a talk

Roger was still a little hesitant about saying it. But it was on his mind ever since he heard Eric talking about Cory and his little closet excursion at school. He'd catch himself at times wanting to give Cory the third degree about his whole sex life. What else was he not telling him?

Then he'd promise himself when he was alone that he wouldn't. It would just play itself out. Wouldn't it? They were supposed to be there for each other. It would take time. Then he'd catch himself looking at his watch. A clock on the wall. He didn't want to wait. He needed some answers.

So there they were in the hallway at school. And he felt as if Cory was ignoring him.

"Are you OK?" Cory started.

Well, maybe he wasn't ignoring him completely.

"Sure." Roger looked away and did as he thought Cory was doing to him. Ignoring him.

"I hate it when you say sure. It might as well be no." Cory sighed.

"I'm just fine. All right." Roger hugged his book then as if he had to concentrate on anything but this conversation.

They walked through the commons and went up on the balcony study area by the art room where the cozy couches were made to look like a coffee house when in fact one couldn't even have a soda there.

Cory plopped himself down on the soft couch.

"Talk to me." He took Roger's books from him.

"About what?" Roger scowled a bit, but finally sat down next to him.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" Cory put his arm around Roger's shoulder.

Roger looked around as if somebody was going to take a picture. He then pulled out a flyer between his books that were in Cory's lap.

"Go to this with me."

The flyer was about the Diversity club meeting.

"What?" Cory winced as he took it.

"There will be coffee and cookies." As if that would be an incentive. "And Karaoke."

"Karaoke? What the-"

"We should join." Roger nodded.

"Why because we're a mixed race couple?" Cory mocked.

"Duh." Roger went right along with him.

"I haven't even told my Mom about us. And you know your Dad doesn't believe anything you tell him. Why must we got to this-this-"

"United we stand. All right." Roger looked at him point blank. "We need each other. Its like the world is going backwards, you know. All those same sex marriages in California. Null and void. And in Arkansas they won't even let gay couples adopt. Suddenly."

"Well, its not here." Cory shrugged.

"Do you know in our state a gay couple can't even have dual guardianship over a child they adopt together." Roger was serious.

"Like we're gonna start a family." Cory laughed.

"God, why can't you just go. With me." It was suddenly his cause. Couldn't Cory understand that?