Coming Out
American Idol 8 RPF: Coming Out
Author: glambertgalore
Pairing: Kradam, who else?
Summary: Kris and Adam come out at school
Rating: NC-17 to be safe
Warnings: A bit of homophobia, but nothing too too terrible, some angst
Setting: AU, HS, set in Arkansas-Kris and Adam will graduate the same year. Kris is a year younger than Adam in this story. He will graduate early. Sequel to Coming Home
Beta: None, all mistakes are my own
Author's Notes: Here is a little something to tide you all over while I do some research on Balinese culture for the WIP. The need for that brought the actual writing of How It Always Should have been to a grinding halt, but I am working on it. Hope you enjoy this in the meantime.
Coming Out
Kris Allen walked into Conway High School one Monday morning in early April feeling like a new man. The week before had been a whirlwind of life- changing revelations and decisions, and he couldn't be happier. He had broken up with his girlfriend, gained a boyfriend, and come out to his family. Now it was time to make the other changes that he had decided on. It was the end of sophomore year, and he would be graduating early, making him a senior instead of a junior next year, and he wanted to live out his last year of high school doing all the things he had always wanted to do instead of just doing what people expected him to do. From now on, Kris Allen was going to be true to himself.
Kris had arrived at school early on purpose this morning, having his father drop him off, so that he could put his plans into action. He walked down the halls, feeling the eyes of the other early arrivals on him, as he didn't look at all like he usually did. Kris had traded his usual plaid shirt for a skin tight white tee that showed off his nicely defined biceps and pecs, and he was wearing the skin tight dark blue jeans he had worn on his Saturday night date with Adam. He was also wearing the tan flip flops Katy had helped picked out for him when she had taken him shopping for his date, and there was gel and mousse in his hair, giving it a new, distinct style. While he had no intention of never wearing plaid again, Kris had to admit the new look was a winner. He rounded the corner, ignoring the stares that seemed to follow him, headed for Coach Zimmerman's office. His first order of business was to quit the baseball team.
The office door was open, and the coach sat behind his desk, going over the team roster when Kris walked in. Kris cleared his throat nervously, anticipating the harsh reaction to his news. The coach would not be happy about his Captain quitting the team when they had only three games left in the regular season and were playoff favorites, but Kris would stand his ground. There was nothing anyone could do to stop him from finally being who he was always meant to be.
“Kris! What can I do ya for?” Coach Zimmerman boomed, motioning for Kris to sit down. He was a rotund, red- faced, balding man in his early fifties with a quick temper, and Kris had an idea that he would be on the receiving end of said temper any second now.
“Well, sir,” Kris began, “as you know I will be graduating a year early. There are things I have come to realize about myself lately, and I couldn't be happier about these realizations. I've been doing a lot of things my whole life because people around here expected them of me rather than because they were what I wanted to do, but no more. One of those things is baseball. I don't hate it or anything, but there are a million and one other things I'd rather be doing besides that.” Kris took a deep breath. “I'm quitting the team,” he blurted out.
Coach Zimmerman stared at Kris in obvious horror. “You're WHAT?!?!” he screamed. “You can't quit the team! What brought this on? You're the best pitcher I've got, and the only one on the whole team who can do a decent job of playing almost every position in a pinch. You'll ruin our chances for the playoffs if you leave now! You can't be serious, Kris. Now what brought this on?”
Kris stared for a second. The coach's outburst was not unexpected, and Kris stood his ground.
“A lot of personal changes happened last week, sir. I realize I am putting you in a pinch, and I apologize for just springing this on you like this. I also think when you hear what those changes are, you, and the rest of the team, will realize that my quitting is best.”
Coach Zimmerman continued to stare at Kris in disbelief. “Kris, I cannot think of anything that would make me or anyone else on the team not want you there. You've carried this team since you joined it. Now what are you talking about?”
The coach seemed thoroughly confused, and Kris decided to enlighten him. He stared Coach Zimmerman straight in the eye and said, “Most of the school knows by now that I broke up with Katy O'Connell last week. What they don't know, what none of you know but are about to find out is why Katy and I broke up. We split because I'm gay. I'm gay and I am dating Adam Lambert,” Kris finished.
Coach Zimmerman's mouth literally dropped open with shock. “You can't be serious. Son, lots of kids have all kinds of confusing times. It's part of being a teenager. Maybe you're just going through a phase-”
“No,” Kris interrupted. “Stop right there. I've always known, I guess, and was just in denial. At any rate, I am well aware of how most of the guys on the team would take this, and while you, being a teacher, can't say much against it to me inside these walls, I am aware of your feelings on the matter as well. No way would the guys want to shower with a gay guy in the locker rooms, and even beyond that, I am opening myself up to go from being one of the most popular kids in this school to being one of the most hated. I am willing to bet that will have happened by the end of the day. So I think what I am doing is best. Besides, I have a whole list of groups I want to get involved in come next year, and activities I want to pursue. I am sorry, sir, but baseball is not on that list.”
Coach Zimmerman stood and leaned over his desk, his already perpetually red face even redder with fury and inches from Kris's own. “You're telling me some theater fag is taking my baseball captain and turning him into a fairy? I won't have it. There's something I can do about this, and goddammit, I am going to find out what it is. You need to tell Katy you're sorry and go back out with her, and ditch that Lambert fruit. If you're gonna be a fag, you're not gonna do it in this school, and you're not gonna ruin my baseball season because you got a wild hair up your ass and suddenly decided you wanna suck cock.”
Kris stood too, also furious. “I was prepared for a reaction like this, and I just recorded everything you said on my cell phone. You're the one who just ruined the team's season, because you just lost yourself your job. If you aren't fired for talking to me the way you just did, I'll sue, and get the town, the county, the state, and the school more negative publicity than you ever thought possible. I'll get the ACLU involved if I have to.”
Coach Zimmerman looked genuinely terrified at Kris's words, but still had anger and disgust written all over his face. “You wouldn't dare,” he hissed.
“Try me,” Kris said, just as forcefully. “I got nothing to lose. The news will be all over the school by mid morning anyway, and I'll get helpings of what you just gave me served up in spades, I am sure. But this conversation is over. If you'll excuse me, I have to go see Mr. Maston. He needs to hear this tape.”
With that, Kris turned on his heel, and headed toward the principal's office, checking his phone to see what kind of time he had left. Great. Half an hour until the first bell rang. Plenty of time to get the arrogant, bigoted coach fired. He didn't even feel the slightest bit guilty, because he was sure he'd get his punishment from his former teammates in spades when they found out about him. Kris was a million miles away and so focused on his destination that he wasn't looking where he was going and ran headlong into Adam, who was just coming around the corner from the double doors at the entrance by the main office. Kris's furious state must have been written all over his face, as his thoughts always were, because, after keeping him from falling, Adam looked at him with concern.
“Hey, what's going on baby? You look upset.”
“I just quit the baseball team, and the coach had quite a few choice words for me. I have the whole conversation recorded, and I am headed to see Mr. Maston about it now. Wanna come with?”
“Of course I do,” Adam said in a reassuring voice, kissing Kris softly on the cheek.
After the kiss, Adam froze, obviously horrified at what he had done. “Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that where people might see,” he said in a rush. “No way did I intend to pressure you into coming out.”
“Adam, relax,” Kris said, slipping his phone back into his pocket so that he could lock his arms around Adam's waist. Adam returned the gesture, wrapping Kris up in a protective embrace. “By the end of the day, this whole school is going to know we're together. By the end of the week, the whole town will know. And I wouldn't have it any other way.”
Kris smiled at Adam, kissing him soundly on the lips right there in the hallway, ignoring the fact that students were starting to fill the hallway as it got closer to the bell. He instinctively knew that people had stopped and stared, and when he pulled away from Adam, He turned around to see shocked faces, some openly disgusted. Nobody said anything, until, finally, someone in the small crowd said, “You fags need to keep that shit to yourselves. It should be illegal, but since it's not, at least spare us normal folks from having to look at it.”
Kris recognized the voice of Aaron, one of his former baseball teammates, and, at Aaron's words, an ominous murmur of agreement spread through the growing crowd. Luckily, the principal chose that moment to exit the main office and ran right into the scene.
“What is going on here? All of you need to disperse and go to whatever early appointments you might have. You have less than thirty minutes until the first bell.” He stared around, frowning, and then his eyes landed on Kris and Adam, Adam's arm still around Kris, and realization lit up his face. He cleared his throat, and, more loudly this time, told the students to continue on to where ever they had to go. When the crowd was gone, Adam and Kris turned to Mr. Maston.
“We were just on our way to see you sir,” Kris told him nervously. “I have a conversation I need you to listen to, and I think the scene you just interrupted shows that there are few things we need to decide how to handle before things go any further.”
Mr. Maston sighed. “I agree. Let's go into my office.”
Mr. Maston led Adam and Kris through the main office and down a short corridor to his own office, and shut the door. He sat down behind his desk, and gestured for Kris and Adam to take the two chairs on the other side.
“OK,” he sighed. “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the two of you are in some kind of relationship, and that you intend to be open about it. I personally think it is a mistake, and that you are doing nothing more than painting targets on yourselves. However, that is not my decision to make, and I cannot force you to do- or not do- anything you don't want to do. Now, I will not allow open hostility to happen, but obviously I cannot be everywhere at once. Furthermore, it isn't for me to decide people's personal feelings on this. I can protect you as best I can, and inform the entire faculty and staff of the situation at the meeting tomorrow, and order them all, no matter their own feelings on the matter, to protect you both and stop any harassment that may come your way. But I hope you know that the end of this school year and all of next will be no picnic for either of you. Now, what is this about your wanting me to hear something, Kris?”
Kris took his phone from his pocket and searched through the audio media until he found the conversation he'd had with the baseball coach. Without a word, he started the recording.
Mr. Maston listened, his face registering shock when the recording reached the coach's homophobia- filled rant. When it stopped, Mr. Maston let out a sigh.
“I don't personally have the authority to fire the man, but I do have the authority to suspend him until further notice. I'll also have to make some calls to the district office immediately. Anyone who speaks to a student like that, no matter personal feelings on any of that student's choices, has to be removed from the classroom immediately. I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better for both of you, and I don't want any incidents. I am going to invite the superintendent here for the staff meeting tomorrow, and I will hold an emergency assembly addressing this issue for the entire student body during the day tomorrow. But, the first order of business is to inform Coach Zimmerman of his suspension before the bell rings, and to announce the cancellation of baseball practice for the rest of the week. As for the two of you, like I said, I don't want any incidents before this issue is addressed with everyone, and if the little scene I interrupted this morning is any indication, I think that is a very real possibility. I am excusing the two of you from school for today and tomorrow, and will make sure you receive any missed assignments via email. This is not a suspension; you are certainly welcome to stay if you like. I am not punishing you. But I suggest you take a couple of days off until this is addressed, for your own safety.”
Mr. Maston looked at Kris and Adam with a very serious expression on his face. “I admire your bravery, boys, I really do. But I hope you know what you are doing. Adam, you have been through this before, but it was a little different because you weren't openly dating one of the most popular boys in school. The students here will not take kindly to this. I also suspect that you, Kris, will be blamed if the baseball team suffers, and that will only intensify any homophobia already present in people's minds. I cannot stress to the two of you enough how important it is not to roam the school alone, or the town either, for that matter. I can do my best to control the environment and enforce the non- discrimination policy. However, I cannot promise that nothing will happen. At any rate, I need to address Coach Zimmerman. Go home, boys. I'll see you on Wednesday. Please arrive a little early and come straight to my office, preferably together.”
Kris and Adam stood. “Thank you, sir,” Kris said respectfully. “I really appreciate you going to all this trouble for us.”
Adam echoed Kris's thanks, and they left together, hearing the secretary summoning Coach Zimmerman to Mr. Maston's office over the loudspeaker as they exited the building by way of the office staff entrance that the principal had pointed them to so that they could avoid having to walk through the crowd of students sure to be in the hallway this close to the bell. Luckily, Adam had snagged a spot in the senior lot right by the entrance, and they were able to get into the car unnoticed.
Both Kris and Adam breathed sighs of relief after they were locked safely inside the Mustang, and Adam tore out of the parking lot, getting as far as possible from the school as quickly as possible. They might have a lot to face when they got back, but Kris had every confidence that the principal would not allow them to be openly harassed.
Adam drove to Kris's house, and without a word, got out when Kris motioned for him to come in. Luckily, Kris's mother was working from home this morning. She worked for an advertising agency and had an office in the house where she could work from if she so chose.
The boys walked in to find Kim on the phone, her laptop perched on her knees and a notepad in her hand. She looked up in surprise, and quickly told the client she was talking to that she would call back with more information later.
Kim looked from Kris to Adam, apprehension written all over her face, and Kris decided to tell her the whole truth and let her handle it. They would also inform Adam's parents of the morning's events as soon as they got home from work that evening. This was a situation that was more than likely about to become quite a battle- the Allens and the Lamberts versus the townspeople of Conway, Arkansas.
After Kim heard the whole story, she was outraged. “I cannot believe that coach spoke to you that way,” she ranted. “I expect this sort of behavior from ignorant children, but certainly not an adult in a position of authority over impressionable teenagers. I am glad Mr. Maston is taking a swift, aggressive stand on this, but I am getting involved myself. Give me a few minutes. I am going to change, and I am also calling a lawyer I know in Little Rock who specializes in discrimination cases. If she can see us immediately, I want to take a trip there with you boys, explain the situation, and see what kind of action needs to be taken. I know that Mr. Maston intends to protect the two of you at school. But what about around town? He can't do anything with regards to that, and furthermore, he can't see every little thing that happens within the walls of the school, even. I will not tolerate any harassment pointed at the two of you, period.”
Adam and Kris sat on the couch together after Kim went upstairs to change, and Adam wrapped his arms around Kris, kissing him tenderly then saying, “It's gonna be OK, baby. Our parents will take care of this. It might get ugly though. Are you ready for that?”
Kris kissed Adam back and said, in a voice full of confidence, “I'm ready for anything. I want to be with you. I know we've only had one date, but I want to be your boyfriend and I want the whole world to know how I feel about you. I'd never ask you to hide, and I don't want to hide either.”
Adam smiled at that, and they kissed on the couch until they heard Kim clearing her throat in the doorway to the living room. Her cheeks were a little pink, and she looked embarrassed at having walked in on their make out session. But when she spoke, her voice was steady and determined.
“The lawyer will see us in three hours. We should get going. We can stop for breakfast on the way. Little Rock is a little under two hours from here. Adam, I already called both of your parents at work. I hope you don't mind, but I already knew where they both work, and I thought they should know what is going on. Your mother gave me the go ahead to nip this harassment problem in the bud immediately by any means necessary. Now, both of you use the bathroom so that we can get going.”
Kris's face turned beet red at the bathroom suggestion, and he looked at his mother, slightly horrified. “Mom, we're not babies. We don't have to be made to go to the bathroom,” he said, but he smiled to soften the blow of his words. “ I do need to go though.”
“I do, too,” Adam piped up. The boys headed towards the downstairs bathroom, and Kim looked after them with a grin.
“There's only one toilet in there, you know,” she called at their retreating backs. Kris laughed delightedly, thanking his lucky stars that he and Adam had such great families.
Once inside the bathroom, Kris politely turned his back so that Adam could go first, and Adam laughed at him, “Kris, I know we haven't been doing this very long, but it isn't like you haven't see my cock before, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll be seeing a lot more of it. “
With that, Adam lifted the toilet seat and did his business, with Kris looking on unabashedly. Perhaps this was a mistake, because when it was Kris's turn, he had a little problem. Blushing furiously, he tried to will his erection down so that he could use the bathroom and they could be on their way. Adam, however, had other ideas. Without a word, he reached around from behind and stroked Kris firmly with a spit- slick hand, and soon Kris was painting his t- shirt and Adam's hand in pearly white cum. He turned around to return the favor, but Adam shook his head no.
“Hurry up and pee, and I'll go find you something to put on. Consider that a thank you for being so brave. That little number you wore Saturday night clean?”
“Yeah,” Kris said as he urinated into the bowl. I'll wipe myself down and you go get it. Remember where my room is? The backpack I used over the weekend is on my bed. The shirt is in there. Bring it down, and I can change in here. You're right, we need to get going.”
By the time Kris had finished his makeshift cleanup, Adam had returned with the shirt, along with the black flip- flops instead of the tan ones Kris was wearing. Once they were finished, they hurried out to the living room to an impatient Kim Allen, who already had her purse and car keys, and was waiting by the door. “No more joint bathroom trips for you boys. Takes too long, let's go.”
After stopping at the nearest McDonald's drive- thru for hash browns, coffee, and sausage biscuits, the trio was on their way. Traffic was light, and they arrived at Lincoln, Emory, and Associates, Attorneys at Law with twenty minutes to spare.
Kim told the receptionist that she had an 11 AM appointment with one Ellis Emory, and she paged the lawyer and told them to be seated until he was ready to see them. Kris was nervous. This situation was getting to be a lot bigger than he ever could have imagined. His life had certainly gotten a lot more interesting in the last week. Adam squeezed Kris's hand in reassurance repeatedly as they waited, and Kris snuggled closer. He thought he might be falling in love, and that was just fine with him. He, Adam, and their families would get through this together.
After roughly fifteen minutes, a tall, thin lady in a gray business suit and black heels came out to greet them. She shook Kim and the boys' hands warmly and told them to follow her back to her office. She had introduced herself to Kris and Adam as Ellis Emory, one of the founding partners in the firm. She was a good looking lady with strong Nordic features, her blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun. She gave the air of brooking no nonsense and being tough as nails, and this served to heighten Kris's confidence that the situation would be resolved in a quick, satisfactory manner.
After settling themselves in the office, the first thing Ellis Emory wanted to do was make a copy of the recording of Kris's conversation with Coach Zimmerman, and Kris handed his phone over and let her do it, watching with great satisfaction as she loaded it onto her desktop, laptop, and iPod.
After she made sure she had the conversation saved in several places, and listening to Kim relay what had happened to the boys at school that morning, Ellis Emory seemed satisfied.
“This is an open and shut case. I'll do the talking. If need be, I'll visit the district office with you tomorrow, but I don't think that will be necessary. I will lean on them to implement a zero tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind immediately, fire the baseball coach, and expel anyone known to harass Adam and Kris or anyone else in that school. If there is retaliation outside of school from parents of homophobic students, I'll bring in the ACLU and turn this into a national case. I'll sue the school board and the entire district on your behalf if I have to. I don't think it will come to that though. When I am done with the principal and superintendent this afternoon, believe me, they will make sure that no further harassment happens. And Coach Zimmerman will never teach or coach in Arkansas again, mark my words. If I need further information, I will be in touch. Let me know if anything else happens. Enjoy your time off, and I will meet you all in Mr. Maston's office at 7:30 AM Wednesday morning. Have a good day.” The lawyer stood, signaling the end of the meeting.
After their satisfactory consultation, Kim, Kris, and Adam set out to return to Conway. Once back into town, Kim asked Adam if he'd like to invite his mother over to discuss what would happen next. It seemed the lawyer would move quickly and make sure there was no harassment, but she seemed to want to make sure all parental figures involved were well informed and on top of things. Adam agreed, and sent her a text asking her to come to the Allen residence after work.
Kris felt an enormous sense of relief at the parental take over. He knew that he and Adam would certainly not have been able to handle this on their own. After enjoying a lunch of the same Chinese take out that Kris had come out to his mother over, he and Adam took a long nap in Kris's room upstairs while Kim finished her work for the day.
When the boys awakened, it was after five, and they went downstairs to find Kim deep in conversation with Leila Lambert. They looked up as Kris and Adam entered the room, and Leila beckoned for the boys to join them. “We were just discussing everything that happened today, and we have decided that an aggressive, zero tolerance approach is what is needed here,” Leila said. “Kim and I are in agreement that we will get whatever organizations we can find involved if there are any more incidents. We will go with you to Mr. Maston's office on Wednesday morning, along with Ellis Emory.”
“Good,” Kris said, smiling at Kim and Leila. “Thank you guys for being here for us. I'm not sure how we would have handled it on our own.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
On Wednesday morning,Ellis Emory met Kris, Adam, Leila, and Kim at the Starbucks two blocks from the high school to brief them on her conversation with the superintendent. They sipped lattes and listened, impressed with the way she had leaned on the man to implement a zero tolerance policy on discrimination immediately.
“ I told him that if there was any more harassment that went unpunished from faculty, staff, or students, I'd get the ACLU and the national media involved,” she told them. “He also has no choice but to fire Coach Zimmerman. The baseball team will have to forfeit the rest of the season without a coach, but that is Coach Zimmerman's fault and no one else's. If you catch any heat from anyone on this, come straight to me, and I'll take care of it. Any student who harasses you will be expelled, especially if the harassment is of a physical nature. Mr. Maston held a two- period long assembly on tolerance yesterday, and he announced the new policy during the afternoon announcements. Letters detailing it went home with every student yesterday, and are to be returned by the end of the week, signed by parents and students alike. Anyone who objects will face the possibility of being expelled from Conway High School. They do not have to like the rules, but they do have to abide by them.”
The lawyer stood, signaling the end of the meeting, and Leila, Kim, Adam, and Kris followed her out the door, waving as she got into her Lexus and drove away. They then parted ways, Kris and Adam in Adam's Mustang, and Leila and Kim in Kim's Honda Accord, and headed for the high school.
Once inside Mr. Maston's office, they were assured that the problem had been addressed effectively, and anyone found to be in violation of the new policies would be severely punished. Satisfied, Ellis Emory, Leila and Kim left by way of the staff entrance, and Kris and Adam took simultaneous deep breaths, joined hands, and walked out into the hallway as a couple for the first time.
Kris couldn't help smiling. He didn't care how many friends he had lost because of his coming out with Adam, because he was finally being who he was. He and Adam walked down the hallway holding hands. They got many stares, some filled with obvious disgust, but no one said anything. They might face opposition, but thanks to a wonderful support system, coming out had been a lot easier than he could have ever dreamed.
Author: glambertgalore
Pairing: Kradam, who else?
Summary: Kris and Adam come out at school
Rating: NC-17 to be safe
Warnings: A bit of homophobia, but nothing too too terrible, some angst
Setting: AU, HS, set in Arkansas-Kris and Adam will graduate the same year. Kris is a year younger than Adam in this story. He will graduate early. Sequel to Coming Home
Beta: None, all mistakes are my own
Author's Notes: Here is a little something to tide you all over while I do some research on Balinese culture for the WIP. The need for that brought the actual writing of How It Always Should have been to a grinding halt, but I am working on it. Hope you enjoy this in the meantime.
Coming Out
Kris Allen walked into Conway High School one Monday morning in early April feeling like a new man. The week before had been a whirlwind of life- changing revelations and decisions, and he couldn't be happier. He had broken up with his girlfriend, gained a boyfriend, and come out to his family. Now it was time to make the other changes that he had decided on. It was the end of sophomore year, and he would be graduating early, making him a senior instead of a junior next year, and he wanted to live out his last year of high school doing all the things he had always wanted to do instead of just doing what people expected him to do. From now on, Kris Allen was going to be true to himself.
Kris had arrived at school early on purpose this morning, having his father drop him off, so that he could put his plans into action. He walked down the halls, feeling the eyes of the other early arrivals on him, as he didn't look at all like he usually did. Kris had traded his usual plaid shirt for a skin tight white tee that showed off his nicely defined biceps and pecs, and he was wearing the skin tight dark blue jeans he had worn on his Saturday night date with Adam. He was also wearing the tan flip flops Katy had helped picked out for him when she had taken him shopping for his date, and there was gel and mousse in his hair, giving it a new, distinct style. While he had no intention of never wearing plaid again, Kris had to admit the new look was a winner. He rounded the corner, ignoring the stares that seemed to follow him, headed for Coach Zimmerman's office. His first order of business was to quit the baseball team.
The office door was open, and the coach sat behind his desk, going over the team roster when Kris walked in. Kris cleared his throat nervously, anticipating the harsh reaction to his news. The coach would not be happy about his Captain quitting the team when they had only three games left in the regular season and were playoff favorites, but Kris would stand his ground. There was nothing anyone could do to stop him from finally being who he was always meant to be.
“Kris! What can I do ya for?” Coach Zimmerman boomed, motioning for Kris to sit down. He was a rotund, red- faced, balding man in his early fifties with a quick temper, and Kris had an idea that he would be on the receiving end of said temper any second now.
“Well, sir,” Kris began, “as you know I will be graduating a year early. There are things I have come to realize about myself lately, and I couldn't be happier about these realizations. I've been doing a lot of things my whole life because people around here expected them of me rather than because they were what I wanted to do, but no more. One of those things is baseball. I don't hate it or anything, but there are a million and one other things I'd rather be doing besides that.” Kris took a deep breath. “I'm quitting the team,” he blurted out.
Coach Zimmerman stared at Kris in obvious horror. “You're WHAT?!?!” he screamed. “You can't quit the team! What brought this on? You're the best pitcher I've got, and the only one on the whole team who can do a decent job of playing almost every position in a pinch. You'll ruin our chances for the playoffs if you leave now! You can't be serious, Kris. Now what brought this on?”
Kris stared for a second. The coach's outburst was not unexpected, and Kris stood his ground.
“A lot of personal changes happened last week, sir. I realize I am putting you in a pinch, and I apologize for just springing this on you like this. I also think when you hear what those changes are, you, and the rest of the team, will realize that my quitting is best.”
Coach Zimmerman continued to stare at Kris in disbelief. “Kris, I cannot think of anything that would make me or anyone else on the team not want you there. You've carried this team since you joined it. Now what are you talking about?”
The coach seemed thoroughly confused, and Kris decided to enlighten him. He stared Coach Zimmerman straight in the eye and said, “Most of the school knows by now that I broke up with Katy O'Connell last week. What they don't know, what none of you know but are about to find out is why Katy and I broke up. We split because I'm gay. I'm gay and I am dating Adam Lambert,” Kris finished.
Coach Zimmerman's mouth literally dropped open with shock. “You can't be serious. Son, lots of kids have all kinds of confusing times. It's part of being a teenager. Maybe you're just going through a phase-”
“No,” Kris interrupted. “Stop right there. I've always known, I guess, and was just in denial. At any rate, I am well aware of how most of the guys on the team would take this, and while you, being a teacher, can't say much against it to me inside these walls, I am aware of your feelings on the matter as well. No way would the guys want to shower with a gay guy in the locker rooms, and even beyond that, I am opening myself up to go from being one of the most popular kids in this school to being one of the most hated. I am willing to bet that will have happened by the end of the day. So I think what I am doing is best. Besides, I have a whole list of groups I want to get involved in come next year, and activities I want to pursue. I am sorry, sir, but baseball is not on that list.”
Coach Zimmerman stood and leaned over his desk, his already perpetually red face even redder with fury and inches from Kris's own. “You're telling me some theater fag is taking my baseball captain and turning him into a fairy? I won't have it. There's something I can do about this, and goddammit, I am going to find out what it is. You need to tell Katy you're sorry and go back out with her, and ditch that Lambert fruit. If you're gonna be a fag, you're not gonna do it in this school, and you're not gonna ruin my baseball season because you got a wild hair up your ass and suddenly decided you wanna suck cock.”
Kris stood too, also furious. “I was prepared for a reaction like this, and I just recorded everything you said on my cell phone. You're the one who just ruined the team's season, because you just lost yourself your job. If you aren't fired for talking to me the way you just did, I'll sue, and get the town, the county, the state, and the school more negative publicity than you ever thought possible. I'll get the ACLU involved if I have to.”
Coach Zimmerman looked genuinely terrified at Kris's words, but still had anger and disgust written all over his face. “You wouldn't dare,” he hissed.
“Try me,” Kris said, just as forcefully. “I got nothing to lose. The news will be all over the school by mid morning anyway, and I'll get helpings of what you just gave me served up in spades, I am sure. But this conversation is over. If you'll excuse me, I have to go see Mr. Maston. He needs to hear this tape.”
With that, Kris turned on his heel, and headed toward the principal's office, checking his phone to see what kind of time he had left. Great. Half an hour until the first bell rang. Plenty of time to get the arrogant, bigoted coach fired. He didn't even feel the slightest bit guilty, because he was sure he'd get his punishment from his former teammates in spades when they found out about him. Kris was a million miles away and so focused on his destination that he wasn't looking where he was going and ran headlong into Adam, who was just coming around the corner from the double doors at the entrance by the main office. Kris's furious state must have been written all over his face, as his thoughts always were, because, after keeping him from falling, Adam looked at him with concern.
“Hey, what's going on baby? You look upset.”
“I just quit the baseball team, and the coach had quite a few choice words for me. I have the whole conversation recorded, and I am headed to see Mr. Maston about it now. Wanna come with?”
“Of course I do,” Adam said in a reassuring voice, kissing Kris softly on the cheek.
After the kiss, Adam froze, obviously horrified at what he had done. “Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that where people might see,” he said in a rush. “No way did I intend to pressure you into coming out.”
“Adam, relax,” Kris said, slipping his phone back into his pocket so that he could lock his arms around Adam's waist. Adam returned the gesture, wrapping Kris up in a protective embrace. “By the end of the day, this whole school is going to know we're together. By the end of the week, the whole town will know. And I wouldn't have it any other way.”
Kris smiled at Adam, kissing him soundly on the lips right there in the hallway, ignoring the fact that students were starting to fill the hallway as it got closer to the bell. He instinctively knew that people had stopped and stared, and when he pulled away from Adam, He turned around to see shocked faces, some openly disgusted. Nobody said anything, until, finally, someone in the small crowd said, “You fags need to keep that shit to yourselves. It should be illegal, but since it's not, at least spare us normal folks from having to look at it.”
Kris recognized the voice of Aaron, one of his former baseball teammates, and, at Aaron's words, an ominous murmur of agreement spread through the growing crowd. Luckily, the principal chose that moment to exit the main office and ran right into the scene.
“What is going on here? All of you need to disperse and go to whatever early appointments you might have. You have less than thirty minutes until the first bell.” He stared around, frowning, and then his eyes landed on Kris and Adam, Adam's arm still around Kris, and realization lit up his face. He cleared his throat, and, more loudly this time, told the students to continue on to where ever they had to go. When the crowd was gone, Adam and Kris turned to Mr. Maston.
“We were just on our way to see you sir,” Kris told him nervously. “I have a conversation I need you to listen to, and I think the scene you just interrupted shows that there are few things we need to decide how to handle before things go any further.”
Mr. Maston sighed. “I agree. Let's go into my office.”
Mr. Maston led Adam and Kris through the main office and down a short corridor to his own office, and shut the door. He sat down behind his desk, and gestured for Kris and Adam to take the two chairs on the other side.
“OK,” he sighed. “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the two of you are in some kind of relationship, and that you intend to be open about it. I personally think it is a mistake, and that you are doing nothing more than painting targets on yourselves. However, that is not my decision to make, and I cannot force you to do- or not do- anything you don't want to do. Now, I will not allow open hostility to happen, but obviously I cannot be everywhere at once. Furthermore, it isn't for me to decide people's personal feelings on this. I can protect you as best I can, and inform the entire faculty and staff of the situation at the meeting tomorrow, and order them all, no matter their own feelings on the matter, to protect you both and stop any harassment that may come your way. But I hope you know that the end of this school year and all of next will be no picnic for either of you. Now, what is this about your wanting me to hear something, Kris?”
Kris took his phone from his pocket and searched through the audio media until he found the conversation he'd had with the baseball coach. Without a word, he started the recording.
Mr. Maston listened, his face registering shock when the recording reached the coach's homophobia- filled rant. When it stopped, Mr. Maston let out a sigh.
“I don't personally have the authority to fire the man, but I do have the authority to suspend him until further notice. I'll also have to make some calls to the district office immediately. Anyone who speaks to a student like that, no matter personal feelings on any of that student's choices, has to be removed from the classroom immediately. I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better for both of you, and I don't want any incidents. I am going to invite the superintendent here for the staff meeting tomorrow, and I will hold an emergency assembly addressing this issue for the entire student body during the day tomorrow. But, the first order of business is to inform Coach Zimmerman of his suspension before the bell rings, and to announce the cancellation of baseball practice for the rest of the week. As for the two of you, like I said, I don't want any incidents before this issue is addressed with everyone, and if the little scene I interrupted this morning is any indication, I think that is a very real possibility. I am excusing the two of you from school for today and tomorrow, and will make sure you receive any missed assignments via email. This is not a suspension; you are certainly welcome to stay if you like. I am not punishing you. But I suggest you take a couple of days off until this is addressed, for your own safety.”
Mr. Maston looked at Kris and Adam with a very serious expression on his face. “I admire your bravery, boys, I really do. But I hope you know what you are doing. Adam, you have been through this before, but it was a little different because you weren't openly dating one of the most popular boys in school. The students here will not take kindly to this. I also suspect that you, Kris, will be blamed if the baseball team suffers, and that will only intensify any homophobia already present in people's minds. I cannot stress to the two of you enough how important it is not to roam the school alone, or the town either, for that matter. I can do my best to control the environment and enforce the non- discrimination policy. However, I cannot promise that nothing will happen. At any rate, I need to address Coach Zimmerman. Go home, boys. I'll see you on Wednesday. Please arrive a little early and come straight to my office, preferably together.”
Kris and Adam stood. “Thank you, sir,” Kris said respectfully. “I really appreciate you going to all this trouble for us.”
Adam echoed Kris's thanks, and they left together, hearing the secretary summoning Coach Zimmerman to Mr. Maston's office over the loudspeaker as they exited the building by way of the office staff entrance that the principal had pointed them to so that they could avoid having to walk through the crowd of students sure to be in the hallway this close to the bell. Luckily, Adam had snagged a spot in the senior lot right by the entrance, and they were able to get into the car unnoticed.
Both Kris and Adam breathed sighs of relief after they were locked safely inside the Mustang, and Adam tore out of the parking lot, getting as far as possible from the school as quickly as possible. They might have a lot to face when they got back, but Kris had every confidence that the principal would not allow them to be openly harassed.
Adam drove to Kris's house, and without a word, got out when Kris motioned for him to come in. Luckily, Kris's mother was working from home this morning. She worked for an advertising agency and had an office in the house where she could work from if she so chose.
The boys walked in to find Kim on the phone, her laptop perched on her knees and a notepad in her hand. She looked up in surprise, and quickly told the client she was talking to that she would call back with more information later.
Kim looked from Kris to Adam, apprehension written all over her face, and Kris decided to tell her the whole truth and let her handle it. They would also inform Adam's parents of the morning's events as soon as they got home from work that evening. This was a situation that was more than likely about to become quite a battle- the Allens and the Lamberts versus the townspeople of Conway, Arkansas.
After Kim heard the whole story, she was outraged. “I cannot believe that coach spoke to you that way,” she ranted. “I expect this sort of behavior from ignorant children, but certainly not an adult in a position of authority over impressionable teenagers. I am glad Mr. Maston is taking a swift, aggressive stand on this, but I am getting involved myself. Give me a few minutes. I am going to change, and I am also calling a lawyer I know in Little Rock who specializes in discrimination cases. If she can see us immediately, I want to take a trip there with you boys, explain the situation, and see what kind of action needs to be taken. I know that Mr. Maston intends to protect the two of you at school. But what about around town? He can't do anything with regards to that, and furthermore, he can't see every little thing that happens within the walls of the school, even. I will not tolerate any harassment pointed at the two of you, period.”
Adam and Kris sat on the couch together after Kim went upstairs to change, and Adam wrapped his arms around Kris, kissing him tenderly then saying, “It's gonna be OK, baby. Our parents will take care of this. It might get ugly though. Are you ready for that?”
Kris kissed Adam back and said, in a voice full of confidence, “I'm ready for anything. I want to be with you. I know we've only had one date, but I want to be your boyfriend and I want the whole world to know how I feel about you. I'd never ask you to hide, and I don't want to hide either.”
Adam smiled at that, and they kissed on the couch until they heard Kim clearing her throat in the doorway to the living room. Her cheeks were a little pink, and she looked embarrassed at having walked in on their make out session. But when she spoke, her voice was steady and determined.
“The lawyer will see us in three hours. We should get going. We can stop for breakfast on the way. Little Rock is a little under two hours from here. Adam, I already called both of your parents at work. I hope you don't mind, but I already knew where they both work, and I thought they should know what is going on. Your mother gave me the go ahead to nip this harassment problem in the bud immediately by any means necessary. Now, both of you use the bathroom so that we can get going.”
Kris's face turned beet red at the bathroom suggestion, and he looked at his mother, slightly horrified. “Mom, we're not babies. We don't have to be made to go to the bathroom,” he said, but he smiled to soften the blow of his words. “ I do need to go though.”
“I do, too,” Adam piped up. The boys headed towards the downstairs bathroom, and Kim looked after them with a grin.
“There's only one toilet in there, you know,” she called at their retreating backs. Kris laughed delightedly, thanking his lucky stars that he and Adam had such great families.
Once inside the bathroom, Kris politely turned his back so that Adam could go first, and Adam laughed at him, “Kris, I know we haven't been doing this very long, but it isn't like you haven't see my cock before, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll be seeing a lot more of it. “
With that, Adam lifted the toilet seat and did his business, with Kris looking on unabashedly. Perhaps this was a mistake, because when it was Kris's turn, he had a little problem. Blushing furiously, he tried to will his erection down so that he could use the bathroom and they could be on their way. Adam, however, had other ideas. Without a word, he reached around from behind and stroked Kris firmly with a spit- slick hand, and soon Kris was painting his t- shirt and Adam's hand in pearly white cum. He turned around to return the favor, but Adam shook his head no.
“Hurry up and pee, and I'll go find you something to put on. Consider that a thank you for being so brave. That little number you wore Saturday night clean?”
“Yeah,” Kris said as he urinated into the bowl. I'll wipe myself down and you go get it. Remember where my room is? The backpack I used over the weekend is on my bed. The shirt is in there. Bring it down, and I can change in here. You're right, we need to get going.”
By the time Kris had finished his makeshift cleanup, Adam had returned with the shirt, along with the black flip- flops instead of the tan ones Kris was wearing. Once they were finished, they hurried out to the living room to an impatient Kim Allen, who already had her purse and car keys, and was waiting by the door. “No more joint bathroom trips for you boys. Takes too long, let's go.”
After stopping at the nearest McDonald's drive- thru for hash browns, coffee, and sausage biscuits, the trio was on their way. Traffic was light, and they arrived at Lincoln, Emory, and Associates, Attorneys at Law with twenty minutes to spare.
Kim told the receptionist that she had an 11 AM appointment with one Ellis Emory, and she paged the lawyer and told them to be seated until he was ready to see them. Kris was nervous. This situation was getting to be a lot bigger than he ever could have imagined. His life had certainly gotten a lot more interesting in the last week. Adam squeezed Kris's hand in reassurance repeatedly as they waited, and Kris snuggled closer. He thought he might be falling in love, and that was just fine with him. He, Adam, and their families would get through this together.
After roughly fifteen minutes, a tall, thin lady in a gray business suit and black heels came out to greet them. She shook Kim and the boys' hands warmly and told them to follow her back to her office. She had introduced herself to Kris and Adam as Ellis Emory, one of the founding partners in the firm. She was a good looking lady with strong Nordic features, her blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun. She gave the air of brooking no nonsense and being tough as nails, and this served to heighten Kris's confidence that the situation would be resolved in a quick, satisfactory manner.
After settling themselves in the office, the first thing Ellis Emory wanted to do was make a copy of the recording of Kris's conversation with Coach Zimmerman, and Kris handed his phone over and let her do it, watching with great satisfaction as she loaded it onto her desktop, laptop, and iPod.
After she made sure she had the conversation saved in several places, and listening to Kim relay what had happened to the boys at school that morning, Ellis Emory seemed satisfied.
“This is an open and shut case. I'll do the talking. If need be, I'll visit the district office with you tomorrow, but I don't think that will be necessary. I will lean on them to implement a zero tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind immediately, fire the baseball coach, and expel anyone known to harass Adam and Kris or anyone else in that school. If there is retaliation outside of school from parents of homophobic students, I'll bring in the ACLU and turn this into a national case. I'll sue the school board and the entire district on your behalf if I have to. I don't think it will come to that though. When I am done with the principal and superintendent this afternoon, believe me, they will make sure that no further harassment happens. And Coach Zimmerman will never teach or coach in Arkansas again, mark my words. If I need further information, I will be in touch. Let me know if anything else happens. Enjoy your time off, and I will meet you all in Mr. Maston's office at 7:30 AM Wednesday morning. Have a good day.” The lawyer stood, signaling the end of the meeting.
After their satisfactory consultation, Kim, Kris, and Adam set out to return to Conway. Once back into town, Kim asked Adam if he'd like to invite his mother over to discuss what would happen next. It seemed the lawyer would move quickly and make sure there was no harassment, but she seemed to want to make sure all parental figures involved were well informed and on top of things. Adam agreed, and sent her a text asking her to come to the Allen residence after work.
Kris felt an enormous sense of relief at the parental take over. He knew that he and Adam would certainly not have been able to handle this on their own. After enjoying a lunch of the same Chinese take out that Kris had come out to his mother over, he and Adam took a long nap in Kris's room upstairs while Kim finished her work for the day.
When the boys awakened, it was after five, and they went downstairs to find Kim deep in conversation with Leila Lambert. They looked up as Kris and Adam entered the room, and Leila beckoned for the boys to join them. “We were just discussing everything that happened today, and we have decided that an aggressive, zero tolerance approach is what is needed here,” Leila said. “Kim and I are in agreement that we will get whatever organizations we can find involved if there are any more incidents. We will go with you to Mr. Maston's office on Wednesday morning, along with Ellis Emory.”
“Good,” Kris said, smiling at Kim and Leila. “Thank you guys for being here for us. I'm not sure how we would have handled it on our own.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
On Wednesday morning,Ellis Emory met Kris, Adam, Leila, and Kim at the Starbucks two blocks from the high school to brief them on her conversation with the superintendent. They sipped lattes and listened, impressed with the way she had leaned on the man to implement a zero tolerance policy on discrimination immediately.
“ I told him that if there was any more harassment that went unpunished from faculty, staff, or students, I'd get the ACLU and the national media involved,” she told them. “He also has no choice but to fire Coach Zimmerman. The baseball team will have to forfeit the rest of the season without a coach, but that is Coach Zimmerman's fault and no one else's. If you catch any heat from anyone on this, come straight to me, and I'll take care of it. Any student who harasses you will be expelled, especially if the harassment is of a physical nature. Mr. Maston held a two- period long assembly on tolerance yesterday, and he announced the new policy during the afternoon announcements. Letters detailing it went home with every student yesterday, and are to be returned by the end of the week, signed by parents and students alike. Anyone who objects will face the possibility of being expelled from Conway High School. They do not have to like the rules, but they do have to abide by them.”
The lawyer stood, signaling the end of the meeting, and Leila, Kim, Adam, and Kris followed her out the door, waving as she got into her Lexus and drove away. They then parted ways, Kris and Adam in Adam's Mustang, and Leila and Kim in Kim's Honda Accord, and headed for the high school.
Once inside Mr. Maston's office, they were assured that the problem had been addressed effectively, and anyone found to be in violation of the new policies would be severely punished. Satisfied, Ellis Emory, Leila and Kim left by way of the staff entrance, and Kris and Adam took simultaneous deep breaths, joined hands, and walked out into the hallway as a couple for the first time.
Kris couldn't help smiling. He didn't care how many friends he had lost because of his coming out with Adam, because he was finally being who he was. He and Adam walked down the hallway holding hands. They got many stares, some filled with obvious disgust, but no one said anything. They might face opposition, but thanks to a wonderful support system, coming out had been a lot easier than he could have ever dreamed.