Disclaimer: This story is acomplete work of fiction and comes from my creative imagination, it is notbased off of any real events or real people.
Email: tunistony@aol.com
By: Tony
The Odds and Outs
Chapter 1
"You'rejust a little faggot!" He yelled at me as his face turned a horrible shade ofred.
Okay,so you must already be lost. You're probably thinking, who the fuck is talkingto him like that' and why is he not giving the context'. So I'll explain toyou the incident when my life became even more complicated than it already was.
Letme take you back to when "it" all happened, when the shit hit the fan. It allstarted when I regrettably had dinner at Tim's house. Tim, by the way, is mybest friend and has been since we were 8 years old.
30 minutes before he called me a faggot
So Tim invited me to his house for dinner because hewanted to tell his Dad something very important and he needed "moral support"or something. I was already hesitant because I know that his family doesn'tlike me. Well, let me qualify that statement, his Dad doesn't like me, his Momis indifferent towards my presence and his little sister Lauren kinda likes me.Either way I reluctantly agreed to go because I was being a "good friend".
We were hanging out at my house but it was dinner time soTim and I went to his house and when we entered Tim said, "Mom, Dad, I hopeit's okay if Demitri joins us for dinner."
Tim's Dad immediately walks up to us and literally looksme up and down with disdain and says, "Well, since you already invited himwithout asking us I guess so."
That'sJack Masterson for you. I call him Jack just to piss him off even though heinsists I call him "Mr. Masterson". He's so rude to me I feel I shouldreciprocate. However, it wasn't always like this, when I was younger he used tolike me. I don't know what happened but one day he just started thinking that Iwas a bad influence on Tim.
Thetable is already set and Lauren and Mrs. Masterson are already sitting lookingat us expectantly. This may seem weird that they're all eating at the tabletogether like a 1950's TV family, I thought it was weird too. I come from afamily where we don't always eat together and we sometimes eat while watchingTV, you know, like any regular American family nowadays.
Anywaysso we're eating dinner with a cold silence and I'm pretty sure it's because ofmy presence. Then Tim decides to break the news.
"Mom,Dad, I have something to tell you." He mutters as he racks his hand through hishair (he always does that when he's nervous).
"Whatis it honey?" Mrs. Masterson says so sweetly.
"Iquit the baseball team." Dead silence ensued for a solid minute.
"Howdo you think that's even remotely okay?" Jack asked in the deepest yet quietestvoice I've ever heard.
"I-- I..." Tim stutters
"No!That is unacceptable, tomorrow you will ask for your position back!"
"Dad,I'm not going to. I never really liked baseball that was always your passion,not mine." Tim said assertively, I was proud of him he's usually so passive.
Ifoolishly decided to put my thoughts in, "Yeah, you were living vicariouslythrough Tim. That's never a good situation." I said with a smirk.
Jackglared daggers at me, "You have no part in this conversation. I don't even knowwhy you're here right now."
"Jack–", Mrs. Masterson hissed.
"NoSusan, I've had enough of this—this weird... codependent relationship these twohave. I think it's destructive for Tim." He was getting more riled up and then hesaw Lauren's expression and she was getting scared. "Lauren, go to your room"And without a second thought she quickly got up and ran to her room.
"Jack,don't do this" Mrs. Masterson chided.
"Iwill address this matter once and for all." Then he turned and pointed a fingerat me, "You are poisonous to my son."
"Wow,who's being dramatic now! Please enlighten me on how I'm so `poisonous' to yourson." I said sarcastically. I looked over at Tim and he looked like he wasabout to shit himself, he hates confrontation. Good thing I thrive off ofconfrontation, I grew up with 3 older brothers; confrontation is the only wayto get by.
"Youused to be a good respectable kid and then one day you started acting like alittle brat and now it's rubbing off on Tim. You are a bad influence and I won'tallow it anymore."
Hewas now standing up in front of me so I wanted to match him stance so I stoodup too. However, it was not much of a math seeing as I'm only 5'8" compared tohis height of 6'2".
"Areyou seriously blaming me for Tim wanting to quit the baseball team? I nevercared either way if he was on the team or not. You were the one who was forcinghim to be on every sports team. `Oh Tim be on the baseball team, try out forthe football team, oh while you're at it why don't you join every freakingsport the school offers!'" Maybe I shouldn't have been mocking him but I was sofed up with him. "You push him too far all the time and he just can't handleit."
Ilooked over at Tim for some support but at this point he had his head in hishands. I wish he would've backed me up even a little bit, I know he wasthinking the same stuff I was saying. After all I'm basically restatingeverything he's said to me.
"MaybeDemitri's right, we do push Tim to do the most. He's always makes good gradesand he's still on the football team, he's a good kid we should let --"
"Susando you ever hear yourself sometimes! I did not raise a quitter, he made acommitment to the baseball team, so he's gonna stay on the team. I don't knowwhy you're always trying to side with this kid" he gestured to me. "He alreadymanipulates our son. Tim all of the sudden just drops baseball next thing youknow he's going to be joining the drama club like this one over here" he wasstill talking about me, and yes, I'm in the drama club, so what.
Iwas about to interrupt when Tim stood right between me and his Dad.
"Dadthis has absolutely nothing to do with De leave him out of this. But he's right,you pressure me so much and push me into everything. I just need a chance tobreathe. You suffocate me Dad!" We all looked shocked by this. Tim has neverbeen so assertive and he never talks back to his Dad. "Just because you were onthe baseball team in high school doesn't mean I want to be. And what if I dosign up for the drama club. That's my prerogative, it is my life after all."
Idon't know why he added that, I know for sure that he has no interest in thedrama club. I think he just put that in as a way to stand up for me.
Jack'sface looked so twisted when Tim said that statement, like it was the worstthing he had ever heard. "Are you turning into a little pansy now? Is that it?"he said with a severe voice.
Timlooked so shocked at his Dad's words and so did his Mom. I don't know whythough I expected his Dad to be this belligerent. I just didn't know how far hewould go.
"Jackyou can't talk like that" Mrs. Masterson exclaimed.
"No,Susan I can because this is a serious discussion." He pushed Tim out of the wayand got right in my face. "Tim is he turning you into a – a"
"Awhat!?" I challenged.
"Alittle faggot! You're just a little faggot... who's corrupting my child! I want you out of my house and away from my son!"he yelled.
Icould not believe he said that word, the F word, the one word I can't handlebeing uttered. I felt like I was going to explode from anger, shame andsadness. I turned around towards the front door and quickly said, "Fine you'llnever see me again! Bye Tim."
Iwasn't mad at Tim but I had to get out of there. I ran as fast as I could anddidn't look back. I just kept running all the way to my house. I hope you don'tthink I'm a track star or something. We're neighbors so I only had to run downthe street and I was at my front door. In tears.
To Be Continued...
Contact me for anycomments at: tunistony@aol.com