Chapter 86: Ocean - Getting Permission To Temporarily Live With Makai Part 2
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"Well, I am glad that you approve." Makai spoke from next to me. He had been sitting with his hands in his lap while he listened, but at this point he brought his arm up and took my hand, holding it tight. "I hope you know how much I care about Ocean, and how much I want what is best for him."
It sounded like Makai was using this as a segway to bring up the other reason why we were here; the real reason we were here.
"Of course, Kai. I can see it in the way that you two look at each other. I am happy that he has found you." Mom was still beaming and sounding cheery. I had a feeling that the cheeriness wasn't going to last. I wasn't ready. I couldn't do this. But I was out of time, Makai was already telling them.
"Well, there is something else about Ocean that you don't know. This one I am very sure that neither of you know about."
"Oh, really? And what might that be?" Dad looked at him with a curious look as he thought about Makai's words.
"Well, the truth is, Ocean isn't exactly normal. He isn't like other guys, and neither am I."
"Honey, if you're referring to being gay, then like we said we know." Mom was laughing now, like she thought that Makai was being dense.
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean that Ocean isn't like any other normal gay man. He is different, we both are. There are things about him, things that had to do with his origin and birth that are really hard for me to explain right now."
"Well, maybe you should try." Dad raised an eyebrow at him and spoke a little more sternly than usual. He didn't like roundabout conversations.
"Here's the thing, I want someone else to explain it for me. I think it will be better that way." Makai was keeping his cool and staying calm this whole time, all the while I felt like I was about to explode with nerves.
"If you can't explain it, then who can?" Mom was starting to lose her cheeriness just like I had predicted. Someone was telling her there might be something wrong with her son, and she didn't like that.
"My parents will be the better ones to explain it to you." Makai's voice was steady, calm; it was like he knew how to handle himself in front of the lions that were my parents, because I could see them getting upset.
"But your parents aren't around all that often, are they?" Dad had a valid point.
"Makai is calling them home. They are going to be in soon, hopefully." I explained for Makai, trying to be part of the conversation at least a little.
"OK, fine, they can explain whatever it is that you want them to. However, I want to know why this sounds like you're leaving, Ocean. Where do you think that you're going? You're still in school, for crying out loud."
"How did you already know that I was leaving the house?" Her intuition was killer.
"I am your mom, Ocean. I may not have given birth to you, but I know you more than anyone else on this planet. Now, the two of you come in here and tell me that I don't know you as much as I thought I did? That's not fair."
"We aren't trying to say that at all, Mrs. Shores." Makai was now trying to calm the beast that was soon to be Mom's anger. "It's just that there are things that he didn't know about himself until today. Things that I guessed and thought he knew, but he didn't."
"Explain this to me Kai, I am confused." Dad was calmer than Mom was, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Well, have you ever noticed Ocean's birthmark?"
"Of course I have. Who do you think bathed and changed him for all those years when he was a baby and toddler. It's the cutest little birthmark." Mom was smiling and talking angrily. It was like she was mad that her parenting was being questioned and remembering happy times with me as a baby at the same time.
"Well, it is a birthmark, but it's not what you think it is either." Makai tried to explain it to her. "That birthmark told me that Ocean was like me, that he and I were from the same place. I have a similar mark on me that just looked like a mole until I turned eighteen."
"What are you talking about? So what, having matching birthmarks doesn't mean anything." Dad waved his hand like he was saying that was nothing.
"How about you take a look at his birthmark now. I want you to see that and then my parents will explain everything else to you."
"Fine. I will look." Mom got to her feet as she spoke. "But just to prove to you that his birthmark is just the same as it-." She stopped talking as she roughly pulled the collar of the shirt I was wearing.
She seemed frozen in place and shocked. So much so that Dad went to stand beside her and looked at the mark on my shoulder.
"Ocean? What did you do?" Mom sounded angry.
"I didn't do anything, Mom. It happened on it's own."
"It's been colored in, did you get a tattoo over it?" Dad was angry as well.
"No, I haven't." I tried to make them understand.
"This is why I am glad that you said you accepted and approved of Ocean being gay. It meant that you're open minded parents that should be able to accept this as well. I just ask that you wait a few more days to find out the truth of it all."
When Mom went back to her seat, there was shock in her eyes. She didn't think that the mark was a fake, I could see that; though she didn't know what to think right now.
"Ocean, honey, are you alright?" Her voice was barely audible when she spoke, but I heard her, just barely.
"Yes Mom, I'm fine. I just need to figure some things out. There are things about what I am, what all this means, that I don't know anything about yet. I need to figure it all out though. I need to learn more about what I am before I can do anything else. I won't be able to go to school for a few days because I can't go to swim practice until I figure it all out."
I watched as she went from worried to horrified.
"You want to miss school? Absolutely not!"
"There is no other choice. I have to. I need to learn to control what I am."
"And that means that you can't go to school?!" Dad yelled at me.
"It means that I can't go to swim practice. And there is no way that the coach will accept that unless I am not in school."
"Ocean, just what does all of this mean? What are you planning to do?" I saw tears in my mom's eyes then. I think she thought I was dropping out of school and running away.
"I am going to stay at Makai's place for a few days. Maybe a week. He will teach me how to control what I am since he has already learned himself. He will go to school a few of the days and get our work, but I will not be going. We will study and do our work. I will stay up on my school work while I work hard to learn what I need to learn." I thought I did well explaining it to them, but Dad looked angrier.
"You mean that you just want a love nest." He was glaring at Makai now, like he thought this might be his fault.
"No Sir, my place makes sense because there is an indoor pool for Ocean to practice in." That seemed to shock my dad, I guess he didn't think of that as an explanation.
"And he needs a pool to practice in?" Mom looked scared and worried.
"That or the ocean, but the ocean runs the risk of people seeing what he is so it's not that much better either."
"Yeah, I guess you're right" Mom hung her head and agreed with Makai.
"And you can't just go there everyday? You have to stay there?" Dad was just as defeated now. I think they both understood something was going on, but they didn't know what, and that was making it all that much worse.
"I think it would just be best if I stayed there." I gave them as sincere an answer as I could.
"Ocean? You wouldn't do this if you didn't have to, right? You wouldn't just leave us for no reason and make up an excuse?" Mom was crying now.
"No, Momma, I wouldn't do that. I promise." I felt my heart break when I saw the tears on her cheeks. "I love you Momma and you too, Dad. I would never do anything to hurt you, ever. This is just something that I need to do."
I rose to my feet and went to hug them both, their arms wrapped around me like they were afraid something was about to happen to me.
"I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean to."
"I know, Ocean." Dad was the first to respond.
"You be careful, Ocean. Whatever this is, you be careful."
"Mr. and Mrs. Shores, you can come to my house to see him while we are there. Anytime that you would like, the door will be open." Makai smiled at the three of us holding each other close.
"I just might do that." Mom nodded as she hugged me tighter. I couldn't believe that I had hurt them like this.
After everyone calmed down, I went upstairs to pack a bag. I thought it would be best to take some of my own things, especially my own boxers. I took all of my necessities from my room and my bathroom so that I would have everything that I needed. I also made sure that I grabbed all my books for school, my computer, and my chargers. I would definitely need those.
When it was time to go, I almost felt like I was moving out. I knew that I wasn't, but I felt like I might never be coming back. What did this mean for me? What did it mean for my family?
"I still expect you to call me from time to time." Mom spoke sternly. It was the same thing that she said to my sister and brother when they left home.
"Don't think that you can just ignore us because you're not here." Those were Dad's signature words when someone moved out for college. Now I really felt like I would never be back.
"Don't worry, I will call you, and I will be home before long."
Makai and I left then, heading back to his place and whatever unknowns that awaited me there.
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"Well, I am glad that you approve." Makai spoke from next to me. He had been sitting with his hands in his lap while he listened, but at this point he brought his arm up and took my hand, holding it tight. "I hope you know how much I care about Ocean, and how much I want what is best for him."
It sounded like Makai was using this as a segway to bring up the other reason why we were here; the real reason we were here.
"Of course, Kai. I can see it in the way that you two look at each other. I am happy that he has found you." Mom was still beaming and sounding cheery. I had a feeling that the cheeriness wasn't going to last. I wasn't ready. I couldn't do this. But I was out of time, Makai was already telling them.
"Well, there is something else about Ocean that you don't know. This one I am very sure that neither of you know about."
"Oh, really? And what might that be?" Dad looked at him with a curious look as he thought about Makai's words.
"Well, the truth is, Ocean isn't exactly normal. He isn't like other guys, and neither am I."
"Honey, if you're referring to being gay, then like we said we know." Mom was laughing now, like she thought that Makai was being dense.
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean that Ocean isn't like any other normal gay man. He is different, we both are. There are things about him, things that had to do with his origin and birth that are really hard for me to explain right now."
"Well, maybe you should try." Dad raised an eyebrow at him and spoke a little more sternly than usual. He didn't like roundabout conversations.
"Here's the thing, I want someone else to explain it for me. I think it will be better that way." Makai was keeping his cool and staying calm this whole time, all the while I felt like I was about to explode with nerves.
"If you can't explain it, then who can?" Mom was starting to lose her cheeriness just like I had predicted. Someone was telling her there might be something wrong with her son, and she didn't like that.
"My parents will be the better ones to explain it to you." Makai's voice was steady, calm; it was like he knew how to handle himself in front of the lions that were my parents, because I could see them getting upset.
"But your parents aren't around all that often, are they?" Dad had a valid point.
"Makai is calling them home. They are going to be in soon, hopefully." I explained for Makai, trying to be part of the conversation at least a little.
"OK, fine, they can explain whatever it is that you want them to. However, I want to know why this sounds like you're leaving, Ocean. Where do you think that you're going? You're still in school, for crying out loud."
"How did you already know that I was leaving the house?" Her intuition was killer.
"I am your mom, Ocean. I may not have given birth to you, but I know you more than anyone else on this planet. Now, the two of you come in here and tell me that I don't know you as much as I thought I did? That's not fair."
"We aren't trying to say that at all, Mrs. Shores." Makai was now trying to calm the beast that was soon to be Mom's anger. "It's just that there are things that he didn't know about himself until today. Things that I guessed and thought he knew, but he didn't."
"Explain this to me Kai, I am confused." Dad was calmer than Mom was, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Well, have you ever noticed Ocean's birthmark?"
"Of course I have. Who do you think bathed and changed him for all those years when he was a baby and toddler. It's the cutest little birthmark." Mom was smiling and talking angrily. It was like she was mad that her parenting was being questioned and remembering happy times with me as a baby at the same time.
"Well, it is a birthmark, but it's not what you think it is either." Makai tried to explain it to her. "That birthmark told me that Ocean was like me, that he and I were from the same place. I have a similar mark on me that just looked like a mole until I turned eighteen."
"What are you talking about? So what, having matching birthmarks doesn't mean anything." Dad waved his hand like he was saying that was nothing.
"How about you take a look at his birthmark now. I want you to see that and then my parents will explain everything else to you."
"Fine. I will look." Mom got to her feet as she spoke. "But just to prove to you that his birthmark is just the same as it-." She stopped talking as she roughly pulled the collar of the shirt I was wearing.
She seemed frozen in place and shocked. So much so that Dad went to stand beside her and looked at the mark on my shoulder.
"Ocean? What did you do?" Mom sounded angry.
"I didn't do anything, Mom. It happened on it's own."
"It's been colored in, did you get a tattoo over it?" Dad was angry as well.
"No, I haven't." I tried to make them understand.
"This is why I am glad that you said you accepted and approved of Ocean being gay. It meant that you're open minded parents that should be able to accept this as well. I just ask that you wait a few more days to find out the truth of it all."
When Mom went back to her seat, there was shock in her eyes. She didn't think that the mark was a fake, I could see that; though she didn't know what to think right now.
"Ocean, honey, are you alright?" Her voice was barely audible when she spoke, but I heard her, just barely.
"Yes Mom, I'm fine. I just need to figure some things out. There are things about what I am, what all this means, that I don't know anything about yet. I need to figure it all out though. I need to learn more about what I am before I can do anything else. I won't be able to go to school for a few days because I can't go to swim practice until I figure it all out."
I watched as she went from worried to horrified.
"You want to miss school? Absolutely not!"
"There is no other choice. I have to. I need to learn to control what I am."
"And that means that you can't go to school?!" Dad yelled at me.
"It means that I can't go to swim practice. And there is no way that the coach will accept that unless I am not in school."
"Ocean, just what does all of this mean? What are you planning to do?" I saw tears in my mom's eyes then. I think she thought I was dropping out of school and running away.
"I am going to stay at Makai's place for a few days. Maybe a week. He will teach me how to control what I am since he has already learned himself. He will go to school a few of the days and get our work, but I will not be going. We will study and do our work. I will stay up on my school work while I work hard to learn what I need to learn." I thought I did well explaining it to them, but Dad looked angrier.
"You mean that you just want a love nest." He was glaring at Makai now, like he thought this might be his fault.
"No Sir, my place makes sense because there is an indoor pool for Ocean to practice in." That seemed to shock my dad, I guess he didn't think of that as an explanation.
"And he needs a pool to practice in?" Mom looked scared and worried.
"That or the ocean, but the ocean runs the risk of people seeing what he is so it's not that much better either."
"Yeah, I guess you're right" Mom hung her head and agreed with Makai.
"And you can't just go there everyday? You have to stay there?" Dad was just as defeated now. I think they both understood something was going on, but they didn't know what, and that was making it all that much worse.
"I think it would just be best if I stayed there." I gave them as sincere an answer as I could.
"Ocean? You wouldn't do this if you didn't have to, right? You wouldn't just leave us for no reason and make up an excuse?" Mom was crying now.
"No, Momma, I wouldn't do that. I promise." I felt my heart break when I saw the tears on her cheeks. "I love you Momma and you too, Dad. I would never do anything to hurt you, ever. This is just something that I need to do."
I rose to my feet and went to hug them both, their arms wrapped around me like they were afraid something was about to happen to me.
"I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean to."
"I know, Ocean." Dad was the first to respond.
"You be careful, Ocean. Whatever this is, you be careful."
"Mr. and Mrs. Shores, you can come to my house to see him while we are there. Anytime that you would like, the door will be open." Makai smiled at the three of us holding each other close.
"I just might do that." Mom nodded as she hugged me tighter. I couldn't believe that I had hurt them like this.
After everyone calmed down, I went upstairs to pack a bag. I thought it would be best to take some of my own things, especially my own boxers. I took all of my necessities from my room and my bathroom so that I would have everything that I needed. I also made sure that I grabbed all my books for school, my computer, and my chargers. I would definitely need those.
When it was time to go, I almost felt like I was moving out. I knew that I wasn't, but I felt like I might never be coming back. What did this mean for me? What did it mean for my family?
"I still expect you to call me from time to time." Mom spoke sternly. It was the same thing that she said to my sister and brother when they left home.
"Don't think that you can just ignore us because you're not here." Those were Dad's signature words when someone moved out for college. Now I really felt like I would never be back.
"Don't worry, I will call you, and I will be home before long."
Makai and I left then, heading back to his place and whatever unknowns that awaited me there.
"Well, I am glad that you approve." Makai spoke from next to me. He had been sitting with his hands in his lap while he listened, but at this point he brought his arm up and took my hand, holding it tight. "I hope you know how much I care about Ocean, and how much I want what is best for him."It sounded like Makai was using this as a segway to bring up the other reason why we were here; the real reason we were here."Of course, Kai. I can see it in the way that you two look at each other. I am happy that he has found you." Mom was still beaming and sounding cheery. I had a feeling that the cheeriness wasn't going to last. I wasn't ready. I couldn't do this. But I was out of time, Makai was already telling them."Well, there is something else about Ocean that you don't know. This one I am very sure that neither of you know about.""Oh, really? And what might that be?" Dad looked at him with a curious look as he thought about Makai's words."Well, the truth is, Ocean isn't exactly normal. He isn't like other guys, and neither am I.""Honey, if you're referring to being gay, then like we said we know." Mom was laughing now, like she thought that Makai was being dense."No, that's not what I mean. I mean that Ocean isn't like any other normal gay man. He is different, we both are. There are things about him, things that had to do with his origin and birth that are really hard for me to explain right now.""Well, maybe you should try." Dad raised an eyebrow at him and spoke a little more sternly than usual. He didn't like roundabout conversations."Here's the thing, I want someone else to explain it for me. I think it will be better that way." Makai was keeping his cool and staying calm this whole time, all the while I felt like I was about to explode with nerves."If you can't explain it, then who can?" Mom was starting to lose her cheeriness just like I had predicted. Someone was telling her there might be something wrong with her son, and she didn't like that."My parents will be the better ones to explain it to you." Makai's voice was steady, calm; it was like he knew how to handle himself in front of the lions that were my parents, because I could see them getting upset."But your parents aren't around all that often, are they?" Dad had a valid point."Makai is calling them home. They are going to be in soon, hopefully." I explained for Makai, trying to be part of the conversation at least a little."OK, fine, they can explain whatever it is that you want them to. However, I want to know why this sounds like you're leaving, Ocean. Where do you think that you're going? You're still in school, for crying out loud.""How did you already know that I was leaving the house?" Her intuition was killer."I am your mom, Ocean. I may not have given birth to you, but I know you more than anyone else on this planet. Now, the two of you come in here and tell me that I don't know you as much as I thought I did? That's not fair.""We aren't trying to say that at all, Mrs. Shores." Makai was now trying to calm the beast that was soon to be Mom's anger. "It's just that there are things that he didn't know about himself until today. Things that I guessed and thought he knew, but he didn't.""Explain this to me Kai, I am confused." Dad was calmer than Mom was, trying to figure out what was going on."Well, have you ever noticed Ocean's birthmark?""Of course I have. Who do you think bathed and changed him for all those years when he was a baby and toddler. It's the cutest little birthmark." Mom was smiling and talking angrily. It was like she was mad that her parenting was being questioned and remembering happy times with me as a baby at the same time."Well, it is a birthmark, but it's not what you think it is either." Makai tried to explain it to her. "That birthmark told me that Ocean was like me, that he and I were from the same place. I have a similar mark on me that just looked like a mole until I turned eighteen.""What are you talking about? So what, having matching birthmarks doesn't mean anything." Dad waved his hand like he was saying that was nothing."How about you take a look at his birthmark now. I want you to see that and then my parents will explain everything else to you.""Fine. I will look." Mom got to her feet as she spoke. "But just to prove to you that his birthmark is just the same as it-." She stopped talking as she roughly pulled the collar of the shirt I was wearing.She seemed frozen in place and shocked. So much so that Dad went to stand beside her and looked at the mark on my shoulder."Ocean? What did you do?" Mom sounded angry."I didn't do anything, Mom. It happened on it's own.""It's been colored in, did you get a tattoo over it?" Dad was angry as well."No, I haven't." I tried to make them understand."This is why I am glad that you said you accepted and approved of Ocean being gay. It meant that you're open minded parents that should be able to accept this as well. I just ask that you wait a few more days to find out the truth of it all."When Mom went back to her seat, there was shock in her eyes. She didn't think that the mark was a fake, I could see that; though she didn't know what to think right now."Ocean, honey, are you alright?" Her voice was barely audible when she spoke, but I heard her, just barely."Yes Mom, I'm fine. I just need to figure some things out. There are things about what I am, what all this means, that I don't know anything about yet. I need to figure it all out though. I need to learn more about what I am before I can do anything else. I won't be able to go to school for a few days because I can't go to swim practice until I figure it all out."I watched as she went from worried to horrified. "You want to miss school? Absolutely not!""There is no other choice. I have to. I need to learn to control what I am.""And that means that you can't go to school?!" Dad yelled at me."It means that I can't go to swim practice. And there is no way that the coach will accept that unless I am not in school.""Ocean, just what does all of this mean? What are you planning to do?" I saw tears in my mom's eyes then. I think she thought I was dropping out of school and running away."I am going to stay at Makai's place for a few days. Maybe a week. He will teach me how to control what I am since he has already learned himself. He will go to school a few of the days and get our work, but I will not be going. We will study and do our work. I will stay up on my school work while I work hard to learn what I need to learn." I thought I did well explaining it to them, but Dad looked angrier."You mean that you just want a love nest." He was glaring at Makai now, like he thought this might be his fault."No Sir, my place makes sense because there is an indoor pool for Ocean to practice in." That seemed to shock my dad, I guess he didn't think of that as an explanation."And he needs a pool to practice in?" Mom looked scared and worried."That or the ocean, but the ocean runs the risk of people seeing what he is so it's not that much better either.""Yeah, I guess you're right" Mom hung her head and agreed with Makai."And you can't just go there everyday? You have to stay there?" Dad was just as defeated now. I think they both understood something was going on, but they didn't know what, and that was making it all that much worse."I think it would just be best if I stayed there." I gave them as sincere an answer as I could."Ocean? You wouldn't do this if you didn't have to, right? You wouldn't just leave us for no reason and make up an excuse?" Mom was crying now."No, Momma, I wouldn't do that. I promise." I felt my heart break when I saw the tears on her cheeks. "I love you Momma and you too, Dad. I would never do anything to hurt you, ever. This is just something that I need to do."I rose to my feet and went to hug them both, their arms wrapped around me like they were afraid something was about to happen to me."I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean to.""I know, Ocean." Dad was the first to respond."You be careful, Ocean. Whatever this is, you be careful.""Mr. and Mrs. Shores, you can come to my house to see him while we are there. Anytime that you would like, the door will be open." Makai smiled at the three of us holding each other close."I just might do that." Mom nodded as she hugged me tighter. I couldn't believe that I had hurt them like this.After everyone calmed down, I went upstairs to pack a bag. I thought it would be best to take some of my own things, especially my own boxers. I took all of my necessities from my room and my bathroom so that I would have everything that I needed. I also made sure that I grabbed all my books for school, my computer, and my chargers. I would definitely need those.When it was time to go, I almost felt like I was moving out. I knew that I wasn't, but I felt like I might never be coming back. What did this mean for me? What did it mean for my family?"I still expect you to call me from time to time." Mom spoke sternly. It was the same thing that she said to my sister and brother when they left home."Don't think that you can just ignore us because you're not here." Those were Dad's signature words when someone moved out for college. Now I really felt like I would never be back."Don't worry, I will call you, and I will be home before long."Makai and I left then, heading back to his place and whatever unknowns that awaited me there.
