Julian sat around until his mom got home, around eight. “Hey sweetie, sorry I’m home late…” she said as she kicked off her heels and rubbed her feet. “I have leftover dinner in the fridge, if you want to warm it up.” He offered, turning around and hanging his arms over the couch. “Thanks. We closed the Vermont deal.” He had no idea what she was talking about, but he gave an approving nod. She hesitated. “I’m really sorry.” She said, bitting her lip. “I guess I was working so much, I pushed my self away from you. And when you told me what Mark did, I really didn’t know how to respond to that. I didn’t mean for it to be neglectful or anything, I just… I’m trying hard. Your dad’s a deatbeat, and he wont pay his allamony, so I have to work more to make up for it.” She hugged him over the couch, but he was in shock from the deadbeat-dad news. “He doesn’t pay? I thought he did… I mean he tells me he does.” He said over her shoulder. She shook her head. “Hasn’t paid since he married Brenda.” She let go of him and looked him in the eyes, forcing a smile. “Forgive me?” she said. “Yeah. But… would it be alright if I just stayed here all the time, instead of going to dad’s? And I can pick up a job too, so you don’t have to work as much…” she smiled. “That’s fine. But do you really want to work? Now that your eighteen you…” she trailed off and looked around. “Oh, shoot.” She said under her breath as she pounded up the stairs. He looked up blankly after her. A minute later she came down the stairs again, a box in hand. “I would’ve given it to you on your birhtday, but you were with Ma and Pa.” she smiled weakly and handed him the box. He peeled back the wrapping with puppies, and opened the Cannon box. “I uh… overheard you on the phone with Faith a few months ago. You said something about wanting it, so… I got it.” He laughed. “Are you sure it wasn’t ‘overhearing’?” he teased. She laughed too as he opened the box, pulling out his new camera. “I saw it at Office Max… Wasn’t this like eight-hundred or something?” he asked, turning it over in his hands. “Its rude to tell the person how much you spent on them!” she nagged; He laughed. He wasn’t quite sure if she was doing all this because she felt bad, or if she really ment it all. He didn’t really care. He gripped the camera a little tighter. “Are you gunna go take a picture of something?” she asked egarly. He played nervously with his tongue piercing. “I have a boyfriend.” He blurted out, then looked up at her shocked face. “Wh…what?” He looked back down at the camera. “You heard me. I have a boyfriend. Mom… I’m gay.” He closed his mouth, knowing if he talked more it would become nervous rambling. “Whats… his name?” she asked. “Damond. But… hes a little mad at me right now Now that we’re both eighteen he wants me to go live with him, but its not that I don’t want to, I just don’t think I can handle that yet…” He turned the camera over in his hands, turning the focus, and digging through the box to see if there were any add-on pieces or programs—Not looking at his mom. Anything but her. After a long silence, she let out a deflated “Oh.” She paused. “I thought you and Faith were…? I mean you two are close and all…” she said. “Well, yeah, but… she doesn’t do guys, just like I don’t do girls.” He laughed. “I guess it’s a good thing her parents don’t know you or dads phone number, because she accidentally told them a few years ago.” She tilted her head. “You see, she was trying to get me to sleep over one time in freshman year, but her parents woudlnt let he ‘cause I was a guy, so she told them I was gay.” She let out a dry laugh. “I guess that would explain why you never go over there anymore.” He looked up from his camera and into her face, and wished he didn’t. Her face didn’t look too happy, and it scared him. “I think I’m going to go to bed now.” She said, forcing another smile. “Dinner.” He said, trying to keep calm. “I’m not hungry anymore.” She started up the stairs. He sat on the couch and looked into the odd patterns of their blue couch, his eyes filling with tears. He dropped his head over his lap and let himself cry. She doesn’t like it. She doesn’t like me. She hates me. He sagged into the couch, ignoring Max at his feet. He wiped his eyes and put the camera back in the box, and then pulled out his cell phone, dialing Damond’s number. “What.” He answered sourly. “Can you come pick me up?” Julian asked. “I thought you were going to live with your parents.” He said snidely. “…well I was, until I kinda told my mom about us.” Julian rubbed his eyes again. “Oh.” Damond said, not as mad. “Can you just come get me? I really don’t want to talk about it right now.” Damond sighed. “Didn’t go over too well, did it.” He said. “well, I don’t know. After I told her she didn’t look to happy, then went to bed without dinner or anything. I don’t think she likes it.” Julain closed the box to the camera. “…Yeah. I’ll be there in a few; I’ll text you when I’m outside. Okay?” Julian pulled back on one of his snakebite piercings to stop himself from crying again. “…’Kay.” He hung up and put the camera box in his duffle bag, then snuck up the stairs. He looked into his moms room—she was spralled across her comforter on her stomach, not moving, but her face in the pillow. His heart sank—he’d wanted it to be different. He ran into his room and got his school bag, and a change of some piercings. He walked back out looking in her room again. He walked in and leaned over her. “…Mom?” he whispered. She didn’t say anything. “I’m… really sorry.” He kissed her lightly on the cheeck. “Please don’t hate me.” He said softly before leaving the room.  He went down stairs and tried to play with Max, but he couldn’t. he threw the ball across the room a few times, but stopped. When the text from Damond came he picked up his bags and ran out the garage to his car. He threw his bags into the back, and sat in the passanger seat. Damond didn’t leave right away. “…You okay?” he asked, watching Julian. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Can we just go?” Damond hesitated before restarting the car and pulling away from the house.