Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 17:34:41 -0800
From: Cole Parker <colepark@gmail.com>
Subject: 8th Grade, Chapter 15

The following is a fictional account of two boys' adventures during
early adolescence.  It will contain some sexual content.   If this sort
of story is offensive or illegal for you to read, please exit and find
something else to occupy your time.

I would like to thank Chris for his help and friendship.  Without
either, this story would neither have been written nor posted here.

I would also like to express my genuine appreciation to all of those
who have written to express their enjoyment of this story.  Your
response has overwhelmed me.

Any remarks can be addressed to: Cole Parker <colepark@gmail.com>


				 8th Grade

				Chapter 15


The meeting had effectively ended at that point.  I'd stopped the tape.
Everyone had looked at Mrs. Graedon and from her appearance she
was thoroughly defeated.  Mrs. Hodges had asked her if she had any
comment and she'd just sat there, slumped in her chair, chalky looking.
Then Mrs. Hodges had asked the rest of us if we could leave and she'd
notify everyone of what was going to be the outcome of this situation.
My father had asked if we were both to come to school tomorrow, and
Mrs. Hodges nodded, and then realizing my father couldn't see that,
said, "Yes."  It was apparent to me she now absolutely believed us, and
a wave of relief washed over me.  As we were standing up to leave, Mr.
Thompson spoke up.  "Danny," he asked, "just why did you have a tape
recorder, and why were you recording?"

I looked at him, and a clearly beaten Mrs. Graedon.  "I talked to my
father last night.  He said if it came down to her word against ours,
people tend to believe the adult.  He suggested the tape recorder."

Mr. Thompson didn't appear to know what to say, and so said nothing.
The meeting was done.  At least one hard part was over.

After Mr. and Mrs. Decker and my father left the office, Mr. Decker
pushing my father's wheelchair, they stopped in the corridor to talk.  I
pulled Brad away, and we went out the front door and walked out onto
the lawn.  Brad looked at me.

"Danny, we did it-well, you did it, actually--but, well, what's my father
going to say?  She told him we are gay."

"I don't know.  I know one thing, though.  I was looking at him when you
stood up to her and agreed that she'd called us fags.  He looked mad,
but not about you.  He was glaring at her.  I'm sure he was mad at her
for saying that.  I don't think he believes that for a minute about you.
What he'd feel or say or do if he found out you were gay, I don't know,
you'd know better than I, but I don't think he's even considering that.
Besides, I've seen you two together.  He loves you totally.  Both your
parents do.  If it's real love, and it sure looks like it to me, then whatever
their feelings, you'll find a way to get together on this.  And you know
what?  I don't think you can put that label on us anyway.  Maybe we are
gay, but I don't know and you don't know and I don't think we will know
for a few years yet.  You said you don't like boys, only me.  I don't think
that makes you gay.  But you like me and, hey, that's fine with me.
Better than fine.  I like you, too, you know. A lot!"

Brad smiled that smile of his at me and simply said, "Thanks."  I grinned
back at him.  He poked my in the shoulder.  Mrs. Graedon was right
about something at least.  He did seem to like to touch me.

Our folks came outside eventually and they drove my father and me
home.  The discussion in the car was one of support for us, and
especially for me and what I'd gone through dealing with Mrs. Graedon
all year.  Brad hadn't felt her barbs the way I had, it'd only been recently
she'd started after him.  Nothing at all was said about what she'd
accused us of, for which I was thankful.  I don't know how I would have
responded.

When we got home, my father and I got out and started walking to the
door.  Brad yelled at me to hold on a second, then spoke briefly to his
parents.  Then he got out and ran over to me.

"I just asked.  They say it's OK if I come over after school tomorrow.  If I
can, I'll come a lot.  I want to spend the time with you, and I can help
you with all you have to do.  Please let me, Danny."  He looked at me
with his deep eyes, his feelings apparent.  "If I can, I'll even spend the
night tomorrow, and other times, too."

The idea of that made me tingle.  All over.  "It's a school night.  You're
parents are all right with that?"

"They think you walk on water.  They think spending time with you will
mean I'll get all A's.  I'll bring my books over.  We'll do homework, we'll
fix dinner, hell, we'll paint the garage if that's what's needed.  OK?"

I felt giddy.  How could such a boy like me so much?  "Of course it's OK.
It's even better than that.  It's perfect."

So that's what happened.  He came over the next afternoon, and the
one after that.  He started spending the night three or four times a week.
He told me his parents never said anything about Mrs. Graedon's
accusation.  They simply didn't mention it.

I wish the same had happened at school, but as we both feared, rumors
started.  I even think it might have been from Mrs. Graedon.  I think she
called someone at school, or sent an anonymous email, or something,
because fairly soon rumors began flying around that Brad and I were
gay, were boyfriends, even that we were "doing it."  Mrs. Hodges had
probably believed my father's threat because Mrs. Graedon never set
foot in the school again as far as we ever knew, but her threat that she'd
out us seemed to be coming true.    At a middle school, gossip is like a
contagious virus that rampages through a school.  It only took about a
day after the rumors had begun before everyone in the place seemed to
have heard them.  This was the second hard part I knew we'd have to
face.


We thought the world would fall in on us when the entire school caught
on to our relationship, when everyone thought we were gay or
suspected it or just wondered about it.  We thought we'd be picked on,
ostracized, beaten up, laughed at, rejected--well, everything you could
imagine that could happen to young teens thought to be gay who'd been
outed at school.  We had discussed it beforehand and had dreaded it
and weren't sure how we would react when we were faced with it, but
you know what?  In the end, nothing happened!

Brad was the most popular kid in school and with his winning
personality and cool demeanor, everyone liked and admired him and it
was impossible, I guess, for everyone to just start hating him, especially
because he didn't act any differently.  Being who he was, they had a
hard time believing something like this.  He was still the friendly, self-
confident, sociable kid he'd always been, and people still responded to
him when he said hello, kidded with them, went out of his way to make
them feel good about themselves.  He made people feel important just
by taking the time to talk to them.  When he walked away from someone
after stopping to chat, that person always had a smile on his face.  Brad
was just a celebrity in that school, and rumors that most people didn't
know whether to believe or not weren't going to change that.

As for me, well, I remained somewhat awkward and shy, but wasn't
quite as reclusive as before.   Being forced by circumstances to stand
up for Brad at that meeting and being successful doing so had boosted
my confidence a little.  Brad told me everyone had always liked me,
many kids saw what I did for everyone, being helpful and supportive and
all, and they wanted to be my friend, wanted to help me if I needed help.
Now, even with the rumors, when I opened up a little more and didn't
push people away, most everyone was friendly in return.  They showed
me friendliness and kindness and I couldn't help but smile and respond
to their actions.

So we survived Mrs. Graedon, and we were even able to retain our
relationship with each other.  Brad keeps coming over to my house,
much more than I go to his because we are more needed at my house
than his, he helps me with the things I have to do, making my load
lighter, and we study together, which he says,  but I refute, is the cause
of his grades soaring.  I tell him it is because he has more confidence in
his abilities, it has nothing to do with me.  He says, who cares?  And
he's probably right about that.  Anyway, things have returned to normal,
we're still together, and that's about as good as anything I could hope
for.   Being able to sleep together three or four times a week also means
we're getting to know each other a lot better, too, and that's really, really
good.  For both of us.  We are going slow, but it's absolutely great.  We
feel we have all the time in the world.

Next year?  High school?  What's going to happen?  Who knows?  But I
do know this, my life has turned a corner, I'm happy, and whatever
comes now, I can deal with it.  With Brad's help.


				  The End


***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of you who
have taken the time to write me with your extremely kind
comments about this story.  For a first time writer, such a
response is heartwarming and totally unexpected.   You
have made me feel very proud, and all I can say in return is a
very humble but heartfelt, "Thank you!"      Cole Parker