Befriending retirement

Mars sank into his hot tub. The media was going crazy around him. The speculation was outrageous, though they weren’t entirely false. 

“Yes, indeed,” Mars said, pretending he was being interviewed. “I, Mars McKenna, am gay.”

He shrugged. He would never be brave enough to confess to the public. But that made him even more angry. He sank deeper into the water.

What do they expect, Mars thought to himself. That all famous people are straight?

The other part of the rumours, however, were false. He wasn’t so ashamed about being gay that he abandonned his career. Journalists just never considered that Mars had a personal life that didn’t involve his reputation. But then again, he never accepted to speak with them. The press was too difficult to deal with, too much of a hassle.

“Mars?” His father came out to their private spa. “We need to discuss something with you, your mother and I. So hurry and finish.”

Mars let out a sigh, expressing his unhappiness.

“Or… actually take your time. Yes. We will be waiting.”

“Oh, and I forgot to mention,” Mars said, after his father left, acting once again as if he was being interviewed. “I pretend to be a spoiled brat when I’m in a bad mood.”

He walked into one of the small living rooms of his house. His parents sat quietly next to each other on the sofa. Mars sat down across from them.

“We know it's been hard over the past year, and that’s why your coach let you take a year off. Why must you resign? Should I ask Mr. Renae to give you more time off?”

“I resigned for myself. Why does it matter to you?”

“People think you left because you’re gay.”

“So you’re worried about your reputation? Weren’t you the one who approved of our wedding?”

“Well you didn’t really love him, now did you?”

“Mother, we already went over this! I am and will always be engaged to Luke! I don’t care about my profession as a dancer!”

She was enraged. Mars really wasn’t going to give up his love. Mr. McKenna took  a sip from his tea.

“What you mother means,” he said. “Is that you should either keep dancing or do something with your retirement.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” she muttered.

“Shush.”

“You should be more social, instead of staying in your bedroom half the day.”

As much as Mars knew quitting his dancing career was probably one of the dumbest decisions in dumb decision history, he used his “circumstances” as an excuse to make it seem more acceptable. But being more social made no sense to him. Having drinks and hanging out with other people would just be betraying the love of his life. Right?

“Mom, dad,” Mars said. “Even if the perfect friend comes around, I won’t be able to be friends with him. It just can’t be helped. If they are not Luke, then it won’t work.”

“You only call us that when you’re guilty,” Mrs. McKenna, who usually was addressed as ‘mother’ by Mars, said. 

“Well,” Mr. McKenna said. “Who knows? Maybe it’ll take somebody completely different from Luke. We’ll see how hard it really will be to find the person who will bring you out of your shell.”

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