Writers Write

12 months…

Y’all, I have a confession. I am a procrastinator; I mean like, with everything! But I do manage to get things done & hit deadlines. I NEED deadlines, I thrive with deadlines. If you give me a project and no deadline, please believe I will have an awesome plan for it, but that plan will not be put into effect until the very last minute. I work well under pressure. Here’s an example for you, I set myself a weekly deadline for these newsletters. The deadline is 10 AM on Sundays, and you know I’m sitting here at 9:30 AM thinking “What am I gonna write about this week?” But I always work it out. To help me help myself I joined “Writers Write” & decided to participate in 12 Short Stories in 12 Months. Sounds fun right? So, the first story was due on January 28th and guess what? I hit the deadline! The prompt for January was “Coalition” & the word count was 1200 exactly. Let me know what you think!

“Orion Vail Ridley, your mother and I did not spend a small fortune for you to get cold feet now. You spent months working out to make sure this tux fit the way you wanted, and you made that poor boy take dance lessons so, and I quote, “he didn’t embarrass you.” Now is not the time to be acting like a common cis! We raised you better than that. Now, open this door, put a smile on your face, and act like a new member of the CQC!” Gia wasn’t yelling, their family did not yell.

Orion opened the door with a flourish, rushing into the outer sanctum, ignoring his mother and starting to throw the items strewn across the sofa into his leather bag, and muttering. “You know what? I did not ask for this life, “ Orion was waving his hands about, “You and mom created this…this society and you have dragged me into from the second I was able to walk and talk. I did not register for the CQC, I did not sign up to be paraded around in front of the whole town and your oh-so-important friends!” Gia calmly walked to the sofa and sank into it, dropping her handbag on the hotel floor. She patted the cushion next to her, Orion stopped flailing around and sat down. Gia turned so she could stare straight at her son. “Darling, are you suggesting that your mother and I forced you to become gay?” Orion rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. “Mother, please. From the minute I laid eyes on Malachi Wilson is the 3rd grade I knew I was gay and so did you.” Gia was nodding, smiling at the memory. “I do remember that. Your first crush. I also remember the next one, Davis” Another eyeroll from Orion. “Yes”, Orion replied, “the one who got away. I did wonder if his family would ever move back.” Gia looked at her son, “Explain then, please.”

Orion took his mother’s hand, “I would like you to let me finish speaking before you say anything.” Gia nodded once. “I have decided to travel for a year before going to college. I have a detailed plan and I have been saving money since the 9th grade.” Gia’s eyes went wide but she kept her mouth shut. “I do not want to work for the CQC and one day take over. The Coalition of Queer Commencement is your dream, not mine. I have applied to UCLA for next year’s semester.” Gia could no longer keep quiet, “Orion! You cannot be serious! UCLA is on the other side of the country; we will, quite literally, never see you.”

“Mama, you will. We will make this work, I promise. You love California, you’ll visit and I’ll come home all the time! I just want to travel the world a little, experience things and then I want to go to school in LA, where no one knows me, or you. This coming out tonight was never in my plan.”

Gia stood and started pacing the room. “Orion, How will this look? If the only gay child of the founder’s family, the grandson of Kayla Ridley herself, doesn’t participate in this induction? This is not something you can do over, there are no second chances here. Your grandmother started this foundation in 2019, for the queer youth who needed this type of welcoming and community. You know how much work we’ve put into this. It is a society, the highest of societies. Do you understand how life was back then? Do you understand how this society, this family was born out of need? Your great-aunt Bella and her girlfriend were beat up by a group of men because they were holding hands in public! Aunt Bella died a week later from internal injuries.” Gia began to cry, “This isn’t just an excuse for the nouveau riche to show off their queer children, this is about making a statement. We’re equal in every way!”

Orion went to stand next to his mother, “And I understand and am in complete agreeance with you, but these commencements are too closely modeled after the old cotillions. The requirement of a course in appropriate morals and social etiquette does not befit all of the queer youth and you know it.” Gia was pacing again, rubbing the lobe on her left ear. Orion knew she was deep in thought when she rubbed her ear like that, he knew she was plotting.

“Mama?” Gia spun around to face her son, “See! You’re right Orion, it is time we updated the induction. It was originally shaped to resemble a debutant ball but not just for the higher class, it’s supposed to be inclusive of everyone. I will agree that the courses are a bit much but this is why we need you here. You’re such an inspiring, brilliant, young queer. The others look up to you, you have to know that.” Orion backed up, sat back on the couch, and started to rub his temples as Gia continued her plea for him to stay. A few moments later, once Orion realized she had finally stopped talking he looked up to find his mother staring out the window.

“Mama,” Orion took a deep breath, prepared to stand his ground. Just then, the hotel door opened and Nyna, Gia’s wife walked in, with raised eyebrows. Nyna was impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit with silver trimming. “Family of mine, please explain the hold up. There are important people waiting for you both. Including,” Nyna turned to stare at Orion, “that gorgeous man of yours.”

Orion nodded while Gia continued to stare out the window. “Gia, my darling, you look amazing. You have once again put together a phenomenal event. Can we go now, please?” Orion had disappeared into the bathroom, knowing Gia was about to have a meltdown of epic proportions.

“Your son is leaving us.” Gia forced the words out in a harsh whisper, still turned toward the window. Nyna let out a loud sigh and placed her hand at the small of Gia’s back.

“I know and I encouraged it.”

Gia’s head snapped around to stare at her wife. “I’m sorry. I am going to assume you did not hear me correctly and therefore I did not hear you correctly. Your son is not going to school right now, he is going to go to Europe, and then UCLA, on the other side of the country! He does not want to come out tonight. He does not want to have anything to do with the Coalition of Queer Commencement, he is snubbing his place in this world! And now you are telling me you knew about this?”

“Gia, this was something we were going to talk about as a family, after the induction tonight. Nyna’s voice was raised so that she could be sure Orion was hearing the conversation, “after he came out. That was the agreement, wasn’t it, Orion?”

“Indeed it was, mother,” Orion was fully dressed in his tuxedo. He stepped between both of his mothers, hooking his arms in each of theirs. “Let’s do this!”