Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 3
Coming-Out Birthday

Sunday 14 October 2001

"The Lord be with you," Father Joseph eventually concludes.

Thank God! It's over!

"And also with you," the congregation replies solemnly. Me included because I am seated between my parents.

As often as I can, I try to settle at a different pew from my family's, especially if it allows me to sit next to pretty boys – and then holding hands with cute guys becomes the best part of the mass – but not today. Today, I must be on my best behavior not to ruin all my efforts of the past two days for I secretly hope to be rewarded with a lifted sanction. My father actually smiled with genuine fondness when I followed them and although I internally cringed, I didn't complain when he enjoined me to sit between him and my mother.

The last hour has been long and painful. Standing, kneeling, sitting while praying, reading scriptures and singing. I have often been told that I have a nice voice and I love music, but not this sort of music. What I love is rock with a predilection for pop rock. Although I have a portable CD player on which I am supposed to listen to liturgical music offered by my parents, I mostly rely on Joshua's tastes and the CDs I borrow from him, and I'm glad we have the same tastes, even if I have my own favorites. These artists are Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Green Day to name but a few, and none that you would hear in a church.

"May almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit," Father Joseph then says, blessing the whole room with the Sign of the Cross.

"Amen."

"You may leave in peace to love and serve the Lord," he finally says.

Hallelujah!

"Thanks be to God," everybody replies, and my own voice is almost cheerful as the choir starts the last hymn.

While Father Joseph and the altar servers slowly leave, the congregation patiently waits for the choir to finish their God Has Chosen Me, some of us clapping our hands, and since I'm on my full kiss-ass mode, I even join in this last singing. Upon exiting the pew, I face the altar and genuflect, remaining solemn as I do the Sign of the Cross, and as my parents follow behind, I don't fail to dip my hand into the holy water and to sign myself again before I walk out of the church. Close surveillance obliges.

Outside, there is a little wait to shake the Priest's hand, but I don't mind, I am already feeling much better now that I am back in the open air. I swear that mass is getting on my nerves, this is just not for me and I can't wait for adulthood to lead the life I want. To think I already spent an hour here yesterday to confess my sins to Father Joseph!

Of course, I didn't divulge anything about my attraction to males or what I have done with Isaiah over the past two weeks, I just confessed that I lied and disrespected my parents. The clergyman, although usually nice and rather attuned to youngsters, remains very strict in his beliefs and narrow-minded, so there was no point broaching my homosexuality. The lecture on the fourth and eight commandments were enough and he yet assigned me with penance; more prayers to obtain God's forgiveness and chores at home to get my parents'. O' joy...

Since all my sisters are walking ahead with my father, gushing on how beautiful this mass was, I adapt my stride to my mother's slower pace as we head back home. For a long moment, she remains silent, certainly lost in her meditation while I lose myself in my thoughts. The return to school on Thursday was painful in many ways.

First there was Mark. On Thursday morning, my friend was ready and waiting for me, around the corner of our street so that we could walk to school together, not anything less I would expect from him. I had briefly considered being late, but it would have only drawn further problems with my parents and postponed an ineluctable conversation with my stubborn mate. This is just Mark. He can't let a situation sink downhill when he feels that something is off and he will hassle you until you've spilled the beans. He always says that it avoids relationships to decay, and he is probably right.

Determination was written all over his face, I knew I was in for one of his You'd better tell me everything, so as we took off toward our high school at a fast pace, I took the lead and made things clear from the start.

"I know what you're going to ask, but please, Mark, not today," I groused. "I promise there's nothing you should worry about, at least nothing serious, but it's a long story and I can't tell you now. I'm not in the mood, my parents are pissed as hell and I'm grounded for two weeks. I swear I'll exp..."

"Oh shit!! I'm so sorry, Ron! Is it because of me? Did I tip you off? Dammit! I'm so sorry..." he exclaimed with genuine concern and remorse.

"Mark, it's okay, it wasn't your fault, it was mine. There are things I should have told you guys earlier and to be honest, I was going to do this on Sunday."

"What is it you've been hiding from us?"

"I swear I'll tell you on Sunday, not now..."

"How will you if you're grounded for two weeks?" he deadpanned, quickly recovering his sarcastic tone.

"I don't know. If I'm on my best behavior till Sunday, perhaps my father will lift my sanction and let me go out in the afternoon," I replied with a shrug of my shoulder. "In any case, I'll find a way cause I'm not missing our party. In the meantime, don't say anything to Cam and Josh, please..."

"Are you sure you're alright, Ron? I mean, all this secrecy... it does sound serious enough."

"I assure you that I'm all good, except for this fucking grounding," I replied firmly.

And a fucking aching backside! But I kept this part to myself. Knowing what Cam endured on a near-daily basis until he was 14, I would never complain about how my father occasionally ill-treats me, not mentioning the embarrassment and humiliation of such a situation at 16.

As loyal and trustful as ever, Mark dropped the subject and I was able to act as naturally as I could for the last two days of the week around my best friends. Josh and Cam did enquire about my grounding when I said I wouldn't be able to hang out with them for the next couple of weeks, so I used my bad results as a reason. When they offered to postpone our birthday party, I declined and insisted to have it on Sunday.

Thursday and Friday were also physically painful as I really had a hard time remaining still on my chair because of my sore butt. Nonetheless, I kept serious and focused in class – not that my parents would notice, but it gave me good conscience – and it was the same at home. Being there right after school allowed me to be overzealous around my mother. I spent three hours each day on my homework – in the living room so that she would witness my efforts – then dedicated my free time to help with chores.

My father has always been in charge of corporal punishments, yet my mother does play an important role in discipline. She is the one who will rattle on my mistakes, but she's also fair enough to report positive attitudes to the Cox patriarch, and I am really hoping for a discharge of my sentence. Resolved to try my best, I also participated a bit more in family conversations, which resulted in a few approving smiles and a bit of praise from my father.

Fingers crossed...

"You sang really well this morning, darling," my mother suddenly says softly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Thank you, Mom," I reply in a similar tone.

"You know what I'd love, Aaron? I'd love to see you again among the altar servers, like you used to a couple of years ago."

Fuck! This was a risk. Give them a finger and they take your whole hand!

"I... I get you'd love it, Mom, but..." I trail off, racking my brains for a subtle way out, but remembering this wonderful gift I was given for my birthday – a personalized Bible in its Confirmation edition with a red cover and a white dove – I find the perfect excuse. "I will already have a lot to do to prepare my confirmation in the coming months..."

"Oh, it is right. Besides, we don't want you to neglect school either."

"I doubt that Dad would let me," I whisper through a chuckle in an attempt to conceal my sarcasm.

"You know, Aaron, your father does this for your own good, don't you?" she then asks more awkwardly.

Yeah right. Go tell that to my backside, Mom... The pain has largely receded, but it's not super comfortable, and after one hour on a wooden bench, I can confirm it's still a bit sore.

"And it seems like it is working, you have behaved much better in the last few days."

You have no idea how difficult it's been for me, Mom. I have hated the last three days with a passion, and my sole purpose is for Dad to lift my grounding so that I can spend the afternoon with my best friends!

"You should keep it up, Aaron, and everything will go well!"

"I know, Mom..."

This is the moment we finally reach our house and I immediately go to set the table when it should be Rose's duty today. I am supposed to meet the guys at 3pm at our secret shack and it's almost noon already, so I'd better work this out quickly and efficiently. I need to prove how much of a good son and brother I can be.

"Can I help you at anything, Mom?" I ask while she is preparing a fruit salad alone in the kitchen.

"Sure!" she cheers. "Can you stir the stew for a minute?"

"I can do this," I reply as naturally as I can, grabbing a wooden spoon that I plunge into the pot and begin to stir. "Mom...?"

"Yes, Aaron?"

"Do you think... I could go out this afternoon and see my friends?" I whisper sheepishly.

"Certainly not!" my father's voice echoes behind me, making me startle. "You are grounded, Aaron, and you know it!" he adds as he comes to stand close to my mother. Her own expression has hardened, and I guess she is now seeing through my hypocrite attitude.

"But Dad, I have been beh..."

"Aaron! I said one month which may turn into two weeks if you behave, but it has only been four days. I won't go below these two weeks in any case. Do not insist or you will be the entire month," he replies firmly. "The weather is so nice today that we'll have a long walk, and then we'll share an apple-pie at the Millers'."

Oh my God, please no... Not the Millers!! They are my parents' closest friends and their catholic zeal is equivalent. Their daughters are just as unbearable as my own sisters; all they can talk about are their Catholic summer camps, their spiritual retreats and their activities at church.

"Do I have to go too?" I whine a bit childishly.

"In fact, I would rather you stay here, Aaron," my mother interferes, and the way she squints at me dampens my renewed eagerness. "I believe you still have a bit of homework to do for next week, and then, I want you to clean up your bedroom. I went in this morning to drop some laundry, and it is worse than a battlefield after Civil War," she laments, doing the Sign of the Cross. "May these soldiers rest in peace..."

Why in the hell did she have to visit my bedroom!? It is my room! It is my own private laird! Yes, this room is in a total mess, but it's my freaking mess! I don't see where the problem lays with her. I'm not asking her to clean it up or to live in my bedroom.

This is another difference between my family and me. They are all tidiness-freaks. They always hang their coats and put away their shoes as soon as they walk into the house. If they decide to change clothes, they'll either drop the other ones in the hamper or put them back into their closets. If they are thirsty, they will drink and clean the glass right away to put it back in the cupboard. This place is cleaner than a demo house, and I hate it. I hate chores and I love my mess.

However, now is not the right time for a stunt or to complain because she is providing me with the perfect opportunity to go out!

"Alright, I will do that... I'll clean my bedroom and do my homework then," I sigh.

Yes, I sigh. Being too joyful would look suspicious, they know how I hate these chores.

Best behavior, Aaron, but don't do too much or your old man is not going to buy your lies. And you don't want another lecture from Father Joseph either...

I still put extra efforts during our meal, participating in the conversations and offering the rest of my fruit salad to Catherine since her ramekin was less filled than the others. By 2pm, they have all left and I am finally alone. Of course, my father has locked all the doors and French windows and removed the keys. As if it was going to prevent me from sneaking out! I'm 16, in perfect shape and quite athletic since PE is the only discipline I give my all at school, so jumping from the window of my bedroom doesn't scare me. To be honest, I have already done this a few times in the past.

Rushing upstairs, I spend the next thirty minutes tidying up my bedroom. When I say tidying up, I basically mean that I stuff all the clothes that were lying on the floor, my bed, my desk chair inside my chest of drawers. I use a trash bag to collect all the cookie wrappings, empty bottles, used sheets of paper and old magazines. Then I find another empty drawer to put all the rest. I go as far as doing my bed – that means just spreading the comforter nicely. And I'm done!

Fast and efficient! Now time to go and meet my friends!

Shit! What is it I was supposed to bring to our party? Oh yeah, orange juice! I run downstairs to steal a bottle of juice in the wardrobe, then back to my room where I lock the door from the inside. My family probably won't return from the Millers' until 5:30 or 6pm and I will make sure to be back before them, but you never know. If any of my sisters comes back earlier, I will be able to pretend I was fast asleep and didn't hear them knocking.

It's already 2:40 and largely time to go, so I put on a hoodie and open my double-hung window. Just as I am about to stride over the sill, I peek at the little Jesus on his cross hanging over my bed and put my index on my lips, willing him to keep quiet.

"Shush, this is between you and me!" I say before I leave.

This window opens on a lower level roof that I can easily jump from in the backyard and the fact that there are several trash bags of dead leaves just beneath is not coincidental. I didn't spend the better part of my Saturday in the garden for no purpose, right? So, once I have pushed down my window, I put the bottle of juice underneath my sweater, sticking the hem inside my jeans so that the glass bottle won't fall, then I cautiously hang from the lower roof and let myself fall onto the soft bags without a problem. I will still have to climb up the gutter when I sneak back in, but it should be okay.

Half an hour later, I am finally at my destination and barely ten minutes late.

"At last!!!" Joshua grumbles when I get into our shack.

"Fuck you, Josh, I did the best I could!" I reply, flipping him the bird as I take a seat on the floor next to Cam and put the bottle of orange juice in the middle where there are already a cake and a bottle of soda.

"You snuck out?" the latter asks, making me frown. "You're never late so I guess you had to... Does that mean you're still grounded?"

"Yeah, my father wouldn't yield, but they went out for a stroll and then they're going to the Millers', so I'm safe."

"You'd better be cautious and get home early, though," Cam worries, a weird glint sparkling his eyes. "And since you've got some revelations for us, hurry up and tell us!"

"How do you know I..." I begin to ask before I turn toward Mark, glaring at him.

"You said you'd explain today, so there was no point not telling them anymore," he smirks at me.

"Jerk!"

"So? What is it you have to tell us?" Cam asks, scowling at me.

"Can we first celebrate our birthday?" I ask, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Aaron..." Josh grumbles.

"Josh..." I reply similarly. "I'll explain, I promise, but let's drink to our sixteenth birthday first, guys!" I cheer, reaching for some disposable glasses beside me.

Our shack used to be quite small and it was fine when we were eleven or twelve, but as we grew into big guys, it got a little cramped so we made adjustments to extend the surface and used plastic canvas sheet to make a pyramid hip roof that we can remove when the weather is nice like today. Once the trapdoor is shut, it allows us to nicely fit our long legs. Even if it remains a rough shelter, we wouldn't choose another place because this one holds so many fond memories of our childhood.

Like that summer day Mark filled a bucket of water from the Cooper River Lake and splashed us while Cam, Josh and I were napping in the shack. I swear he ended up in the river himself a few days later! There's another that occurred on a spring day, we faced a bad storm with heavy rain on our way here. We arrived at the shack completely drenched and spent the better part of the afternoon stuttering with chattering teeth.

One of the best memories I have though, happened during winter two years ago. It was super cold and we all snuggled against each other under an old comforter that Camden had found in a trash. This is the first time I got a boner because of such proximity with my friends. I had never considered them as potential good lays, but for some reason, I got aroused, stuck between Cam and Josh, and I truly had a hard time fighting my urge to grope my hard-on. Or even them.

Well, today is the day for some big revelations, and although I don't know how to bring this up exactly, I still intend to come out to my friends. However, just as Cam opens his backpack to pull out another bottle of soda, my eyes catch sight of the perfect item to start the conversation. Something that makes my manhood twitch inside my briefs.

My friend tried to remain discreet, keeping the bag close to him, but I still had enough time to notice the cover of a magazine with a sexy hunk cupping his crotch. Too bad for Cam that he can be clumsy in his moves at times, especially when he's nervous, and the book slips a bit further out of his bag, which doesn't go unnoticed to Joshua.

"The heck..." we both exclaim at the same time, but Josh is faster than I am to lean forward and snatch the magazine.

"Unzipped!?" he cheers, already flipping through the pages greedily.

"Ugh Jooooooooosh!!" Camden growls as he lunges forward.

The blush that has crept up Cam's face doesn't have anything to do with embarrassment, it's all about the sudden anger bursting within him and the fact that he is crouched over Josh, ready to punch him, comes as no surprise. Thank God, Mark and I are prompt to react, already trying to pull him back, but despite his skinny frame, Cam is one powerful devil who feeds on adrenaline.

After a bit of a fight prying him from Josh, we manage to put him back where he was seated and I stride over his legs to sit on his thighs, pushing his shoulders against the wall. The fury darkening his gray eyes is intense, but it doesn't scare me, I know Cam wouldn't hurt any of us, at least not voluntarily.

"Cam, quiet now! It's okay, Bro..." I whisper in an appeasing tone.

"It's not okay!! That's mine! You guys weren't supposed to see this."

As is often the case when something doesn't go his way or annoys him deeply, Cam's body is shaking with rage, his chest heaving from a labored breathing, but I can tell he is trying to rule himself in to avoid further damage. Despite his determination not to follow his father's footsteps, it's sometimes hard to keep his violent urges at bay. His eyes are brimming with tears, so I wonder if there's not a bit of shame too in the end.

"Are you attracted to males?" I ask softly.

"It'snoneofyourbusiness," Cam seethes through his teeth, trying to push me away this time.

"I'm gay too, Cam, there's no shame in that!!" I growl, pinning him back against the wall.

"You're what!?" I hear Josh blurt out behind me, and weirdly enough, there seems to be a lot of eagerness in his voice.

Seeing how Cam's body instantly relaxes, I gently squeeze his shoulders and sit back a little further away from him, facing my three best friends. In the end, it seems like Camden still managed to hit Josh; his lip is bleeding a bit, but Mark is already tending to him, wiping the blood with a paper towel.

"I'm sorry, Josh," Cam mumbles apologetically. "Sorry for your lip, I didn't mean to h..."

"It's okay, Cam, my fault, I shouldn't have done that either."

We all know that our friend has issues reining in his temper and we're usually cautious around him. It's not that we fear him, but we have learned to handle his potential fits, and one essential rule is to never catch him off-guard with sudden moves or actions that might upset him. More than yielding to all his whims, it's about working around the beast in him to get what we want.

"Still sorry..."

"That's fine, let's not talk about this anymore, and it's already stopped bleeding, see?" Josh dismisses as he hides the soiled towel in his pocket.

"Ron...?" Mark awkwardly calls, squinting at me. "Is that what you wanted to tell about?"

It's too late to back off now. Not that I would because deep down, I know that my best friends wouldn't reject me. Cam wouldn't have such a magazine if he weren't attracted to males, I assume, and seeing how Josh was almost drooling at the pictures earlier, I can only guess that my assumptions on his sexual orientation were right. As for Mark, I still can't tell, but even if he were straight, he is so tolerant that I'm sure he would accept us as we are.

"Yeah, part of it, in fact," I sigh. "I'm gay, guys. I've wanted to tell you for a while but couldn't find the best opportunity, and... Fuck! How come we've never had such conversations before!? I mean... We're 16, we've been best friends since we were five, we always confide in each other, and... I just don't get it! Why the heck haven't we discussed this before?" I exclaim.

Staring at them, all I can see are shoulders shrugging and heads lowering. No blushing. No embarrassment. No shame. I think they're just questioning themselves on the obviousness of my statement.

"Better late than never, I guess," I resume after a whole minute of silence. "That's why I thought our sixteenth birthday party would be the perfect time to come out to you. So yeah... I'm gay, guys."

"That's some news..." Josh chuckles, an underlying tone of smugness in his voice.

"Why the sarcasm?" I ask, scowling at him.

"Think I've never noticed your boners in the locker room at school?" he laughs out.

This makes me blush a bit. I have always strived to remain discreet about these erections while changing before or after PE – mostly hiding myself from other guys of my class – but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to my own friends.

"Don't worry, Ron, you're not the only one I noticed," Josh resumes softly, peeking at Mark and Cam, "and it's quite the same for me. But you're right, Bro, I wonder why we've never broached this subject before, and I think it's time for me to come out too. I like dicks, guys!" he concludes cheerfully.

"Well, your hate for girls in general has always been pretty clear come to think about it, Josh," Camden grouses and three pairs of eyes focus on him. "What!?"

"Nothing, Cam, I actually thought the same about Josh," I explain before I turn back to our friend. "You could have told us earlier!" I accuse playfully.

"Well, I'm telling you now! I jack off to picture of sexy dudes I find on the internet! And after what just slipped from your backpack, Cam, I think you should confess the same," Joshua smirks. "Unzipped is definitely gay porn!"

"I don't need to say it out loud since you found out by yourself," Cam grumbles, making me laugh quietly.

"Where did you get that porn magazine by the way?" I ask, knowing full well that my friend doesn't have a dollar to spend on anything.

"I... found it in a trash container..." he replies, clearly ill at ease.

"Pants on fire..." Joshua whistles, grabbing the periodical to observe it. "This magazine is in a perfect state, obviously straight out of a shop, and it's this month's issue."

"Okay, fine! I stole it from the store this afternoon!" Camden eventually admits.

"Cam, that's wrong!! You could have gotten caught!" I scold him.

This guy is just a magnet for problems! Aside of his violent urges and tendencies to fight for nothing and everything, he has a knack for getting himself into trouble.

"I didn't and it's all that matters!" he shouts, scowling at me.

"Quit that glare, doesn't work with me. And you just can't do such things, it's bad and you could get arrested. Who'd take care of Sony then, huh?"

"Shit... You're right. I won't do it again," he eventually agrees.

I then turn my attention to Mark across from me. Our friend has been really quiet and his eyes are focused on the cover of the magazine that Josh put back on the floor.

"Mark?" I call out, causing him to startle.

"Yeah...?"

"You've been super-silent. How about you?"

"How about me what?" he deadpans, frowning deeply.

"Oh come on, Marky!!" Josh exclaims. "We've just all come out as gay! How about you? What's your sexual orientation?"

"Erm... I don't know..."

"What do you mean you don't know? Are you attracted to boys or girls?" I press him.

"I TOLD YOU, I DON'T KNOW!" he shouts angrily, leaving us a bit astounded because we're not used to seeing our softie burst out.

"You can't not know," Cam insists, rolling his eyes as he grabs the magazine and snuggles against a blushing Mark. "Look! Does this appeal to you? Or does it rebuke you?" he asks as he flips through the pages until he stops on a page-large picture of two men fucking a third guy, one in the ass, the other in the mouth. Shit! That's hot!! "Or perhaps you're bi?"

Mark stares at the picture for the longest time, remaining quiet as lust sparkles in his green eyes. If I judge by the growing bulge between his legs, I think we have an answer.

"That boner says it all!!" Joshua bursts out laughing.

"Ugh... Fuck you, guys!" Mark grouses, tossing the magazine back to Camden before he folds his legs to hide his crotch.

"Hmm... yeah, that's pretty much what Unzipped! is about, it seems!!" I reply, joining Josh and Cam in their laughter. "But stop pretending you don't know, Mark, though you could be bi-sexual..."

"I said I'm not sure, that's it!" he mumbles, but I can tell something is off.

Mark has always been the honest-type of guy and I just don't understand his self-consciousness. Because that's what it is; embarrassment. Why would he feel ashamed now that we have all come clean and when his parents are so open-minded that they'd certainly welcome the news? However, I believe that this has been enough teasing, so I try a different topic as I want to know more about their own experiences.

"Have you guys ever... you know... had boyfriends... or done anything with other guys?"

"Ron..." Cam chuckles, "you would know if we had!"

"Cam's right. We're always together, so if any of us had ever had a boyfriend, we would all know," Josh agrees, as if it was that obvious. "Seems like only our hands have known to make the bald man cry!" he adds as an afterthought, wriggling his fingers above his crotch.

"You're so gross, Josh!" Cam yells, but it doesn't prevent him laughing too.

"What!? Dare say you've never masturbated, guys!"

"Now that's a word that fits your rank better!" Mark chips in, finally better at ease, it seems.

"You know what? Fuck my rank and my parents' so-called bourgeoisie. I use the words I want when I'm not around them. And you haven't answered my question!"

"Of course we all masturbate. Well, at least I do..." Mark whispers, peeking at us warily and we all nod in agreement. "The only one we've ever seen do something is Cam when he kissed that girl in middle school..."

"Shut up, I just wanted to figure out why I wanted to kiss boys rather than girls, so I gave it a try, and I didn't like it."

"Holy crap, guys!" Joshua suddenly blurts out, and we all turn to him. "Do you realize that we're 16 and we've never had sex! What the fuck have we been doing?"

"Procrastinating, Josh, we've been procrastinating," I sigh.

"Hey, that's fine, there's no shame in taking our time," Mark reasons in a soothing tone. "We never open to others, sufficing to ourselves, so it's no wonder. Age doesn't really count, you just do it when you're ready, I guess. And we've got our whole lifetime ahead to catch up. Anyway, if I'm not wrong, I think someone has more to tell us," he then adds, pointing his forefinger at me. "You came out, that's great, but it doesn't explain what happened on Wednesday evening..."

"Oh, yeah... That's the second thing I was going to tell you today. Actually, I have a boyfriend," I eventually confess, and three pairs of wide-opened eyes stare at me with high expectations. "Remember that day I had to go to Haddon Township after school about a month ago?"

"As if we could forget!" Mark snorts, rolling his eyes. "It was one of those days you spent grumbling about that errand you had to run for your mother and you kept complaining that it would prevent you from hanging out with us after school."

It's true that I was pretty grumpy that day and my poor friends had to bear with my mood until it was time to go.

Having come out to my best friends and realizing that it hasn't broken the bond between us – it might actually be the contrary – feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. The atmosphere seems so light that I end up telling them everything about Isaiah, from the moment we met, to our first kiss and lastly, what we did in his bed last Wednesday. I have kept all this within me for too long and disclosing everything is pure relief.

"You're really a fucker, Ron, you could have told us!" Cam accuses angrily.

"Sorry, guys, I just didn't know how to bring this up," I apologize piteously, understanding my friend's irritation.

"Don't exaggerate, Cam, it can't have been easy, and I remind you that none of us ever dared to broch the sex subject before," Mark reasons again before he gazes back at me. "So, Isaiah is your boyfriend? Is it serious?"

"Can't say, Mark," I shrug. "It's only been a week. It just happened. I was supposed to see him yesterday but since I'm grounded, I couldn't go and I don't even have his phone number to tell him I won't be able to go until at least two weeks..."

"I guess your parents don't know?" Cam asks cautiously.

"Duh! I'd be dead if they knew! Or worse, they'd take me to an exorcist!!"

And there we go talking about my parents' zealous beliefs, which allows me to vent on all my frustrations about the way they practice their religion. We spend the next hour talking about how our respective parents would react to having homosexual sons and the result is as expected. Camden has no idea about his mother's opinion, but he doesn't give a fuck about it. Mark is a hundred percent sure that his parents would welcome the news and support him all along. Joshua is in a similar situation as mine as his old man is a fervent homophobic.

Josh has pulled out his portable CD player and connected it to small speakers, which allows us to discover the latest CD he bought. The band is Travis and as much as it is softer than what we usually listen to, I must admit that their album The Invisible Band is nice. While we ramble on and on, we also feed on the delicious chocolate cake that Mark baked for our small party, though not before we have all cautiously gathered on one side of the shack to blow a single candle together. This moment is forever immortalized on a film since Mark brought his parents' camera and I can't wait for a copy of it once he will have it developed.

Time is flying and when I hear the church clock strike five times, I quickly bid my friends goodbye and hastily climb down the rope ladder, even skipping a few wooden rungs. As I run back home, I feel extremely light and truly regret we didn't have that conversation before. My previous fears sound so ridiculous because deep down, I knew that our friendship was strong enough to resist anything, and certainly more than a conversation about our sexual orientation.

I can't help smiling like a goof when I eventually turn around the corner of my street, so elated that nothing scares me anymore. It feels like nothing will be able to dampen my mood, not even the next ten days of grounding.

It is almost half past five when I reach home and sneak to the backyard, happy that the light is fading in the sky and that none of our neighbors seems to be outside. No one is going to see me climb up the gutter. It has begun to rain and I almost slip once, but I finally manage to hoist myself on the lower level roof and crawl to my window that I slide open.

Peeking at my surroundings one last time to make sure no one is watching, I pass my right leg over the sill, but as soon as my eyes focus inside my room, my first thought is that I should beat a retreat and flee. Unfortunately, the surprise awaiting me there catches me off-guard and makes me lose my balance, causing me to topple in and collapse on the wooden floor.

My father's glare is terrifying and it only gets worse as he rises from my bed and slowly walks in my direction. Without a word, he shuts my window and pulls me up to my feet. For the longest time, he simply stares at me, fuming like I have never seen him before, so much so that I already know I'm in for some serious troubles this time. When his deep and icy voice echoes, I swear that I almost pee myself.

"I don't even want to know where or with whom you were, nor what you were doing outside, Aaron. I do not want to hear any of your excuses or lies either. I will just make this very clear. Your grounding has just extended to two months. I will add another week for each day you get home late after school, even if by five minutes. All your sisters are dismissed of their usual chores for the next two months because you will be in charge of them all.

"Your sole occupations outside of school will be homework and more Bible classes at church. I'm certain Father Joseph will give you enough essays to write on your offenses once you have confessed him your latest sins tomorrow afternoon."

Words are stuck in my throat, not even a whimper will pull out.

Two months.

Two fucking months of Hell!

"I just cannot believe you dared to go out. And this mess..." he continues, and that's when I notice that he spilled out all the contents from my drawers. "Now you are going to be a good boy, Son. Walk to your bed, face it, lower your trousers and bend over," he orders with deep authority as he unbuckles his leather belt and slips it out of his pants' loops. "You will count down from twenty."

Twenty!? Fuck!! I'd rather get fifty from his hand!!!

"Dad, please..." I squeak and the anger darkening his eyes discourages me from saying more.

"It's twenty-five now, Aaron," he replies dryly. "NOW!"

His barking propels me to comply with his order, I certainly don't want to worsen my case, and seconds later, my jeans have pooled at my ankles and I have bent over my bed, my fingers already firmly gripping my comforter in anticipation. The next ten minutes while I take my punishment are literally awful. My previous spanking had barely healed, the fabric of my briefs is too thin to alleviate the whacks, and even if my father doesn't use his full strength, twenty-five blows of the belt hurt like a bitch.

And yet...

I don't really dwell on the scorching pain of my butt. Instead, my mind focuses on the two-month grounding because this is far worse. The only moments I will be able to enjoy spending time with my friends are during lunchbreaks; no hanging out with them for two months and this is killing me.

Then, Isaiah... How will I be able to inform him? I can't even make him wait for me for so long! No, I'll have to write him a note and ask the guys to bring it to him. I can't believe that the next eight weeks will be filled with school, homework, chores and church... four of the things I hate the most. This is what brings tears to my eyes, much more than the belt hitting my bottom.

Once I have reached the smallest number, my father orders me to kneel in front of my bed, jeans still lowered, and to recite prayers aloud. Which I do, half-sobbing, but I couldn't care less. I pray to God to forgive me for my sins and promise I'll try to be a better son to my parents. My father decides that it's been enough – for now – and forbids me to go out of my room unless to use the restrooms. Before he leaves, he says that I don't deserve their company tonight and that he will bring me some bread and water later. If only he knew that it's the best news of the evening.

After he has shut the door, I rise to my feet and angrily get rid of my sneakers and jeans, then surreptitiously go to the restrooms. There, I lower my briefs and use water from the small sink to apply on my heated backside, but it doesn't really help. In the corridor, whispered voices reach my ears, and I can totally picture them in the living room, praying the rosary, but back in my bedroom, only silence welcomes me. I quickly discard my hoodie and slip underneath my comforter, only glad that I'm going to avoid their rituals and stern faces.

Fuck them all! Fuck them all and their fucking 19th century mentalities!

I'm so pissed that God gave me such an uptight family! He could have chosen more moderate believers!

Lying in a fetus position, my arms hugging myself, I let all my resentment and frustration flood out through insuppressible tears as my fingers begin a scratching motion that I hadn't felt the urge to do in a long time. Digging my nails into the palms of my hands or biting my inner cheeks generally suffices to soothe my anxieties, scratching my skin only occurring when angst gets deeper.

I need to stop this. I can't let my family's nauseating traditions damage my arms as there's already a bit of blood stacking underneath my nails.

No, I won't let this happen.

Mark... please help me... please give me some of your natural optimism...

Yes, I will do this from now on. I will be like Mark. I will strive to see the positive points instead of the dark ones. The first I can see is that I don't have to bear with my family's disapproving looks and boring conversations tonight, I'm much better off on my own. No real dinner? Fine with me, Mark's cake was huge and I ate a quarter of it, so I'm not even hungry. Two-month grounding? Yes, it'll be a pain in my ass, even more than the physical pain I'll endure in the next few days, but what are two months? It's just sixty-one days...

And above all, what matters the most is that I spent two very interesting hours with my best friends today. Come to think about it, two months are nothing compared to what we achieved this afternoon; this conversation was worth all this pain because even if Mark moderated his attraction to men, I still believe that he is also gay, and this additional coincidence will only tighten the bond between the four of us.

Our friendship is just unique.

Cam, Josh, Mark and I are more than friends, more than brothers and more than soulmates.

This is a sign of Fate.

Nothing will ever break this connection between us, and for them, I am ready to endure whatever the future will bring upon me.

They are my everything.

Forever and ever.

Published on 5 March 2019

This chapter was the third and last one of what I'd call the introductory part of Aaron's story. Now that you've met his family, discovered what his life was and how important his best friends are to him, we are going to fast-forward to the following year and see how our four "innocent" guys turned into teenagers doped by their testosterone.

The next chapter is set end of April 2002 and for those who read or reread I Was Shooting For The Moon, I Hit Two Stars recently, you might remember Mark mentioning that he and his friends had watched American Pie when they were teenagers? That's what we'll see among other things and people, like Sophia and Paul Murray. And it'll be time to introduce a very important little boy since he's the source of many theories regarding Aaron's future :)

And once again, I would like to thank all these readers who helped so much in the religion matters because honestly, I don't think there would have been so many details otherwise, so I hope I got everything right :)

Below is a picture of the magazine Camden was hiding in his bag, and I even managed to find the cover of the October 2001 issue. Thank you Google! :D

And here's what the shack could look like, except that the guys' has a trap door on the floor and a tarp roof. And it's in a higher tree too.