that time of year

Things seemed to run smoothly from there on. You and tom had your dates every other week which seemed superfluous considering he was over at your house almost every day or you would "drop in" on tom at work at the movie house. Though you didn't see too many movies. More than once you two got in trouble for sneaking off to the broom closet to make out.

On one such occasion tom popped the question. "Will you go to prom with me?"

You hadn't even realized it was that time of year. So far no one seemed to question the two of you being together. So far you had managed to hide your more romantic activities from anyone at school. Maybe that's why you were afraid. That or the implied ending of prom dates. Despite the amount of time you spent together you had still been hesitant to go all the way. Tom had been very understanding but even he had his limits.

"I..." lucky you someone opened the door with a heavy sigh.

"Tom, theater twelve is finish grab a broom instead of ass."

"Fine, sorry dude I was-"

"I know what you were doing." derick laughed leaving the door open so you wouldn't just go back to making out. You two had done that to him before.

"I gotta go back to work."

"And I gotta go home too." you didn't really but you needed time to think. You stole one more kiss before leaving the closet.

Later at home you were curled up on the couch watching something, you weren't even paying attention. Which is why it came to a surprise to you when you were told by your father you were watching golf. Something you hated. "Something bothering you son?"

"Tom asked me to the prom."

"That's great." He thought for a moment. "Isn't it?"

"I thought so at first but then I started thinking..." you didn't want to say you knew it was wrong.

"Thinking what?"

"I know it's wrong but I just thought about how everyone at school would see us. Together."

Your dad seemed taken aback or maybe deep in thought it was hard to tell with him sometimes. "I thought you liked him?"

"I do but-"

"Then be honest about it. We'll always have your back." your dad leanted back in his recliner.

"I'm going out."

"Be safe." he calls behind you as you walk out the door.

You drove around for awhile until nearly all the traffic had gone. You were surprised your dad hadn't called and told you to come home. Somehow you ended up at tom's house. You had dropped him off a time or two before but never been inside. So when you rang the doorbell at nearly 1am you weren't surprised to see a very angry woman at the door.

"What do you want!?"

"Is tom home?" you knew he had gotten off work long enough by now to be home.

"He's in the shower."

"I really need to talk with him."

"Fine. Come in and I'll get him."

You walked into the cramped house. The house was not overly filthy but it certainly wasn't clean either. The wall was cluttered with pictures of jesus. There were more pictures of jesus than family photos. Peppered among the jesuses were pictures of little tom in various sports uniforms. His crooked teeth and cab door ears made him quite the cutie himself. The oldest photo of tom was him holding a wrestling trophy with pride his smile showing off his braces. If you had to guess he was about thirteen.

"He'll be out in a minute he's just preening."

"What?"

She sat in her own dilapidated recliner before turning the television on to some late night tv show. You recognized it as you sat down on the saran wrapped couch careful not to disturb the macrame blanket thrown over the back. "Oh honeymooners. I love this show." She silently drank her beer ignoring you. "Yeah I used to watch this show with my dad when I was little and couldn't sleep or when I was sick and got to stay home from school."

"Are you a fag too?" she snapped killing off the bottle.

"I what?"

"You're his boyfriend right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then you're a fag." She stood up and went into the kitchen for another beer.

Finally tom came out of the back pulling on a shirt. "Sorry I took so long I was in the shower."

You jumped up disturbing the macrame blanket. "It's fine your mom and I were just watching the honeymooners."

"Oh yeah?" He looked confused, he knew his mother.

"Yeah. Your girlfriend is lovely." his mom burped dragging her feet across the floor and sitting back in her recliner ignoring the both of you.

"I wanted to talk to you." You looked at his mom sitting and drinking.

"Let's go to my room." he took your hand taking you down the short hallway into his room.

"Keep your door open!" you hear his mother shout.

For the first time you see sadness on tom's face. You never expected his bright smile came from this dark place. "I'm sorry." You never heard his voice so sad You don't recall ever hearing or seeing him sad in fact. You pull him into a hug the smell of his soap still fresh. "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it. You got a problem with that?" you tease playfully still holding onto him.

"No, no problem here." he squeezes you tightly. You spend several minutes just holding him. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"I never gave you an answer." you say lifting your head off of his chest. "The answer is yes. I would love to go to prom with you." He smiles that million watt smile that you love and kisses you softly.

"I've asked you not to do that in my house." his mother snapped at the door the disgust apparent in her voice.

"I was just leaving." you answer softly.

"I'll walk you to the door." Tom pushes past his mother shielding you from his mother's evil drunken eye.

Tom walked you to the door and you kissed goodnight once more. You hated to leave him there. "Come with me." Tom thought for a moment hearing his mom stumble back into her chair. Her face twisted in drunken anger the jesuses only know what cruel thoughts were running through her head.

"I can't."

"I didn't ask." you grab his hand and pull him out the door with you and dragged him to your car. You shoved tom in the passenger seat and peeled out your car spitting up rocks as you did. You had no illusions if tom didn't want to come with you there was nothing you could do to make him. You don't know what you're going to do when you get home but the further you drove away from that house the happier tom seemed to be.

You slowly open the door and see your dad snoozing on his recliner. You quietly push tom inside carrying his shoes. It seemed tom had experience doing this. You hear your dad grumble from his chair.