Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2015 06:22:01 +0000
From: Chezdon <chezdon1997@gmail.com>
Subject: Innocence Waning Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The annoying sound that I previously nominated as my morning alarm on my
phone recalls me to life begrudgingly. Austin is using my shoulder as a
pillow as I first realise that I really did spend the night with him. The
memories from the last few days rush back into my head and I realise it
wasn't all just some ridiculous dream sequence. I attempt to locate my
phone which is causing the untimely racket and curse myself for forgetting
to connect the device to the charger before I passed out. I find the source
of the ungodly noisy alarm under my pillow, which has also caused Austin to
stir. I fumble with the phone to mute the alarm blaring and Austin lifts
his head off of me, leaving behind a clear pool of saliva on my chest. He
rolls onto his back and wipes his mouth. "Good morning Chezdon."

Judging from the amount of drool that he deposited on my warm body, I
conclude that he must have been in a deep sleep. "Good morning. It is nice
to see you smiling first thing in the morning." I feign a smile however I
have a throbbing headache and my shoulder hurts as the result from it being
used as a pillow. I roll out of bed and walk to the bathroom, locate a box
of pain killers in the cabinet and remove two pills. I wash them down by
suckling greedily on the sink tap, and after swallowing them, scrub my
wine-stained lips with a towel and then wipe the slobber off of my chest
and then brush my teeth before returning to my bed. The alarm wakes me up
daily at 6:45 AM which leaves plenty of time to get ready for school and
have a coffee however today I just want to hide under the sheets and from
the world with Austin. I return to the security of the bed and my waiting
guest and check my phone. There is a message from my father which he sent
two hours ago stating that he will take us to school and to be ready to go
at 7:45 AM. How my father wakes up so early in the morning after staying up
so late at night drinking wine is anyone's guess. I was hoping that both my
father and Mel left before my alarm went off so I could have tried to
coerce Austin into just hanging out in bed all day, as after I return to
its warmth and his smiling face, I am not going to want to move anytime
soon.

"Had a bit too much wine did you?" Austin is now sending a text message in
which he announces to his mother that everything is fine and he is being
taken to school by my father. She would have no clue that her son spent the
night in the same bed with his newfound boyfriend and am confident that she
has no idea that he is gay. I would love to be a fly on the wall when that
conversation inevitably takes place.

I yawn and scratch the side of my head. "I probably did enjoy my fair
share. But what a day yesterday was. Jesus." I look around for the remote
control but can't find it. Instead I press the "up" button on the other
remote control that issues a command for the blinds to raise in my
room. "It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day." It will be great
if my headache passes before I get to school so I can appreciate the
setting more.

"You have an interesting routine in the morning, I like watching you Chez."
Austin has been keenly observing me since he woke up. I was hoping that he
was just satisfying his morning horniness and feasting his eyes on the
object of his desire as I shuffled around in my boxer briefs. When I woke
up I felt his stiff morning wood poking my leg which is why I assume he was
quick to roll away once he got his bearings.

"I am certainly more interesting compared to the morning news, so feel free
to watch me any morning you bloody voyeur." I grab a pillow and hit Austin
in the face with it. I save him the embarrassment of having to admit that
he has an erection, which he doesn't want to put on display, and declare
that I will have a quick shower and practice my morning hygiene ritual
giving him time to wake up and as a result, calm his cock down.

Usually I stand in the shower stall for at least fifteen minutes, robbing
the whales that breed off the south coast of Australia the water that they
need to survive, of course after it is delivered to me via the
desalinisation plant. Not knowing how long it will take Austin to get
ready, I constrain my morning shower to mere minutes and spend most of that
time drinking the water blasting at me from the shower nozzle and feeling
claustrophobic behind the closed sliding mirrored doors after I leave the
shower stall, dry off and then use the hair drier to eradicate the
remaining moisture first from the hair on my head and then my armpit hair,
and finally squat down and blow dry my arsehole. I imagine that someday a
lover of mine will see how I use the blow dryer and die of laughter,
however my morning ritual as Austin likes to call it, works. After Nivea is
applied to my dry underarms, I once again dab a small amount under my ball
sack and put a dab around my arsehole. I apply some cortisone cream to keep
my eczema under control and then apply a fair amount of moisturiser to my
face, wiping any excess cream on my shoulders before quickly putting some
product in my hair. I emerge from the tomb of the sterile bathroom with my
towel wrapped around my waist only to find Austin watching the weekday
version of Sunrise and the hosts interviewing some old winner of
X-Factor. "There are clean towels under the sink, and I will find you some
clean clothes that you can wear." Austin enthusiastically gets out of bed,
still wearing the standard-issue trousers that we was wearing yesterday
that is part of our boring school uniform and also the red shirt that he
borrowed from my closet yesterday. "I will leave everything that you will
need on the bed, just throw your dirty clothes in the sink in the laundry
room later and someone will take care of them. I will meet you in the
kitchen as I am going to get coffee." I decide it would be best to give
Austin some privacy. As I couldn't even get his shirt off last night, I
presume he doesn't want me checking him out wearing a towel or even less.

"Yes sir, thank you commander." He walks past me and kisses me on the lips
quickly. I can smell lamb and red wine emanating from him, which makes me
both hungry and thirsty. After he disappears behind the sliding mirrored
doors of the bathroom, I get dressed and then find a spare pair of trousers
and a white shirt for Austin. Fortunately we have similar builds and are of
similar height, so he will not look awkward wearing my altered pants. I
leave the clothes, along with some black socks and a clean pair of black
Bonds underwear on my bed next to his pillow. I know how much he likes the
colour black, but I leave the drawer of socks and underwear open so he can
choose something himself if he decides to look around for an alternative. I
hear the shower turn on after the toilet is flushed and for a moment
consider invading the bathroom and checking him out but being a realist
know that will not end well and feel it is more important to feed my body
with some coffee and perhaps even take another pain killer.

En route to the kitchen, I stop in the laundry room to get the coins out of
the plastic tray so that I have some money for the vending machine at
school and leave my wet towel behind in the sink. I pour the contents of my
plastic junk tray, which includes Shaun's business card into my backpack
that Mel conveniently left next to shoes that I wear to school. I hear my
father yelling at someone on the phone in the study and then find Mel in
the living room reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee in her
hand. "Good morning. The coffee is fresh as of five minutes ago." Mel
doesn't look up from the newspaper. She knows what I am on the hunt for, as
I usually crave coffee after indulging on too much wine with dinner.

"Good morning." I keep walking to the kitchen and find a cup and fill it to
the brim. Whilst waiting for it to cool down, I raid the refrigerator and
find can of Cherry Dr Pepper and drink that before taking a banana out of
the green glass bowl on the countertop and start to peel it. Mel walks into
the kitchen with her empty red cup.

"How are you feeling today?" Mel starts to refresh her cup with more black
coffee.

"Like hell. I woke up thinking I dreamt about all of the drama that took
place yesterday. I was shocked when I saw Austin next to me and realised
that it all really took place." Mel laughs before sipping her steaming cup
of coffee.

"I see Austin didn't sleep in the spare bedroom." Mel starts to peel a
banana. I then remember her clever game last night of suggesting that
Austin can sleep in the privacy of the guest room. My face turns red out of
embarrassment as I know what she is thinking. "It isn't my business
Chezdon, but just be safe."

I suggestively insert the banana in to my mouth and then slowly remove
it. I lick my lips and end the suggestive routine with a smile and a
wink. "Don't worry, nothing happened, he wouldn't even take off his shirt."

"I don't need to know the details. Just be safe when you have sex and for
God's sake, don't film any acts or take any photos of your bits." Somehow
Mel manages to drink the whole cup of steaming coffee after eating the
banana. The woman is a coffee and red wine machine.

"Yeah, I know. I love it when you remind me though. Should I also get a
consent form signed like the bloke had drawn up in Fifty Shades of Grey? I
can carry one around in my back pocket with a pen, so I am ready to go." I
sip my coffee.

Mel laughs. "You are a little shit. You are funny though, which is very
unlike you in the morning. You must be happy."

"Happiness is subjective. I don't know what I am right now. Life just seems
to be going so fast, I don't know what to think." I take another sip of
coffee. "Will I get the friends and family discount if I get you to draw up
that sexual consent form?" I smile.

"No mate. You will be paying the seven hundred dollars per hour plus GST. I
will bill you for the time it takes me for to consider the law also, so
save your coins." Mel pours another cup of coffee as my father enters the
kitchen dressed in a suit.

"Are you ready to go?" My father says impatiently.

"Good morning to you." I notice that my headache is starting to wane as
quickly as my innocence. "Do you have fifty dollars on you that I can
have?" My father retrieves a cup from the cabinet and fills it with coffee.

"What do you need it for?" Daniel drinks the steaming coffee in the same
way Mel does. Why his tongue doesn't object at being scorched is a
mystery. Perhaps both Mel and my dad are wine and coffee robots and high
levels of stimulants and depressants do not phase them.

"I owe Austin thirty bucks after the cricket bat debacle yesterday and I
owe Jayden a lunch." I start to mess up my hair and then make adjustments
to it in the mirror that acts as the splashback in the kitchen.

"So you aren't going to buy your boyfriend lunch?" A chill travels down my
spine when my father says the word `boyfriend' as I still haven't gotten
used to our new union, let alone my father saying the word. "Speaking of
your boyfriend, where is Austin?" I cringe again.

"He is getting ready, he knows when we need to leave. What is the rush
anyway?" I take another sip of coffee and look intently at my father. He
looks at his watch.

"Time is money, we have places to be." Figuring that my father has meetings
to conduct or has scheduled calls to shout at people, I am about to
volunteer to go check on Austin, but he walks into the kitchen on
cue. "Good morning Austin, do you want some coffee?"

"You say `good morning' to him but not to me. I see how it works around
here." I drink the last of my coffee and try to stir up my father as I have
a clearer head and feel much more relaxed with the headache subsiding.

"Austin looks ready to go and has a smile on his face, which makes it a
good morning. I don't know what you did to him last night Chezdon behind
closed doors, but keep up the good work boy."

Mel beats me in expressing a shocked gasping sound by a
microsecond. "Daniel! Jesus Christ. That isn't your business, stop stirring
people up."

"Yeah Daniel, you are starting to sound like my mother." Austin must be in
a good mood as he got my father back with a very apt comment. Both Mel and
I laugh and make some bellowing noises indicating that Austin landed a
successful jab."

"Well done mate. I knew I liked you." Daniel smiles and drinks the rest of
his coffee. "Let's go. Chez, where is your tie? Where is your damned
jacket?"

I grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and toss it at Austin and
then take another one for my personal use. "My tie is in my bag and my
jacket is on my chair."

My father opens his wallet and hands Austin thirty dollars. "Here is the
money that my favourite son owes you." He then turns towards me and hands
me forty dollars. "Take your boyfriends out to Nandos or whatever it is you
eat these days."

The irony of my father mentioning Nandos is not lost on either Austin or I
and we both smile. "Thanks dad. I need to correct you though. Please
re-phrase your statement to say `take your boyfriend and Jayden out to
Nandos as having one love interest is complicated enough. If I dated Jayden
I would be forced to get into his mother's supply of Valium." I put the
cash in my pocket.

"Bloody crazy women. Can we go now please?" Daniel starts to rattle the car
keys which are in his hand.

Bags, jackets, more sets of keys and even the cricket bat is collected by
various members of my now extended family as we leave the apartment. We
travel down together via the lift and into the parking structure without
saying a word and get into the black Porsche Cayenne. After we drive out of
the secure building, I am vexed so I decide to ask my father a
question. "Dad, is Mel going with you to your meetings today?"

"No, we are going to get breakfast. The place where we had our first date
nearly was burned down by an arsonist last night, so I thought we would go
there this morning and relive some of our history. Fortunately the prick
was crash-tackled before he could light a match after pouring petrol on the
wall of the place." We drive down one of the designated lanes for cars once
we turn onto St Kilda Road, unlike Julie McGuire who raced down the
deserted tram tracks yesterday in the pouring rain.

"Jesus, that is awful. Where did the two of you have your first date
Daniel?" Austin looks interested and I suspect is looking for ideas on
where we can go on our first official planned date, which is something that
we need to schedule.

"The Vineyard in St Kilda. Have you ever heard of it?" Daniel mutes the
Triple-M morning drive broadcast which is playing on the
radio. Coincidentally, Eddie McGuire hosts it. I forgot to advise that
trivia to the Police yesterday.

"No, I haven't. But isn't it really just a wine bar?" Austin aptly
inquires. The place is called `The Vineyard' after all so one would assume
that wine would be flogged to anyone with a thirst.

"They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner there, but yes, it is a wine bar of
sorts."

"So you are going to the wine bar at 7:45 AM on a Tuesday morning? Isn't it
a bit early for you guys to be getting stuck in to it?" This makes Mel
laugh and it appears that my father is slightly embarrassed as it takes him
a couple of seconds to respond to the logical question.

"I might have a beer with my eggs. It is never too early for a beer." My
father looks at Mel. "You agree with me don't you?" Mel doesn't say a word.

I feel like getting revenge on my father for the amount of stirring that he
did in the kitchen earlier. Austin had his swipe so it is my turn. "Austin,
will you go out on a date with me? It will be our first official date too."

Austin smiles. "I thought you would never ask."

"We can ditch class and go down to The Vineyard. It seems like it would be
the happening place." The look on his face changes as I think he was
expecting a serious proposition and the comment didn't seem to bother my
father, so I correct myself. "Just kidding, maybe tonight you want to go
see Woman in Gold over on Collins Street."

Austin contemplates my question and chews on the inside of his mouth. "I
wish I could but I should go home after school. I don't want to fall behind
and I need to start reading the bloody Kafka."

"Denied!" My father shouts and fortunately does not provide any further
insight into Kafka or compare the character to Austin's father.

"Well then, let's plan something at lunch when we are away from the
meddling adults." Austin nods his head in agreement and focuses on his
social media feeds. The remainder of the short trip is commentated by Eddie
McGuire and there is plenty of talk about the footy on the radio before an
old song by Pearl Jam is played. By the time Eddie Vedder is finished
singing about Jeremy speaking in class, we come to a stop outside of school
and we quickly get out with our bags and Austin takes the cricket bat with
him. "Thanks dad! Have a good day. See you later Mel!"

"Thanks again for the hospitality. Cya!" Austin closes the car door. My
father in one last act of defiance, blows the car horn for five seconds
which causes our peers and strangers to look at the Black Cayenne and then
us, wondering what the hell is going on. The parental unit then drives off
and I wonder if my father will really have an alcoholic beverage with his
breakfast at the wine bar. It wouldn't surprise me.

I stand on the side of the road outside of school sharing an awkward moment
with Austin as we don't know how to part ways. Hugging him would not be
appreciated and I wonder if he would hit me with the cricket bat if I put
on a public display of affection for all and sundry to see. I simply pat
him on the shoulder. "See you in Lit, hot boy. I am looking forward to
lunch with you later. By the way, you look really nice today."

"Thanks. You do too. Don't take this the wrong way, but your bed is really
comfortable. I had such a nice sleep especially with the air conditioning
on. It was the best sleep of my life until I woke up and had to look at
you." My mouth drops open. "Just kidding! Cya Chez." Austin pats me on the
shoulder and walks past me and into the school grounds. He is on fire this
morning and is doing a good job winding everyone up. I then rush to get to
my seat in my Chemistry class.

Each minute seems to draw out like hours. Various classes come and
go. Notes are dutifully taken and I participate in class just like usual. I
drift off when the lecturer drones on about coefficients and inverse cosine
in a later class and start to think about the decisions that I have made in
the recent days. I certainly didn't want to have an ongoing relationship
with James and I was just looking for a good time, even when I thought he
was sane individual. How I am in the early stages of being in a sexual
relationship with my friend and then wonder when I will have sex, or some
sort of fun with a guy. I then think that my body would benefit from some
exercise so after the final bell, I consider going home to change and then
going for a run to Westgate Park. Certainly there will be someone there
that will get me off but then I remember the look on the face of the bloke
that was getting escorted away from the public toilet by the Police. If I
learned anything from the drama that unfolded yesterday is that I need to
stay safe and not get into a position that requires Mel to be speaking to
the Police about something disgraceful that I have done. As I continue
scribbling notes in a daze, my mechanical pencil runs out of lead. I start
searching through the pockets of my backpack looking for another pencil and
find one resting against Shaun's business card that I tossed into my bag
earlier along with the cache of gold coins. I take my phone out of my bag
and look at the Palace Cinemas website at an uncomfortable angle as I am
forced to hide my technology under my desk. I check the session times for
when Woman in Gold is playing and discover that there is only one session
later today and one tomorrow before its run comes to an end. I sigh loud
enough for the nerd with greasy curly hair that sits in front of me to turn
around and `shhhh!' me as he is captivated by the exciting talk about math.

Whilst walking to Lit class, my stomach rumbles as I think of eating some
Nandos chicken since my father was kind enough to plant the seed earlier. I
realise that I need to first endure a talk about how wonderful Frank Kafka
is from the communist lecturer and also see Jayden and Austin before we are
released for lunch like hungry animals. Austin is already seated in class
when I arrive and only seconds later Jayden appears. "Chezdon Morrison! The
man!" Jayden's familiar booming voice startles me. He approaches me and
gives me a hug. "You bloody dirty dog!"

"What are you on about freak? Before you talk shit, do you want to go to
the cinema later on? There is something that I want to see." Austin despite
being seated some distance away is starting at us.

"Let me guess, you want to see some dramatic foreign shit with
subtitles. Haven't you experienced enough drama lately?" We walk to the
back of the room so that we can talk before class starts. "I can't today
mate. I have to read this Kafka shit but I also have an appointment with
the doctor about my allergies. I am going to start getting shots to
hopefully manage the reactions. Joy hey."

Well that sucks balls. Do you want to get Nandos for lunch? My shout."
Jayden has been spending the majority of the time that we have been
conversing staring at Austin, who is returning the favour.

"You would know all about sucking balls now. But yeah mate, I am keen."
Jayden keeps staring at Austin. "Is your boyfriend going to be joining us?"

Normally I wouldn't look around when someone uses the word `boyfriend' but
I do this time to see if anyone is paying attention to us or bothering to
eavesdrop on our banal conversation. "Yeah he is."

"Figures. I hope that I can schedule some much needed Chez time later in
the week then. I miss hanging out with you." Jayden confesses in a whiny
voice.

"You saw me most of yesterday arsehole, what are you on about?" I see the
lecturer getting ready at the front of the class so everyone starts
scrambling for their seats. "Meet outside of class after all of this Kafka
shit is over with."

Jayden laughs. "What do you have against Kafka?"

"Don't worry about it. Talk later." With those words we part company and go
to our respective seats. Like the math lecturer, the communist also drones
on endlessly and also provides a different perspective on Frank Kafta than
my father did. This class would be tolerable if my father taught it I
think, and then instead of taking notes, I start writing down ideas
involving my forthcoming date with Austin. I spend the majority of the
class ignoring the lecturer and brainstorming on my piece of paper, and
fortunately I was not called on to provide an opinion or any sort of
insight. When we eventually are dismissed, I feel like I have devised an
awesome itinerary and I can't wait to tell Austin and feel that he will be
impressed.

I wait for Austin to approach me as he leaves via the back of the room and
then we exit into the hallway together and are immediately approached by
Jayden. "Hello my fag friends. Some pretty interesting stuff in class don't
you reckon? What do you think of Kafka, Chez?"

"Please don't get him started mate. You should ask his father what he
thinks if you want a good laugh." Austin waves the red flag in front of the
bull.

"What is up with that? The two of you are playing happy households now. I
left Chezdon on Sunday night and he was busy chasing that bloke James' arse
around the city and one day later the two of you have moved in together. I
am just gobsmacked!" Jayden walks and talks at the same time as we leave
the building and start walking to Nandos. "Does Daniel know one of you is
porking the other? Why the hell are you carrying that cricket bat?" Jayden
looks at Austin who starts to fire of a barrage of questions.

Jayden's crassness is always hilarious and I can't help but chuckle. "Yeah
dad knows what is going on behind closed doors, he is fine with that."

"Some things are just not your business Jayden." Austin looks flustered.

"Hey mate, can you give me a minute or so that I can speak with Austin
about something?" I do want to ask Austin out on our first date without
Jayden adding his two cents and avoid his carry-on.

"Secret men's business, so soon. It should be expected as you are an old
married couple after a day. Thanks for the photo by the way. I jerked off
to it." Jayden keeps walking after we stop. "I will meet you on the
corner."

I adjust my backpack so the straps are on both of my shoulders. "Hi." I
smile at Austin.

"Hi." Austin smiles back at me.

"Um, I was wondering if you would like to join me on an official date on
Friday. We can have a few rounds of bowling, then get sushi at Nobu and
finally see a play at the Melbourne Theatre Company." The expression on
Austin's face doesn't change at all as I ask my first boyfriend out on our
first official date. "Or we can do what you want to do. It is up to you." I
shrug my shoulders and then look down the road at Jayden who is pointing at
his watch.

"Can't, I am busy. Sorry." Austin succinctly says without any emotion.

"Well, maybe you want to go out on Saturday then. If you are keen, we can
meet up with Bryce for lunch and then make a day of it." It is hard to
negotiate when I am getting no material or any sort of feedback to deal
with.

"Can't, I am busy. Sorry." Austin repeats and curiously the look on his
face doesn't change again. I wonder if he is pissed off at me and wonder
what I did this time.

"How about the 13th of October, which is six months away. Can you fit me
into your busy schedule then?" I feel like acting like a smart arse will
break this impasse one way or another.

"Can't, I am busy. Sorry." Austin repeats yet again but then explodes into
laughter. "You should have seen the look on your face Chez. Hilarious!"
Austin keeps laughing. "Sounds perfect. Friday it is then." He puts his arm
around me and starts walking toward Jayden, guiding me down the footpath as
I recover from my body blows of repeat rejection.

"Arsehole! You are on fire today." Once again I am sucked into Austin's
trap. "Don't read much into this, but if you want to bring your stuff on
Friday, you can spend the night again. Being that you liked my bed so
much. The theatre is only a five minute walk from my apartment." I am not
sure Austin appreciates how much thought that I put into this and I hope he
doesn't just think I am trying to get his pants off in bed once again, but
with all of the venues associated with the date that I have planned being
only minutes away from where I live, the thought did conveniently cross my
mind.

As we approach Jayden, Austin simply says "sounds great mate" and then taps
Jayden on the arse with his cricket bat. "Let's go, I am hungry."

Lunch is a hurried affair where we all eat more extra hot Peri Peri
chicken, coleslaw and wash it down with Coke. The majority of the
conversation centres around Austin's dealings with the police, James and
the Pepsi bottle and educating Jayden on Kafka, thanks to the trivia that
was shared with us last night. I really hope that Jayden uses some of the
information and disrupts the class tomorrow. As we rush back to school, we
briefly speak about my mother and how I feel bad knowing how she is ending
up. Before we part ways, both Jayden and Austin encourage me to make things
right with her and they feel that I will regret it if I don't in later
life. It is something that I seriously ponder I walk to the library to have
a productive study period.

I spend some time reading the math study guide but feeling unmotivated,
instead just start doodling pictures of the various characters from South
Park. Suddenly experiencing a light bulb moment after staring at my
rendition of Cartman for far too long, I realise what I need to do. Using
my phone, I send an e-mail to my mother suggesting it is time that we meet
up and have a chat and perhaps bury the hatchet. Voldemort has sent me
numerous e-mails over the years but I have never responded, so if the
M.S. hasn't put her in a wheelchair yet, the shock of getting an e-mail
from me just might. After pressing `send' and feeling empowered, I find
Shaun's business card and send him a text message as he previously
commented he would see Woman in Gold with me when we were chatting at
Supernormal.

Chezdon: Hi Shaun, this is Chez. I met you at Supernormal on Sunday. How
are you mate? I wanted to see if you are still keen to see Woman in Gold as
it isn't screening much longer. Cheers. – CM

After I press `send' I wonder if he will bother responding. His business
card says he is a psychiatrist, and selfishly think it would be nice to
have someone to talk about all of this personal drama with even though I
think that I am navigating the ups and downs of my adolescent life quite
well at the moment. Not long after sending the message, Shaun responds.

0411000366: Great to hear from you Chez. It would be great to see that
movie with you. Are you free tomorrow night?

I respond that I will make time and that the last showing for it is at the
Palace Cinema on Collins Street at 6:30 PM. His office is on Collins
Street, so it will be convenient for him at least. He quickly responds
saying that works for him and suggests meeting at the bar at the Pei Modern
Restaurant, which is next to the cinema at 6:00 PM for a quick drink. I
roll my eyes when presented with yet another situation that involves
meeting a guy at a bar, but then thinking rationally, meeting a few minutes
before a movie starts, doesn't mean that I have to try to evade the
question of my age with either Shaun or the barman, and decide to just
order a Coke when the time comes.

After the study period ends, whilst walking to my next class I ring Nobu
Restaurant at the Crown Casino and make a booking for two on Friday at 6:00
PM at the sushi bar. I feel a certain sense of satisfaction as I walk into
my last class for the day knowing that I am now trying to tie up loose ends
spontaneously with my mother, unburdening myself of the secret involving my
sexuality and feel that I am acting like an adult would as they carry out
their business. Good times.

*****

Send me an e-mail on chezdon1997@gmail.com if you have any thoughts on all
of this.