Ava pulled back after a moment, "but why hide? Why deny anything? You know mom and love us both and wouldn't care. They pretty much said as much to Mrs. Twist."
Connor blinked and backed away for a moment, though also feeling a bit trapped. Ava was always smart and direct with things. Being direct had often helped her get to the root of a specific problem and thus solve it that way. Being smart had enabled her to often turn the subject to something she wanted to talk about, even if it wasn't something that the other person wanted to talk about. He remembered some puzzling feelings that he could never understand. There were odd times when he'd seen a woman that was attractive and he would have liked to compliment her on it, but couldn't. Often because it was someone on television or in a magazine, that sort of thing. However, there would also be some odd occasions where he'd also seen a man that looked good and had the same sort of response. At times it waffled between the two extremes and sometimes it went one way.
That had been the initial reason why he'd gone online and looked for a site that might explain how to tell if one was gay or not. For a part of him figured that sort of thing should be known, particularly by now that he was eighteen. But he'd never gotten the chance for that in any way. His parents weren't necessarily strict, but that didn't mean they were openly promoting anything in that regard, and while there were some times where he'd thought he'd had something of a crush on Tad, he chalked that up to simply being good friends. Particularly as there were things and times where one pull would come in one direction and then another pull would come in the other direction. The websites he'd found never really explained and he didn't want to have to admit it to his parents when he did. Ava hadn't been there for that conversation, but his parents were, and it appeared that his parents had shared that information with Samantha Twist while he'd been talking with Tad.
And as he looked to Ava, Connor could see her face filled with worry and firm sense of confidence. The latter was something he'd always seen in Ava. She was in many ways his better, and new how to get at things. It might take her some time to figure things out, but more often than not, she did. And it appeared that something she'd seen or heard over the course of the day had helped her figure it out and thus put him in a position where he couldn't easily deny it. Sure the earlier issue could be hidden behind a project, but if his parents didn't fully buy that and Ava also noticed some of the conversation he'd had with Ryan on the bus to school that morning, trying to hide behind that more wouldn't work. His only hope was that Ava wouldn't tell his parents that he thought he might be bi, but didn't really know for sure.
"I said it's because I don't really know for sure," Connor said softly, "I mean... would you just come out and say you didn't know if you were into boys or girls or both."
"There is nothing wrong with either, and you know mom and dad will love you all the same," Ava pointed out.
"I know..." Connor answered, "but again... I... I don't know and... well... I'd like to be able to say whether I'm straight, gay, or bi when I've figured it out, not be funneled into something."
"You know that mom and dad would never force you in, right?" Ava said to him.
"That doesn't mean I know where I'm at right now," Connor spoke, "and I would like to be able to figure that out on my own."
Ava looked back to him with a deliberate gaze.
"I can only ask that you don't spread this and let me figure this out on my own," Connor insisted, "not even to tell mom and dad."
"They could help, Connor," Ava spoke, "they're as worried as I am for you."
"I'm sure... but I want to be able to say who I am first," Connor answered, "and "you can do it" wouldn't be helpful in this situation."
"So... why didn't you know?" Ava answered, "I mean... it's not like dad or mom have ever been repressive with regard to things. Shoot... the whole were thing was a surprise, but they accepted that rather easily. So it's not like they've gone on homophobic rants or anything."
Connor nodded, "They haven't... and when I figure it out, I'm sure they'll be supportive. But it's just ben an odd push and pull. Like I've been pulled in both directions. Shoot... many of the girls here in Moon Lake to be rather pretty, too. But then there's Ryan to and that sort of push and pull has gone on for years. That's why I don't know."
"That could just mean that you're bi," Ava told him, "interested in both men and women."
"But it comes and goes," Connor answered, "if it were true bisexuality... shouldn't that be an equal level attraction to both genders?"
"Maybe the attraction comes and goes because you've only seen a handful of people that you've found attractive," Ava pointed out, "I know I'm straight... but that doesn't mean EVERY man I've seen I've found attractive."
"Maybe... but I still need some time to figure this out," Connor answered.
"Okay... I just have one more question," Ava said to him and waited for Connor to nod, "how come you could answer me when I asked on this and not mom and dad? You know they wouldn't hurt or reject you and I really haven't brought anything more than mom and dad have... So why answer me honestly?"
Connor gave a weak smile, "Well... you and I have always been close. And in this, I know you're smart... smarter than I am, easily. The result of this is that while you might not have much more than mom and dad did... if fact you might even have less than that, if all you have is their summary or what happened. But you were there on the bus... and while I didn't flirt with Ryan in any way, I'm sure I might have said something that would have reinforced what you overheard. And being as smart as you are... you'd figure out a way to make sure I couldn't get out of it."
"Okay," Ava said slowly with her focus still kept on her brother.
"And at the same time I know you," Connor commented, "mom and dad would eventually drop it because they wouldn't want to push the confrontation to a point where they feel they'd risk harming the good relationship we've had as a family. Thus they backed off after awhile. You though... you're a bit more direct and a bit more determined... Remember when you were five and you wanted that hula hoop with pink spots?"
"I remember that I got it," Ava commented, "and it wasn't just that it had pink spots. They were pink spots that had the logo for the Jeweled Dancer series... I loved that show and that was why I wanted it."
"And you kept at it until mom and dad relented," Connor answered, "and you were quite inventive at times in how you brought it up."
"And I had fun with it it… until a certain someone crushed it with the car," Ava glared at Connor.
"Hey... I was learning to drive it was in my blind spot," Connor commented, "anyway... my point being that if you were worried about it... you wouldn't be the sort to just back off. So I kinda knew I'd HAVE to talk with you. So... I did... And while it does feel a bit better... please... let me figure this out on my own. I promise I'll figure something out and I even have some ideas..."
"Oh?" Ava wondered.
Connor lifted the book out from his backpack and opened it, "I'd lean more toward the smaller weres. Those that won't get too big when they transform. That way I could still wear my clothes. That would take it down to the werewildcats, like Ryan... and if I can determine that I'm gay or bi... he might be my first choice. But there are also the wererats, wereotters, wereskunks, wereminks, weasels, or ferrets, even some wereowls... where their fursona wouldn't be so big that I'd have to strip down."
"Owls don't have fur, they have feathers, cuz they're birds," Ava corrected, "and no to skunks. Too stinky."
"I'm sure they don't spray just because their wereskunks," Connor commented, "that'd be like saying Tad would just attack us because he's a werewolf. And he never did that before and he didn't so here. And anyway, my point is based on the size of the were in question. I don't want to be oversized or anything like that."
Ava shrugged.
"What about you and this Ashley?" Connor asked.
"She's just a friend, but she did present an idea that could work," Ava commented, "I thought Mrs. Twist looked pretty in her were form... but since I'm straight and don't want to give up who I am... a weremountainlion might be a good match. They look like a massively enlarged solid brown housecat. None of the spots or stripes that leopards and tigers have and none of the extra hair that lions have."
"But you'll end up a cougar... before you're forty," Connor teased.
Ava only dignified that by sticking out her tongue.