Date: Wed, 14 May 2014 17:38:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Anthony Tony <tunistony@aol.com>
Subject: The Odds and Outs- Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story is acomplete work of fiction and comes from my
creative imagination, it is notbased off of any real events or real people.


Email: tunistony@aol.com


By: Tony


			     The Odds and Outs


Chapter 1




"You'rejust a little faggot!" He yelled at me as his face turned a horrible
shade ofred.

Okay,so you must already be lost. You're probably thinking, `who the fuck
is talkingto him like that' and `why is he not giving the context'. So I'll
explain toyou the incident when my life became even more complicated than
it already was.

Letme take you back to when "it" all happened, when the shit hit the
fan. It allstarted when I regrettably had dinner at Tim's house. Tim, by
the way, is mybest friend and has been since we were 8 years old.





*30 minutes before he called me a faggot*





            So Tim invited me to his house for dinner because hewanted to
tell his Dad something very important and he needed "moral support"or
something. I was already hesitant because I know that his family
doesn'tlike me. Well, let me qualify that statement, his Dad doesn't like
me, his Momis indifferent towards my presence and his little sister Lauren
kinda likes me.Either way I reluctantly agreed to go because I was being a
"good friend".

            We were hanging out at my house but it was dinner time soTim
and I went to his house and when we entered Tim said, "Mom, Dad, I hopeit's
okay if Demitri joins us for dinner."

            Tim's Dad immediately walks up to us and literally looksme up
and down with disdain and says, "Well, since you already invited himwithout
asking us I guess so."

That'sJack Masterson for you. I call him Jack just to piss him off even
though heinsists I call him "Mr. Masterson". He's so rude to me I feel I
shouldreciprocate. However, it wasn't always like this, when I was younger
he used tolike me. I don't know what happened but one day he just started
thinking that Iwas a bad influence on Tim.

Thetable is already set and Lauren and Mrs. Masterson are already sitting
lookingat us expectantly. This may seem weird that they're all eating at
the tabletogether like a 1950's TV family, I thought it was weird too. I
come from afamily where we don't always eat together and we sometimes eat
while watchingTV, you know, like any regular American family nowadays.

Anywaysso we're eating dinner with a cold silence and I'm pretty sure it's
because ofmy presence. Then Tim decides to break the news.

"Mom,Dad, I have something to tell you." He mutters as he racks his hand
through hishair (he always does that when he's nervous).

"Whatis it honey?" Mrs. Masterson says so sweetly.

"Iquit the baseball team." Dead silence ensued for a solid minute.

"Howdo you think that's even remotely okay?" Jack asked in the deepest yet
quietestvoice I've ever heard.

"I-- I..." Tim stutters

"No!That is unacceptable, tomorrow you will ask for your position back!"

"Dad,I'm not going to. I never really liked baseball that was always your
passion,not mine." Tim said assertively, I was proud of him he's usually so
passive.

Ifoolishly decided to put my thoughts in, "Yeah, you were living
vicariouslythrough Tim. That's never a good situation." I said with a
smirk.

Jackglared daggers at me, "You have no part in this conversation. I don't
even knowwhy you're here right now."

"Jack–", Mrs. Masterson hissed.

"NoSusan, I've had enough of this—this weird... codependent relationship
these twohave. I think it's destructive for Tim." He was getting more riled
up and then hesaw Lauren's expression and she was getting scared. "Lauren,
go to your room"And without a second thought she quickly got up and ran to
her room.

"Jack,don't do this" Mrs. Masterson chided.

"Iwill address this matter once and for all." Then he turned and pointed a
fingerat me, "You are poisonous to my son."

"Wow,who's being dramatic now! Please enlighten me on how I'm so
`poisonous' to yourson." I said sarcastically. I looked over at Tim and he
looked like he wasabout to shit himself, he hates confrontation. Good thing
I thrive off ofconfrontation, I grew up with 3 older brothers;
confrontation is the only wayto get by.

"Youused to be a good respectable kid and then one day you started acting
like alittle brat and now it's rubbing off on Tim. You are a bad influence
and I won'tallow it anymore."

Hewas now standing up in front of me so I wanted to match him stance so I
stoodup too. However, it was not much of a math seeing as I'm only 5'8"
compared tohis height of 6'2".

"Areyou seriously blaming me for Tim wanting to quit the baseball team? I
nevercared either way if he was on the team or not. You were the one who
was forcinghim to be on every sports team. `Oh Tim be on the baseball team,
try out forthe football team, oh while you're at it why don't you join
every freakingsport the school offers!'" Maybe I shouldn't have been
mocking him but I was sofed up with him. "You push him too far all the time
and he just can't handleit."

Ilooked over at Tim for some support but at this point he had his head in
hishands. I wish he would've backed me up even a little bit, I know he
wasthinking the same stuff I was saying. After all I'm basically
restatingeverything he's said to me.

"MaybeDemitri's right, we do push Tim to do the most. He's always makes
good gradesand he's still on the football team, he's a good kid we should
let --"

"Susando you ever hear yourself sometimes! I did not raise a quitter, he
made acommitment to the baseball team, so he's gonna stay on the team. I
don't knowwhy you're always trying to side with this kid" he gestured to
me. "He alreadymanipulates our son. Tim all of the sudden just drops
baseball next thing youknow he's going to be joining the drama club like
this one over here" he wasstill talking about me, and yes, I'm in the drama
club, so what.

Iwas about to interrupt when Tim stood right between me and his Dad.

"Dadthis has absolutely nothing to do with De leave him out of this. But
he's right,you pressure me so much and push me into everything. I just need
a chance tobreathe. You suffocate me Dad!" We all looked shocked by
this. Tim has neverbeen so assertive and he never talks back to his
Dad. "Just because you were onthe baseball team in high school doesn't mean
I want to be. And what if I dosign up for the drama club. That's my
prerogative, it is my life after all."

Idon't know why he added that, I know for sure that he has no interest in
thedrama club. I think he just put that in as a way to stand up for me.

Jack'sface looked so twisted when Tim said that statement, like it was the
worstthing he had ever heard. "Are you turning into a little pansy now? Is
that it?"he said with a severe voice.

Timlooked so shocked at his Dad's words and so did his Mom. I don't know
whythough I expected his Dad to be this belligerent. I just didn't know how
far hewould go.

"Jackyou can't talk like that" Mrs. Masterson exclaimed.

"No,Susan I can because this is a serious discussion." He pushed Tim out of
the wayand got right in my face. "Tim is he turning you into a – a"

"Awhat!?" I challenged.

"Alittle faggot! You're just a little faggot... who's corrupting my child!
I want you out of my house and away from my son!"he yelled.

Icould not believe he said that word, the F word, the one word I can't
handlebeing uttered. I felt like I was going to explode from anger, shame
andsadness. I turned around towards the front door and quickly said, "Fine
you'llnever see me again! Bye Tim."

Iwasn't mad at Tim but I had to get out of there. I ran as fast as I could
anddidn't look back. I just kept running all the way to my house. I hope
you don'tthink I'm a track star or something. We're neighbors so I only had
to run downthe street and I was at my front door. In tears.



To Be Continued...



Contact me for anycomments at: tunistony@aol.com