"Mom, I'm home!" Bryan called to the kitchen as the screen door crashed closed behind him. He had just returned from rehearsal and had his nose in his script. He plopped his book bag on a kitchen chair sank into the chair next to it, when he looked up he was surprised to see his younger sister, Marva, staring back at him, not his Mother.

"What?" He asked her, noticing her piercing gaze. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Marva looked down, suddenly interested in her glass of lemonade.

"Mom and Dad are having a... discussion in the living room..." She said.

"So?" Bryan retorted, looking back at his script.

"It's about you." She replied. Bryan looked up from his script.

"Bryan is that you?" His mother called from the living room.

"Nice knowing ya..." his sister whispered as she darted upstairs. Two seconds later their mother appeared in the door.

"Bryan, honey..." She started awkwardly, "Your father and I would like to speak with you... now."

Alarms blared in Bryan's head. He tried to remember anything he had done wrong. Did he forget to do any of his chores? Break anything? Or leave the TV on "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition?"

Obediently, he followed his mother into the living room where his father sat in his usual chair.

"Son..." his father began sternly. Bryan's heart was racing. "We got a phone call today... from Steven Williams' parents..."

Oh fuck...

Bryan noticed the letter in his father's hand and his heart dropped. He knew exactly what it was; he was the one who had written it after all. The events of the last few weeks flooded back to him and he immediately began to regret every single moment.


Steven Williams was the first boy Bryan had ever kissed. He had the biggest crush on him ever since he moved to town but never really knew what to do about it. After all, Bryan had yet to come out to anybody about these feelings and had no idea whether Steven would feel the same way about him, or members of the same sex for that matter. Bryan suffered in silence, resorting to doodling in his notebooks like any other love-struck teen. Then Valentine's Day came around and he could no longer contain himself. He decided he would write Steven a letter, expressing how he felt but signing it anonymously. With his heart racing and hands shaking he put the note in Steven's locker and quickly vacated the hallway. The only problem was that Steven had been Bryan's lab partner that semester and recognized his handwriting. He met with Bryan secretly in the boy's bathroom and told him he wanted to feel the same way, but he was just so confused. Bryan left the school heartbroken that day.

The next week Bryan found a note in his locker telling him to meet behind the bleachers after school. He followed the instructions and was relieved to find Steven waiting for him. They shared their first kiss, and it was magical.

In order to keep a low profile at school, they never talked to each other outside of class, but instead exchanged notes and letters. They met behind the bleachers almost every day, and everything was going smoothly. That was until one afternoon when Steven's older brother came looking for him because his football practice had been cancelled and he was ready to take Steven home.

He found them under the bleachers.

Steven said he'd take care of it. That he'd make his brother promise to stay quiet.

Bryan hadn't spoken to or about Steven since until his father brought him up that afternoon. He'd almost forgotten about the letters, until one was shoved in front of him, demanding an explanation.

He'd never been more scared in his life.


Bryan laid on his bed, too stunned to move. He could hear his parents shouting downstairs. He'd escaped to his room at least an hour ago but the shouting had just continued.

A small tapping on his door made him jump.

"What do you want?" He asked warily, hastily wiping tears from his eyes. The door creaked open and one of his older brothers, Ken, poked his head in.

"Can we come in?" He asked.

Bryan just nodded.

Ken opened the door and he and Marva strode into the room. Marva sat on the bed next to Bryan, while Ken leaned on the closed door. They sat in silence, listening to the muffled shouts of their parents downstairs. Then Ken spoke.

"Is all that stuff true?" he asked, looking at Bryan. He just nodded solemnly.

"We don't think you should stay here tonight." Marva pipped up. "Ken offered to drive us to Emily's place… at least for the night."

Bryan sat completely frozen, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Is that all right with you, Bryanne?" Ken asked. Bryan looked up at him and thought for a moment.

"Just let me pack my stuff…"