Free Sno Ho by Ethan Day

sex.
    "They were my mother's best friends in high school." Wade said. "The one in the blue dress is my aunt. They sort of all raised me and my sister. Take my word on this—do not allow yourself to get cornered by them alone. If I'm with you I can protect you, but alone," Wade sighed in a way that led me to believe it'd be dire, "they'll interrogate you within an inch of your life."
    I smiled a thank you for the warning, deciding it must be warranted for him to bring it up. "What about your parents?"
    "Mom passed giving birth to my sister, and my dad passed from cancer."
    "I'm sorry," I said, feeling bad for asking.
    "Hey, it's fine, it was a long time ago. I guess to a certain extent my sister and I were pretty much raised by the whole town. Summit City takes care of their own. I owe these people...everything."
    I let out a sigh, suppressing the urge to reach across the table and kiss him. Instead I grabbed a menu and pointed to the 'Wade Walker Free-Range Chicken Sandwich'. "I'd say you're pretty well liked."
    Wade smirked at me and before long Theresa had dropped off our dinner. She seemed to reassess her opinion of my unsuitability as the dinner wore on, since Wade and I 71

    Sn Ho
    by Ethan Day
    continued to stay seated at the same table. By the time I finished off the last of my chili cheese fries, she was downright giddy again. I assumed Wade must have dumped guys before who didn't eat healthy like he did? It was all very confusing, and while Wade did continue to berate me for the
    'crap' I was shoving into my 'temple', he seemed to also enjoy the act of berating me. While I would never give up cheeseburgers for any man, I did secretly enjoy being chastised for eating them. It made me feel like he gave a shit in some weird and twisty way.
    Wade told me all about the Quad: his aunt Deloris, whom everyone called Del; Sandy, who was the more shy and sweet one out of the bunch; Maggie who despite having been married four times still believed the right one was out there; and the queen bee herself, Rita—the Rizzo of the pink ladies so to speak, and the high school drama teacher. She was the wild one, or at least had been. She was the only one to move away, going to Hollywood first, and then giving Broadway a try before eventually making her way back to Summit City.
    Del was the common sense girl, and Wade said his mom had always been just that—a warm motherly type of girl with a penchant for practical jokes and love of laughing.
    Despite Wade being 'okay' talking about her passing, I could sense what felt to me like a genuine sadness that he missed out on getting to know her as an adult. He said the Quad always told him he was like her, while his sister was very much her daddy's girl.
    I asked him if everyone was always okay with the fact he was gay. It was odd to me that the entire town seemed to be 72

    Sn Ho
    by Ethan Day
    involved, at least in their own minds, with Wade's love life. He said he'd been busted making out with another boy by Rita back when he was in high school. The other boy had been visiting from France, training with Wade and his coach. Within days the entire town knew, and needless to say, while it did take some time, eventually everyone seemed to come around to it. It was another thing he gave the Quad credit for; somehow assuming they would in no way allow their friend's kid to suffer any humiliation.
    This Quad, did sound all powerful and I was now somewhat scared by their power and influence. It was one thing to have to deal with one mother in law, but four? I shook my head, for once again allowing myself to go there. I looked out the window and caught a glimpse of Curley driving by in the taxi. I couldn't tell if there was anyone else in the car with him.
    "Oh my God!" I said, suddenly remembering what Wade had said about him before—the town gossip.
    "What?" Wade asked as I placed my hands over what had to be my bright red face.
    "Curley picked me up from your house after that...um...first