It Takes All Sorts

Part Three

Kyle froze when he saw his mother in the kitchen. This couldn’t be right. She wasn’t due home for an hour yet. Had he got the time wrong? A glance at the clock told him he hadn’t. She had come home early. His face paled as he saw the blouse he had borrowed from her and the two lipsticks he had used laid on the table in front of his mother.

“Hello, Kyle. Sit down, please.”

He wanted to say something, but no words would come.

“Please. Sit down. We need to talk.”

Kyle finally made his legs move and walked across to the table. He felt like a dead man walking. He sat down and stared at the three items on the table.

“Mum, I can explain—”

“Shh, my turn first. Kyle. Where have you been today?”

“At Jack's. We were studying.”

His mother pursed her lips, as she knew he wasn’t telling the truth. His eyes would slide away to the left when he was evasive, as they did now. She could come back to that later, she thought. She’d had an inkling for some time that something was not quite right with Kyle. He had changed from the open and cheerful boy he had been to become more withdrawn and sulky. More than the usual teenage surliness, she thought. Now she was sure she knew why. She took a deep breath.

“I hope you know I love you, and always will.” Kyle couldn’t look at his mother, staring down at the table. “I know it must have been difficult for you to grow up without a man around, and all that time you spent with your cousins. God knows they are so girly.” She paused, and there was a catch in her throat as she went on. “Kyle, I don’t care if you are gay. I mean, if you like boys. It’s your life, and you should live it the way you that makes you happy.”

Kyle looked at his mother. What did she just say?

“What? Mum, I know what gay means. And I’m not gay. I don’t like boys.”

A look of confusion spread across his mother’s face.

“What?”

“Mum, I’m not gay. I don’t fancy boys.”

“But what about all this?” She gestured to the blouse and lipsticks. “And you’re wearing my shorts and that bracelet you’ve got on? And this Jack you keep seeing. You’ve never mentioned him before.”

The penny dropped. “Mum, Jack’s a girl.”

The look on his mother’s face was priceless. He wanted to laugh, but thought better of it.

“What do you mean, Jack’s a girl?”

“I mean, she’s not a boy. It’s short for Jacqui with a q-u-i. She prefers Jack.”

“Oh.” The look of surprise on her face turned to one of confusion. “But all of this.” She pointed at the things on the table. “What does that mean?”

Kyle shrugged. “Nothing.”

“OK. A different question. Why was my blouse under your bed?”

“You had no right to go into my room.”

“That would cut more ice if you weren’t obviously in my room so much.” She snapped back.

Kyle blurted out. “I enjoy wearing those things. OK? Satisfied?”

Kyle’s mother sat back for a moment and looked away.

“Kyle, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you and I’m not angry, but I want to understand what’s going on. I am worried about you.”

Kyle turned away from her, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, before looking back at his mother, and said, “Wearing stuff like your blouse and these shorts makes me feel nice, relaxed, gentle, less stressed out. I don’t know why, but it feels so right. But if it’s such a big deal to you, I won’t do it again. All right?”

“Kyle, I don’t care about my clothes. It’s you I care about. How long has this been going on?”

He felt his cheeks burn. “Not long.”

“Since you met Jack?”

“Yes, but it’s not her fault. I wanted to for a long time.”

“Is Jack gay?”

“Mum, stop trying to pin labels on us. Jack isn’t gay, and neither an I.” Kyle wasn’t so sure about Jack, but he wouldn’t say so. His mother opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “Please don’t tell me this is a phase I’m going through, either. I feel happier now than I can ever remember because I have a friend who likes me, and I like her. I don’t fancy boys, I like girls and if I enjoy wearing those things because they make me feel good, it doesn’t make want to be a girl if that was going to be your next question.”

His mother paused and looked at Kyle, trying to see beyond what he had said, to see what was in her son’s heart and to weigh her answer and what it could do to him. She knew her job was to keep him safe, and she would rather die than let any harm come to him. But she also knew that she had to let him find his direction. His future, and her relationship with him, hung on what she would say next. Christ, why was being a mother so difficult?

She took Kyle’s hand in hers. “Kyle, if you had let me speak, I was going to say I won’t pretend to understand all this, but if it’s what makes you happy, so be it. But I don’t want you doing anything behind my back. That’s not acceptable.”

“So, you want me to stop, is that it?” A tear trickled down his cheek and his mother gently wiped it away with her finger.

“Kyle, you’re not listening. If it makes you happy to wear things like this.” She held up the blouse. “Then I’m not going to stop you.”

He looked at her in bewilderment. “You mean, you don’t mind?”

“No. Well, I mean, yes. I mind you doing it behind my back, but we can solve that.”

“Huh?”

She took a deep breath. “If you are going to keep doing this, then you will need some things of your own.”

Kyle’s eyes widened in surprise. “You really mean it, Mum? Don’t tease me, please.”

“Yes, I mean it. I want you to be happy.”

Kyle squealed, jumped up, and hugged his mother.

“But there’s one condition. I want to meet Jack.”

“Oh.”

“Will that be a problem, Kyle?”

“No, I guess not. But why?”

“Because…” She held up her hand and counted off on her fingers. “One, I’m your mother. Two, I worry about you. Three, I want to know who you are hanging out with. Four, if I don’t get to meet Jack, you’re grounded.”

“Mum, that’s not fair,” Kyle whined.

“Take it or leave it. Kyle. If you want me to go along with all this…” She pointed at what was on the table. “Then, I have to meet Jack. Is it a deal?”

Kyle sighed, realising he didn’t have a choice, and nodded. “OK, it’s a deal.”

She stood up and kissed the top of Kyle's head. “Let’s get a takeaway and have a night in together. OK?”

“I would love that, mum.”

They ordered pizza and watched Sweet Home Alabama, which they both loved. Kyle curled up on the sofa next to his mother, his head on her shoulder and his legs tucked up beneath him. Looking at him, she wondered how had she not seen this coming? She had always worried that Kyle didn’t have a male role model after his father had left them, and how she had devoted so much time building her business that she had left him to his own devices. He had spent so much time with his cousins, who were so beautiful and girly that it would be surprising if they hadn’t influenced him. She had always thought of Kyle as cute, although her sister had once said he was almost too pretty to be a boy while they watched him play with his cousins. She had laughed it off, but now? Can you ever see your child through someone else’s eyes, she wondered?

She thought about the time he spent in the salon reading the fashion magazines when he had nothing to do, and the way he had refused to have his hair cut until it reached his shoulders, and badgered her to cut it in a feminine style. He would sit on the bed to watch her apply her make-up, and threw a tantrum because she had bought him an Action Man for his sixth birthday, and he made her exchange it for a Barbie. The posters in his bedroom weren’t of footballers, but Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo, and he had been to see Frozen five times and could sing all the songs, and his wardrobe contained more pink than hers. She grew hot with embarrassment. How had she missed the signs? Or had she seen them and ignored them, hoping it was just a phase he was going through?

Shit, there was nothing in any of the parenting books she had read that came anyway near to cope with this. Why was it all so difficult? He had fallen asleep on her shoulder and she kissed his head, silently promising him she would make it right.

Kyle woke early the next morning and immediately messaged Jack.

Need to talk urgently.

Wassup, babe?

Mum was home when I got back yesterday. She found the clothes and the lipsticks. She busted me totally.

What happened? Did she go crazy?

Not really. She asked me if I was gay.

OMG. What did you say?

I told her I’m not into boys. I like girls. You should have seen her face. She thought you were a boy.

What? Why?

I told her about meeting Jack. She assumed you were a boy. When I told her you were a girl, she almost fell off the chair.

LMAO. So what next?

She was pretty cool about it all. But…

But what?

She wants to meet you.

There was a long pause before Jack replied.

Let’s talk later.

That threw Kyle into a panic. Did it mean she didn’t want to meet his mother? Was it all over between them? Kyle didn’t know until that moment how much Jack meant to him. They usually met outside school and Kyle was so anxious he arrived early, but Jack didn’t show up. Kyle was on edge all morning, worrying if he had scared Jack off by asking him to meet his mother. At the lunch break, Kyle was walking along a corridor when he felt a hand brush his backside. He whirled around, ready to scream at whoever it was, only to find Jack grinning at him.

“Gotcha.”

“Jeez, never do that again, you idiot.”

“Tell me you didn’t like it,” whispered Jack in his ear, making Kyle giggle.

He pushed her away, but Jack grabbed her arm and pulled him close for a kiss.

“Nor here.” he said, pushing her away.

“OK, OK. Now about meeting your mum.” Kyle’s heart fell. Was she about to say no? “Shall I come round tonight?”

Kyle squealed and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, yes. Tonight would be fine.”

Jack grinned. “Seven o’clock OK?”

***

The doorbell rang a few minutes before seven, making Kyle jump. He was wearing his tight jeans and a t-shirt that was a little small for him and showed an inch of midriff. He skipped to the front door and took a deep breath before opening it. Jack stood there, grinning, and Kyle’s heart flip-flopped in his chest. She wore a Levi’s denim jacket over a white t-shirt, knee-length shorts, Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and high-top converse trainers. She stretched her arms out to the sides and said, “Will I do?”

Kyle grabbed her hand and kissed her. “Oh my, you look so cool. Come inside. Mum is waiting.”

Jack whispered, “Will she bite?”

Kyle giggled, “No, but I might.”

“Later, I hope,” said Jack, slapping Kyle on his bum, making him squeal. Kyle held onto Jack's hand, leading him to the kitchen where his mother was waiting. Kyle’s heart rate shot up as they got to the door, and Jack gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Kyle saw his mother’s eyes widen as she took in Jack, and a look of surprise flickered across her face before she smiled and said, “Hi. You must be Jack. It’s good to meet you. I’m Kyle's mother.”

Jack put his hand out, and Kyle's mum hesitated in surprise before shaking her hand. “I’m glad to meet you too, Mrs Donaldson. Kyle has told me so much about you.”

Sophia looked sideways at Kyle. “That’s nice, Jack. He hasn’t told me much about you.” Kyle blushed and looked away. “No matter. I’m pleased to meet one of Kyle’s friends. Do you want something to drink, Jack?”

“A glass of water, please, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Kyle, can you do that, please? Jack, please sit down.”

He knew the way Jack looked had startled her when she walked in, but he had decided it would be better not to tell his mother about how Jack dressed, so she didn’t get any preconceived ideas. He wondered if that had been a mistake. Kyle handed Jack the water and sat down next to her.

“Mrs Donaldson, thank you for inviting me. I don’t know if Kyle told you, but we’ve just moved here, and it’s been really nice to make a friend as nice as Kyle so quickly. I’ve moved a few times and it can be really difficult to make friends, but he’s been great to me, and you should be really proud of him.” Kyle thought Jack was laying it on thick, but his mother nodded.

“That’s good to hear, Jack. It’s nice that Kyle has made a friend too. What do your parents do, Jack?”

“Dad’s a banker in the city, and mum is a fashion designer. Kyle tells me you have a beauty business, is that right?”

“Yes, I have a small chain of salons. Kyle helps me from time to time.”

Jack smiled. “If you don’t mind me saying, Mrs Donaldson, I can also see where he gets his looks from.”

Kyle blushed and his mother laughed.

“Jack, I have ordered a pizza delivery for tonight. Can you stay and join us?”

“I would love to, Mrs Donaldson.”

“Jack, please call me Sophia. Mrs Donaldson makes me feel so old.”

They had broken the ice, and Kyle relaxed for the first time. For the rest of the evening, the three of them chatted away like old friends. Kyle cleared away the remains of the pizza and stacked the dishwasher. His mother yawned and said, “Sorry, it’s been a long day. I’m off to bed. It’s been nice to meet you, Jack. Kyle, don’t play your music too loudly.”

Jack stood up. “It’s been great to meet you too, Sophia.”

“Jack, please stay if you wish. You’re welcome anytime. Kyle, can I have a word?”

In the hallway, Sophia closed the door and in a low voice, said, “We will talk tomorrow about you not warning me about Jack, but she seems nice. Just be careful, Kyle. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Thanks, mum. I won’t.” He kissed his mother’s cheek and disappeared back into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. His mother stood looking at the door for a while, wondering if she was doing the right thing.

Kyle closed the door and Jack said, “Well?”

“She likes you.”

“I like her. You’re lucky.”

Kyle frowned. “What do you mean?”

“To have a mother who cares about you as much as she does. Mine couldn’t care less.” Kyle hated to see the sadness in Jack's eyes. He walked over, sat on her lap, and put his arms around her. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

Jack sighed. “Never mind that.” She turned to Kyle and kissed him, her tongue pushing into his mouth. They kissed for a while until Kyle pulled away.

“What’s up?” asked Jack.

“Don’t get mad at me, Jack, but are we, you know… I mean… are we a thing?”

Jack laughed. “A thing?”

Kyle blushed. “I mean, are we a boyfriend and girlfriend thing?”

Jack squeezed Kyle. “Is that what you want?”

Kyle nodded, hardly daring to breathe.

“Then yes. We are a thing.”

Kyle squealed and kissed Jack, his tongue pushing into her mouth. Jack pushed her hand up beneath Kyle’s t-shirt and stroked his nipple. He felt himself grow hard and, daringly, he moved her other hand onto his bulge. Jack rubbed it several times, making Kyle squirm on her lap. Jack unzipped Kyle’s jeans, and he moaned as her fingers touched his erection. He watched her fingers stroke him until he thought he would pass out with excitement. Suddenly, Jack pushed him off her lap and pushed down on his shoulders to make him sit in the chair. Dropping to her knees she undid Kyle's belt and pulled down his jeans. He looked down in astonishment as she kissed and licked him before taking it all into her mouth.

Kyle’s head went back and his eyes closed as he felt her lips and tongue teasing him. He had never felt like this in his life, and he was dizzy with the sensations he was experiencing for the first time. Deep in his groin he felt a powerful surge and before he could say anything he twitched, grunted and spurted into Jack's mouth. She didn’t let him out of her mouth until she had taken it all. He finally opened his eyes to find Jack grinning at him.

“Did you like that, Kylie?”

He nodded, unable to speak. She pulled away and looked at the clock.

“Shit, I have to go now, but you can return the favour next time.” He stood up and pulled up his jeans before zipping himself up. Still dazed at what had happened, Kyle took Jack to the front door where they kissed, and he tasted something salty on her lips. He closed the door and stumbled up to his room. He fell asleep, a huge smile on his face.

***

The following day at school his phone buzzed with a text from his mother.

Can you come to the salon after school?

Could do why?

I need you to do something for me.

Kyle often worked in the salon washing hair, cleaning up, tidying and folding towels, but that was usually on a Saturday. It was unusual for his mother to ask him during the week, but it was on his way home, so he didn’t mind too much. He enjoyed being in the salon, surrounded by so much femininity.

OK. See you later

Jack had an after-school club, so Kyle headed off to his mother’s salon straight after school. He pushed open the door to find it empty except for his mother standing by a sink.

“Hi, mum. What do you want me to do?”

A huge smile crossed her face. “You don’t have to do anything, Kyle. I’m going to give you what you asked for.” She pushed the chair so his head was over the sink and ran the water through his hair.