Angies P.O.V.

My how time seems to fly, when you get to be my age a year could feel like a couple of weeks. Why I remember being a kid and feeling like a day lasted forever, but then night would fall and the foreverness would start all over again, boy do I miss those days.

So, the year was finally over, Jake and Kaden had survived. I watched them grow a lot over the course of the year, Jake had learned to be forgiving and trusting while Kaden had learned to open up, he didn't have to run anymore. Sometime near the end of the year Kaden had sought me out to talk about him telling his father the truth about himself

"Angie? Can we talk?

I was admiring the growth of my students in their art; final projects are always wonderful for me, art exhibitions and seeing all the creativity. The day was over and I was preparing sculptures, paintings, and various other projects for tomorrow's exhibition. It was all going to be perfect.

"If you help me out, we can talk and I can get this done faster"

I gave him a small smile and he smiled back

"Sure"

There was silence for a couple of minutes as we worked and I knew that he was trying to think of what he was going to say before saying it.

"I'm going to tell him…"

"Your father? That's good; secrets keep people from moving forward and being happy. A word of advise though, he most likely wont be completely accepting of it at first."

I saw him frown and a worried look cross his face

"There might even be some yelling, but remember this. He's your father and no matter what is said he still loves you. And even if all else fails, you still have me. If you want, I can talk to him afterwards. Don't know what much it'll do, but…"

Kaden sighed a sigh of relief

"Thanks. I'll come find you if something happens."

I smiled and Kaden came and gave me a hug.

Kaden had told me what had happened between him and his father a short while later…

Kadens P.O.V.

"Hey Kaden! Help me with this will you!?

I had just walked into the room and my dad was in his bedroom getting ready for one of his sermons, apparently this was as special one. I walked in on dad attempting to tie a tie, tonight he wasn't going to be the one giving the sermon, but one of dads dear old friends from back home was, although he was suppose to give a few words afterwards.

"Hey dad? Can we talk before we go?"

"Sure son. What's on your mind? Girl troubles? Man, I remember being your age and falling helplessly for girls and…"

"No dad, it's not…girl troubles."

"Oh no? Well then, what's up?"

I got silent for a minute and focused on finishing the knot, afterwards I took a step back as dad admired himself in the mirror.

"I look good. So what did you want to talk about?"

I clutched my fists at my side and I could feel my stomach twisting and rolling in that way that only nervousness can do.

"Dad..I…"

I felt myself start to lightly shake and my throat felt too tight. My dad was patiently waiting.

"You know you can tell me anything. If you're in trouble then…"

"It's not that, I'm not in trouble. I'm just…"

There was a one sided awkwardness as I tried to find the right words

"You didn't get a girl pregnant did you? Cause…"

"NO DAD, I'M GAY"

My eyes widened as I realized what I had said. It was out, my life was about to take a drastic change. Not that it hadn't already, but this was most likely my make or break moment.

"You…your…gay?"

I couldn't trust my voice so I nodded my head instead.

We stood there in silence for a moment, me sweating, nervous and ready to burst at any moment while he stood expressionless. I don't now what scared me more. Not knowing how he was feeling? Or the fact that this could go either way.

"No. you're not gay, your not…you can't be. I raised you right. After your mother left us I did all I could to make sure you were happy, healthy and on the right track. You can't be….gay"

He wasn't yelling, but I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves

"This has nothing to do with how you raised me, I've always been like this, I've always felt like this, even before mom left. I'm sorry"

My voice came out soft and low, my throat just didn't want to relax, it had tightened up even more and now I could feel the anxious tears that wanted to escape. My dad suddenly looked older than his years, tired and broken. He let out a sigh and sat down on the bedroom floor, back slumped, head in his hands.

"You can't be…"

I didn't know what to do

"Why are you telling me this now? Why didn't you do it sooner?"

"I couldn't, I was afraid. Afraid that you would react the way you're reacting now…"

"Reacting? My son just came out to me and I don't know what to do or say to you right now! This goes against everything that I, that we believe in. homosexuality is a sin, the bible says so."

My fingers were digging into my sides and I was trying to keep from crying. Who knew it'd be this hard.

"I'm sorry dad, but I don't agree. That's all I wanted to tell you, you're my dad so you have the right to know…I wanted you to know. Hiding it has been killing me. I always thought, maybe if dad doesn't know then he can live happy thinking that I was one day going to marry some girl and have his grandkids and I could sacrifice my happiness just so that you wouldn't have to suffer, sacrifice my happiness because, even after mom left, you were there. You gave up so much for me and I wanted to give this to you, but I found out that I couldn't do it. I won't apologize for being what I am, but I will apologize for ruining the happiness you tried so hard to get for us."

I was crying now, but I had to get it all out. Dad wasn't saying anything; he was still on the floor, in the same position.

"I'm sorry"

I turned and left the room, I had to get out of there, I couldn't stand seeing him this way, I couldn't stand the rejection, if that's what it was. I left to find Angie"

Angies P.O.V.

Kaden had told me all of what had happened and he couldn't stop the tears as he spoke.

"What should I do Angie? What should I do?"

I went over to him and pulled him into a hug. We stood there rocking back and forth and he cried. I felt for him, I really did. I knew the pain he was going through, thinking you lost the love of someone that was so close you'd die over and over for them.

"Give him some time. He'll come around, trust me."

Kaden stayed silent.

Later that night, I asked Kaden if he still wanted to go to the sermon. He sullenly nodded and we headed for the chapel.

Monstrous, that's how it had gone. That sermon was a disgrace to all that was right and holy. I had held Kaden as the words of that god awful man cut through him like a knife through butter. Jake had been on Kadens other side and he looked like Kaden felt. Kadens father hadn't shown up to the sermon and no one knew where he was. I guess it was for the best. Afterwards we all went back to my place and I tried to comfort the boys, but one can only do so much when someone's life has just been turned around. If I had known what the sermon was going to be about then I would have made sure the boys didn't go, but as it was it couldn't be undone.

The next day the staff found out that Kadens father couldn't be found anywhere. The police had been notified and we were told to be on alert in case we saw him. I didn't see Kaden all day and when I had asked Jake how Kaden was holding up Jake had shrugged and with a worried look no his face told me that Kaden hadn't left his room all day, nor had he let Jake in when he went to see him.

Three days later, Kadens father came back as if nothing had happened. When people asked what had happened to him he just shrugged and replied with "I needed to think, clear my head for a while." When Kaden hadn't left his room the whole time I checked up on him every now and then to make sure he was still alive and breathing, but he wouldn't allow anyone else in, not even Jake. The day after his father came back Kaden was smiling and happy and a little mad too. He had told Jake and I that his father had gone to think about what had transpired between him and his son and after three days of thinking and talking to god he had slowly begun to realize that no matter what, Kaden was his son and who he loved shouldn't matter as long as he was happy. It would still take time to adjust, but if his son was happy then that's all he needed.

I knew he'd come around.

So, Jake and Kaden ended up together and happy. They still had a couple of years before they graduated, but now they had more people on their side. The New Year promised new beginnings and much needed closures. I wonder how everyone will fare. That'll be a whole nother story.

As for me, well, I'm gonna be there to watch these two grow into fine young men. And help them along the way to better this school and the world in which we live. It's a long journey for these young people, but I say they'll do a better job than their predecessors and maybe one day, I'll live to see the day at which Jake and Kaden, if they survive and I think they will, walk down that isle and hear the words "till death do we part."

What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains. ~Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947

FIN

I wasn't happy with having the previous chapter as the end so i wrote this to finish it off. I hope those that got to this point enjoyed my story