Page 18 of 4-Ever

I sat back, nearly collapsing from the relief I felt.

Then I remembered my grandparents.

“I’ll tell Rae, but not Nana and Dada. Not yet,” I muttered. “Maybe not ever.”

My grandparents’ traditions and beliefs were different to mine. I knew they loved me, but I had no idea how they would take the news of my coming out. I respected them but I had to live my own life.

“That’s your choice.”

We finally arrived at the restaurant, and my brother and his girlfriend greeted us. I was relaxed for a change.

At the end of the meal, I pulled my brother aside and told him my news.

He wasn’t surprised by any of it.

“Always gotta be the quiet rebel,” he teased and gave me a hug. “You’re gonna hit the big time, Faise, I know it. Just keep being you and do what you love. Play your music. Don’t follow anyone else’s path but your own. And be with whoever you want. No matter what, you’ll always be my baby bro.”

I’d never felt closer to Rae than in that moment. Hugging him back, all the stress and worry that had swirled in my mind finally settled. I was nearly in tears, but I managed to keep myself in check.

Once we had birthday cake and coffee, I said my goodbyes to my family and grabbed a rideshare to meet up with the guys.

Brodie’s parents were cool and allowed him to have massive parties at their home. And yeah, there was drinking. Let’s face it, if I was old enough to vote, drive, and enter the military, I was old enough to drink. That was my reasoning.

At least this way, no one was drinking and driving. People crashed at Brodie’s and went home the next day.

When I arrived at his house, the music was already blasting. I threw off my blazer and knocked on the door.

Ronin answered, dressed in his usual black jeans and a ripped t-shirt. He’d hit another growth spurt this year and was now towering over me, nearly six foot three to my five eleven.

The boom of the music was so loud that I felt the ground vibrating under my feet.

“My birthday boo is finally here!!”

My best friend leaned over and hugged me, crushing my ribs. He smelled like beer and spicy body spray. Then he kissed my cheek and kept his arm around my shoulder as he led me into the house.

“You get your birthday gift later, but for now, let’s get you a drink.”

“Beer please, stat.”

Ronin nodded. “I take it you told your parents, and everything went fine.”

“How did you know?”

“Because for the past few months you’ve looked like you were gonna puke. You’re finally smiling.”

He ushered me down the basement steps, hands on my shoulders, as the noise and laughter got louder.

“My parents and brother are fine. With me being queer, that is,” I admitted. “The rockstar idea, not so much. Well, Rae believes in me.”

“You’re eighteen now, you can do whatever the fuck you want.”

I wasn’t religious, but I said Amen to that.

“Where’re the guys?”

We stepped into the basement, which was hazy, filled with smoke from cigarettes and pot.

“Brodie’s over there, sucking face with some guy,” he pointed to the far corner. Sure enough, Brodie was kissing some big-ass dude with tattoos. Then Ronin pointed to the opposite end of the room. “Holloway’s leading a drinking game.”

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