Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction. Much of this involves males with other males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so.

It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.

The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.

Disclaimer:
This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!

All comments are greatly appreciated. night_shaded@hotmail.com. Also, many thanks to Jon, for converting and editing this story.

“Move!”

That was the only thing I heard before I was slammed into the wall. It had been like that ever since He came along. I was considered worse than dirt in my school, not to mention, picked on by nearly everyone. The rest of them just ignored my presence. Even the teachers didn’t take much notice. When they did it was only to tell the bully at the time,

“Jeesh, leave the poor kid alone.”

I was poor. My dad couldn’t give a toss, and my mum was god knows where. She left when she got a promotion, and figured that she was too good for a scrawny runt, and a lazy bastard of a husband.

The only contact I had from her, was when she phoned two years ago and said would like for me to meet her new family (I was actually stupid enough to get my hopes up at this point, but they were soon crushed). She droned on about random things that I really couldn’t give a shit about. After a few minutes of her doing all the talking, she mentioned that perhaps I could come and live with her, and finally get away from my repulsive father.

I very nearly shouted “YES! Of course I will.”

I mean, it had to better than the state of living I had at the time. Then the bombshell hit.

“Of course, if you did come and live with us, you would have to go to church with us, every Sunday morning.”

“Wait! Mu…”

“Now before you go off, and start raving about how much you hate church, I want you to listen”

“But, Mum, you know how much I hate church”

“Yes, I know hunny, but I always tried to get you and your father to go, plus I think it would be a very good influence for you. They are very nice people, and a tight knit group. They have weekend activity days for young people like you, and of course they don’t allow any of those god damn faggots in either!”

It was like a smack to the face, combined with a punch to the gut. The image I had created in my head shattered, and I felt like bursting into tears. Meanwhile she was ranting about “these two faggots, walking along the street, holding hands, and acting AS IF IT WAS NORMAL!” I wasn’t really listening anymore. All I could think about was the venom in her voice as she spat out the word “faggot” again.

I’d finally had enough.
“Mum, I don’t think I can come and live with you just yet, I mean I have school to finish.”

“Well, you could always transfer schools, you know.”

“Yea, I know, its just all my friends are here. Plus, I think you should really be more accepting of gay people. I mean I have a gay friend, and he is totally down to earth.”

I said that, with a small glimmer of hope, that she might see some sense...

“WHAT? He hasn’t tried to turn you gay yet has he? You shouldn’t hang around with him anymore; you know he is damned to hell for the lifestyle he is living right?”

“Of course he hasn’t Mum, don’t be stupid.”

“What? How dare you call me stupid! This is your mother you are talking to!”

*sigh*

“Well, I really can’t see your plan working, and I have to go now anyway. I need to do the dishes and mow the lawn, before Dad crawls in from the pub.”

“You ungrateful little shit! I told John (her husband I’m guessing) that it was pointless, and you would be like this.”

“Wait, so, let me get this straight… this was your husband’s idea?”

“Yes, it was. I don’t want you here. You would just be a leech, like your lazy bastard of a fath-”

I hung up the phone, and slid down the wall, and pulled my knees to my chest, and cried. It hurt too much. I thought I was over her leaving, but she had to call and tear open the old wound.

I must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing I knew, I awoke with my back exploding in pain. I yelped and rolled over to see my very drunk Father standing there.

“Get up ya little shit, and why is the fucking sink still full of dirty dishes?”

“Dad, wait I can explain”

The next thing I heard was the resounding sound of a smack echoing in the kitchen. I felt the stinging across my cheek as he backhanded me across the face.

“Don’t ya dare talk back to me, ya little cunt. I showed my parents a little respect when I was your age!”

“Yea well, I bet they weren’t drunken assholes either”

As soon as I said it, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. When I get angry I say things without thinking, and usually end up regretting it. This time though, I didn’t have time to. The room went dark, as the sharp pain in my eye faded.

That was two years ago though. Let me bring you up to the present.

I guess, I should describe myself, and the rest of my pitiful life that you don’t yet know about.

My Name is Jesse, I’m 15 years old, and I live in a town called Tennyson. It is a shithole, and I can’t wait until I am old enough to escape. It has one shopping mall, which has the predictables, like McDonald’s, a Starbucks, and a few jewellery and clothing stores. There is a gem there though; it’s a small book store, called Mc’Kormick’s Pages.
It is also where I am currently employed. The owner of the store is probably the closest person to a friend that I have. He came over to me one day as I sat at the mall staring off into space, thinking about nothing in particular, and started a conversation with me.

“Hey there sonny,” he said as he sat down.

“Err, hi”

He spooked me, and was making me nervous. I was preparing to make a run for it, and I guess he noticed.

“Now, now. No need to be scared, I ain’t gunna hurt you. I saw you sitting here, and don’t get me wrong, but from the state of your trainers, you look as though you could use a job.”

“Hey, my shoes are fine”

This guy was already beginning to piss me off, and just as I was about to tell him to go fuck himself, he came out with,

“Look, I wasn’t trying to be rude, even if that’s how I came across. I actually own the bookstore towards the back of the mall.”

“So?” I really wasn’t thinking, so I didn’t get what he was hinting at.

He sighed “I guess I need to spell it out for you. Basically, I am getting on in my years, and need a hand around the place. I’m offering you a job by the way.”

“Oh, cool I guess”

“Well, if you aren’t interested, I’ll just leave you be.”

When he has started to get up and walk away I thought, I could really use the money instead of having to ask my dad for everything.

“Wait!”

He stopped and turned.

“Yes?”

“Err, I would love a job, but I mean, well, I have school and everything. How am I meant to come and work for you?”

“Well, it would only be two hours in the evening Monday to Friday, and 10am to 3pm on a Saturday. I can’t afford to pay you a lot, but its better than nothing, and relatively easy work. Its just moving boxes of books about and stacking shelves.”

“That sounds great, how can I thank you mister, err…”

“Thompson, Avery Thompson”

“Well, yea, that sounds great Mr. Thompson. When can I start?”

“How does next Monday sound to you?”

Since then, I have had a steady job working for Mr. Thompson, and the only thing, apart from school, that I have ever worked hard at.

I try my best during school, because if I am ever going to get out of this town, then the only way is college. Schoolwork is very hard because the teachers during the last year have practically ignored me. It’s as if I wasn’t there. I would still be the “teacher’s pet” if it wasn’t for Him.