Read Online Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (The Russel Middlebrook Series Book 3) by Brent Hartinger - Free Book Online
Authors: Brent Hartinger
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guilty.
"I can't believe I just did that!" I said to Gunnar and Em, once we were in the car and driving away.
"Calm down," Em said. "Tell us what happened."
I explained everything that had gone on. I told Em the stuff about Kevin's coming out, since she hadn't heard that part before.
"I bet Kevin left his headlights on on purpose," she said. "That dog! He's trying to seduce you."
"Well, it's not going to work!" I said. "He kissed me, I didn't kiss him." This wasn't completely true, since I had kissed Kevin back. But Gunnar and Em didn't need to know that.
"I need to tell Otto," I said.
"Maybe," Gunnar said.
"What do you mean?"
"What you need is to figure out what you really want. And you need to do it fast. It's not fair to lead Otto on. And if you decide you want to break up with him, then you can tell him. But even then, there's no reason to tell him about Kevin. That would just be mean." Gunnar paused for a second, then said, "For the record? I still can't believe I'm giving you relationship advice. Me! Gunnar! The former loser who couldn't get a girlfriend!"
"Uh, Gunnar?" I said. "Can we stay on topic here?"
"And hel-lo!" Em said. "Girlfriend is sitting in the backseat! Could we also keep a little mystique in this relationship? Don't exactly want to be reminded how you couldn't get a girlfriend."
"Sorry," said Gunnar. To me, he added, "So anyway, you need to pick between Kevin and Otto. And you should try to do it before Otto gets here."
In spite of everything, Gunnar was right on—again. He had a definite future as an advice columnist.
But knowing what you have to do isn't the same thing at all as actually doing it.
* * *
That night, I IMed Otto.
Smuggler: Hey you.
OttoManEmpire: Hey you. I was just thinking about you!
Smuggler: I was just thinking about you too.
I had been thinking about him, but probably not in the way he was thinking about me.
OttoManEmpire: How's it going with your parents?
Smuggler: The same. But now they know about you.
OttoManEmpire: They do?! And they're still okay with letting me come?
Smuggler: Well, they didn't exactly say no. But it didn't go over real well.
This was the understatement of the century .
OttoManEmpire: Geez. How are you doing?
I had to think about this. How was I doing, now that things had calmed down a little?
Smuggler: Can I be honest?
OttoManEmpire: Of course!
Smuggler: I feel horrible. Like I'm this terrible person. I know I'm not. Being gay isn't anything to be ashamed of. But they're my parents. Up till now, they've always been right about everything. This time, they're wrong, but it still FEELS like they're right. Like I've made this huge mistake. Like I have something to be ashamed of. But it's even worse than that, because they're not making me feel bad for anything I've DONE, but for just being who I am. For being the same person I've ALWAYS been. So now I feel twice as bad. First, because it feels like I've made this huge mistake, and second, because I know I've completely disappointed them.
Wow, I thought. Where had all that come from? But it was all true. Somehow things were always a lot clearer whenever I talked to Otto.
Smuggler: Does all that make sense?
OttoManEmpire: YES!!! It makes PERFECT sense!! They're your parents! Why would you feel any other way?
That made me smile, to know that Otto had understood.
Smuggler: Do you think they'll ever change? Do you think they'll ever accept me?
OttoManEmpire: I honestly don't know. But it does remind me of a cat we used to have.
Smuggler: A cat?
OttoManEmpire: He used to sit on the mailbox in front of our house. He'd spend the whole day out there, watching the neighborhood. Our whole family used to make fun of him, laughing about why he spent so much time up there, what he could possibly see. Then one day, we heard squealing tires in front of the house. We all went out to see
"I can't believe I just did that!" I said to Gunnar and Em, once we were in the car and driving away.
"Calm down," Em said. "Tell us what happened."
I explained everything that had gone on. I told Em the stuff about Kevin's coming out, since she hadn't heard that part before.
"I bet Kevin left his headlights on on purpose," she said. "That dog! He's trying to seduce you."
"Well, it's not going to work!" I said. "He kissed me, I didn't kiss him." This wasn't completely true, since I had kissed Kevin back. But Gunnar and Em didn't need to know that.
"I need to tell Otto," I said.
"Maybe," Gunnar said.
"What do you mean?"
"What you need is to figure out what you really want. And you need to do it fast. It's not fair to lead Otto on. And if you decide you want to break up with him, then you can tell him. But even then, there's no reason to tell him about Kevin. That would just be mean." Gunnar paused for a second, then said, "For the record? I still can't believe I'm giving you relationship advice. Me! Gunnar! The former loser who couldn't get a girlfriend!"
"Uh, Gunnar?" I said. "Can we stay on topic here?"
"And hel-lo!" Em said. "Girlfriend is sitting in the backseat! Could we also keep a little mystique in this relationship? Don't exactly want to be reminded how you couldn't get a girlfriend."
"Sorry," said Gunnar. To me, he added, "So anyway, you need to pick between Kevin and Otto. And you should try to do it before Otto gets here."
In spite of everything, Gunnar was right on—again. He had a definite future as an advice columnist.
But knowing what you have to do isn't the same thing at all as actually doing it.
* * *
That night, I IMed Otto.
Smuggler: Hey you.
OttoManEmpire: Hey you. I was just thinking about you!
Smuggler: I was just thinking about you too.
I had been thinking about him, but probably not in the way he was thinking about me.
OttoManEmpire: How's it going with your parents?
Smuggler: The same. But now they know about you.
OttoManEmpire: They do?! And they're still okay with letting me come?
Smuggler: Well, they didn't exactly say no. But it didn't go over real well.
This was the understatement of the century .
OttoManEmpire: Geez. How are you doing?
I had to think about this. How was I doing, now that things had calmed down a little?
Smuggler: Can I be honest?
OttoManEmpire: Of course!
Smuggler: I feel horrible. Like I'm this terrible person. I know I'm not. Being gay isn't anything to be ashamed of. But they're my parents. Up till now, they've always been right about everything. This time, they're wrong, but it still FEELS like they're right. Like I've made this huge mistake. Like I have something to be ashamed of. But it's even worse than that, because they're not making me feel bad for anything I've DONE, but for just being who I am. For being the same person I've ALWAYS been. So now I feel twice as bad. First, because it feels like I've made this huge mistake, and second, because I know I've completely disappointed them.
Wow, I thought. Where had all that come from? But it was all true. Somehow things were always a lot clearer whenever I talked to Otto.
Smuggler: Does all that make sense?
OttoManEmpire: YES!!! It makes PERFECT sense!! They're your parents! Why would you feel any other way?
That made me smile, to know that Otto had understood.
Smuggler: Do you think they'll ever change? Do you think they'll ever accept me?
OttoManEmpire: I honestly don't know. But it does remind me of a cat we used to have.
Smuggler: A cat?
OttoManEmpire: He used to sit on the mailbox in front of our house. He'd spend the whole day out there, watching the neighborhood. Our whole family used to make fun of him, laughing about why he spent so much time up there, what he could possibly see. Then one day, we heard squealing tires in front of the house. We all went out to see
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