'Pray' For This Dude

Chapter Nine

Craig-

When I got home that night after skipping school to hang out with Ray, my mom was actually waiting for me at the door. Her hands on her hips, and angry facial expression that told me that she was furious with me. I got a long lecture about how skipping school goes on your record and that my parents are already on thin ice with my school. My coming out announcement caused a lot of commotion and my parents got to hear it straight from the principal, so, me skipping class easily irritates the school. My mom had to lie and say I was sick, so I wouldn't get into any trouble with the school. I didn't tell her I was out with Ray because my mom is really smart when it comes to things like this. If she knew I skipped with Ray, she will realize he is also gay and tell his father. I don't want my mom ruining his coming out announcement to his dad.

Sunday rolled around and it was time for church. I woke up earlier than usual to get ready. I haven't seen Ray at all and I'm sure he will be at church. I hope he didn't get into too much trouble with his dad. If my mom got a phone call from the school, I'm pretty sure the Rev got one too. I tried a couple times to go over to Rays, but his house looks kind of empty. The lights are always off and I haven't even seen the Rev come outside at all. I hope nothing bad happened, like the rev went crazy and killed Ray and then killed himself. I feel like the rev is crazy enough to do something like that. The rev and I aren't on good terms at the moment so him seeing me and Ray walking together probably triggered something in his delusional holy mind.

I fixed the collar on my suit and met my parents in the living room. They were taking their sweet ass time while I was impatiently waiting by the front door. All I want is to go to church and see Ray. It's been a stressful couple of days. I am grounded so even if I wanted to hang out with him, I really couldn't but I still want to know if he's okay. I just want to talk to him. I had a really fun time with him and I want to experience that feeling again.

"Come on, are you guys ready?" I asked. "Calm down Jr, the church isn't going anywhere." My mom said as she put in her gold stud earrings. "If you're so antsy, why don't you go wait in the car."

"Fine, I will." I grabbed my dad's keys and opened all the car doors and sat in the back seat. I looked over to Ray's house and it still looked like no one has been there. If Rev wasn't in town, I'm sure church would have been canceled or someone would have sent out an email asking for a replacement pastor and that didn't happen, so they must still be here.

My parents joined me and off to the church, we went. Everyone was taking their seats and I slid down the pew to the very end and took my seat. I shuffled around and got comfortable. I gave a light smile to the people around me and grabbed the bible in front of me. I didn't feel like socializing with the peers around me. It's not like the conversation would be anything but my sexuality and today I don't feel like talking about it. Church soon began and the choir youth went up to the stands to start us off with a song. We all rose from our seats and flipped to the right page of the song that they will be singing.

'I Give Myself Away,' is today's gospel song. The pianist started off and then the singers began.

"....Take my heart, take my life, as a living sacrifice, all my dreams all my plans, Lord, I place them in your hands, I give myself away, I give myself away so you can use me, I give myself away, I give myself away so you can use me..."

Once they finished everyone clapped and took a seat. The Rev then entered the room looking jolly as ever. He smiled and waved to the crowd and placed his bible on his stand. "How is everyone doing this mornin'?" He asked as he got situated. "Good, I am glad to hear. I am doing splendid as well," He chuckled.

Once everything was in order, he cleared his throat, " Alright, the first Corinthians, chapter six, verse nine and ten. It talks about the things that prevent people from entering the kingdom of God. It talks about all kinds of immoral behavior. But right in the midst of the passage, right in the middle of that verse, it says 'and those who are homosexual.' That's not ambiguous. Let me be perfectly and I mean perfectly clear, you cannot abide by the gospel and be okay with the homosexuality. You cannot have faith in God and be okay with homosexuality. You cannot call yourself a Christian and be okay with homosexuality. You cannot be Cristian and be a homosexual!" His whole demeanor changed, he spat hatred, it spewing out from the Rev's mouth like drool, he was heated, dripping in sweat and anger and he didn't hold back. I looked at my mom who was in utter shock, my father sat there, arms crossed and fumed as the Rev preached this nonsense. I looked around at the other people and they looked shocked as well. Even if they didn't agree with me, they never took it to this extent to make me feel like s**t. What was going on with the Rev? Where was Ray? He's not here. I hope his father hasn't done something terrible to him.

"But this is about love." He continued but in a much calmer tone, "It would be unloving not to tell someone when salvation is at stake. We must tell the homosexuals the very same thing that I would say to you and you would say to me, 'it is possible to change. With God, all things are possible.'" And with that, he closed his bible and happily glance at everyone. No one clapped or said anything, it was dead silent. Some people slowly rose from their seats and made their departure, but my dad had one goal, and that one goal was to give the Rev a piece of his mind.

"Honey, please don't go over there, just let it go." My mom said to my dad, but he wasn't having any of it. He charged over to the rev, who was talking to one of the children in the choir. He gripped the rev's shoulder and swung him over, to face him.

"Well, hello there big brother Crippen."

"Save it jackass."

"Oh my, this is the house of the Lord-"

"I don't give a flying f**k pastor, I told you to stop disrespecting my son and you go on and pull some s**t like this? Are you trying to get your ass beat."

"No, big brother Crippen, I am just a little upset that my son was coerced to skip school with your son."

"You skipped school with Ray? You told me you just needed time to think and you were alone." My mother said, questioning me. "Uh... yeah, I was with him."

"See he is turning my son into a savage, my son has been brainwashed and I'm afraid if they keep hanging out my Rayan will catch his disease."

"Now hold on reverend, my son's sexuality is not a disease," my mom butted in. "I am sorry Wanda, but I don't want my Rayan to be influenced."

"It was Ray's idea to skip school, he asked me!" The rev looked at me, "He would never, he doesn't even like you."

"Yes, he does, we're best friends."

"Oh, maybe that's what he told you, but what he tells me is the truth! He only hangs out with you because he feels sorry for you, you have no friends so he's doing this as a charity, my boy loves charities." I knew that wasn't true but I've had so many fake friends and boyfriend in the past that this was something for me to easily believe even if it wasn't true.

"You're lying."

"I am not! He is going to the school ball with a lovely girl name Bethany and after that night with her, he will be head over heels for her and forget all about you." I glanced down, I forgot about the whole ball thing. I know he is forced to go with that girl, but it still upsets me. "Now run off and go be a fa-" before he could finish that sentence my dad decked the rev in his face knocking him back.

"Wh- Mr. Crippen why in the world-" My dad lunged forward, swinging another punch. The rest of the people who were still in the church all looked over and gasped. My mother tried to intervene but my dad was going in. The rev was shouting and some of the grown men came over trying to break my dad away. He got in one last good punch that left the rev's eye puffy and purple.

"That's it, you and your gay son are banned from this church!" He yelled from the floor. One of the members helped him up and he fixed his clerical clothing and stormed into the back room.

My dad, still angry signaled for us to leave. I am upset with what the rev said but I am glad my dad always has my back.