by John Goode
Mr. Raymond sighed as he leaned into his mic. “Mr. Greymark, are you saying you want special protection against people being mean to you because you’re gay?”
“No,” I answered as firmly as I could. “I am saying I want everyone to have protection from people preying on them and making their high school life hell.” Raymond sat back, obviously confused about where I was going. “Kids in this school are beat up, put down, and generally made miserable by other kids, and the faculty turns a blind eye. I know this because before today I was one of the ones making them miserable. We stuff them into trash cans, slam them into lockers, call them names between classes, and a lot worse. And yet every time this happens, it’s justified by saying high school is tough and kids will be kids.” I took a deep breath and leveled a look at them.
“You’re wrong. High school doesn’t need to be that. You’re failing us, and worse, you’re failing yourselves. You think you’ve done something here because you were blackmailed into putting me on the team? You’re going to use this as proof that Foster is progressive and not a closed-minded, hostile community, and you’re wrong. There isn’t anything wrong with being different, and that needs to be understood by everyone. Wrong is wrong, different is good. If we were all the same, life would suck and it would be a pretty boring place all around. But you don’t let different grow in Foster High; hell, you don’t even let it exist. There’s a much bigger world past the outskirts of town, and if you want all of us to be ready for it, you need to start teaching us now. No matter who you are or what you are, there is a place for you somewhere. I already know half a dozen kids that are counting down the seconds until they can blow this town and never come back. I know because I am one of them. Is that what you want? A whole generation of children hating where they grew up because you were too afraid to accept them for what they are?”
This had to be the most I had ever talked in front of people in my life. My heart was pounding and I was sweating, but I couldn’t stop, not now.
“I’m not asking for special protection, I am asking for universal protection. I am asking you as adults, as our teachers, to do something about it and to do it quick. Because I don’t care what you have decided or what my dad threatened you with. I am not going to play ball for a school that can’t accept me for who and what I am. I don’t even want to go here. So you have a choice, Mr. Raymond: fix your school and its policies or deal with the consequences.”
“And what would that be, young man?” Raymond asked, daring me to finish the threat.
“He won’t go here anymore,” my mom said, standing up. “I’ll put him in Granada.”
I saw Kyle’s mom stand up too. “So will I,” she said. “So will a lot of parents.”
“Exactly how long do you think you can run a school with no students, Mr. Raymond?” I asked him with a smile. I looked at the rest of the school board. “Thank you for your time.”
And I walked away.
I could hear people clapping as Mr. Raymond tried to get order back, but I didn’t care. I meant what I said. I wasn’t going to go to a school where people could be treated like shit and no one did anything about it. Period.
Kyle ran up to me and threw his arms around me. “Who’s the superhero now?” he asked.
I gave him a grin. “You know, I was just sitting there asking myself, what would Kyle do?”
I saw him smile back and knew there wasn’t a chance in hell I would ever let him go.
“You know the school has a strict policy against public displays of affection?” he asked in mock outrage.
I looked over to the stage and back to him. “They can get over it.”
And I kissed him.
Author’s Note
EVERYTHING that happened in this novel to Brad and Kyle has happened to an actual gay or lesbian student in the United States. If you are not aware of how bad it can be in high school for teenagers coming out, please be aware it is worse than you think. There is nothing harder than trying to find your own identity in this world, and that is only made worse by intolerance from the people we trust to protect us. Though this is a work of fiction, similar experiences are happening right now to students all over the world, and their stories do not always have a happy ending.
If you are a gay or lesbian student being bullied in high school, you can contact The It Gets Better Project at http://www.itgetsbetter.org. If you are just someone being bullied in high school regardless of your sexuality, you can find help at http://stopbullying.gov.
If you are a parent of a gay or lesbian teen and want information or resources on talking to them about it, please go to http://www.pflag.org.
You are not alone and it does get better. There is always another choice out there, and if you think you are alone, you are not. If you are feeling suicidal, please visit http:// www.suicide.org/gay-and-lesbian-suicide.html for help. Your story is just as important as this one—please don’t end it early.
With love and sincerity,
John Goode
About the Author
JOHN GOODE was found in the back of a garden shed originally, and lured out by candy, he was raised on Elm Street before moving due to a rare sleep disorder. After taking off with a few friends to find a dead body, he attended Sherman High School majoring in absenteeism. Dropping out of college to work at the Gap, he struggled on perfecting his karaoke version of “Conjunction Junction” before moving on. He worked several odd jobs, first as a clerk at a record store that was open till midnight, moving to garbage collector with his brother, and then he finally decided on being a convenience store clerk who complained a lot that he wasn't even supposed to be there that particular day. He lives with a talking cartoon dog or cat or three squirrels and has possibly ingested far too much pop culture over the years.
Or he is this guy who lives in this place and writes stuff he hopes you read. John discovered M/M erotica when he heard himself describing what he had done the previous night.
Also from JOHN GOODE
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Also from JOHN GOODE
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Copyright
Raise Your Glass ©Copyright John Goode, 2012
Published by
Dreamspinner Press
382 NE 191st Street #88329
Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Art by Paul Richmond http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com
This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 382 NE 191st Street #88329, Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
Released in the United States of America
May 2012
eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-538-2
