Flag on the Play

by Sherrie Henry

  “Your grandma or mom ever make homemade chicken soup for you when you’re sick?”

  “Plenty of times.”

  “How is that different than a collection of herbs to take when you’re not feeling well?”

  “Is that what’s in the potion?”

  “Pretty much. Herbs, oils, heck maybe even a spice or two.”

  “I had no idea.” Liam reached out for the door handle, waiting for Cody to unlock it.

  “You’ve got to come over sometime. You’d love my mom.” Cody pulled out his keys and clicked the unlock button. “It’s open, climb on in!”

  Liam slid into the passenger’s seat. “I think I need some more education on Wicca. Everything I’d ever been taught was that witchcraft was the handiwork of the devil. Although I never really believed it.”

  “Some people want to believe anything different than them are works of an evil being.” Cody shrugged. “I’m glad you don’t believe like that.” Cody looked left and right before heading out of the parking lot.

  Liam toyed with the end of his hoodie strings. “You really want to go out with Sally?”

  “Not really.”

  Liam glanced over to Cody. “Then why—”

  “While I look pretty confident on the outside, sometimes I just let myself roll with the crowd so I can fit in. I would really like to date you, but I’m going to have to settle for being friends.”

  “Date-date me? What do you mean by that?”

  “Date. Like go out to movies, hold hands in the park, make out on the couch, you know, date.”

  “Oh.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  Liam took in a deep breath. “I’d like that too. But ain’t gonna happen here, is it?”

  Cody clenched the steering wheel. “Not really. I mean, look—” Cody pulled the car to the side of the road. He put it in park and turned to face Liam. “I do want you to come over to my place. My parents know who and what I am and they love me regardless. I’ve had guys over before, well, I mean back home, and they’re cool about it. We could be ourselves in my house. Maybe not at the movies or at the park, but it’d be something. Do you want that?”

  Liam’s eyes grew wide. “You mean you kiss other guys in front of your parents?”

  Cody smiled. “Yes. Both boys and girls. I’m telling you, they don’t care. They are happy for me.”

  “I kinda can’t wait to meet them now.”

  “Maybe next weekend? Since I stayed over before, it’s my turn to reciprocate. Ask if you can stay over after next week’s game.”

  “What would be my excuse?”

  “Excuse?”

  “You know, like why would I stay over?”

  Cody leaned back. “You need an excuse?”

  “Typically, yes.”

  “Wow, this is the ’50s, isn’t it?”

  “Staying for dinner is one thing, staying overnight, well, for boys after they hit the teenage years, unless it’s a party, not so much.”

  “Okay, how about I want to have a movie marathon. All PG or PG-13, I promise. Well, at least I’ll promise to your parents.”

  Liam sighed. “I can ask.”

  “Good.” Cody looked up and down the deserted street. He leaned closer to Liam, bringing their lips together.

  Liam leaned into Cody, wanting more body contact. His arms went around Cody of their own volition. Cody pressed a little harder, the tip of his tongue meeting Liam’s lips. Liam opened his mouth slightly, and Cody’s tongue slipped through. Liam could taste a hint of vanilla from all the shakes Cody had consumed earlier. All too soon, the kiss was over. Cody pulled back.

  “You okay?”

  Liam brought his finger to his lips. He felt his jeans become a little tight.

  “Liam?”

  Liam looked up into Cody’s eyes.

  “Yo, Liam, come on.”

  “What?” Liam couldn’t quite find his voice.

  “You kinda spaced out on me for a sec.”

  “That was amazing.”

  Cody dropped his gaze. “Really?”

  “I want to do it again.”

  Cody leaned in, his hands cupping Liam’s face. Their lips met, and with no hesitation their tongues met and slid over each other. Cody put his hand on the back of Liam’s head, keeping them locked together for long seconds. The need to breathe broke the kiss.

  Liam reached out and tucked a stray hair behind Cody’s ear. “You can do that in front of your parents?”

  Cody smirked. “Well, not that intense, but close.” He turned back to his seat.

  “I wish we could….” Liam didn’t finish the sentence.

  “I know.”

  “Does kissing like that make you, you know, feel stuff?”

  “If you mean does it turn me on, yeah. You?”

  “I’ve never felt stuff like this, but yeah, turned on.”

  Cody turned his blinker on and pulled back into traffic. “I suggest we just take things slow. I know I’ve got more experience than you, and believe me, it’s better to go slower than fast.”

  “It’s going to be a glacial pace seeing as we’re stuck here.”

  “We’ll find a way.”

  “You really want to date me?”

  “In as much as we can ‘date’ yeah.”

  “And if the only place we can kinda be ourselves is your parents’ place?”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

  Liam rubbed his face. “I hope I can keep up the charade at home.”

  “You think your parents would do something drastic if they found out?”

  “I don’t know. They both toe the church’s line on everything.”

  “Are you going to stay in the closet forever?”

  Liam looked out the window, noticing a few drops of rain had started to fall. “I don’t want to. But I don’t have a choice right now. I need to keep a roof over my head.”

  “They’d actually kick you out?”

  “I just don’t know. Maybe.”

  Cody pulled up to Liam’s house. He turned once more to face Liam. “I don’t know your parents very well, but I can only hope they’d find their love for you stronger than their love of a church.”

  Liam clenched his jaw. “I just don’t know.”

  “Well, it’s not something you have to deal with right this minute. When the time comes, you’ll know it.” Cody leaned back. “Looks like your parents are still up.” He pointed to the only light on in an upstairs bedroom. He quickly pecked Liam on the lips. “Have a good night.”

  Liam smiled. “You too. See you Monday.” Liam hopped out of the car and headed in just as the heavens opened up.

  “DON’T FORGET to lock the door,” Liam heard his mom call from upstairs.

  “Locked and bolted.”

  “Thank you. You have a good time?”

  Liam pressed his fingers to his lips. “The best. Thanks for letting me stay out.” He put his coat on the rack and headed up the stairs.

  His mom met him at the top of the stairs. “You’re home five minutes early. I think that warrants a later curfew next time.” She kissed the top of his head. “You are turning into such a responsible, well-adjusted young man. I’m proud of you.”

  Liam felt his cheeks get hot. He wanted to blurt out everything to her, let her know he’d found someone special to be with. But he kept his thoughts to himself. “Thanks, Mom. Going to hit the shower and go to bed. Gotta get a good night’s sleep.”

  “See you in the morning.” She tousled his hair before heading back into her bedroom.

  Liam opened the door to his bedroom, feeling a bit uneasy. He had left this room earlier in the day a boy who’d only had a couple of quick kisses in his life. He returned feeling so much more mature after having his first, albeit short, make-out session. He stripped down and stepped into a steaming shower. He allowed his mind to go back to the kisses in the car and felt his body respond. While he was no stranger to making himself feel good, this time he had real-world
experience to go along with his fantasies. He climaxed harder than he ever had before. That night he slept hard and deep, so soundly the thunderstorm didn’t even register.

  Chapter Five

  LIAM LINGERED over his pot roast, trying to find a segue into the family conversation that would lead him to asking about staying at Cody’s. It had rained most of the day on and off. The humidity in the air and the pastor’s droning on and on had made it hard for Liam to pay attention during the sermon. His mind kept wandering to the night before and just as his memory would play the kiss, he’d remember where he was and his cheeks would burn.

  He had questioned himself all during the sermon, all during lunch. Was he going to hell for what he felt? Should he even consider being with Cody, though, by the nature of their sleepy little town, it would be a fairly platonic relationship? Or could he see himself becoming more with Cody, going beyond kissing? His mind tumbled over and over until he wasn’t certain which direction was up. But all that changed when he logged into his computer that afternoon and found Cody had left him a message. Just a little note saying he hoped Liam had a good day and he missed talking to him. Nothing overt, nothing sexual, nothing that could be construed beyond a friend talking to a friend. But it meant the world to Liam, and he made up his mind. While he wouldn’t fully come out of the closet, he wasn’t going to deny himself his feelings.

  Now he was hoping to find a way to spend time with Cody without bringing any suspicion on either of them. He jabbed at a piece of carrot while listening to his parents discuss the new mall going in on the outside of town.

  “There’s talk of putting in a theater.”

  Liam looked over at his mother. “Really?”

  “That’s what I heard. Six screens. And they want to sponsor some oldie nights. Show some musicals and older classics. What I wouldn’t give to see Brigadoon on the big screen.”

  “I swear, if Gene Kelly was still alive, I’d have some stiff competition.” Liam’s dad gave his mom a smile.

  “You’re absolutely right. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. He was so debonair, classy.” She reached over and gave Steven’s hand a squeeze. “But don’t worry, you are just like him.”

  Liam rolled his eyes. He’d heard all about his mother’s crush on Gene Kelly since he was a toddler. They’d sit and watch all his musicals in the afternoons before his dad got home from work. Liam could pretty much recite every one of them by heart.

  “So, Liam, what do you think about the mall? Gonna be a place for you and your friends to hang out?” His mom took another roll from the basket.

  “If there’s a comic book store, for sure.”

  “I’ll never understand what you see in those comic books. Too much violence in my opinion.”

  “I had comics as a kid. I don’t see any harm in them, sweetheart. Besides, we’ve raised a thoughtful, respectable boy who doesn’t have a violent bone in his body. Well, except when it comes to football, right, son?”

  Liam looked over to his dad. “I’m only a punter. I don’t get to do much tackling.”

  “All the more reason we shouldn’t worry about your comic book reading. I don’t think they’ve influenced you in the least.”

  “I still don’t like them.” Liam’s mom got up and collected some dishes off the table.

  “I don’t think they’re marketed toward girls, dear.”

  “Actually, some are. And some of the artists are girls too. I think the industry’s evolving.” Liam slid his plate over to his mother.

  “Where did you hear that?” His mom put the dishes in the sink.

  “My friend, Cody. You know, the one who stayed over a couple weeks ago?” Liam was grateful he could swing the conversation over to Cody.

  “Oh yes, the one with the weird hair. Seems like a nice young man, regardless. Although—” Sarah started scraping the remnants of food off the plates. “You know, his family never comes to church. And I haven’t heard of them going to the Methodist church either.”

  Liam shrugged. “Maybe they’re a denomination that we don’t have here. They’re only here for a few months. Maybe they didn’t want to get too attached to a new church.” His heart started beating faster. He knew if they ever hooked him up to a lie detector, he’d be found guilty as charged.

  “Perhaps.” Liam’s dad picked up the last two plates and set them on the counter. “I’m heading to watch the late game. Anyone want to join me?” He gave Sarah a peck on the cheek.

  “I’ll be in right after I put the dishes in the dishwasher.” She patted Steven’s face.

  Liam looked over to his father. “Um, can I ask something before you go?”

  “Of course.”

  “Cody’s having a little get-together, watching a bunch of movies all night. Next Friday. He invited me. Can I go?”

  Liam’s dad raised an eyebrow. “Movies?”

  “He said they were all PG or PG-13. No adult stuff. And his parents would be there, of course.” Liam’s words came out fast.

  “What do you think, Sarah?”

  Liam’s mom pursed her lips for a moment. “Well, as long as you swear the movies aren’t violent or contain sex, I don’t see why not. You hosted him a couple weeks ago. I don’t see the harm in him reciprocating.” She sat down next to Liam. “But I want you to promise to call us as soon as any drinking or drugs come out.”

  “Mom! His family is not like that.”

  Sarah raised an eyebrow. “How do you know? Maybe I should meet them first.”

  All sorts of scenarios ran through Liam’s head. What if Cody’s mom wore a pentagram or didn’t wear a bra? Or Cody’s dad started in on religion, or politics? “Is that necessary?”

  “I agree with your mother. We should meet them first. Now that I think about it, his parents let him stay here without meeting us. What kind of parent does that?”

  “Cody is seventeen. Maybe they are a little looser with him as he’s almost an adult. He has his own car and driver’s license.”

  Liam’s mom nodded. “Perhaps. But I still want to meet them before I agree. I’m not saying no, I just want to make sure my baby, ahem, my very grown-up son is going to be okay at their place. Can you get me their phone number?”

  “Yes, I’ll text Cody for it.”

  Liam’s dad leaned against a chair. “I remember the days when a family had one telephone number and the phone was in the kitchen.”

  “Yes, dear, and you hiked two miles uphill in the snow both ways to school.”

  Steven leaned over and gave Sarah a kiss. “So you’ve heard the story?”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “Too many times. Now both of you, shoo. I’m going to finish the dishes.”

  Liam got up from the table and headed to his bedroom. He did have some homework to finish but wanted to talk to Cody first. He fished out his phone and was ready to hit Send on a text when the phone rang. It was Cody.

  “Man, you must be psychic. I was just about to text you.”

  “Just calling to see how your Sunday went.”

  “Fine. Church, then helped Mom paint a couple of doorframes that were scuffed up. Just finished dinner. You?”

  “In between rain showers, helped my mom weed the little patch of flowers she got to plant when we first moved in. Watched a movie with my sister. Typical Sunday stuff.”

  “What’s your sister’s name?”

  “Kelly.”

  “You don’t talk about her much.”

  “She’s only six. We don’t have a lot in common.”

  “Wow, six? Eleven years between the two of you.”

  “Almost twelve. Mom won’t admit it, but I think she was an accident.”

  Liam snorted. “At least you have a sibling. I’ll bet she looks up to her big brother.”

  “Yeah, she does. And we do get along. We had an afternoon of The Lion King and Frozen. It was a sing-a-long afternoon.”

  “I’d give money to see that.”

  “You’d want it back. I can’t carry a tune to sa
ve my life. So, what did you want to text me about?”

  “Oh, my mom wants your mom’s phone number. She wants to meet your parents before she agrees I can come over on Friday.”

  “So she didn’t say no?”

  “Not yet. Just have to get your parents past her inspection.”

  “Wow. Okay, I’ll text you the number so you’ve got it and can give it to your mom.”

  “Thanks. Hey, um, what are your parents like?”

  “Like anybody else’s I guess. Mom works from home doing accounting for a couple of small businesses back home. Dad, as you know, is working for the ceramic company’s main headquarters.”

  “That’s what they do, but what are they like?” Liam could hear Cody snort in the background.

  “You want to know if Mom wears her Wiccan heritage on her sleeve?”

  Liam felt his cheeks get red. “Well, kinda.”

  “My mom has a small pentacle tattoo on her stomach. As it’s past bikini season, I don’t think your mom will notice it. She occasionally wears a Celtic triquetra knot necklace, but to those not in the know, it just looks like a knotted pendant. Otherwise, she passes for any other mom here in your sleepy little village.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  Liam sighed. “For having to ask. It feels weird. I just—I don’t want my mom to say no. I want to come over. I want to be with you.”

  “I get it, I do. But be calm. My parents really do look like everyone else. They’ve been out to the grocery, the bank, everywhere in town. Have you heard any gossip about them?”

  “Only that they don’t go to church. Nothing else.”

  “So, you see, normal. And my mom and dad get along with just about anyone.”

  “What about politics, religion?”

  “Unless your mother brings it up, they won’t. They say it’s not polite society to do so when just meeting someone. Debates on those issues should only happen after years of getting to know someone.”

  “Your parents sound smart.”

  “And yours aren’t?”

  Liam looked around the room. For all their religious views, they were pretty good parents. A bit on the strict side, but as he was now finding out, they were letting him grow up and have more freedom. “No, they’re smart, and they love me. I just—I’ve never felt like this before. Wanting something so badly and having to lie about it.”