(unedited) 

The drive, this time around, was silent. Unlike before Brady seemed pretty content on ignoring me, not that I blamed him, as he drove with his chin held high as if trying to prove a point.

His point, as always, had alluded me.

But I would be lying if I said I was not curious as to what was going on in that head of his. Was it superman and his thrilling adventures? His girlfriend Sarah and their relationship? Which anyone with eyes could see was on the rocks or was it something entirely different?

When I got home it was Mario who informed me that Pam had another late-night shift at the hospital and that we would be ordering in. The night spent idly by in front of the tv watching the football game, which I did not have the heart to tell Mario I did not watch.

He questioned me about my first day of school and I had told him how I had impressed the coach and would be allowed to try out for the track team. All in all, it was an okay night that ended with me showering and flopped in bed as I took my book with me.

Checking to see if Brady was awake but it was completely dark across the way.

The next morning began much like the last in which I got awakened by Mario's loud footsteps and Pam singing in the kitchen as she made breakfast.

It was something to get used to, my mother always the type to believe in fending for yourself. She normally gone by the time the sun came up and only got home when the sun was setting.

Breakfast was never a thing in the De Luca family but in this one it was. Getting dressed in much the same yet different school uniform, dress pants, dress shirt, striped tie and navy jumper.

"Good morning." It was Pam who greeted me from in front of the stove as she cooked up some scrambled eggs and toast as Mario nodded a hello from behind the large newspaper.

"Morning," I said in reply, not much of a morning person but trying to make somewhat of an effort to not be a complete nuisance in their home.

"One toast or two?" Pam asked with a bright chipper smile on her face which matched the equally as chipper yellow apron she wore around her plump hips.

"One is fine." I stiffed a smile which never reached my eyes as she popped two toasts in my plate. Not bothering to argue as she eyed my frame up and down with a shake of her head.

"That won't do, I want to send you home with some fat on those muscles." Her statement did not mean any offence but the look Mario sent her had her mouth shut.

Because Mario knew just like I did that I would probably never be going home. Expect, unlike Mario I knew why and it was because I was gay. Which was something my mother would not stand for.

"Thanks, ma'am." I offered as she dished scrambled eggs into my plate which I happily ate.

"Please call me Pam or aunty or aunty Pam." She gets excited at the notion.

"Okay ma'am, I mean aunty...Pam?" I spoke unsure before scoffing down my food to try and make it down the elevator in time to get a ride from Brady.

Showing up on time for school was the least I could do considering uncle Mario and aunty Pam took me in. Besides I did not really hate school all that much, just putting in a couple of hours studying every night was enough to get me a passing grade which was all I needed to graduate and after that well I was out of here.

I planned to be on the next flight out to anywhere the moment I crossed the tussle from one side of my head to the other.

The look on Brady's face did not go unnoticed by me as he saw me leaning up against the hood of his car. "Can I have a ride?" I asked knowing he would appreciate the effort, yet I could not help the sarcasm in my tone.

"Is this going to become an everyday occurrence?" Brady asked in a way which was not intended to sound rude but conveyed his annoyance. He was the type that unknowingly showed all his emotions on his face, bad or good.

"Yes," I simply put it as I watched him open up the car and unlock the passenger seat. This time making sure there was no comic book that could be sat on before perching myself down.

And when he did not jump at me with a hundred questions or give me that cheery smile it was clear he had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Maybe it had something to do with his girlfriend Sarah.

"Yeah, whatever." He huffed before regret covered his features, "I'm sorry I had a rough morning." He seems incapable of being unapologetically rude.

"Wanna talk about it?" I spoke more expecting him to say no.

Which he did, "No," and then he changed his mind, "You know what I do not understand girls. Like what the cuss is going through their head? They say one thing and mean a completely different thing and then get mad at you for not understanding the underlying meaning of their words. Like they say they're fine! They say they're fine, so you think they're fine because they said they're fine. Because why would something say they're fine when they're not? Then they sigh, huff and puff until they're screaming at you in the middle of a movie theatre for not caring about how they feel when they said they were fine and you thought they were fine!" Brady yelled before he let out a deep groan letting his head hit against his steering wheel getting a fright when the hooter went off.

"I don't understand women, they're like aliens from another planet that don't speak our language and yet expect us to understand theirs!" I simply hummed in reply,

"You must have had this problem before!" Brady turned to me, "I mean look at you, you must have had girlfriends, what would you do in my shoes?"

I would not have this problem because I would not have a girlfriend because I'm gay, was the first thing that came to mind.

But instead, I went with a shrug. Not deliberately hiding my sexuality but not exactly advertising it. I was done hiding yet I was not so stupid as to think that being an openly homosexual man would not get me into trouble.

"You're right, you're so right I should apologise to her. I clearly missed something, did something I didn't know I was doing to warrant a reaction like that. I probably bite my nails again, I need to stop doing that!" He hammered on mindlessly and well-doing so chewed on his cuticles before noticing what he was doing and scolded himself.

"Listen, in my time of...dating..." I trailed off not knowing what a nice term for mindless sex was, "I have learnt that if someone cannot love you for the dark shit then fuck em."

"Wow you should really write that down, it is so inspiring," Brady spoke sarcastically before apologising five seconds after.

"I try." I gave him a sarcastic smile as he went to start the car and even though he would not admit it I knew my words had changed his mood. The worried lines no longer there and his frown now replaced with a smile.

"You know as much as you try to hide it, you're a real softy." Brady looked in his blind spot before moving away from the curb as he started the drive down the road.

"I'm not trying to hide anything." I simply shrugged.

"Fine then what is your deepest darkest secret?" Brady challenged.

I thought for a moment. Thought of reasons why I should not confess my deepest darkest secret in the small confines of Brady's Beetle car and when I came up with no reason not to I began, "That my mother will never love me for who I really am. Without this invisible tie, everybody feels to the things they create. Without the default setting of love, she has for me simply because I'm her son. That if she had not birthed me or raised me would she still like the person I am with all my flaws? I fear that I know the answer and that I might be completely right." Not bothering to look at him as he blew out a heavy breath.

"Sheezus that is deep, mine is spiders," Brady spoke and I laughed, I actually laughed for the first time in what felt like forever and it felt good. It felt so good to just let go and open up to let someone see inside if only just for a moment.

"So what are the flaws then?" Brady asked greedily, wanting to know more as he looked at me than the road and then back at me again.

"Nope," I shook my head,

"I pushed my luck didn't I?" He asked as the excitement died in his eyes, the idea that I had caused something deep inside of him to stir was somewhat alluring to me.

My answer that of a nod as my mind strayed from the boy beside me and to my track tryouts this afternoon. The car once again filled with a comfortable silence.