Seth Chapter 4 TV
When I felt they were downstairs, I snuck over to my room and lay across my bed. I still couldn’t believe that Craig had risked doing something with me while Stacy was downstairs.
I fell asleep for about an hour when I was suddenly awakened by Stacy coming into my room. She looked down at me and shouted, “What the hell is wrong with you, Seth?”
I sat up and gave her a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?” I was afraid that Craig had told her that I was trying to seduce him.
“You know what I’m talking about,” she replied. “Taking up for Roni after school. Don’t you know she’s queer?”
I was relieved, but at the same time it upset me. I responded angrily, “I didn’t like the way others were treating her.”
“Well, now everyone is asking me if you’re queer,” she replied.
“What!” I stood and shouted. “That’s crazy. All I did was try to stop her from hitting Darla.”
“She didn’t need your help,” she said angrily. “People saw you walking to your car holding her hand. Now everyone is asking me if you’re queer.”
“I don’t care what people are saying about me,” I replied.
She gave me an angry look and said, “Well, I do. It’s bad enough for Craig to deal with the rumors. Now, I have to.”
“Craig?” I asked. “What’s he got to do with this?”
Her response astonished me. “Roni is his cousin. People have been asking him questions about her all day. Now, they’re on me.” I didn’t know what to say. Roni never mentioned that Craig was her cousin. Roni certainly knows that my sister is dating him. I guess she was too upset to mention it.
I pushed her aside as I attempted to leave the room. “Tell them to mind their own business."
As I walked out, I heard Stacy holler out, “You're such a jerk, Seth!”
I went outside on the patio and sat in a lounge chair. My day had just gone from bad to worse. It would only be a matter of time before I was outed. I think my mother suspects I may be gay. Now, my sister is beginning to wonder. Rumors at school can escalate quickly. It doesn’t even matter if I’m not gay. All other students have to do is think I’m gay, and I’ll have to carry that label around for the next two years.
I saw my mother moving around in the kitchen through the window. Occasionally, she would peer out and look at me. I wanted to avoid dinner, but I knew there was no way I could. An hour later, she told me to come inside.
Dinner time is my worst experience of the day. Sometimes, I feel like I’m a stranger sitting around the table. My mother and Stacy usually talk about Stacy, of course. I think my mother tries to relive her teenage years through my sister. I am rarely included, but then again, I prefer not to be. Sometimes my mother will ask me about school, but Stacy usually interrupts me to tell her about an incident at school that she was involved in. Many of the conversations are about how great Craig is. If she only knew how deceitful he was, she wouldn’t think that. However, if I told her, then I would have to out myself. One day I may just do it. I would love to see the look on Stacy’s face when I tell her that her boyfriend wants to have sex with me. Although, I would have to block the kitchen drawers so she couldn’t get out a knife.
I was in my bedroom working on my chemistry assignment when I heard Craig downstairs. Since my mother was home, he and Stacy wouldn’t be making out in the family room. A little later, I looked over at the door when Craig walked in. He walked over to where I was working at my desk. I froze when he stepped up behind me and rubbed himself against my back. I quickly turned, but when I did, I was staring at the bulge in his athletic shorts.
He looked down and smiled lasciviously. “What are you doing, Seth?” I panicked as I looked over at the door. I was afraid Stacy or my mother would step in and see what he was doing.
I reached out and grabbed his leg and attempted to push him away. “Don’t, Craig,” I warned softly. “Someone’s going to see you. Besides, I told you I don’t do that.”
“Sure, you do,” he grinned. I stood and pushed him away before someone saw us. He grabbed my shoulders and told me to sit back down. I was afraid if I fought him off, my sister would hear me and come upstairs. Reluctantly, I sat down. “There, better,” he smiled as he only stood in front of me.
“Craig,” I warned. “You should go downstairs before Stacy comes up.”
“Come on, Seth,” he begged softly. “It’s just me and you. No one will know. I promise.”
I didn’t know what to do after Craig left. I knew I had crossed a dangerous line. I should have been more aggressive in getting him to stop. But I’m gay. So when a hot guy that you’ve wanted for years wants you, I took a chance. Now, I regret it. I hurried into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. I wanted to rinse off the guilt I was feeling, but I couldn’t.
I dried off and went back to my bedroom. I would have to face my sister later. Will I be able to hide what I did to her boyfriend, or rather, what he did to me? But in a way, it is her fault. Craig said she wouldn’t do anything with him. So, in a way I’m helping her out
After I got dressed, I went to the door to hear if anyone was downstairs. I didn’t hear anyone, so I headed down to the kitchen. When I walked in, Stacy and Craig were sitting at the counter making out.
She pushed away from him and screamed, “What are you doing, Seth?” Craig looked at me and grinned.
“Slut,” I grumbled. “I just came down the get something to eat.”
“Craig,” whined Stacy. “Are you going to let Seth call me a slut?”
“No, Baby,” he rose and faced me. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. Then, he gave me a slight wink. “Leave your sister alone. Got it?” He winked again before letting me go. He walked over to Stacy and put his arm around her.
“Thanks, Craig,” cooed Stacy. They left the kitchen with his arm wrapped around her.
I wanted to puke. I couldn’t believe how Craig was playing Stacy. He is in the kitchen making out with her after what just happened upstairs. I’m also not sure what is going on. Is Craig secretly gay? He certainly can’t be straight. Although, he really didn’t do anything I didn't want. I know it is wrong, but if he still wants to do it again, I will be ready. Although, I have to be careful not to appear too interested. It is kind of exciting to have him think he’s forcing me to do it. At least then I don’t come across as too gay.
I woke up later than usual the next day. Saturdays are usually boring since I don’t have a lot to do. When I went downstairs, Stacy was sitting at the counter eating breakfast. I looked around but I didn’t see our mother. I asked, “Where’s Mom?”
“She had a meeting,” answered Stacy. I poured some milk into a glass and placed two pieces of bread in the toaster. While I was waiting, Stacy said, “Don’t forget you are taking me to the game tonight. Maggie and Brittany are riding with us.”
“Just great,” I muttered. I hate Saturday nights during football season. One of the conditions my mother made when I asked her for a car was that I would take Stacy to and from school, and that I was supposed to take her to after-school events. Stacy relished that I was her personal chauffeur. I think there were many events she didn’t want to attend, but she knew it made me mad to take her. Last year, I had to take her to a science fair. She spent the entire time talking to her girlfriends while I sat around bored.
I can’t wait to watch Craig,” she said admiringly. “His coach told him that there may be a scout from the state university at the game to watch him.”
“Wonderful,” I responded unenthusiastically. However, inside I was as excited to watch him play as Stacy. After last night, he is all I can think about. I even had a dream that he asked me to the dance instead of Stacy. I was awakened when he grabbed me on the dance floor and kissed me.
Around one in the afternoon, Ty called and asked if I wanted to go to the mall. He said he had asked Maryanne to the dance, and he needed a new shirt. I didn’t really want to go, but I was bored. So, I told him I would pick him up in an hour.
When I went downstairs, I heard Stacy giggling in the family room. I peeked in, and she was pushing Craig off her. “I told you no,” she insisted.
“Come on, Baby,” he pleaded. “Let me do this.”
“No!” she shouted as she stood. She then noticed me at the door. “What are you doing, Seth?” she screamed. “Are you spying on us?” Craig looked at me with an amused look on his face.
“I’m going to the mall,” I informed Stacy.
She responded, “You better be back in time to take me to the game.”
“Yeah,” said Craig with a smirk. “Don’t you want to see me play tonight, Seth?” He then winked at me.
“I...I...gotta go,” I said as I hurried from the room.
Ty lives only a few blocks away, so it didn’t take me long to get to his house. He was waiting outside for me. “Hey,” he said cheerfully as he got into the passenger seat. “I appreciate you taking me to the mall.”
“It’s nothing,” I replied. “I had nothing to do at home. Craig is over visiting Stacy, so I was just in the way.”
Ty laughed and said, “Aren’t you into doing threesomes.”
“Ty!” I shrieked. “That’s gross. I couldn’t do anything with my sister.”
He grinned and asked, “But you’d do something with Craig?”
My face turned about fifty shades of red. “No!” I stammered. “I don’t want to do anything with Craig. You’re a pervert.”
“Whew,” he laughed. “You had me worried for a minute.”
I was going to respond, but I was afraid if we kept talking about it, Ty might become suspicious. I asked, “Are you ready for the dance Saturday?” It worked because he began talking about his date with Maryanne. They had been friends for years, and when I asked him if he wanted to go steady with her, he insisted that they were only good friends.
I joked, “So you won’t be getting laid after the dance?”
His face reddened, and he shouted, “Seth! That’s just gross.”
I laughed and replied, “Now, we’re even.”
As we headed to the mall, Ty asked me if I had a date. I told him I didn’t. “Why?” he asked. “I’d think a guy as cute as you would have several options.”
I giggled and asked, “Did you just call me cute?”
His face reddened and he stammered, “I…I…didn’t mean it that way. It’s just I’ve heard a lot of girls talk about how cute you are. It’s not like I think you’re cute.”
Seeing how embarrassed he was, I decided to play along a little more. “What? You don’t think I’m cute?” I clutched my chest and said, “I’m hurt.”
“No,” he replied hurriedly. “You’re cute and all.” When I looked at him and grinned, he said, “Just drop it.” I leaned back and laughed uproariously.
Shopping with Ty is worse than shopping with my mother and Stacy. All he had to buy was a shirt, but it was like shopping for a car. He had to find the perfect color and size. He wanted it to be teal blue to match the corsage he was buying Maryanne. His mother had helped him find it in a catalogue at a local florist. She had already ordered it for him. He pulled a picture of it on his cellphone, so we went into five different stores to find a color that matched.
After hunting for over an hour, he finally said, “Screw it.” He held up a blue shirt to the catalogue photo. “This is close enough.” I was surprised when he paid for it with his mother’s credit card. My mother would never trust me or Stacy with hers. If she did, I know I would hit the nearest phone center and buy a new cellphone with better gaming features than the one I have.
When we finished, we decided to stroll around the mall for a while. We ran into a few people at the school we knew. I suddenly stopped when I saw Roni and another girl heading our way.
Ty grabbed my arm and said, “Look who’s coming. I wonder if that is the girl she was kissing in the theater.”
“I don’t know,” I replied. I attempted to lead him into a store, but he acted curious to see Roni. I was afraid that she would come up and start talking to me. After our conversation the day before, I was afraid she might say something that I didn’t want Ty to hear.
However, she did see us and approached. “Hi, Seth,” she said cheerfully. She looked over at Ty. “Hi, Ty.” She looked at me with a puzzled look. I could tell she was wondering if Ty was my boyfriend. Roni grabbed the arm of the girl beside her. “This is Cindy,” she said. Cindy is rather boyish looking. Her hair is cut short, and she was wearing jeans and a tee shirt. ‘She would make a cute boy,’ I thought to myself. Roni told her our names as she held on to her arm.
“Hi, Cindy,” said Ty. “It’s nice to meet you.” I think she was surprised that we were talking to Roni. I’m sure Roni had told her about what had happened at school. I froze when she looked at me, smiled and said, “Roni told me how you helped her out yesterday.” She touched my arm and added, “Thanks.” Ty looked over and gave me a puzzled look.
“We were going to the food court to get something to eat,” said Ty. “Would you and Cindy like to join us?” Roni looked at Cindy, and she hesitated before nodding her head. “Great,” exclaimed Ty. He grabbed my arm. “Let’s go.”
Having lunch with Ty, Roni and Cindy was not in my plans. I think I would rather have had a root canal than join them in the food court. There would also be other classmates who would see us eating with Roni. I didn’t want to have to answer questions on Monday about what I was doing having lunch with Roni and her girlfriend.
We decided to get cheesesteaks and fries at one of the food vendors. Roni gave me another suspicious look when Ty insisted on paying for my lunch. As we headed for a table, Roni slowed down beside me and whispered, “I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t,” I insisted as I walked away.
I was surprised that Ty felt comfortable around Roni and Cindy. I know from speaking to Roni at Dairy Queen that she isn’t as unfriendly as she would like people to think she is. In fact, I found her very enjoyable. We talked about things that I would never say to anyone else. I had even confessed to her that I was gay. Now, however, I was afraid that she might say something in front of Ty.
However, she didn’t. When Ty started to talk about taking Maryanne to the upcoming dance next Saturday, Roni took Cindy’s hand and said that she wished that they could go together.
“Why don’t you?” he asked.
“Are you kidding,” replied Roni excitedly. “You saw how everyone treated me yesterday at school.” I noticed Cindy take her hand and grip it tightly.
“I still think you should,” he said.
Roni commented sadly, “I would like to go. This is our junior year, and I have never attended anything at school. I would like to do something before I graduate.” She looked like she was getting ready to burst into tears.
Ty looked at me and smiled. “I have an idea.”
“No, Ty!” I replied adamantly. I knew what he was getting ready to suggest.
“What?” asked Roni.
“Seth can take you,” he said. “He doesn’t have a date, either.”
Cindy said excitedly, “That’s a wonderful idea!” She reached over and took my hand and squeezed it. She started giggling, “You and Roni will make a cute couple.”
Roni looked at the surprised look on my face and said, “We can’t do that.”
Ty asked, “Why?” He looked at me and grinned, “You would be a cute couple.”
“Would you stop calling me cute!” I shouted. I then looked at the disappointed look on Roni’s face. I couldn’t figure out why she would want to go with me to the dance instead of her girlfriend. However, I knew she was right. She couldn’t take Cindy. It would be prohibited as far as I knew. I felt guilty because it didn’t seem fair that she had to miss a big school event simply because she is a lesbian.
I looked across the table and asked, “Roni. Would you like to go with me to the junior dance?”
She grinned and said, “Yes.”
Cindy started squealing. “This is so exciting!” I looked around the cafeteria quickly when she kissed Roni on the cheek.
“There,” said Ty proudly. “That is settled.” He looked over and grinned. “Now you’ve got a date.”
Cindy said playfully, “You better not try to do something with my girlfriend at the dance.”
Ty laughed and said, “I don’t think you have anything to be worried about.” I looked over at Ty and wondered just how much he knew.
We hung out for a little more, but then I noticed the time and realized I had to get home. The game was in a few hours, and I needed to take a shower and put on clean clothes. I also had to pick up Maggie.
When I got home, no one was downstairs. Craig probably had to get to school to meet with the team before the game. When I went by Stacy’s bedroom, I could hear her on the phone talking to Maggie. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I’m sure it had to be about Craig. I still don’t know why he stays with Stacy. If I was dating a guy who refused to let me touch him, I would ditch him. However, maybe Craig doesn’t want Stacy to do anything. If he is gay, he could just be using her to make people think he is straight with a girlfriend.
Stacy and I ate a quick dinner. Mom had prepared a tuna casserole a few days earlier, so there were still leftovers. We left and picked up Maggie and Brittany. They chatted all the way to the stadium. Maggie was still trying to get Martin to go out on a date with her. It seems, though, that he was interested in another girl. He had even asked her to the junior dance. Maggie said something about pushing her down a flight of stairs so he would be available to ask someone else. Sometimes girls can be vicious.
I dropped them off at the main entrance and then found a place to park. As I was heading into the stadium, I accidentally bumped into another boy. “Hey, watch it!” he hollered.
“Sorry,” I apologized. When he turned to face me, I noticed it was the boy who had shared a room with Craig in the hospital.