To fit in, Cal pushes his feelings aside and focuses his attention on a woman instead, just like so many other young queer men have done in the past. In this scene, the judgemental gaze of Cal's dad burns itself into his memories, and you can practically see the cycle of paternal abuse and neglect form here right before your eyes. And it's not long before this is confirmed when Cal's gaze lingers on Derek's crotch at a stoplight.īut societal pressure soon does its thing and before long Cal learns to hide his feelings, just like he has to hide that awkward boner from his father right after Derek leaves. You can practically see their affection bulge out of those singlets. But sweaty and extremely physical wrestling montages hint that there might be more to their camaraderie than mere friendship.
