This is the interaction of two best friends on a Tuesday morning, right before school. As one goes into the other’s room, he finds his friend in the closet.

The young man named Daniel has seen his best friend, Steve, of 10 years, do many strange things, from asking their 50-year-old global teacher if he was “emo” to yelling in a middle of a quiz, “I don‘t know if life is stupid, or I’m just stupid,” but this is by far the oddest thing Daniel has ever seen him do.

I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I give up on life. All I know when I walked up here there was an empty bed and someone sitting in the closet. Man did that scare me, like the freaking monsters under your bed were real and they ate Steve. Sometimes I wonder if he’s all right or if he needs to, like, see a therapist. Like, legit, he has me worried sometimes. Welp, I better ask him what’s going.

“Hey buddy…. How’s it going…?” Daniel said in an obviously forced nonchalant voice. “Do you mind telling me why you’re in…. a closet?” he said in an unsure tone.

“I feel safe in the closet. I won’t be judged by people because of this image they forced upon me.” Steve said in a quiet voice looking down at the closet floor.

Frick. I see he’s still traumatized from what happened at that stupid party. Ugh, why did I force him to come to that party. This is all my fault; maybe then he wouldn’t have been caught up in that she- demon’s sight. I guess that everything that happened at school yesterday didn’t help with that either.

   “Look man, I’m sorry for what happened. Everything’s my fault. I should have stayed with you at the party and protected you from that sea witch. I’m going to try fix everything,” Daniel said with a guilty but determined face.

“What do mean? What happened there wasn’t your fault. Anyways, it isn’t the reason why I’m depressed and sitting in a closet.”

Why would anyone sit in a dark closet for any reason other than their trying to escape a serial killer. Even then, that’s a bad move. Are you a cat, Steve? Is that why you’re brooding in the dark? Is that why you throw my stuff onto the floor? Is this what’s going on?

“Dude, are you sure that didn’t bother you” Daniel said with doubt.

“Of course, it bothered me, but it made me realize something I didn’t realize before. Anyways the so-called sea witch actually made the situation better than it could have been. She saved my butt back there, even if it doesn’t look like she did,” Steve said looking Daniel in the eyes, making sure he understood that this was the truth.

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same person.  The person who made us miss that field trip to six flags because we made one joke about her. It wasn’t even that bad when you consider that she once glued our butts to our seats.” Daniel said as he was about to start a long rant Steve has heard dozens of times.

“Before you start your rant, can we finish the topic at hand?” Steve said.

“Shoot. Sorry man”

“Okay, as I was saying, she helped me realize something big and it can cause people to look at me differently from now on,” Steve said.

“Okay, what is it?” Daniel said

“Before I can say it, I think it’s better if I got out of this closet,” Steve said as he stood up and took a step out of the closet. He took a breath and looked Daniel in the eyes.

“I’m gay.”

“And the sky is blue,” Daniel said instantly following Steve’s confession.

Steve looked at his best friend with a face of mild shock that quickly turned to a smile. “What you already knew, and I was planning the whole setup since yesterday morning,” he said playfully.

“I don’t know what disappoints me more, that I didn’t realize that you were using the closet to come out of the closet or that it took you a day to plan this. Anyways congratulations, buddy.” Daniel said with a happy smirk.

“Thanks man,” Steve said with joy.

Well, it’s good he finally told me. I’m going to have his back, no matter what. Ride with the rainbow my dude, ride with the rainbow.