appreciation, he added, “Thank you all for doing what you are for Tim. I’m sure he appreciates the support you’ve given him. Are there any other questions?” Mr. Summers looked around the room and then said, “I guess not. Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Westin-Hall.” Seth smiled, “There isn’t much our organization needs to do. Tim seems to have found his own village right where he is. We’ll just try to fill in where needed. Call me if you need anything more. Have a great evening, everyone.” Everyone in the room replied, “You, as well.” The screen went blank, and everyone smiled. Mr. Summers said, “I was very impressed with Mr. Westin-Hall.” Mrs. Summers said, “He seems so young to have that kind of position, and all the responsibility that comes with it. He obviously knows his job though. What are your thoughts, Tim?” Tim wasn’t about to share what his thoughts were at that moment, but he said, “I like Seth, Mr. Westin-Hall and his, uh, lawyer. They were both very helpful and I feel better about things now. I really appreciate what you all are doing for me, too. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be living in some bushes in the park.” Mrs. Summers said, “Well, I’m going to finish cleaning up from dinner. I’ll let you boys talk among yourselves.” Mr. Summers got up and said, “I’ll give you a hand, Amanda.”
After Chris’ parents left the room, I said, “Holy fuck, Seth is hot as hell!” Tim said, “His husband is just as hot and he’s got an awesome butt, too!” Carl and I gave each other knowing glances, then Chris said, “It’s good my parents were behind you, Tim or they would have noticed you drooling.” I asked, “When did you meet Seth’s husband?” Tim said, “He’s the lawyer Seth was talking about. I guess Seth didn’t want to mention that he was gay as a professional thing. I was going to tell you anyway, but I guess you guys know now that I’m gay. I just don’t want to tell Chris’ parents because they might start asking questions about Chris.” Chris said, “Thanks, Tim. I really need to have that talk with them soon.” Carl said, “Jer, I think we need to get a move on. We haven’t eaten dinner yet.” I smiled and said, “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks for calling to let us know about the call, Chris. We wanted to be here to support Tim.” Tim said, “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.” While Carl stood in the doorway waiting, I gave Chris a kiss goodnight while Tim looked on, grinning.
Once Chris and Tim were alone, Chris said, “I should talk to my parents really soon. I feel like I’m putting pressure on you to help keep my secret.” Tim replied, “It’s ok. I don’t mind at all. What if we came out to them together? I could tell them first. That would be an opening for you.” Chris asked, “What if they don’t take it well?” Tim said, “Then you wouldn’t have to tell them. Even if they don’t let me stay, I’m sure Carl and Jeremy would let me stay at their place.” Chris said, “I’m sure they would, be regardless of how they take it, I’m not backing down. Maybe if I come out as well, it will soften their reaction to you. Deal?” Tim smiled, “Deal.”
Ms. Maureen Elkins, Mr. Seth and Zach Westi-Hall, Brody, Max and Rodney used in this story are characters used by permission from The Village by Li’l Guy, another author and great writer on this site. Please take some time to read a chapter or so of his work as I’m sure you’ll get hooked into reading more. He graciously has allowed me to use these characters for this segment on Tim Houston. He also agreed to review the chapter prior to release and recommend some very welcome edits. Who knows the characters better than the person who brought them to life? I was very grateful that he took his time to grant me that honor.
