Stories

One Coming Out in Seven Short Stories

A short story about best friends.

Born with hereditary spastic paraparesis, Simon had spent most of his life in a wheelchair, unable to walk and barely able to use his hands. To his parents, home schooling had seemed to be the only way for Simon to get an education; yet Simon was smart and yearned to be another Stephen Hawking - not to live with his parents until they became to infirm to care for him. He decided to take a chance on applying to the Bronx High School of Science, one of the best public secondary schools in the world. Going to a public high school would be scary, but there'd be new opportunities to live life, and to love.

A mother sends her rebellious teen son to live with his father who abandoned him years earlier.

Dan's birthday turns into his best and worst day wrapped into one.

Owen's teen life changes a great deal after the overnight success of his music band, Black Fox. But in some ways, his love life specifically, it doesn't seem to move an inch. A surprise encounter at one of their gigs pushes him to take matters in his own hands.

Hands are extremely important body parts for every drummer boy, right?

This story starts in June of 2003. The invasion of Iraq is over, George Bush has landed on the aircraft carrier and proclaimed "Mission Accomplished", and the insurgency has yet to begin. Some may think America is at the height of its power.

Meanwhile, in the CAP world:

JJ and Will, both in doomed relationships that seem to be working. Will they unravel, and if they do, who is behind it?

He could have been a bright boy, doing well at school with friends and family and a future. Five minutes inattention had stolen it all and left behind…something. Can anyone bring the light back to Shade?

This is my second story. It is mostly nonfiction with a little fiction mixed in. It is based on an real-life experience of a close friend that I thought would make for a good short story. He provided the skeleton and I filled in the dialogue with his approval. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed hearing it recounted to me.

Book ONE of the Boy’s Trilogy. Peter, the quiet, scholarly, marching band member, and Tom, the outgoing, popular, athlete, have a chance meeting. Outwardly so different, inwardly so much the same. They develop a strong relationship but being the 1950s they hide their true feelings from friends and family. From high school to university to graduate school to professions their love grows while having numerous adventures. In Chapter 36 they meet Vladek whose coming of age story is in the book – Russia My Home.