I knew I was different…I had known ever since I was at the age of four years old. I loved all the things that all the other boys did not. Why? I asked myself that question all the time.

It was hard. Being different is always hard. It was still with this doubt about myself that I enrolled into school.

The boys always used to tease me but, at that tender age even they didn't know what it was that was wrong with me. I kept away from all the boys I used to hang out with the girls during my early school years.

As I grew more and more I realized that my doubt was indeed true. I was different and I wanted to know why? I had feelings that were much different from everyone else. I slowly began to try and change myself but the harder I tried the more my uniqueness burst out of me.

I loved drawing all sorts of things. I drew dresses and pretty designs. The other boys drew cars and fire. I sat reading books while all the other boys played football. I admired Barbie while all the other boys looked up to soldiers.

As I grew older and older my habits changed. I kept to myself for the most part and even stopped hanging around with the girls. There were a few boys in class who were friendly and they were for the most part not as different as I was.

It was when I was around the age of 10 years old when I came across the term 'gay' that was the time when it dawned on me. I was gay. I was different.

It pleased me that finally I knew what I was. It pleased me that I wasn't the only one. It was until I realized that gay men were not accepted in society. I knew that I had a problem and I had to tell somebody but I never did. I kept it to myself.

I admired all the other boys and girls they were so different and alike. I was unique and I would not be accepted at all. I had to keep my reality a secret and so I kept my existence a secret.

I hid behind a mask, but even that couldn't hide my difference from all the others. There seemed no way to alter myself and at this point I had friends they didn't know what I was but they didn't try to alter me either. They were boys but not homosexuals.

I was who I was all the time and slowly people stopped noticing. I had spent 4 years in that school and now people had stopped trying to tear me down. I spent 2 more years in that school until I turned the age of 12. It is here that my story begins.

"NO DAD!" I yelled as I looked at him from the passenger seat. "Ill go in alone."

"It's a new school! Do you know where to go?" my dad asked.

"Dad! Ill manage okay? You go on to work!" I said skeptically. As if it wasn't bad enough that I was different then he wants me to go into a new school with him. But then again he doesn't know I'm gay. Maybe he does and is waiting for me to say.

I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. This school was going to be different. I just knew it. I would try not to get all gay. It is going to be a new start for me.

I walked into the school building feeling self conscious. Firstly I wasn't thin. Not fat but on the plump side. Then I was real PALE. I looked like the male snow white and to top the cake with icing I was gay.

I walked into the school building. It used to be a house but now they turned it into a school. It was real big but it also had a homely touch to it. Golden Leaf Academy, It didn't have huge amounts of student it was like a small home and I liked that.

I walked into the office and they told me to take a seat. I sat there for a long time, my nerves were cracking when a girl came and sat next to me. She looked just as nervous as me. Another 7th grader I assumed.

Slowly all the new 7th graders started showing up. The final count was 12. This really was a small school. We all were shown to our classrooms and we sat there eying each other suspiciously.

And the door opened, a teacher shuffled in.