It was another normal, sunny day at Brooklyn High. A sixteen year old Raymond Holt was sat in his seat, school supplies neatly organised. The teacher, Mr Smith was teaching algebra. It was a completely normal day for Raymond- but little did he know, that in a matter of minutes, his life would change forever.
Midway through the maths lesson, the classroom door opened. It was the dean. He wore a striped grey and white three piece suit. He then stepped inside the classroom with a boy following behind him. He too was also sixteen. He was smartly dressed, much like Raymond. He had neatly combed strawberry-ginger hair. His name was Kevin Cozner. "Alright Kev, there is a seat next to young Ray over there. Sit." commanded the dean.
"Yes sir." Kevin said with a small voice. He briskly made his way over and sat next to Raymond. As Kevin was taking is school stuff out, Raymond leaned over and whispered: "Please note, I prefer to be called Raymond"
"Please note, I too prefer to be called Kevin." Kevin replied. He stuck out his hand. "Kevin Cozner". Holt shook it. "Raymond Holt " he said.
"It's good to meet you Raymond"
"Likewise, Kevin". Holt allowed himself a little smile- something he hadn't done often. He liked the new boy, and by the looks of things, he liked him back. As the lesson continued, the two boys started to work together on maths problems. As new friends would, they started asking questions about each other.
"So what do your parents do?" Kevin enquired.
"Well, my mother is a judge. Her name is Laverne Holt." Raymond replied.
"Ah, yes. I know your mother. I'm a fan of her work." "How about your father?" asked Kevin.
"Well, he is currently absent, I'm afraid." Raymond smiled sadly. "What about your parents? What do they do?"
"My father is a professor at Columbia University."
"Ahh, yes, I too admire your father's work. How about your mother? What is her occupation?"
"Well, my mother is also absent. She used to be a professor at the university. That's how my parents met. But she left my father and I when I came out to both of them. She told me that I disgraced the family name." Kevin sighed slumping in is chair. Raymond put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. They smiled at each other.
"Well, you do hide being gay well." Kevin said. "Presuming you are of course?"
"Of course I am. It's the 60's! We need to hide it well. Mind you, you hide it pretty well yourself." chuckled Raymond.
"Thank you". Kevin smiled. The bell then rung, signalling break. "Well, I suppose we better head off." said Kevin, packing up his books.
"Yes. Let's go" said Raymond. But before they could get out of the classroom, another student from the class stopped them both. He approached Raymond with a snarl. He was scruffy, with curly black hair growing rapidly out of control. He was called Cody Robertson.
"Heyy, dumbass!" Cody said.
"What do you want Cody? Another lecture on how the words 'dumb' and 'ass' are used incorrectly, and how you need to attend Sunday school so you can retake 1st grade?" Raymond sighed, rolling his eyes.
"You know what, I'm not gonna waste time on crap like you. Now beat it." Cody snarled.
"Well. He seemed pleasant." said Kevin. "Let's go." The two boys walked outside and started talking. They talked about anything. Things they liked, disliked. Normal friend talk.
It was however, it was the weeks that came that were important. As the two boys spent more time together, their bond kept on growing stronger and stronger. So strong in fact, that Raymond would stare at Kevin for long periods of time, and daydream about him. He would imagine kissing him, and Kevin kissing him back. In fact, Raymond stared at Kevin for a little too long, and he spotted him. "Uhh, sorry, I got bored of the lesson, so I started staring in random places," chuckled Raymond awkwardly. Kevin smiled back. He then asked him an honest question.
"Have you ever been in love, Kevin?" Raymond asked.
"No, I don't think so. I'm certainly not in love now, either." he chuckled.
"Oh, ok." sighed Raymond, more than disappointed
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason,"
"Oh, ok" Kevin smiled at Raymond. They got back to work.
Kevin's words played on his mind. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't think straight. His mind was constantly thinking about Kevin. Though eventually, he concluded his feelings for him as young love. Young, stupid love that meant nothing. The kind of love that passes. The problem was that it didn't pass.
Raymond wrote something in his journal one afternoon after coming home from school. It was very rare that he wrote things in his journal- the only times he ever wrote in it was if there was something worth remembering. Raymond wrote:
Today, I made an important discovery. One I should be ashamed of, but I'm not. It is Kevin- I have recently come to the realisation that I have developed feelings for him. However, he does not feel the same way. I know that he thinks highly of me, but the chances of him having feelings for me are minimal. I do not know what to do. The school year is drawing to a close, and I am running out of time to tell Kevin how I feel about him. However, the end of school prom is approaching, so I could tell-
Raymond's bedroom door opened. He slammed his journal shut. His mother came into the room, with a suspicious look on her face. "Raymond, what were you doing?" Laverne Holt asked.
"Nothing mother," said Raymond, trying to hide his journal under some papers.
"Honey what is that?" asked Laverne walking over to Raymond. His journal was on his desk, partially covered by some papers. She picked up his journal and began to read to herself. "Oh my god honey, are you in love?" Laverne squealed happily.
"Yes mother. I am" said Raymond blushing.
"Ooh, I'm so happy! What's his name?"
"Kevin"
"Do you love him sweetie?"
"Yes, I do." " I don't know what to do. I want to tell him, but at the same time I don't. I just don't know what to do mother."
"Tell him how you feel. Even if he doesn't feel the same way, at least he knows, ok?"
"Ok, mother, thank you."
"No problem". Laverne got up and left the room. Raymond slept happier that night.
He got up the next morning feeling nervous. There were butterflies in his stomach, but there was a skip in step. Raymond ate breakfast and got dressed the fastest he had ever done in his life. He wished his mother and his sister Debbie a good day, and set off for school.
The next day during break, Raymond asked Kevin to speak with him in private under the bleachers in the auditorium.
"Raymond?" Kevin called.
"Over here Kevin." Kevin walked over to Raymond and leant against a pole. "I need to discuss an important matter with you"
"Of course"
"Well, this is something we have been taught to be ashamed of. But I am not ashamed." Raymond's voice shook. " I know you may not feel the same way, but Kevin Cozner, I have fallen in love with you. It's not the kind of love that passes, it's the kind tha- Raymond was cut off mid-sentence by Kevin. He put a finger to Raymond's lips and leaned in to kiss him. Raymond pulled Kevin close and kissed him hard. When they broke, apart, Kevin whispered "I love you too Raymond." Raymond blushed.
"Really?"
"Yes"
"But the other day when I asked you, you said that you weren't in love"
"Well, I was trying to hide my feelings from the boy I loved. I feared he didn't love me back" Kevin smiled. They smiled at each other for a couple minutes.
"I need to ask you a question Kevin" Raymond whispered, arms around Kevin's neck.
"Anything"
"Does it happen to be what the school will think when they hear about this?" The two boys spun around to see someone. Cody. He wore a smirk. "Because they sure as hell won't take it well."