2: Two Ships Passing

The next day, Jacob approached just after first period. Taylor turned his back, newly interested in a discussion with his friends. Jacob continued past, not responding like two ships passing in the night, though Taylor noticed his cockeyed grin.

He paused in front of Taylor’s locker, took a slip of paper out of his shirt pocket and dropped it in the vent. Done, he turned and caught Taylor watching. He raised his brow, smiled, and walked off.

Taylor was curious, but didn’t dare draw attention by checking it out. During the fourth period break, he finally opened his locker to put his books away for lunch. Inside he found Jacob’s note resting atop his Physics book. He grabbed it and shoved it deep in his front pocket, crumpling it.

He tried to ignore it, but curiosity ate at him, its presence weighing on his mind. Leaving lunch early, he visited a nearest bathroom, sat on a toilet in the back and retrieved the note.

Thinking of what we didn’t say—and do. Call me about meeting at my house. The folks are OK with it and won’t say anything.

Jacob’s phone number and address were included, though his name didn’t appear anywhere. He even decorated it with little hearts, so no one would know it was from another guy.

Taylor was annoyed at Jacob’s aggressive style, but couldn’t help but grin. Even though their first encounter went badly, he was eager to try again. Despite Jacob’s assurances, he was still uncomfortable about Jacob’s parents keeping his secret. It was too easy to casually mention it to someone. He shrugged as he stood, shoving the note back in the recesses of his pocket. He’d discuss it with Jacob.

Entering the locker room after school, Taylor remembered he needed to call Jacob to arrange their meeting. Moving to the corner, standing beside some empty lockers, he dialed the number.

“Hello?”

Taylor recognized the voice, relieved he didn’t get Jacob’s parents, which would’ve forced him to state who he was calling.

“Hey, I’m on to get together later, but I have practice until four. How about if I stop and grab some burgers so we can hang out a little longer?”

“It’s not a problem. My folks are fine with boyfriends. They’d love to have you to dinner. We’re having spaghetti tonight, which is our favorite.”

Taylor turned aside, speaking into the lockers. “I don’t think I’m up for meeting the family yet. How about if I eat burgers and you can dine with your parents?”

Jacob sighed. “Look, it’s not a big deal. If I ask, they’ll never mention you to anyone. They’re aware how difficult things can be for the closeted. Hell, I lost a close friend who wasn’t ready to come out. He ended up eating his brother’s gun.” Taylor hesitated, so he asked. “Are you still there? Did your connection die?”

“No, I’m still here, but I’m still wrestling with it. Okay, I’ll do it this one time, but don’t tell them we’re a couple, ‘cuz we’re not!”

Jacob laughed, speaking excitedly, seemingly missing Taylor’s admonition. “Will do, and you’ll love my mother’s spaghetti and meatballs. You footballers need carbs anyway. I’ll tell Mom to cook extra. She’ll adore you for eating so much.”

“All right, I should be there around four.”

Jacob giggled, annoying Taylor. “I’ll be waiting. Be sure to wear your superhero mask so no one recognizes you.”

Taylor said goodbye, put his phone away and joined his teammates.

Boomer glanced up. “Who’s that? Girlfriend?”

“Someone I just met. She goes to another school. I’m not sure it’s serious yet.”

“Believe me,” he said, his voice echoing off the metal lockers, “if she’s inviting you to dinner, your relationship is already serious. It means she’s ready to sink her claws into you.”

“Boomer, ever the romantic,” Taylor teased as he yanked his shirt off.

“You can believe what you want, but your days of being free end when you sit down with her folks.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I’ll probably need to break up before this goes much further.”

“If she’s inviting you home, your goose is done cooked,” one of their teammates said, echoing Boomer’s response. Laughter echoed throughout the enclosed locker room.

Taylor got out of his car, glancing down the street. He felt conflicted parking outside Jacob’s house. While his parents did well enough, as they kept reminding him, it was their money and not his. His car wasn’t the most impressive, and it stood out in the upscale neighborhood.

Approaching the front door, he tried to surmise as much about the family as he could. It was a quiet block, each house sitting on a quarter acre lot—meaning neighbors observing what you did in your yard. The Morgans’ was nicely maintained; the lawn recently mowed, trimming around the driveway and sidewalk. Though late in the season for flowers, they’d planted herbs. While it wasn’t overly impressive, the owners took pride in it and it showed.

Swallowing, he rang the doorbell and waited.

It didn’t take long. As the door swung open, he met an older but good-looking couple.

“Is ... Jacob home?”

Jacob’s mother grasped his arms. “You must be Taylor. We’ve heard so much about you.”

Jacob’s father extended his hand. “Don’t worry. Jacob explained your fears. We won’t say a word to anyone. After all, what parent gabs about their child’s sex life?” He made a sweeping gesture to include the whole house. “This is a safe environment.”

Taylor resisted reacting, his neck stiffening and his hands balling into fists. Just what he needed, two more people who knew he was gay. They might be supportive, but each person sharing his secrets was an increased risk. All it would take is a single innocuous comment.

“I’m Ruth Morgan. This is my husband, Rudolf.” She turned, indicating the couch, as she called out. “Jacob, your friend is here!”

Both were blonds with healthy tans, shoulder length hair and glasses. They looked like a couple since they were so similar. Ruth possessed an infectious smile, and Taylor couldn’t prevent contracting it from her. If he had to guess, he suspected they might be Swiss, as their English was a little stilted with an odd accent. He could tell they were Jacob’s parents, despite his darker hair. Rudolf was almost as slim as his son and had a way of saying much with only his eyes. Jacob shared his mother’s smile and wonderful disposition.

“Nice house,” Taylor said, glancing around at the furnishings.

Rudolf shrugged. “We can afford to move to a bigger one, but Jacob grew up here and we have a lot of friends in the neighborhood. This isn’t a house; it’s our history.”

Jacob jogged down the hall, slowing to a stately walk as he entered the living room. He smiled, pleased Taylor was there.

“Glad you made it. I wasn’t sure you were going to show up. You sounded spooked.”

He shrugged. “I almost didn’t. I saw all the houses, each with its own set of prying eyes.”

Jacob waved his concern off. “Don’t worry, if anyone asks, I’m tutoring you.”

Taylor laughed. “In what? I’m making straight As.”

“English, dummy. You focus on math and science. Even if you aren’t taking any English classes, I’ve spent more time writing. Tell whoever’s curious that I’m editing your college application.”

Jacob’s comment in front of his parents implied they were a part of a conspiracy and had thought out scenarios which might out him. It was almost scary.

“Can I get either of you a drink?” Ruth asked. “Perhaps a cookie?”

Jacob grinned at the question. “Mom, we’re grown men, we can find our own cookies.”

“I’d love one, Mrs. Morgan. Did you bake them yourself?”

Her smile grew in radiance. “I did. I’m a bit of a baker.”

“She runs a bakery in town,” Jacob explained. “We always have fresh day-old cookies and loaves of bread. If you need carbs, this is the place.”

Taylor tilted his head. “When I’m bulking up, I tend to favor pasta dishes.”

Ruth reentered the living room from the kitchen holding a snowman cookie jar. “Feel free to grab one any time you’re here. I bring home more than we consume, so if you don’t eat them, we’ll only throw them away.”

Taylor nibbled at one and smiled. “Say, these are terrific! If I knew you made such delicious cookies, I’d have stolen Jacob’s lunches.”

“Should I ask?” Rudolf said.

He glanced down, embarrassed by his explanation. “It’s nothing. I’m ... a jock. Your son is, how would you say, a bit of a nerd. Normally, we’re at opposite sides of the social structure.”

“You never gave Jacob a hard time, did you?” Ruth asked.

Taylor blushed. “No, ma’am. We never ran in the same circles. I knew who he was, but...”

“Then there’s no problem. If you want something he has, just ask. It’s easy enough to make an extra lunch.”

Taylor cocked his head. “You realize Jacob and I are meeting for the first time, face to face. There’s no need to adopt me right off the bat. If we don’t get along, fixing me lunches might be awkward.”

Ruth laughed. “You’re cute. All high school romances break up. Some pleasantly as each moves on, others a bit harsher. It’s part of growing up and learning about relationships.”

Jacob stepped forward as his new interest finished off his cookie. “Mom, Taylor’s nervous enough. Don’t make it worse. We’ll head to my room so I can calm him down.”

“That’s fine. Dinner will be in about an hour. You’re welcome to join us.”

“We’ll see,” Taylor said, backing towards the hallway. “My mother works in an office, so she mostly reheats Costco dinners. However, she likes seeing my face occasionally.”

“Consider it. It’ll be wonderful having a new face at the table.”

Jacob pulled Taylor back and led him to his room, closing the door behind them. He turned and offered a sympathetic frown, but it was too hard to maintain as his mother’s mirth leaked through. “Too much?”

“You think? My own parents aren’t so friendly! Do they react that way to all your friends?”

“Pretty much, they’re quite welcoming. They’re especially worried about how I’m ... fitting in. They took my friend’s suicide worse than I did.”

Taylor cocked his head. “Because he was gay?”

Jacob nodded. “Partially. His family was split over it. His sister supported him, his father wanted him out of the house, and his mother was on the fence. She’d berate him while defending him to his father.”

“It sounds like a mess, but let’s get a few things straight before we continue. This... , “ he indicated the two of them with his finger, “is just a hook up. We’re not in any kind of relationship. You’re NOT my boyfriend. If you say hello in the hallway I’ll ignore you. If you talk about us, I call you a liar and beat the shit out of you.”

Jacob hit his chest a few times. “Be still my beating heart. How can I resist such beautifully phrased romanticism?”

“Look, it’s not that I have anything against you. I just don’t want my sexuality exposed.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Huh? What’s not?”

“You most definitely have something against me. You don’t approve of me. You think I’m a joke!”

Taylor rolled his eyes. “And who’s responsible for that? I mean, could your sexuality be any more obvious? Why does the world need to know how gay you are? You ... flamers ... give us normal gays a bad name.”

Jacob smiled, cocking his head. “Normal gays? Isn’t that an oxymoron? We’re nothing like most straights.”

Taylor made a motion waving away from himself. “You know what I mean. I look like any hetero guy. It’s not apparent I’m gay, and I see no reason to wear rainbows, carry a placard and call attention to myself.”

“Let’s be straight here.” Jacob motioned to himself. “I’m not like this because I choose to be. I never requested the torment I received throughout grade and middle school. Neither of us has any control over who we’re attracted to. In the same way, I can’t determine how my body functions.”