"There's something wrong with our son!" Henry said to his wife as he walked into their bedroom.

"What do you mean?" his wife asked, feigning interest.

"I mean, he's trying on dresses!! He thinks he's a girl or something! What if he grows up to be... you know... queer?"

"He's probably just playing dress up with his sister. You know how close those two are," his wife reassured him.

"I don't know. If I catch him doing it again, he's out of here! For good!"

His wife said nothing.

Four years of behind-closed-doors verbal and physical abuse later, when Anthony's father was out, Anthony and Molly were bored and Molly asked her brother if he wanted to play dress up with her. He said yes. So Molly dressed him up in her poofiest pink dress and tons of jewelry and heels. He and she were running around the house having innocent fun. But Anthony didn't count on running straight into his older brother, Archie.

"Anthony? What the hell are you doing?" Archie asked. He took one look at his dolled-up brother and laughed right at him. "I knew you were weird, but this is somethin' else! Wait till I tell dad about this!"

"No, no, Archie, please don't!" Anthony begged on his knees. "He'll kick me out! I'll have nowhere to go! I'll have to live on the street!"

"Well, you should have thought of that before you decided to dress like you're in a drag show," Archie said. He walked away and left his brother on the floor sobbing.

Later that night, Anthony lay in his bed wrapped up in his blankets, knowing what was to come as soon as his father got home. He heard a click, and turned towards his bedroom door. His brother Archie was at the door. Anthony knew what he was going to say before he said it. "Dad's home. He wants to talk to you."

Anthony walked down the stairs shaking. His father was near the front door watching his son walk down the stairs.

"Anthony," he said. "You know what I told you." Anthony stayed quiet. "Your brother told me he saw you dressed as a girl again. WHAT DID I TELL YOU WOULD HAPPEN?" Anthony flinched. His father picked him up and yelled, "IF YOU WANT TO BE A FAG SO MUCH, YOU CAN BE ONE AS FAR AWAY FROM ME AS POSSIBLE."

He pushed his 14-year-old son out of his house and locked the door behind him.

Anthony wanted to collapse on the ground and cry, but he didn't have time. He had to get out of there. He had to get as far away from his family and their house as possible. So he ran. He ran as far and as long as he could. He didn't know where he was going, but he ran as far as his legs could take him.

Until he ran too far and ended up in a dark alley.

He hadn't been paying attention and he wasn't sure where he was. Before he knew what was happening, his feet were off the ground and he was pinned to a wall. He was face-to-face with a strange man in a big coat.

"What's a kid like you doing out here all alone?"

"I- I got kicked out of my house," Anthony managed to say. His voice was quiet, he was clearly scared of this random stranger who he had no idea what his intentions were.

"Kicked out of your house, you say?" the stranger said. He loosened his grip on poor Anthony and let him down on the ground.

"Yeah, for being different." Anthony looked at the ground. Then up at the man with his big, innocent eyes.

"Is that so?" The man said. "I was too! And I know a place with other people who are just like you! A place where you could be accepted. A place where there is no judgement."

Anthony wanted to go to this place. It sounded like Heaven to him. "Could you take me?"

"Well, sure, if that's what you'd like. Follow me." Anthony followed the man into a black limo that he had parked at the entrance of the alley. The man opened the door for him and he sat on the squishy cushion. It was the most comfortable seat Anthony had ever sat in.

As the stranger made his way around the car to open his door, Anthony couldn't believe his luck. The second he got kicked out of his house, he found someone else to take care of him. Someone who could make his life better. Or so he said.

"So, what's your name, kid?" the man asked after he closed the car door when he got inside. He sat across from Anthony.

"A-Anthony," he said nervously. He knew this person was trying to help, but he was still a stranger. And Anthony knew to be wary of strangers. He should have been a little more careful.

"Anthony, you're a cute kid, you know that?" the man said. Anthony thought that was strange. He'd never been called cute before. Not even by his own family. The only words he'd been called by his family were... words that he'd rather not repeat. Or think about ever again. Still, he shrugged it off. This man was trying to help him. Wasn't he?

"I'm Valentino, but you can call me Val." Val held out his hand for Anthony to shake. He took it.

"Now," Valentino said, grabbing something from a bag next to his seat, "we're almost there but before I let you in, I'm going to need you to sign something. Just to verify that you're a member of my little club and you came with me willingly."

"Okay..."

Valentino held the pen out for Anthony. He slowly reached out for the pen and grabbed it. The young, naive 14-year-old signed the document, having no idea what it entailed.

The car came to a stop. "We're here," Valentino said. He turned to the boy. "Are you ready for the beginning of your new life?" he asked.

"I am," Anthony said, with a mix of nervousness and determination. He opened the door, and the place they were stopped in looked like a hotel. This was were they were staying? Maybe it was a party! A hotel room with people who were different just like him, talking and laughing, with no one to judge them. They could just be themselves. That sounded like paradise to Anthony. He couldn't believe a place like that existed. Gathering his wits, he breathed out. He was ready.

"Come on," Val said holding his hand out. Anthony hesitated, but took it. Val led him into the hotel and guided him to a hotel room. Anthony's heart raced as they got closer to the door, not knowing what to expect, or what would happen once the door opened.

Val opened the door, and Anthony's shoulders dropped. He expected a party, with tons of people having fun and letting loose, unafraid to be themselves. People Anthony was excited to learn from. But there, sitting on the hotel bed was one man.

"About time," the man said.

"You got one hour with him," Valentino said. "Then he's mine." He looked at Anthony. "I'm not letting a pretty boy like him out of my sight."

"Huh?" Anthony asked. "What are you-"

Before he knew it, Valentino pushed Anthony further into the room. "You're welcome kid. I got you a job. A lot of men are going to enjoy fucking an attractive boy like you. Including me." He locked the door and closed it behind him, leaving Anthony alone with yet another stranger. Anthony knew he shouldn't have trusted strangers. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was still better than living with his awful, mean family.

Right?