"Diary of a Future President": Bobby's Coming Out Story, Part 1

 

The conceit of Diary of a Future President, on the Disney Channel, is that we're watching the memories of U.S. President Elena Cañero-Reed in the distant-past year of 2020, when she was in the sixth grade in a Miami middle school. As Elena negotiates the world of best friends, cute boys, and lofty ambitions, her Mom gets a new boyfriend (Michael Weaver), and her older brother Bobby comes out.  Very gradually.  Here is the first part of his story, from Season 1:

Episode 1: As they are riding to school for the first day of class, Bobby  (Charlie Bushnell, left) mentions his love of tennis and his friends, Ziggy (Sean Philip Glasgow)  and Danny (Nathan Arenas).

Episode 2:  The boys relish being at the top of the middle school food chain.  A hot girl says hello to Bobby; his friends gush with excitement.  A guy named Liam(Brandon Severs, below) offers to sign up for the team.  Bobby promises to go easy on him at practice, but he turns out to be great. No indication that he is attracted to Liam at this point.  

Bobby pranks Liam by inviting him to a party that doesn't exist, so he shows up at the gym all alone in a suit.  Then they both get locked into the gym.

Episode 3: Liam has joined the gang.  Bobby has a date with Monyca.  The guys practice how to take off a girl's bra, but the date just involves talking.

Episode 4: Mom keeps interrupting Bobby and Monyca as they sit in the bedroom, trying to have their first kiss.  He complains to his friend that they can't get enough privacy, so they throw a party with a "Two Minute Tongue Tank."  Bobby emerges, having kissed Monyca, looking confused.   Later, Liam congratulates him, and he looks confused again.

Episode 5: Bobby and his friends on the tennis team, getting bullied by the stereotypic arrogant, racist jerk tennis superstars.   The big match, which is extremely well attended and apparently has cheerleaders.  

Episode 6:  Danny invites the gang to his house to riff on a bad movie.  Bobby says no, but when Monyca asks him out "to talk about their families" on the same night, he changes his mind.  Is he avoiding her?  

While watching the movie, Bobby feels bad.  Liam notices, and the next day asks what was wrong.  Bobby misses his dead father.  Liam: "If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you."  Ok, so he's not rejecting Monyca, he just didn't want to talk about families.

Episode 7:  Bobby and Liam get stuck in the supply room during the big match.  As they wait to be rescued, they discuss why Liam came to Miami to stay with his grandmother: he didn't get along with his older brothers.  They are sitting crosslegged on the floor, with their knees almost touching. Bobby notices and gets all flustered.  Then they are rescued.  And Bobby takes the ball they were playing with as a souvenir.  Ok, now it's obvious that he's attracted to Liam.

Episode 8: Bobby invites his friends to the big dance, but they don't want to go because they don't have girlfriends.  He suggests a prank, and they're up for it. 

Later, Bobby is waiting for his sister at the hair salon, when the swishy hairdresser insists on giving him a new doo.  "Are you going to the big dance?" he asks.  He knows about the middle school dance?   Bobby affirms that he's going "with some friends."  

"Nobody special that you want to look nice for?"  "Kinda...maybe." 

Hairdresser points out a photo of his hot husband, Bruno: they met at a middle school dance.  "Just kidding -- Fleet Week."  Bobby grins.  So he's aware that gay people exist.  

At the dance, the guys get ready to play the prank, when they see Liam dancing with a girl!  Bobby fumes with jealousy.  He rushes over and yells at him.  It's time for the prank!  You're abandoning your friends!  They end up fighting, and Bobby gets ejected.

Episode 9:  As punishment for fighting, Bobby loses his phone for the duration of spring break, so he can't call or text anyone.

When he returns to school, Ziggy and Danny tell him that Liam "needs a minute" to get over what happened.  He's had a week, dude. 

Monyca wants to know why Bobby ignored her during the dance, why they rarely hang out and never kiss.  "It's nothing...it's just...Liam."  She suggests that he's more into Liam than her, but he scoffs: "No way!  I'm into you! I...um...love you.  Want to go on a date later?"  

While Mom is in Tallahassee, Liam has to stay with her friend Camilla...and her girlfriend?  They discuss his fight with Liam: "You guys seem to have a good thing together."  When he leaves, the ladies discuss: "I think Bobby likes Liam, and the fight was misdirected passion.  We have to provide him with a safe space.  We'll be his fairy gaymothers."  So, half the people Bobby knows are gay, and he's having trouble coming out?  

Later, Camilla suggests "Instead of playing video games, let's watch tv.  RuPaul's Drag Race?  Or a documentary on Billie Jean King, the lesbian tennis star?"  Then they mention that Camilla is not out to her parents, so they have to pretend to be roommates.  "It sucks to have to hide who you are, doesn't it?"

Camilla: "If you every want to talk, we're here for you."

Later, Bobby breaks up with Monyca.  She's chill with it: "I know you're going through a lot of stuff with Liam. If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."  Is that the new catchphrase of the middle-school generation?

Episode 10:  Bobby sends a text to Liam, then regrets it because now they have to talk.  He's so nervous that he skips school. 

He has a heart-to-heart with Mom's boyfriend Sam about telling "a person" that he likes them.  Sam suggests just talking, and letting the big reveal take care of itself.  To his credit, he doesn't assume that the person is a girl. 

Sam: "I'm here for you."  Ok, this guy is drowning in emotional support.  Why is he having so much trouble coming out?

Uh-oh, Liam got a girlfriend over spring break!  They're holding hands and everything.

But Bobby forges ahead with the confession anyway:  I've been wondering...um...I've been feeling  confused... about...um...tennis."  The oblivious Liam doesn't catch on.  

Later, Bobby talks to himself in the mirror: "I...feel stuff.  I think maybe I'm...maybe...I'm...um...."  Come on, say the word!  It's not that hard.

Next he talks to Mom: "Your boyfriend and I talked about some stuff.  Guy stuff." He doesn't mention what it is, but Mom promises to be...um..."here for you."

End of Season 1!

Next:  The saga continues.  Will Bobby finally say the word?  Will he ever tell Liam that he's into him?  Will he ever get tired of hearing people say "I'm there for you?"  Confused?  You won't be after the next episode of Soap...um, I mean Diary of a Future President.