Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2017 14:29:55 -0500
From: ronyx <ronyx@woh.rr.com>
Subject: Other Sinful Things   Chapter 18

The following is a work of fiction. Any similarities to anyone are purely
coincidental. The story is intended for a mature audience. It may contain
profanity and references to gay sex. If this offends you, please leave and
find something more suitable to read. The stories are copyrighted, and the
author maintains exclusive rights to the story. Do not copy or use without
written permission. Write ronyx@themustardjar.com
<mailto:ronyx@themustardjar.com>  with your comments.

Ronyx is a prolific Nifty author. I have previously posted the stories:
Birds Don't Sing Before a Storm, A Delicate Situation, Reggie's Journal,
It's Not Easy Being a Tree, Door Number Three and Closing the Barn Door to
name just a few.

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Other Sinful Things      Chapter 18

by Ronyx



After the police cruiser pulled away, students turned and started staring at
me. Colton moved closer and asked worriedly, "Will you be okay?"

"I don't have much choice, do I?" I replied sadly.

I was surprised when two boys standing nearby approached. Both were in my
class, and I had known them since the first grade. "Listen, Jacob," said
Melvin. "I know if doesn't mean much, but if there is anything we can do,
just ask. Okay?"

I nodded my head. Larry, the other boy, patted me on my back, and they
turned and walked away. Over the next ten minutes, several other students
approached and gave me words of encouragement. I noticed that students also
surrounded Tiffany and Jerome. I smiled when I noticed four students give
her a hug before they walked away.

When we heard the bell ring inside the building announcing that school was
over, many students rushed off to get on their buses. I was surprised,
however, when about forty students remained behind. Matt walked around and
thanked them for participating.

I heard one boy say excitedly, "Man, this is the most exciting thing that
has happened here in years! I'm glad to be a part of it!"

I walked over to Matt and asked him, "Why do you think they did it? They
seemed to hate Tiffany just the other day." I was curious since students had
been making fun of Tiffany since she enrolled in the school. I couldn't
understand their sudden change in attitude.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I think last week she was the flavor of the
week."

"What's that mean?"

"She was new," he replied. "It gave students something different to talk
about. Then, when they saw the sheriff's men enter the building with tear
gas, it made them realize just how serious things had become." He looked
around at the students and added, "Your father had a lot to do with it too."

"What do you mean?"

"I think they realized how far things had gotten out of hand," he said.
"Tiffany was no longer the threat. She was one of us. Your father was the
real threat."

I looked over at Tiffany as she stood talking to a few students. I found it
ironic that my father was the one responsible for changing people's
attitudes; however, not the way he expected.

When Mrs. Edwards exited the building with Sheriff Tackett, everyone sat
down and huddled together. We weren't sure what was going to happen. Since
no deputies accompanied them, we were pretty certain that there would be no
violence. Besides, television trucks were parked across the street recording
every movement.

Mrs. Edward walked over and stood before Matt and Colton's father. We
couldn't hear what was being said, but a minute later, Matt and Mr. Wilder
rose and followed Mrs. Edwards into the building.

"What's going on?" asked Colton.

I replied, "I don't know." Tiffany and Jerome scooted towards us, and we
talked about what we thought was happening inside.

"I hope they don't get arrested," remarked Jerome.

Before anyone could respond, we noticed two ice cream trucks pull into the
parking lot. The attendants got out and approached us carrying several large
boxes.

"Free ice cream for everyone," cheerfully announced one of the boys as he
began to walk around the group and hand out ice cream sandwiches.
"Compliments of Nathan's Ice Cream."

When the boy handed Colton one, he asked, "Can I have another?" The boy
smiled, reached into the box and handed him another.

As I watched Colton shove one into his mouth, he asked, "What? These Nathan
ice cream sandwiches are good!"

"You're a pig," I laughed as he opened the second and devoured it within
seconds.

We sat around and waited for about a half hour before Mr. Wilder and Matt
emerged from the building. They were alone, and no one was following behind
them.

They approached us, and we gathered to hear what they had to say. Mr. Wilder
spoke first. "We just had a meeting with Mrs. Edwards and four members of
the School Board. Mr. Steele and Mr. Jacobsen were not invited."

Colton asked, "What happened, Dad?" Mr. Wilder looked at Matt and nodded his
head.

"They made a proposal," Matt said. "We've come out here to give you the
details. If you approve them, then we are to go back inside. If not, then
we'll stay out here."

Mrs. Martin asked, "What are the details?" Matt asked us to sit closely
together while he told us what Mrs. Edwards and the Board had agreed to.

"The prior agreement about no one being arrested and no students being
suspended still stands," he informed us. "If you want, you can get up and go
home."

Jerome hollered out, "What about Tiffany?"

Mr. Wilder stepped forward and looked down at Tiffany, her mother and Mrs.
Oliver. "We did reach an agreement," he said. "It's not the one we would
have liked to have had, but they did make some concessions."

"What concessions?" asked Jerome.

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you how sensitive an issue this is,"
replied Mr. Wilder. "Places all over the county are dealing with the issue
of transgendered students using restrooms."

Jerome interrupted and asked, "What concessions, Mr. Wilder?"

Mr. Wilder look down at Tiffany. "Mrs. Edwards has a private bathroom
located in the hallway outside her office. She has agreed to make it a
unisex bathroom for all students. It has a lock, and she will provide a key
to anyone who asks for one. She will be able to closely monitor who goes in
and out to insure students' safety." He looked down at Tiffany and said,
"It's the best we can do at this time. Mrs. Edwards assures us that they
will make plans for a larger bathroom, perhaps the one we were in earlier,
to be turned into a unisex bathroom for all students, maybe as early as next
year."

Matt reached into his pocket, pulled out a key and handed it to Tiffany.
"Mrs. Edwards asked me to give you this."

Matt looked at Tiffany and said, "We did get what we wanted. We wanted you
to have a safe place to go to if you needed. You won't have to worry about
being sexually harassed. And remember, it will be available to any student,
not just you. Other students won't feel like they are being discriminated
against."

Mrs. Oliver asked, "What about Steele and Jacobsen? Will they agree to
this?"

"It doesn't matter," answered Mr. Wilder. "We have the assurance of four
other board members. They hold the majority vote, and they already voted."

Mr. Wilder looked around the group. "Why don't the adults walk away to the
side. This is your school, and your decision. Whatever you decide, we'll
back you." He nodded to Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Oliver. They turned and walked
about ten yards away and sat down on a bench.

Matt looked at us and asked, "Well, Guys, what do you think?"

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing the situation. Most agreed that
it was a sensible solution. Others, however, felt that it didn't go far
enough in resolving the problem. Terry Lofton, editor of the school
newspaper, thought that since we had the nation's attention, we should make
a bolder statement. He felt that every restroom should be unisex.

Matt disagreed. "It won't work, right now," he said. "Even companies and
businesses are having trouble pushing for all unisex bathrooms. They would
never allow it to happen in a school today." Most students, including
myself, agreed with Matt.

Finally, Matt looked over at Tiffany. "This really is your call," he said.
"We're all out here because we support you." He looked around at the forty
students sitting in front of him. "I don't know about the others, but I'll
back you whatever your decision is."

A wave of pride swept over me, and tears filled my eyes. Tiffany had come so
far since that day she got on the bus and was laughed and ridiculed by other
students. Darryl Standifer wasn't standing before her mocking her for the
way she dressed. Instead, Matt, one of the most respected students in our
school, was offering his unconditional support. And not just him, but many
more students were willing to support her.

I looked over at Tiffany, and our tear-filled eyes met. Like me, I think she
was overcome with emotion over the outpouring of support she was receiving.
She fell against Jerome and started crying. Several students sitting beside
her rubbed her back and offered her words of support.

After a minute, she regained her composure and stood before the group. She
wiped away tears as she smiled at all the smiling faces in front of her.

"I don't know what to say," she began as she wiped tears from her face. "I
wish every transgendered person could feel the love I'm feeling right now."
She stopped and wiped more tears from her eyes. "Maybe they wouldn't feel so
all alone," she cried.

"I want to thank each of you today for what you have done for me," she
continued. "But not just for me, but for everyone who respects the rights of
all individuals, whether straight, gay or transgendered." She wiped more
tears from her eyes. "I could never tell you what I'm feeling in my heart at
this moment."

She looked down at me, Jerome, Colton and Cathy and spoke, "I'll never
forget the support you have given me when no one else would." She started to
cry harder as she said, "You kept me going when I didn't think I wanted to
go on any longer." Jerome rose and pulled Tiffany into a tight embrace as
she continued to cry.

After a minute, she wiped her eyes and regained her composure. She smiled
down at the group and continued. "All I wanted was a safe place to use the
bathroom. I didn't want to be afraid to go into a room and risk being
verbally abused or even physically hurt. I believe that Mrs. Edwards's offer
will protect me and other students who fear being ridiculed or injured." She
looked over and Matt and stated, "I think we should accept their
recommendation."

Matt asked, "Are you sure, Tiffany?" She nodded, and he walked over and gave
her a hug. Others stood and started hugging one another.

We had won the battle. There was still a war that had to be fought until
everyone achieved freedom from discrimination and abuse. However, for our
school, the battle was over. Without thinking, I leaned over and kissed
Colton with forty students watching.

Students soon began to disperse. Many approached Tiffany and spoke briefly
to her before leaving. She seemed so happy with the support she was
receiving. A couple of girls approached Colton and me and kidded us about
the kiss. Colton handled it well, but I couldn't have been more embarrassed.

The news trucks and reporters also began to leave. I guess since it didn't
look like the sheriff was going to tear gas us, then they wouldn't have
anything exciting to report. Before leaving, a couple of reporters did
holler out Tiffany's name and motion for her to walk over for an interview,
but she ignored them.

Soon, the only people remaining were Colton, Tiffany, Jerome, Matt and me.
Mr. Wilder, Mrs. Oliver and Mrs. Martin then joined us. We talked about what
happened, and we were still concerned about Tiffany's feelings.

"I'm fine, really," she assured us as we gathered around her. She looked at
Jerome, smiled and said, "You can stop worrying."

We looked over when we saw a student come running out of the building
towards us. He stopped before Matt and announced that Mrs. Edwards wanted us
to join her inside. We followed Matt and Mr. Wilder into the building.

Mrs. Edwards was sitting in the conference room with four people I didn't
recognized. Sheriff Tackett and two deputies were standing against the wall.
Mrs. Edwards pointed to three chairs and asked Colton's father, Mrs. Martin
and Mrs. Oliver to have a seat. She apologized that there weren't enough
chairs for everyone. Mr. Wilder moved aside and told Tiffany to sit beside
her mother.

Mrs. Edwards introduced the other people sitting as board members. "Mr.
Steele and Mr. Jacobsen chose not to be here," she explained. She once again
reiterated the compromise that had been made. She looked at Tiffany, smiled
and asked, "Is this acceptable to you?"

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Tiffany. "At least I'll be safe."

Mrs. Edwards looked at the board members and nodded her head. "That is all
any of us wanted." I wanted to disagree and say that Mr. Steele and Mr.
Jacobsen disagreed, but I didn't.

"One other thing," responded Mrs. Edwards. "Several students came to me
yesterday and told me how Darryl Standifer has been harassing you." She
looked sympathetically at Tiffany and said, "You should have come to me and
told me what was happening." Tiffany hung her head and didn't respond. I was
tempted to speak up and tell her that it was her duty to know about it, but
I didn't. The purpose of the meeting was to heal wounds, not open old ones.

She looked at Colton and frowned. "Why didn't you tell me you hurt your hand
hitting the locker when you got into a confrontation with Darryl?"

Colton shrugged his shoulders and said, "It wasn't really a fight. I just
lost my temper."

"I've spoken to Darryl and his parents," she announced. "I've also talked to
Coach Vargas. If Darryl so much as looks at you cross eyed, he'll be
suspended from school, and Coach Vargas will remove him from the basketball
team." She smiled warmly at Tiffany and said, "I don't think you have to
worry about him anymore."

Mrs. Edwards spent the next few minutes discussing how the demonstration
should be handled as far as the media was concerned. "I can't tell you what
to do," she said as she looked around the group. "All I can say is I hope
that you consider any fallout your comments could have for our school."

She looked over at Matt and Mr. Wilder. "I have scheduled a press conference
for seven o'clock at the Board of Education," she stated. "I would hope that
you would attend as spokesmen for the students." Matt and Mr. Wilder looked
at each other and then nodded their heads.

She looked around the room. "As for the rest of you students, I can't tell
you not to attend. However, it is my duty to protect you. I feel that it
would be better if just Mr. Wilder and Matt were present to speak on your
behalf." She shook her head sorrowfully and said, "We've had enough
excitement around her for the past two days. I'd like to prevent anymore
disruptions. It is your decision, though."

After adjourning the meeting, she had Tiffany follow her to the bathroom
that had been designated for her and other students to use. She again
explained that it had been her personal bathroom, but she was happy to let
others use it. "It's silly that it stays empty most of the day." Tiffany
nodded when Mrs. Edwards asked her if she had received her key.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to start meeting with the maintenance department to see
what changes have to be made in order to provide a unisex bathroom," she
stated. "I'll put it in the budget for next year to have any alterations
that might be needed."

Before leaving, she pulled Tiffany into a tight embrace. "I'm glad you won,
Dear," she said. "I know at times it didn't appear that way, but I was
fighting a battle with several opposing sides."

After Mrs. Edwards and the board members left, everyone turned to Mr. Wilder
to see what we should do next. "I don't know about you," he laughed, "but
I'm going home and take a long, hot shower."

"Me, too," said Cathy as she smelled her underarm.

Colton giggled and said, "You know what I have to do." Everyone broke out in
laughter.

* * * * * * * *

Things at school began to return to normal. For a few days, media trucks
would be stationed outside on the street in an attempt to get students'
reaction to our protest. A few students made uninformed responses, but most
just walked past and refused to be interviewed.

Inside, students were getting used to seeing Tiffany in the hall and
classes, and they didn't react to her presence as much as they had. That is
not to say there wasn't an occasional rude or offensive comment directed
towards her. However, unlike in the past, other students would quickly come
to her defense.

Colton and I were becoming closer. I found myself spending more and more
time at his house after school. His parents sat down one night with his
younger brothers and sisters and explained about our relationship, and that
Colton was gay. His brother, Bryan, who was ten, wanted to know if we were
doing the nasty yet.

We weren't. It was no longer a matter of feeling that my sexuality was
sinful. I just felt that we were too young to become seriously involved. We
would feel on each other when making out, but I was careful not to get too
involved. I know it frustrates Colton, but he understands. He's constantly
kidding me about all the cold showers he has to take after I leave. I know
one day we'll express our love for each other, but I want to wait until I'm
comfortable to do it. I don't think it will take too long.

One night, I was alone in my room working on a homework assignment for
English when someone knocked on my door. "Come in!" I hollered out,
expecting Colton or Tiffany to visit me. Instead, it was Mrs. Oliver.

She sat down on the bed beside me with a worried look on her face. "What's
wrong?" I asked. I could tell by the expression on her face that something
had happened.

My heart stopped beating when she informed me, "Your mother is out in the
parlor. She wants to talk to you."

I jumped from the bed and shouted, "No! I don't want to see her!"

I had been staying with Mrs. Oliver for almost two months. Not once in that
time had she or my father attempted to talk to me. The last time I saw
either of them was at the disturbance that night at the Board meeting. It
was the next day that my father had been put in handcuffs and taken away in
a cruiser. That was three weeks ago, and I hadn't heard anything about
either of them.

Mrs. Oliver patted my hand and said worriedly, "She's crying, Dear. I think
you should talk to her."

"I don't want to," I insisted. "Neither her or my father love me anymore." I
continued to pace angrily around the room. "I'm not going back there!" I
could feel tears starting to well up in my eyes. I walked over, looked down
at Mrs. Oliver and pleaded, "Please, let me stay here!"

She rose and embraced me. "Of course, you can stay here," she assured me.

I pulled away and asked, "Then why is my mother here?"

A worried smile appeared as she replied, "You won't know until you talk to
her."

I continued to pace around the room. I felt it would be too emotional to see
my mother again. After she and my father rejected me weeks ago, I no longer
felt any love for either of them.

I turned when I heard someone knock gently on the door. My mother was
standing in the doorway sobbing. She looked tired and depressed. It appeared
as though she hadn't slept in days.

"May I come in," she pleaded weakly as she looked at me. Mrs. Oliver rose
from the bed and patted my arm.

"Hear what she has to say, Bobby," she said before exiting the room. When my
mother sat on the bed beside me, I got up and walked to the other side of
the room.

I asked angrily, "What are you doing here?"

I felt as though my heart was going to break when she started sobbing. "I
know you hate me!" she cried. "You have every right." She fell over onto the
bed and loudly wept. I stood motionless, unsure what to do.

Finally, I walked over to the dresser, removed some tissue from the box and
handed her a few. She took them and wiped the tears from her eyes.

I asked again, "What are you doing here, Mother?" I walked away to the other
side of the room, turned and stated adamantly, "If you've come to take me
home, I'm not going."

She looked up at me, daubed tears from her eyes and sadly announced, "Your
father and I are leaving."

"What?" I replied excitedly. "Where are you going?"

She sighed, wiped more tears from her eyes and then told me the reason they
were moving. "Your father has resigned his position as pastor of the
church," she informed me. She then explained how he had taken another
pastoral position at a church in Kansas.

"Kansas!" I said excitedly. "That's like six hundred miles away."

"I know," she replied. "But he thinks it is time to share the word of God
someplace else."

I paced around the room, occasionally stopping to look down at my mother.
Surprisingly, I felt no remorse for her or my father. I was worried that
they would force me to move to Kansas with them.

Finally, I stopped, looked down and asked, "What is going to happen to me?
You're not going to force me to come with you, are you? If you try, I won't
go."

She started to cry once more. I walked over and looked out the window,
listening to her loud sobs. After several minutes, her crying subsided. "No,
Dear," she remarked sadly. "I'm going to talk to Mrs. Oliver and work out
some arrangement for you to stay here at least until you graduate. After
that, you'll be on your own."

I don't know why, but suddenly I started laughing. My mother gave me a
puzzled look. I asked, "So you're just going to walk away and pretend like
you don't even have a son?"

She started to cry as she responded, "You'll always be my son, Jacob, but."

I interrupted her before she could continue, "But I'm gay?"

"You know how your father feels about that," she sadly replied.

"What about you, Mother? How do you feel about that?"

She looked up and started to reply, "The Bible says."

"But what do you say, Mother?"

She stood, walked over to me, kissed my cheek and said tearfully, "I'll be
praying for you, Dear."

And with those words, she walked out of my life.

 * * * * * * * * *

"Children of God," said Reverend Miles as he looked out onto the
congregation and smiled. "I want you to stand and turn to those around you.
Hug him or her and tell them you love them."

Colton and I rose from the pew, smiled at each other and embraced. I then
turned to my left and hugged Mrs. Oliver. "Thank you," I whispered softly
into her ear, and then I added, "I love you." She nodded before turning and
hugging Jerome and Tiffany. For the next several minutes, members of the
congregation wandered around the church and embraced one another.

For several weeks, I had managed to avoid Mrs. Oliver's insistence that I
attend the church she had joined after leaving my father's. Every Sunday,
she would relate the message of love that Reverend Miles would deliver that
morning.

"You would like him," she would say. "He's a young man, and he preaches the
Gospel like Jesus would want it to be preached." She had convinced Tiffany
and Jerome to attend. I finally relented, but only if Colton would join me.

Now, I looked forward to the Sunday sermons. Slowly, I was regaining the
faith I had lost. After one Sunday sermon, Reverend Miles approached Colton
and me, and he asked if we would meet privately with him in his office.

I sat nervously across from him. Colton was beside me, and I wanted to reach
out and hold his hand, but I resisted doing so. Reverend Miles smiled warmly
at us and said, "I'm glad you boys have decided to attend the church. So
many young people are leaving today."

He looked at me and said, "Bobby, I understand what you have had to endure
the past few months. You've carried a great burden on your shoulders."
Colton looked over and noticed tears welling up in my eyes. He reached out
and took my hand in his. I looked to see Reverend Miles reaction, but he
said nothing.

"I want you to know, Bobby and Colton, that my door is always open to you.
Your journey together will be long and difficult. I've told Tiffany and
Jerome the same thing.

"But understand that your road is not one you'll walk alone. You have
friends who will walk it with you. You have a church here that understands
and supports you." He stood and walked around his desk. When Colton and I
stood, he embraced us. He then took a step back, reached down, took our
hands and then he entwined them.

"Walk in peace and with faith," he said with a smile, "and love one
another."

The End

* * * * * * *

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