by C. E. Wilson
“He seemed nice when I met him. I assume you told your whole family that I was gay, and we were going to be together.”
“Yes, I did, but Dad told him to be polite or not be there. He was there so he could see my boyfriend. He said you were nice, but I should have a girl instead of a boy.” Cade shrugged his shoulders like it didn’t matter to him.
“Well, I’m a guy, and I’m happy to be one. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Your brother will just have to get over it. My sister isn’t gay, and she still wants Clayton and me to be happy with who we are.”
“My sister is ok with me being gay. Just my brother is a pain.”
Martha came out to the pool. “Cade, are you staying for dinner?”
“Yes, Ma’am if that’s alright with you I would like to.”
“Well, yes, of course, it's fine with me. I want you to be here as much as you can be. I know Bradley wants you here and so do I. If not for you, we wouldn’t have Bradley back in good health. Did you boys enjoy your time in the mountains? I heard John’s cabin is really nice.”
“Yes, Ma’am, it is a really nice cabin. It’s a lot bigger than a cabin. It is huge but so beautiful up there. Bradley and I are planning on buying some land up there and have a cabin built for our family to go and unwind on weekends. That is after we get married and have some children.”
“You plan on marrying my son?”
“I sure do. Just as soon as we graduate from college. We plan on getting married then start on a family. I guess one of us needs to take some classes on cooking because neither one of us knows how to cook.”
They talked and couldn’t decide who was going to learn to cook so Bradley suggested they both take some cooking classes and they could take turns cooking.
Chapter 11
After dinner, Bradley and Cade went up to his room, and they put on some music and started making plans on what they needed to do for starting school in a couple of weeks. They were already registered and only required to pick up their books a few days before classes began.
Bradley told his father that Cade’s father had already rented the apartment. Charlie told them to get the address, and he would call the electric company to have the lights turned on, and the bill sent to him. Charlie also set up the bank to transfer five hundred dollars a month to Bradley’s account for groceries. He told Bradley to let him know if that wasn’t enough.
Cade called his father and told him he needed the address to the apartment, so Bradley’s father could get the electric on. He gave it to him, and Cade gave it to Bradley.
Cade said, “Do you think we need to take both trucks with us, or do you want to share mine? What do you want to do about that?”
“Well, I think we both need to take our own trucks. That way if we don’t have the same classes, we can still have a way back and forth. If we do have the same classes, then you can drive one week, and I will drive the next. How about that?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I was just trying to think of a way for us to travel to Penn State together and not in two trucks. We can still travel together. We can stop and eat together and get gas together.”
Bradley grinned. “Are you getting excited about school?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait until we leave. When do you think we need to leave and get settled in the apartment so that we can be ready on the first day of school? I know we have to get our books and all. That’s three days before school starts. We also need to gather up supplies for school, like paper, drafting paper, pens, pencils, and whatever else they want us to have for class.”
“School starts a week from Monday, and it will take us a few days to get there so I think we should probably head that way sometime this week. This is Monday so maybe Friday this week?”
“Yeah, that sounds good to me. We’ll plan on that then. It will feel like Friday will never get here.”
“Hey, do we have furniture in the apartment? I don’t want to sleep on the floor, but we can if we have to.”
“Yes, my dad called a cheap furniture store and had them deliver furniture for the apartment. It should be there now. The manager said he would let them in to deliver it so we will probably have to arrange it the way we want it. Dad said to make sure we bring the furniture home, and we can use it in our house or apartment here until we get to work and can replace it for better furniture.”
“It’s a good thing we are taking both trucks then. We will still probably have to get a trailer for the furniture. We need to get a roommate that is just starting too because when we graduate, we will take the furniture and he or she will have to get the apartment in their name and their own furniture.”
“Yeah, and we aren’t leaving the furniture for them. You do realize that when we get there, we will be sharing a room and a bed. Are you going to be ready for that?”
Bradley grinned at him. “Yeah, I’ll be more than ready for that. The more time we spend together, the more I feel for you. I think I’m falling in love with you. I know I want this between us.”
Cade reached over and kissed Bradley. “Me too, babe.”
After they figured everything out, they went downstairs, and Bradley gave his dad the address for the apartment and told him that the two decided to leave on Friday so they could get settled in the apartment and get their books and whatever else they needed for school. Charlie said, “All right son. I’m going to transfer two thousand into your account in the morning and have the electric turned on first thing. The two thousand is for your first month of groceries and the trip there. It is also for a motel on the way and then whatever else you need for school. If that isn’t enough, then call me, and I will transfer more.”
“I don’t think I need all that, Dad. I do need for a motel for one night on the trip there. Cade’s dad got the furniture delivered to the apartment, so we will have that. He said when we graduate to bring it home with us, and we can use it for our apartment or house here after we graduate.”
“That’s great, son. I was going to ask you about that. I thought maybe it was furnished or something. That will work out great. You might need it. You’re going to have to have gas for the truck and a lot of other things. Like I said if you need more just call. Clayton said if you need anything you can call him and John too. If you need to don’t feel bad about calling them or me. I prefer you to call me but if you don’t want to then call one of them.”
“We’ll be fine Dad. Cade and I already talked about everything, and we are going to spend our time studying. We are on the same page about that. We both want to have a good education so no parties or drinking, things like that. We aren’t going to allow it in our apartment.”
“I’m proud of you and Cade both. I know that you’re going to do very well in school. Both of you. If Cade is going on a football scholarship, does that mean that he has to play football at school?”
Bradley turned to look at Cade. “Do you have to play football at school?”
Cade nodded. “Yeah, so we are going to have to plan our studies around that. I have to do it, or my college won’t be paid for.”
“Yeah, we’ll work around that babe. Don’t worry about it. I guess I’ll be going to a lot of football games and study while I watch you practice.”
Cade stared at him a few minutes. “You would do that?”
“I did it in high school. Why wouldn’t I do it in college?”
“I thought you did it because you were on the team for a long while.”
Bradley shook his head. “No, I did it because I wanted to watch you. I told you I had a bad crush on you for a while. I started that crush the moment I saw you on your first day at school. It never went away.”
“I wish you would have said something to me then. I was crushing hard on you as well, and we wasted a lot of time.”
“You were dating girls, so I thought you were straight. If a gay guy says something about having a crush on a straight guy, he ends up with a busted nose or lip. I just didn’t know you were gay. Why didn’t you say someth
ing to me?”
“Same reason. I didn’t know if you were gay and I didn’t want to insult you if you were straight. I wasn’t worried about getting hit by you because even that would have been wonderful just to have you that close.”
Bradley shook his head and laughed. “You’re so funny. All you had to do was walk up and say, ‘Hey Bradley lets go out.’ I would have gone.”
“Now you tell me this. Think your mom has some snacks. I could eat a horse right about now.”
“Mom always has snacks. Let’s go raid the kitchen, and we can take them out and sit on the back deck while we pig out.”
They walked out to the kitchen and Bradley went into the pantry. Martha was in the kitchen cooking. “Bradley, what are you doing?”
“We’re hungry Mom. I was looking for snacks for Cade and me.”
“Dinner will be ready in an hour and a half, so don’t overeat. I don’t want you to spoil your dinner.”
“We’re growing boys Mom. We can eat now and still eat as much as you have cooked.”
“I have no doubt, son. I just want you to have something besides junk in your stomachs.”
“Oh, Mom, we are leaving on Friday going to get settled in our apartment. Can you make sure all my clothes are washed and ready for me to pack?”
“Yes, I will make sure you're ready to go. I sure hate seeing you leave. I don’t think I am ready for the house to be empty.”
“We have to get ready to start school, Mom. I told Dad, and he’s ok with it. You're going to have to get used to it too.”
“I know I want you to get your education son, I just hate the thought of you being so far away.”
“When I get there, I’ll see how they feel about moving the college here instead of in Pennsylvania.”
Martha shook her head and didn’t say anymore. Bradley gathered some snacks and sodas, and they headed out to the back deck. They set all the food and drinks on the table and sat down. Bradley took some cheese snacks, and Cade took potato chips. They sat and talked while they ate their snacks and made more plans for football games and practice.
Bradley said, “I don’t think you should tell your coach you’re gay. I think you need to act like you’re straight just a hard study person. I don’t want you to lose your scholarship.”
Cade looked over at the pool and stared at it for a few minutes. “Did I ever tell you what my parents do for a living?”
“No, you didn’t.”
“My mother and father are both civil rights attorneys. If they take my scholarship from me because I am gay, they are prepared to file a lawsuit against the college and the coach for a violation of my civil rights. They can’t use my sexual preference as a reason to pull my scholarship.”
“Even at that, you know they are going to give you a hard time babe. I don’t want you hurt in any way.”
“Words are words, Bradley. They don’t bother me. I won’t deny you as my love to anyone. If they see us together, they are going to know I’m in love with you anyway. Is it going to bother you if they know you're gay?”
“Babe I’m a nerd. Most of us are gay anyway. I don’t care who knows I’m gay now that my parents know. That was the only reason I kept it quiet to start with. What they did to Clayton; I didn’t want that to happen to me too. He didn’t need to have Dad pay for his college. He had scholarships for it. I didn’t so I needed for Dad not to know. Now he’s ok with me being gay and is paying for my college. That’s the only one I was worried about.”
“So, if you don’t care and I don’t care then I guess we are officially a couple.”
“Yep, we sure are. I can’t wait until Friday, and we leave and are on our own, so to speak.”
“I can’t wait, either. I guess I need to take a day and pack up what I’m taking. What are you taking besides your clothes?”
“I’m taking my laptop, of course. I’m taking my tape recorder to tape the lectures. Oh, and my draft table too. I don’t know what else. Those three things for sure.”
“I’m taking the same as you then. That’ll be good. We can both use drafting tables together for our homework.”
“We need to make a list of what to do when we get there. I know we are going to need to stop and get groceries. We are going to need things like toilet paper, shampoo, body wash, and whatever else we use.”
“I know my mom. Let’s wait until we get there. Mom will do all that shopping for us and give me bags of the stuff she thinks we are going to need. Probably for the next four years.”
“Yeah my mom is a shopper too, but nowadays she shops for Jacob and forgets her sons.”
“Don’t worry about it, babe. Mom will get enough for both of us for a long while.”
Bradley reached his hand across the table and took Cade’s hand in his and gently squeezed it. Cade looked up at him and smiled.
Chapter 12
It was Friday morning, and Bradley put the last of his things in the truck. He was ready to go as soon as Cade got there. He turned to go back into the house to get his to-go cup of coffee and Cade pulled in. His truck was as full as Bradley’s. Bradley laughed. “Babe, do you think we are going to get all this stuff in the apartment? I hope it’s a big one.”
Cade got out of his truck and walked over and kissed Bradley. He looked in Bradley’s vehicle and shook his head. “Your stuff should fit, but Mom did a lot more shopping than I thought she would. I don’t think we will need groceries for a month at least. She got all kinds of stuff we just have to open and heat up. She also got us dishes and towels and washcloths. All kinds of stuff.”
“Mom went shopping too. The back of the truck under the cap is full of stuff. We probably have a lot more than we need, but at least it will save us some money when we get there.”
“You about ready to go?”
“Yeah, I was just going back in the house to grab my to-go cup of coffee. Do you want one?”
“Yeah let me get my cup. Mom made me one, but I drank it on the way over here. I guess I’m nervous.”
“I understand that. I’m a little nervous too. You got the map that we marked. I was going to follow you.”
“Yeah, I also have a GPS with the apartment’s address. We are supposed to stop and get the keys from the manager, and we are good to go. We can have up to two more roommates.”
“Do we want that many, babe? They might be noisy. We wanted it to be quiet so we can study.”
“I wouldn’t mind another couple as long as they understood that we don’t do parties and if they want to do that, they have to go to them. None at our place. It would be cool to find a gay couple that had the same study habits that we will have.”
“Let’s get that coffee and get on the road. I’m going to bust if we don’t go soon.”
Cade got his cup from his truck and headed inside with Bradley. They went to the kitchen and Cade filled his cup with coffee, and they went into the living room and said goodbye to Bradley’s parents and headed back out to the truck.
Charlie came running out of the house and handed each boy two hundred dollars for food on the way. Cade tried to hand it back. “My dad gave me some cash, so I’m good.”
“Oh, ok well give it to Bradley then, and he can pay for the motel tonight.”
Cade gave it to Bradley, and he put it all in his wallet. Charlie said, “Make sure you call us when you stop for the night and let us know how things are.”
“Will do Dad. See you at Christmas.”
They got into the trucks and headed out. They drove most of the day, and Bradley called Cade on the phone. “Hey, let’s stop and get some lunch. I’m getting hungry.”
“Yeah sounds good to me. Where do you want to stop?”
“Fast food is fine with me or if you see a buffet that is even better.”
“Yeah, the first buffet we see we’ll stop. I love you, Bradley.”
“I love you too, Cade.”
“Really?”
“Yeah babe, really.”
Cade just could not s
top smiling. He found a buffet-style restaurant, and he pulled in. Bradley pulled in beside him and got out of the truck and locked it. Cade locked his vehicle as well and walked around it to where Bradley stood to pull him into his arms for a kiss. “I have wanted to do that since we left home.”
“I’m right there with you babe.”
They went inside and sat down. The waitress came over and got their drink order and told them to help themselves to the buffet. There were so many different things on the buffet they didn’t know what to try first. They finally filled their plates and went back to the table to find their drinks had already arrived. They started to eat when a beautiful girl came and sat between them. She grinned at them. Bradley looked at Cade and raised his brow. Cade shrugged and continued to eat.
Finally, the girl cleared her throat, and both boys looked at her. “Well, which one of you two is going to take me out tonight?”
Cade chuckled. “You’re not bashful, are you?”
She winked at Cade. “Nope, not in the least. So, which one of you will it be?”
Bradley laughed. “Sorry, but I don’t think it’ll be either one of us since we’re a couple. Cade is my boyfriend.”
The girl frowned. “Are you saying that you’re a gay couple?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. We don’t live around here anyway; just on our way to school for the fall term.”
The girl let out what sounded like a growl. “Why is it that all the handsome men are either married or gay. Every good-looking guy I hit on is usually gay.”
Cade said, “Maybe you should wait for them to hit on you, and you would find what you’re looking for.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Enjoy your lunch. If you change your mind about being gay, I get off work at five.”
Bradley shook his head. “Yeah, thanks we will keep that in mind.”
The girl got up and left. Cade busted out laughing. “Hey babe, you’re not going to change your mind about being gay, are you? I sure would hate to lose you.”
