Ronyx

I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I couldn’t close my eyes, because when I did, I could imagine myself crashing into the wall ahead. I couldn’t understand what was happening. Worse still, I couldn’t understand how to control what was surely to happen. After what happened earlier in Tracy’s bedroom, there was no way I could avoid him. He had kissed me! And I enjoyed it! I wasn’t sure where our friendship would go. He’s the one who said we could be like kissing cousins. He had

I couldn’t believe I had just come out to Tracy. And his kiss on my cheek surprised me. “Oh my God!” I cried. “Please don’t tell anyone what I just said!” My heart started racing for fear he would out me. He giggled, grabbed my hand again and promised, “It will be our little secret.” He smiled and added, “Well, I may tell Jeff.” “No!” I shrieked. “You can’t tell Jeff!” “Why?” “You just can’t,” I insisted. It was bad enough that Tracy knew my secret. I certainly didn’t wan

“Jack!” my mother hollered up the stairs. “Karen! Dinner is ready.” I waited until I heard my sister leave her room before I went downstairs. I arrived at the table just as my father was sitting down. He looked over at me and Karen and asked, “How was school today?” Dinnertime is usually the Spanish Inquisition at our house. It’s the only time when my family gets together quietly, so my parents take advantage of the situation to question us about school, homework and anything else they want

@droughtquake Could you explain your thinking behind Richard’s motivations and actions, please? I think Richie expressed it best when he said that he suspected everyone knew, but they just didn't say anything. They are only sixteen, and I'm sure the parents didn't want to openly condone them sleeping together- hence no king size bed to frolic and have wild passionate sex on. Separate them with twin beds. LOL. Besides, Linda saw them kissing, and I'm sure she told Richard. I also gave several indications that Richard was okay with Richie being gay. He paid for Wade's funeral. He accepted Freddy being gay, and after telling the Matthew Shepard story and the guy having 'gay' carved into his chest, he put his hands on Richie's shoulders and said "Sorry, Son." Also, he sent Richie to live with his aunt and uncle not as a punishment for admitting he was gay, but he 'set him free', hoping he would return. These are subtle signs of acceptance. I didn't feel that I needed to include a big 'coming out' scene. As for the car, it was a big thing with him and Gabe for years, like every sixteen year old. My parents bought me a car when I turned sixteen, so I didn't see it as trying to buy Richie's love as much as fulfilling a teenager's biggest dream. Interestingly, I read an article recently that stated its not a big priority for teenagers today to have a driver's license and a car. Who accompanied Melinda in the amusement park, Linda? Okay. I can't think of everything. My focus was on the boys. We'll assume she spent the day with her father and Linda.

I was nervous the entire day. It had been a couple of years since I had celebrated my birthday. Mom tried, but she was usually too weak for me to enjoy it. After eating ice cream and a store-bought cake, I would take her to her bedroom and put her in bed. She would kiss me and wish me happy birthday. She knew when I turned fifteen it would be the last birthday she would celebrate with me. I think I did too, but I didn’t want to admit it at the time. “You’re turning into such a handsome young

Oh, Drats, @droughtquake You know I don't like readers who ruin a story with a spoiler! 😋

Do you have any idea how boring in-school suspension can be? Earl and I started it yesterday, and thank God, we only have one more day to go. We enter the room quietly, sit at a cubicle and we remain there the entire day. We can’t even go to the cafeteria for lunch. I feel like I’m a prisoner. The only good thing about it is, I have managed to catch up on all the work I’ve missed the past few months. Earl keeps flirting with me. Since our ordeal in Mrs. Livingstone’s class, I guess he think

The movie, The Laramie Project, is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1qiTmF0p4A The play format is also available.

@droughtquake One thing that keeps Matthew's memory alive for the younger generation is the play, The Laramie Project. In the past two years, I've seen it performed at a major university and a large church with numerous young people attending.

@Wesley8890 Wesley be like:

Mr. Latham’s secretary brought in a chair for my father. He sat slightly behind between Earl and me. The secretary sat in a chair off to our left. Mr. Latham turned to her and asked, “Are you ready, Mrs. Davenport?” She positioned a steno pad on her lap and nodded. “All right then,” he said as he scanned the room. “Let’s get started.” He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward in his desk. He first looked at me, then Earl, and finally Mrs. Livingstone. He then turned his attent

@droughtquake It took me a while to understand what you were talking about. Thank goodness for Google. I'm sure a few younger readers are scratching their heads.

We stood facing each other. I had hoped that I wouldn’t run in to him. And by the look on his face, I don’t think he was aware I was in the house. Freddy’s mother rushed from the kitchen and grabbed me by my arm. “This way, Richie,” she insisted nervously as she pulled me into the dining room. Andrew, Harley and Melissa were already seated. Freddy walked over and sat down beside Andrew. “Move over a seat, Dear,” she instructed Freddy. She then had me sit between Andrew and Freddy. The se

Gabe returned about fifteen minutes later. He lifted a large laundry basket up the ladder and heaved it into the tree house. Freddy and I had been talking quietly while he was gone. Most of it was about school and teachers. He was having trouble in an American history class. The teacher, Mr. Fletcher, was a real hard ass. Freddy explained that he had been trying to catch up on the assignments since he enrolled in our school. “He’s expecting too much,” Freddy complained. “Besides doing t

It was getting dark when we finally arrived to drop Andrew, Harley and Freddy off. I got out and gave Andrew a big hug. “What about me?” Harley seemed hurt that I had turned to get back into the car without saying goodbye to him. “Sorry,” I said as I reached down and picked him up. He giggled when I raised him above my head and did a raspberry on his stomach. “That tickles!” he screamed as he tried to pull away. I put him down, and then Andrew ran up to me. “Do me!” Since he was much

When I went downstairs, Dad was helping Mr. Craft with the deck. Tracy was standing off to the side with a container full of nails. When Mr. Craft held out his hand, Tracy would hand him one. I walked over and stood beside him, but he ignored me. I helped as much as I could. It seemed like I was more in the way than anything else. I helped lay large boards in place while my father and Mr. Craft hammered nails in them. Not once did Tracy attempt to say anything to me. It took over three

Gabe ran to the car and shouted, “Shotgun!” He then jumped into the front seat of the car. “Come on,” I whined. “Let me sit up front.” I didn’t want to sit in the back seat with Freddy and his little brother. It was a two-hour drive to the theme park, and I didn’t want him trying to talk to me. “Fair is fair,” he grinned through the window at me. “I called it first.” I flipped him off and then climbed into the backseat. Andrew jumped into my lap while Harley sat in the middle and Freddy

Things are starting to return to normal- a little. I’ve been back to school for about three weeks. It isn’t as bad as I thought. Most people just leave me alone. A few students stare at me as I walk down the hall, and I can hear a few of their remarks as they pass, but I just ignore them. If it wasn’t me they are talking about, it would just be someone else. Trying to catch up on the work I’ve missed has been a bitch. My counselor summoned me to the office last week and told me that there w

I know I was. As a teen, I was extremely bullheaded. If my mother made me mad about something, I would give her the 'silent treatment.' I could go for days or even weeks refusing to look at her or speak to her. It drove her nuts; and being a teenager, I loved it. 😁

The house was empty when I got up. I guess my aunt and uncle weren’t going to force me to go back to school until I was ready. I really wasn’t sure I would be able to face people again. I’d already had to endure their looks when Stephen spread the rumor that I was gay. I could only imagine what they would think about Wade dying in the car accident. Dying. It was still hard for me to understand. Uncle Ray had helped me a little the night before, but it was hard for me to imagine a bright futu

Thank you, @droughtquake. Such valuable information.

“Are you ready?” Aunt Barbara picked up my gym bag for me. “I can carry that,” I insisted as I took it from her hand. A nurse was waiting nearby with a wheelchair. I still couldn’t believe it when she and Uncle Ray told me the night before that he had called them and informed them that I could live with them. “Why?” He had been so insistent that I live with him, his whore and her children. I guess he couldn’t handle having a gay son. Even though I was delighted that I didn’t have to ret

We drove around for about a half hour. Wade kept circling a particular house. He would slow down, but he never came to a complete stop. “Who lives there?” I asked after the third time we drove by. “My brother,” he replied as he pulled the car to the curb. He sat and looked at the house for a minute before getting out. “Wait here.” I watched as he walked up the drive and then disappeared behind the garage. A few seconds later I heard glass breaking. I looked at the ignition, but I rea

When Wade pulled away, his face was streaked with tears. He looked so cute with his eyes full of tears- tears for me. He smiled and then reached down and grabbed my hand. “Come on,” he said as he dragged me back to the car he was driving. “Is this your car?” I looked around at the messy interior. Paper and pop cans littered the floor. I also noticed that the steering column had been broken and it appeared the car had been hot-wired. “Naw,” he replied. “It’s a friend’s car. He lets me bor

“What are you doing here?” Stephen looked at me with a surprised expressed. Doug looked back and forth at us. “Do you two know each other?” “He dates my sister,” Stephen replied. Without looking over, I could tell that Wade was curious about our exchange. I had never mentioned Becky to him. “I don’t date her,” I insisted. “We just go out.” “Not to hear her tell it,” he started to laugh. “She practically has the two of you married.” He looked down at Wade and grinned “I gu