I straightened up. Leaning over the way I’d been doing made my back ache. I didn’t know what to expect from Mr. and Mrs. Mead. Mr. Mead had a hint of a smile which sure confused me. Mrs. Mead looked bewildered and shocked and nervous. I turned and looked at my folks. They were sitting back, their furious expressions replaced by faint smiles. Nate grinned. Not a huge grin, but definitely a grin. He didn’t even try to hide it.

I expected a discussion, but everyone sat and didn’t say anything for about twenty seconds. Finally, Mrs. Mead started the discussion.

“When did Quinten confess? We didn’t hear about that. Maybe Pastor Crandall didn’t know.”

I didn’t know the answer to that question, but Dad did. “I phoned our attorney and he put me on a conference call with Crystin Hayes in the District Attorney’s office yesterday. She’s the assistant to Ian Kilpatrick who’s the prosecutor for Quinten Santoni’s case. Because of recommendations by his attorney and with the agreement of his father, last Wednesday Quinten Santoni agreed to confess about everything that he did to Brian as his part in a plea bargain for a reduced sentence, and as a result his case won’t go to trial. His attorney and the prosecutor finalized the terms of the plea bargain, and on Friday Quinten Santoni and his father agreed to those terms.”

“But… Pastor Crandall told us in his sermon on Sunday that on Saturday he had counseled Quinten in his jail cell and prayed with him and came away knowing that he could not have had any part in what had been done to Brian. He said that Quinten told him that the allegations were completely untrue.” She turned and looked at me, “Pastor Crandall told us from the pulpit that Brian had lied about what happened. He said that’s what we should expect from a homosexual.”

I leaned forward once again and stared directly at Mrs. Mead. “If that’s what Pastor Crandall told you, from the pulpit, this past Sunday, then the lies are his. They certainly aren’t mine, or my father’s, or our attorney’s, or the assistant to the District Attorney’s.”

“I don’t know. I’m so confused,” Mrs. Mead said, shaking her head. “Pastor Crandall is a man of God. Why would he….”

Mr. Mead interrupted her. “Nancy, I believe that what Brian told us is the truth. It’s supported by what we have read in the newspaper and heard on TV. I also believe that what Mr. Anderson told us about the plea bargain is the truth. Finally, I believe that what Pastor Crandall told us in his sermon on Sunday is a lie.”

He took a deep breath.

”I believe that Pastor Crandall has let his uncontrolled hatred of homosexuals eclipse what Jesus teaches us about mercy and love. He’s also eclipsed God’s law that says we must tell the truth at all times. Instead of Jesus’ message of love, you and I and all of the other parishioners have been listening to a constant barrage of vindictive hate. He’s been selective about what he uses for examples to damn homosexuals, and then he turns around and calls on us to punish them when that’s not man’s duty. What he preached may have convinced Quinten that God had given him the right and responsibility to punish Brian. That would be the direct result of Pastor Crandall’s lies.”

I couldn’t believe it. Nate’s father said he believed what I said happened to me and said that Pastor Crandall lied about what happened. Then he shot down where Pastor Crandall said the Bible condemns homosexuals, something that those like Pastor Crandall are always yelling about. I looked at Nate for just a second because I didn’t want to draw his mother’s attention to him. He had closed his eyes and sat taking deep breaths. Like before, he grinned just a bit. We were both happy — no, overjoyed that Mr. Mead is on our side. Neither of us wanted to show it in front of his mother. We wanted to remain serious because Mr. and Mrs. Mead, especially Mrs. Mead, just learned something critical about their church and their Pastor. At least that’s what I thought.

Mrs. Mead didn’t seem to agree, though. “But Jesus also teaches us that homosexuals are sinners and they will suffer eternal damnation. It’s in the Bible.”

“Nancy, you’re referring to Leviticus 18, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course, Ted. There the Bible clearly states that men shall not lie with other men, that it is an abomination. In fact, Pastor Crandall told us that originally the Bible clearly stated that such men, homosexuals, should be stoned to death. However, we don’t do that part today.”

I heard Nate clear his throat. We all turned to look at him, and watched as he pulled some notecards out of his shirt pocket.

“Mom, I looked up some of the things that Pastor Crandall always seems to say, and things that he never talks about, in his sermons. I’ve heard him say that all of Leviticus applies to us. I made a list of the things in Leviticus that he doesn’t talk about. For example, Leviticus 7 clearly states that eating fat of an animal is forbidden, Leviticus 19 clearly states that eating rare meat is forbidden, and Leviticus 11 clearly states that you may not eat rabbit, pork, or shellfish. Leviticus 19 also clearly states that men shall not cut their hair at the sides of their head and they shall not trim their beards, that clothing made of more than one kind of material cannot be worn, that people may not have tattoos. Like you said about stoning homosexuals to death, apparently Pastor Crandall believes that those other parts of Leviticus don’t apply to us today. He picks and chooses what parts of Leviticus he wants to use to harangue us in his sermons, and who he wants to make the object of his vindictiveness. As far as I can tell, the only burr under his saddle is anyone who’s homosexual.

“Something else. Leviticus is in the Old Testament and is part of something called the Holiness code. This code was written primarily as a health code by the ancient Hebrews. In the New Testament, Paul in Romans 7:4-6 clearly states that these old strictures, which would include the section on men lying with men, no longer apply.” He looked up and put the cards back in his pocket.

Oh my god, Nate really stepped into it. I figured that his mom would go ballistic.

Nate’s father rescued him. “Nancy, I agree with Nate. There’s something else that’s important to remember. It is God’s responsibility to impose any punishment that might be due to homosexuals when they arrive in Heaven to learn their judgment. It is not, it is never, man’s responsibility. That is one of the lessons that Jesus teaches us. Jesus never preached against homosexuals. You won’t find anywhere in the New Testament where Jesus explicitly states that homosexuality is wrong.

“In Pastor Crandall’s sermon this Sunday he told us that Paul states that some at Corinth engaged in homosexual acts, but they had been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Pastor Crandall says this is a condemnation of homosexuality by Jesus. I looked it up. It’s in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. I also researched interpretations done by Biblical scholars. First, there’s no word for homosexuals or homosexuality in the ancient Greek language used in Paul’s time. Paul’s passage in the original Greek uses terminology that now is translated to refer to men having sex with male prostitutes. That has not yet been included in the King James, New American, or New International versions of the Bible. So the meaning of this section is clouded at best, and it’s best to leave it to Biblical scholars and for us to live by Jesus’ prescript to love thy neighbor as thyself.

“I’ve always been a believer in God’s love, in Jesus’ love. I’ve found Pastor Crandall always preaches about hate. I personally have had enough of that. Nancy, I want to return to First Presbyterian and leave all of this hate behind.”

Mrs. Mead took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m still confused. I believed what Pastor Crandall told us in his sermons. On the other hand, I hear what you’re telling me, and it seems clear that he lied about what happened to Brian and that Quinten Santoni did attack him. Perhaps you’re right, Pastor Crandall does preach hate. I didn’t think about his sermons that way until this evening. I agree with you, we should return to First Presbyterian. The sermons there certainly made me feel good each Sunday. That’s something that I now realize I’ve missed. I’m also concerned now about what kind of message the twins have been receiving in their Sunday School classes. It seems possible that it has been a message of hate. I think that it will be much better for them when they are in the First Presbyterian Sunday School.”

She turned and looked at me. “Brian, I’m ashamed that I called you a liar, and that those things, those horrible things, that were done to you were your fault and not done by Quinten Santoni. Will you accept my apology?”

I stood up and walked over to where she sat and put my hand out to her. She took it and I helped her stand up. We hugged each other.

“I accept your apology, Mrs. Mead. You were misled by Pastor Crandall,” I told her.

Mr. Mead walked over, squeezed my shoulder, and put out his hand. We shook hands.

“Brian, I can see why Nate likes you so much. He’s lucky to have you as his best friend.”

“And I’m lucky to have him as my best friend.”

Nate stepped over and hugged his mom and his dad, then hugged me. I couldn’t believe that he did that in front of his folks, but they smiled at us.

Mom stood up. “I think it’s time that I serve the cake. Brian, Nate, how about you two join the twins and have your cake and milk at the kitchen table, and Mr. and Mrs. Mead will join us for cake and coffee in the dining room. Is that alright with you boys?”

I said, “Sure,” and Nate nodded his head.

Nate and I went to the family room to gather up the twins. They seemed to be having a great time. They stopped the game when they finally noticed that we were watching them play.

“How’s it going, guys? Who’s winning? Is this a good time to stop? Are you ready for cake?” Nate asked.

I liked watching Dan and John answer Nate’s questions. First one would say a few words, then the other would say a few words, and then it would go back and forth like that. I had a hard time following them. I like watching Nate follow their conversation. Obviously he’d had a lot of practice.

Mom called us. “Boys, come on in the kitchen.”

“Chocolate cake and milk in the kitchen!” I said to them, using a stage whisper. They jumped up and were on their way to the kitchen before I could blink.

Nate looked at me and grinned. “They have ‘cakedar’. That’s like gaydar but more fattening,” he whispered.

I busted up laughing.

Mom had dished up the cake and milk. We each had a very large piece of cake and a full glass of ice-cold milk.

We ate our cake in silence. Nate and I sat across from each other, and I kept looking at him and grinning. The twins sat across from each other, and kept eating their cake and drinking their milk. The twins finished their cake before Nate and I finished ours.

“This chocolate cake is wonderful,” Dan told us, “I could eat another slice. Maybe even two more slices, all by myself!”

“You better ask mom first,” John advised his brother. “Maybe we should go in the dining room together so I can back you up.”

“You just want more cake!” Dan accused John.

“Hey, I like chocolate cake too!”

“Not as much as I do!”

“Yes I do!”

“No you don’t”

“I like it more!”

“No! I like it more!”

Finally Nate appeared to have his fill of the twins’ argument. “Neither of you will get another slice if you’re bickering like this when you go to see Mom. Remember what I taught you?”

Both twins blushed.

“Yeah, Nate,” Dan said. “Pick a spokesperson and go in united.”

“There’s something else. What is it?”

“Don’t argue if we don’t get what we want.”

“Okay, who’s going to be your spokesperson?”

The twins looked at each other and then both turned around and to Nate.

“John,” they said simultaneously.

“What are you going to say, John?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Anderson. Your cake is wonderful. Dan and I were wondering if we could have another slice. If it’s okay with our mom, of course.”

I grinned. “You, John Mead, should plan on a career as a lawyer.”

“Or a politician,” Nate added.

I stood up. “Let me see if they are at a point where you can go in and ask your question.”

I went to the dining room door and knocked, then opened it.

“The twins have a question, and John is the one who’ll ask. Is this a good time?”

Mom and Mrs. Mead looked at each other. I saw Mrs. Mead roll her eyes and grin. ‘That,’ I thought, ‘is a good sign for the twin’s getting extra cake and for Mrs. Mead agreeing that Pastor Crandall had been lying about what Clint and Tom had done to me and about homosexuals when he preached at his church.’

“Yes, they can come in and John can ask their question,” Mrs. Mead said. Then I heard her whisper to my mom, “He’ll ask for more cake, I’ll bet.”

I walked back into the kitchen. “You two are on, so go on into the dining room.”

They stood up and walked to the dining room, closing the door behind them.

It didn’t take long. They returned, smiling, followed by my mom.

“You’ve been granted a small slice of cake each. I’m to be the judge of what ‘small’ means, based on my experience as Brian’s mom. So sit down, you two, and I’ll get your cake.”

She picked up their plates, took them to the counter, sliced a rather generous ‘small’ slice for each of them, and returned their plates to them. Dan and John dove in as Mom filled their glasses with more milk. After she put the milk carton back in the refrigerator she turned to go back to the dining room.

“Hey!” I called, “How about Nate and I?”

She turned and sort of stared at me. “It’s ‘Nate and me’ and if you want anything you know where it is, you know how to use a knife, and you know how to open the milk carton.” She smirked and went to the dining room.

“Well, Nate, would you like more cake? Milk?”

“No, I’m good,” then he looked at me and grinned.

“So am I,” I replied with the same kind of grin.

Dan looked at me and then at Nate and giggled.

“And what’s that giggle about, Daniel?” Nate asked.

“Nothin’.”

“How about I trade not giving you a noogie for you telling me what that giggle was about?”

“It’s the way you and Brian looked at each other.”

“What way did I look at Brian?” Nate asked.

“And what way did I look at Nate?” I asked.

“Like you are boyfriends,” Dan whispered, just loud enough for the four of us at the kitchen table to hear. Then he turned to John and they both laughed.

Uh oh! I immediately realized that we’d been busted.

“What do you mean, ‘boyfriends’?” Nate whispered.

“You know. It’s when you and Brian like-like each other, a lot.”

“Where did you hear that?” Nate asked. He seemed very calm; I felt like I would total freak in about a minute.

“Guys at school talk ‘bout it. There’s lots of guys at school who are boyfriends ‘cause they like-like each other.”

Nate looked at Dan. “Lots of guys? How many is lots?”

John answered, “Maybe twenty or thirty guys that we know.”

“What do you mean when you said Nate and I like-like each other a lot?” I wanted to know what kids in middle school might know, especially compared to when I went to middle school just two years ago. Maybe it might not be as bad as I thought.

The twins burst into laughter that went on for quite a while. When they finally calmed down I asked, “Well?”

Dan looked at me then at Nate and blushed. “Shh!” he whispered, “Don’t tell Mom that we talked about this, she’d freak. Like-like means two guys are, ya’ know, messing around.”

“He means having sex with each other,” John whispered.

“Do you think Brian and I are messing around with each other?” Nate whispered.

John just shrugged his shoulders and tried to hide his grin. Dan didn’t say anything. Instead he blushed and sat looking at me and Nate, back and forth, back and forth.

“Well?” Nate asked him.

John blushed then giggled. “Maybe. Probably,” he whispered.

“It’s the way you look at each other,” Dan whispered.

“And how do we look at each other?” I whispered.

The twins replied in whispers, going back and forth rapidly so I couldn’t keep up with what each one said.

“You grin a whole lot…”

“…at each other…”

“…you make goo-goo eyes…”

“…and when you look…”

“…at each other…”

“…you look really happy…”

 “…yeah, and your eyes sort of…”

“…sparkle when you…”

“…sit and stare at each other.”

“What would you think if I told you that Brian and I are boyfriends?” Nate whispered.

Oh my god, Nate just outed us! I couldn’t believe it. I felt like would freak-out any second now, right there in the kitchen.

The twins both grinned, then high-fived each other. “Yes! We knew it! That is so cool!” they shouted. Then they jumped up and hugged Nate then me.

“You know this is a secret, it’s a really huge and private secret, and you can’t tell anyone else, especially Mom and Dad, right guys?” Nate whispered.

They nodded and put their little fingers out and we did the pinky finger handshake thing all around. Then the twins ran their index fingers across their lips showing that they were zipping them closed, and finally they crossed their hearts.

Nate seemed satisfied with the twin’s promise, so I guessed I could put my freak-out away, at least for the time being.

We put our plates and glasses in the dishwasher and the twins went back to the family room and resumed their Kung Fu Panda game. I knocked on the dining room door and opened it.

“Nate and I are going up to my room to review our homework.”

Mr. Mead looked at me and grinned. “Don’t get immersed too deep in something. We’re going to head home in about a half hour.”

“I’ll let Nate know. We’re just going to make sure we have all of our homework finished. I’m going to give Nate the report on the Physics experiments I completed so he can give it to Mr. Nayak. They are due in class tomorrow.”

When we got to my room we hugged and kissed. I pushed him back at arm’s length and shook my head.

“You, Nate Mead, like to do things that are risky, on the edge, fraught with danger, touch-and-go, dicey, off the deep end….”

“What, me?” he interrupted. “Uh uh. No way, José. I always do things that are safe and sane and totally non-dangerous.”

“Yeah, like play football and argue scripture with your mom and come out to your twelve year-old twin brothers.”

“Hey, football is fun. It’s not dangerous, we wear helmets and padding. I didn’t argue scripture! You need two for an argument. You didn’t hear her say anything to refute what I said, did you? You saw Dan and John cross their hearts and promise not to tell anyone, right?”

“Your mom looked like she might go ballistic and didn’t argue with you only because your dad stepped in and rescued you.”

“Dad and I made a great pair, didn’t we?”

“Did you two plan this together? Like, where did you come up with those notecards and where did your dad get that stuff about Paul and 1 Corinthians?”

“Dad and I didn’t talk about how this would go tonight at all. I really didn’t expect to have an opening to use what I’d learned. I’d been collecting information on the Bible and the different translations. I like history, so I found it very interesting to research thing like the meanings of some ancient Greek words that were in use back when Paul and others were writing their passages of what became the Bible. When we decided that we’d come here I copied some of what I’d found onto notecards, the key points. There’s more I could have included, but I just didn’t have enough time.

“My dad has a great memory. It’s good that he remembered those passages from Paul and 1 Corinthians. It’s bad for me when he’s told me to do something and I forgot and he didn’t forget. Trouble is, he never forgets. Never.” Nate laughed.

“Your trust in your brothers is wonderful, but they are only twelve years old, Nate. I hope you’re right about them keeping us a secret. Tell me why outing us to them isn’t risky, in fact isn’t downright dangerous.”

“When my folks aren’t around they’ve been sort of hinting about me having a boyfriend. I guess it’s partly because I’ve been acting different, and partly because I started spending so much time over here instead of at home. They’re cool. They won’t say a word to my folks. They’re totally trustworthy.”

“I hope you’re right. When you guys leave I’m going to tell my folks that your brothers know we’re boyfriends. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure. I trust your folks, same as I trust my brothers.”

“Well, let’s do what we said we were going to do. Let me give you my Physics report on the first of the chapter 19 experiments. That’s all I have, and I’ve done the rest of my homework and posted it on Blackboard. What I haven’t done is start going through my Web Design textbook. How about you? Everything done?”

“Yeah. I need to work on my Spanish vocabulary. I still have problems remembering the vocabulary words. Watching the Spanish channels on TV helps, but they talk so fast and use a heck of a lot of words that I don’t know yet. Can you help me with tonight’s assignment? You can say the English word, I’ll say the Spanish word, and you tell me if I’m right or wrong. Okay?”

“Okay.” So, that’s what we did. It’s always seemed to me to be a dumb way to learn vocabulary, memorizing lists of words and their translation, but that’s how it’s done at school so we have to endure it.

After a while we both got tired of Spanish vocabulary, so Nate put his textbook away in his backpack and we went downstairs. The timing couldn’t have been better because the twins had disconnected my Xbox and had it packed and ready to put away.

“Mom came in a couple minutes ago and said we needed to put the game away, so we packed it up,” John said.

“We love Kung Fu Panda,” Dan said, “can we come over and play it again? Maybe on Saturday?”

“Sure,” I replied, “I’m sure it’ll be okay with my folks, as long as it’s okay with your folks.”

“Okay,” John said, “we’ll ask Mom tomorrow. Will you back us up, Nate?”

“Sure.”

Mr. Mead came in to collect the twins, and sent them to the living room, then he turned to me.

“Brian, thanks for helping us get straightened out about what happened to you, and for being willing to listen in on our little family squabble about religion.”

He stepped over and hugged me, then held me at arm’s length.

“I know that you and Nate like each other a lot, and I have no problem that you’re boyfriends. Give his mom a little time to adjust. Is that okay, Brian?”

I think my mouth was hanging open. Nate poked me, “Say something, Brian.”

“Uh… yes, that’s okay. Thanks. So, uh, you knew about us?”

“Let’s say I guessed. And despite what Nate might have thought about my opinion, it’s fine. As I said tonight, that’s something between each of you and God, and it’s not my job to judge or punish. Especially not my eldest son and his boyfriend.” I felt myself blush. and he grinned.

Mr. Mead let me go and turned to Nate. “Okay, Nate, time to go. Do you have everything?”

Nate turned, looked at me, and smiled. “I do, Dad. I sure do, now!”