Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

I'd thought the worst was going to be telling Tiffany because, although I knew Dad was right about my friends needing to know, I thought I could take some time and plan out how to tell them— wait for just the right moment. Instead, I walked into school and discovered the school grapevine had exploded while I slept last night and everyone already knew. As soon as I'd left Tiffany's house last night, she'd been crying on the phone to all her friends, and they'd called their boyfriends and other friends, and, well... that was it.
    I first noticed a few looks and whispers from kids I didn't even know. Stupidly clueless, I just shook it off and continued on to my locker. My group of guys was waiting for me, and before I even had my hand on my combination lock, they whisked me into an empty classroom. They didn't believe it; they thought Tiffany was just making up lies to get back at me for breaking up with her. When I told them it was true, that I was gay, there was a range of reactions. Jay and Mike kind of hung back and didn't say much. Brian and Carson were just shocked because I "didn't look gay," but they swore they were cool with it. And Scotty and Chip were just hurt that I hadn't felt like I could tell them. Overall, the reveal went as well as it could have. Long-term, it took all of us a couple weeks to really get back to normal— Jay and Mike taking the longest to get comfortable with the idea— but eventually things were cool between all of us.
    For the rest of the school, I was the curiosity for about a week, until Johnny Dawson crashed his parents' car after drinking a whole six-pack of beer by himself. Gym class was uncomfortable for a while, I got used to a lot of the guys quickly covering up if I walked by or trying to avoid showering when I was around. I got a few threats of getting my "faggot ass" kicked but my guys were always around to back me up and although we weren't the most formidable group, physically, we could overpower them with our numbers, so no one really ever followed through with anything.
    Friday night of the first week I came out, my friends all were hanging out at the football game, but I chose to stay home for the night. Lame, yes, but I felt like I had been hanging on the edge of my nerves all week and I needed some time alone. I was messing around on the computer when I got a ding for a new email. I couldn't help the smile when I saw that it was from Chase. It had been a while since I'd heard from him.
    Hey Little A,
    I know it's been a while since I emailed. Between classes and practice and games, I basically have no life until football season is over. But I wanted to make sure and take a few minutes to check in on how you were doing. I talked to Bobby earlier this week and he told me about your "announcement." Everything going okay? Any problems at school? 'Cause just say the word and I'm there to kick some butt if anyone's giving you crap. If you ever need to talk you know where I am too.
    I think it's a brave thing you're doing. You're my little hero, and I'm proud of you. : )
    Okay, well, I've got to finish reading this chapter and then it's early to bed to be ready for the game tomorrow.
    Take care, little man.
    Chase
    I swallowed around the lump in my throat. Chase was the one person left that I hadn't told yet. I'd written the email a dozen times in my head but kept putting it off. He was so cool, I don't know what I was worried about. I did know his opinion was important to me. Reading his words, my whole being felt a calm settle over it. I breathed freely for the first time in three days. Maybe everything was really going to be okay.
    CHAPTER 3
    Winter, 2008
    When you graduate high school, all of the speeches are full of the clichés of leaving youth behind, growing up and going off to take on the world and find your future. Most of us postpone those clichés for another four years by going to college. I tried that too, but sometimes becoming an adult is forced upon you, whether you want it or not.
    I didn't really have any clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. And I didn't really need to, at least not right away, as it was already decided for my brother and I that we would go on to college. That was Mom and Dad's rule, absolutely no budging. My compromise to the agreement was that I at least went somewhere away from Fresno. I wasn't sure I was crazy about more school and classes, but since I really didn't know what else I wanted to do, I thought maybe I'd find