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I thrive on emails, please email me at thehaydster@yahoo.com.au.
I have written two other stories, Love On Campus in the College section, and Aussies in NY in the High School section, tell me what you think please.
Also, to Don Hanratty and Sequoyah, Thanks for writing great stories and giving me the inspiration and motivation to write.
ON WITH THE STORY
Chapter 10
We chatted to Ryan and Alex for a while, and explained to them that we weren't ready to tell the world yet, but we wouldn't desert them either. They decided to come out with a bang though. Once they told us their plan Tim and I cracked up. It was going to cause one hell of a stir. A rumor spread through the college that Alex kissed him again, upon which Ryan had tried to attack Alex, but was held back by Tim, as he would never be suspected as being gay too (little did they know).
At lunch Alex was sitting down by himself and Ryan came storming into the hall. He stood next to Alex and shouted "I've tried to settle this with you quietly, but how could you do this to me? How could you kiss me and run off? I am a guy in case you haven't noticed! I thought that we were friends! Now you're really for it!"
Alex stood up, shaking (we knew he was faking), then pretended to gather his courage and shouted back. "Come on then, give it to me!"
"You bet I will!" Ryan said roughly, and then grabbed Alex by the head. As the headmaster started to stand up to intervene, he kissed him. The dining hall went silent, with the notable exception of the headmaster falling over with shock when he tried to continue standing up with his chair still half pushed in. Everyone laughed when they saw the headmaster sprawled on the floor.
Ryan's friends, or at least his friends while they believed that he was straight, were still prying their jaws up off the floor. Alex and Ryan walked out, arm in arm and decided to get something special for lunch, to celebrate coming out. Tim and I wished we could do the same thing, but it didn't look like that would be happening for a bit. Surprisingly enough, the rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the calm before the storm.
At about 9am on Monday morning Tim and I were studying in our room when there was a knock on our door. Once we had said "come in" Ryan burst into the room, white faced. "What's wrong, Ryan" I asked gently.
"My parents, they know and they're pulling me out of uni. They say that Alex has corrupted me and they're going to break us up until I see that I'm not gay" Ryan looked like that he was about to burst into tears.
"Ok, we need to do something about this." Tim broke in "Does Alex know?"
"Yes"
"Ok, let's go and get him, then see the headmaster"
We went by Alex's room and collected him (he was just as white as Ryan) and we went to the office and said that we had to see the headmaster (Mr.Johns) as soon as possible. Luckily he wasn't in a meeting, and we were ushered right in.
Once we were seated, Mr. Johns didn't waste words and opened with "What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?" Wordlessly, Ryan handed him the letter, and Mr. Johns read it. After finishing he asked Ryan said that he was eighteen, Mr. Johns smiled, puzzling us all.
"Ryan, you have nothing to worry about. As you are of legal age, your parents cannot pull you out of college, let alone university"
"But they can stop paying my college and uni fees, then I will have no choice"
"They won't. You're uni fees are paid up to the end of the semester and the HECS system can take care of any further fees. As for college, when you arrived you're father signed a contract, as all parents have, in which they agree to pay your college fees for the year. If he refuses to pay, the college will sue him for it. I don't think it will come to that though. I assume that there will be a letter to me in today's post containing essentially the same content as your letter. Shall I tell them that you intend to stay on, and apply for a scholarship to cover your college fees?"
As Mr. Johns said all this, Ryan and Alex visibly relaxed. Ryan assured him that he plans to stay at college, and after Mr. Johns had given him some scholarship brochures we left his office.
(For non-Australians: HECS is a system set up by the government where the government pays your uni fees and then the government docks a certain percentage of your salary once you finish uni until it is all payed back. It is a fairly good system, as the government doesn't charge interest)
Uni was the same old stuff, except we were slugged with a nasty assignment in our chem subject. We were walking back into uni, when we saw a car drive in and a man walked into the admin block, fuming. About 2 minutes later an announcement came over the PA system. "Ryan Mathers, please come to the headmaster's office, Ryan Mathers" Tim and I hotfooted it to the admin block where we met up with Ryan and Alex. Mr. Johns' secretary balked at letting us all in until Ryan said that he wasn't going in without us.
Mr. Johns raised an enquiring eyebrow when the 4 of us trooped into his office. Ryan explained that he wished for us to be here, and we were all offered a seat. Mr. Johns introduced the other man as Mr. Mathers. Mr Mathers was about 1.9m tall and rather stocky. His hair was jet black and cropped short. He appeared built like a brick.
"Mr. Mathers, I believe you wanted to speak to your son and myself regarding the response to your email. I gather this is a matter of some importance, as you did not phone ahead." I suppressed a grin at the calm, collected tone that Mr. Johns spoke in.
"Yes, I am withdrawing my son from college, and from university, and I would like you to formally acknowledge that" Mr. Mather's growled.
"I have already outlined my reasons for not doing this in the email that I sent you. Young Mr. Mathers (Ryan) is not required to leave this college or this university unless he so desires."
"He will do so if he intends to have a home to come back to during the holidays"
"Mr. Mathers, is that a threat?"
"Take it as you will, I can't believe that you are siding with a queer over this"
"Mr. Mathers" Mr. Johns' voice now held a hint of anger "I suggest that you bear in mind that no one is to be discriminated against under college policy. Young Mr. Mather's sexual orientation has no impact on my stance regarding this matter"
"Very well, I will be leaving, but Ryan will either come with me, or he will have nothing left in his room, I paid for all that stuff."
Mr. John smiled. "Mr. Mathers, under Australian law, when you gave the items in Ryan's room to him, they became his property"
"I am leaving, and Ryan is coming with me!" Mr. Mather's bellowed.
Mr. Johns rose to his feet at that. "Mr. Mather's, I have tried to be reasonable. Ryan is not leaving this college unless he wishes to. However, I am ordering you off college property this instant! Go!" he said in a tone ringing with authority.
"The hell I will!"
Mr. Johns pressed a button on his phone. "Carlotta, please get 2 security guards here immediately." 30 seconds later 2 burly security guards rushed into the room. "Bob, Darrell, please evict this man from the premises, and call the police if he loiters nearby" With that Mr. Mathers was ejected from the college grounds, saying that he would go to the university and the college council, and that Ryan had better not come home during the break.
After he had left Ryan collapsed against his boyfriend, and started sobbing. Alex held Ryan in his arms while he cried his heart out. Alex cried too for Ryan. Even Mr. Johns looked like he was going to cry too. Tim slipped an arm around my shoulders to comfort me, before I started crying.
"Ryan, it'll be all right, please don't cry love" Alex murmured to Ryan.
"They've thrown me out Alex, what am I going to do?" Ryan replied in a hopeless tone.
"That's easily settled, you can live with me and my family"
"What?"
"I said that you can live with me and my family" Alex told him again in a reassuring voice.
"How do you know they won't throw you out too, and what makes you think that they will accept me?"
"I'm pretty sure that they will be OK with it. They believe in tolerance and acceptance of others. As for you staying with me, we are a package deal now, it's both of us or neither of us should push come to shove."
"I trust you babe, if we have to tell them, let's do it" Ryan told Alex as his tears started to subside. Alex kissed him gently, a kiss of love and hope.
"Pardon me, but I think we should continue this somewhere other than the college's front lawn" Mr. Johns put in. "Also, would you like to use the speakerphone in my office to contact your parents."
"Thankyou for that offer, we would like to take you up on that' Alex replied, "Would you and Tim and Alex please be in on the call too?"
"Certainly, if you like I can introduce the situation." Mr. Johns replied
"We're there" I replied for Tim and myself.
Once we were all settled in Mr. Johns' office Alex made the call. Tim was no longer catatonic after a strong cup of coffee. He was still devastated, who wouldn't be after being thrown out of home? The phone was picked up and a male voice replied "David Tanner speaking."
"Mr. Tanner, this is Samuel Johns of St. Peter's College"
"Please call me David, what can I do for you?"
"David, please call me Sam then. Alex would like to speak to your wife and yourself about a rather serious issue. Be assured that he is not in trouble or anything like that."
"Please hold on, I'll put you on speakerphone and get Ruth"
We heard him calling and a woman's voice came onto the line too.
"Ok, we're both here, could you put Alex on?"
"I'm here Mum and Dad" Alex put in.
"What's going on Alex, are you all right?" his mum said
"Mum, Dad, I need to tell you something, I'm gay."
"Oh" his mum said. "I see" his father replied, "well, that's certainly wasn't what we expected you to tell us, but we're not overly surprised, and we are fine with it." With that Alex gave Ryan a big hug.
"Thankyou Mum and Dad! I was so worried that you wouldn't accept me for it." Alex shouted joyfully.
"We have told you always that we love you just the way you are, however you are or turn out. We mean it, son" his dad said.
"Be warned, I'll be asking you for fashion advice" his mum said, with a laugh in her voice.
"Sam, is this the serious issue that Alex needed to discuss or is there more?"
"There is more, and it is indeed serious, Alex?" Mr. Johns replied.
"Mum, Dad, I am here with Ryan. He is my boyfriend."
"Hello Ryan" they both said.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tanner" Ryan replied, sounding like his heart had been ripped out. Alex put an arm around his shoulders.
"Alex, Ryan, what's going on? Ryan, you sound like your world has fallen in" Mrs Tanner said.
"Mum, it's nearly that bad. Ryan's parents tried to take him away from college. When his dad refused to leave without him the security guards had to throw him out. Ryan has just been kicked out of home."
"David, what do you think?" we heard his mum say.
"Yes, I agree Ruth. If you and Alex are OK with it, you can live with us. You can either share Alex's room or have your own. We are willing to accept you as a son."
"Thankyou sir!" Ryan's entire face changed and he planted a very loud, very wet kiss on Alex.
"Thanks Mum and Dad! I love you so much!" Alex shouted.
"That's what we're here for, dear" Alex's mum told him.
"I would also like to thank you on behalf of St. Peter's" Mr. Johns said.
"You are welcome Sam" Mr. Tanner replied
"Alex, Ryan, you go and have fun now. We'll see you in two weeks. Bye" Mrs. Tanner said cheerfully.
"See you later Mum and Dad". With that the call was ended.