Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (The Russel Middlebrook Series Book 3) by Brent Hartinger Read Free Book Online Page A

And then they freak out when they learn their son is gay. And other people hear those things, and they beat up gay people. Or they vote for politicians who write laws that make us second-class citizens. And now you're telling me that the things the Church teaches might not be right after all?"
    "What's your point?"
    "Actions have consequences, Father. That's the basis for all morality."
    "Ah, yes," Father Franklin said. "I see what you mean. Touche."
    I stood up. "I'm going to be leaving now. Is that okay, Father?"
    "Huh? Oh, yes. Of course." He stood up too. "You probably don't want to hear this, but the Church could use more people like you. I hope you'll still give us a chance."
    "Well," I said. "Let's just say I wouldn't wait by the phone."
    Needless to say, the air outside the building was fresh and clean.
     
    *   *   *
     
    The next day at school, Monday, Min met me in the hallway.
    "Hey!" I said.
    She asked how it was going with my parents, and I told her. I felt guilty I hadn't kept her up-to-date on everything that was going on with Kevin. She was one of my best friends. And if she called me on my shit, well, maybe I needed my shit called on right then.
    "I have a confession to make," she said when I was done. "It was an accident, but I still feel really bad."
    "Yeah?" I said. "I've got something I want to tell you too." I would tell her—everything.
    But before Min could say anything more, a voice stopped us both dead in our tracks.
    "Did you hear?" someone said. "Kevin Land came out! He's gay!"

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    So Kevin Land really had come out of the closet.
    Wow, I thought, standing in the hallway with Min. Good for him.
    Good for him, but bad for me. Because as long as he was in the closet, I didn't have to choose between him and Otto. Now I did. He'd also proven that maybe he wasn't quite as weak as I'd thought. All this was what he'd been impishly grinning about on the movie set on Saturday. He knew by coming out, he would change everything.
    Suddenly I wasn't so sure I wanted Min calling me on my shit.
     
    *   *   *
     
    Otto IMed me that night.
     
    OttoManEmpire: Hey, you! How's it going with your parents?
     
    I told him about my encounter with Father Franklin the day before.
     
    OttoManEmpire: Oh man! I wish I could have heard that!
     
    Smuggler: It was oddly satisfying. What's going on with you?
     
    He told me how he and his friends Jan and Will were doing volunteer work at a "no-kill" animal shelter. It was interesting, but to be honest, I didn't know any of the people he was talking about. So it wasn't that interesting.
    There was a pause. Neither of us typed anything. It probably wasn't that long of a pause, but it seemed long. I guess it was symbolic or whatever.
     
    OttoManEmpire: Oh! I forgot to ask. Have you reminded your parents that I'm coming for a visit since they found out about you? I'd hate to get all the way there, and then have them send me back home again.
     
    Otto was right. I really didn't know how my parents would react to my having my boyfriend visit, even if they didn't know he was my boyfriend. It wasn't fair to put Otto in such an uncomfortable position.
    I needed to talk to my parents again.
     
    *   *   *
     
    My mom was in the kitchen making dinner. It wasn't until she noticed me in the doorway that she started banging the pots and pans.
    "What?" I said.
    She slammed a cookie sheet onto the counter. "Russel, you could have at least talked to the man!"
    "Who?"
    "Father Franklin!"
    "I did talk to him!" I said. "I went to see him at his office, just like you said."
    "Oh, I heard about that little office visit. He said there wasn't anything he could do to help you if you didn't want help."
    So my mom and Father Franklin had been in contact. I'm not sure why I was surprised.
    "It sounds like you didn't just want me to talk to him," I said. "It sounds like you wanted me to let him talk me out of being gay."
    "Russel, that's not it at all." But from the way she