Before I Break by Alec John Belle Read Free Book Online

sexuality falls into that category. So I guess I’m a Q.”
    “You’re questioning ?”
    Melissa’s laughter filled the car—so sweet, so simple. “No, I’m a queer, technically speaking. And if you truly find yourself supporting them, you would be queer as well. I think.”
    Unsure if I liked that term as opposed to just straight, I said, “Well, queer we are then.” Holding her hands and looking into her eyes, I said, “Please listen to me when I say I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to say those things to you. I think I am beginning to see that gay guys are not all that bad.”
    “Really?” she smiled. “You should think about joining the Gay-Straight Aliiance with me this year.”
    “Gay-Straight Alliance?”
    “The GSA? I’ve been in it since freshman year with Christian. It’s a group in support of homosexuality. Lots of straight people join, maybe even more than gay people, but I think that has more to do with people being afraid to come out.” I saw a tear in her eye as she grabbed my hand again, pulling me in to kiss me. Our lips locked tightly but only for a second before she pulled back, looking me right in my eyes. “Please just tell me you’ll think about it. It starts next week in the trailers.”
    “I’ll think about it,” I promised her. We left the car and went into the school, this time holding hands, and it made me feel good that we had worked things out. In the back of my mind, though, I couldn’t get rid of the conversation we had. The GSA? She wanted me to join it? Just because I was friends with Avery—or was going to try to be—didn’t mean that I wanted to be in a room with a bunch of queers. Literally.
     

 
    AP Biology was pretty boring, as were all my other classes. We spent our time going to the textbook checkouts and going over more rules. The only fun part of the day was going to be lunchtime—or so I thought.
    Melissa and I, holding hands, entered the cafeteria. I didn’t expect to find Avery sitting at a lunch table all by himself, reading a book. Was this his way of not hiding from me? Melissa saw where my eyes had fallen and said, “Why don’t we sit with your new friend today?”
    “Uh…sure,” I said. I knew she was starting to catch onto the fact that something happened. During Biology, Avery ignored my gaze and when we went to pick up our books, Melissa had urged me to speak to him, but I said he might feel a little embarrassed about coming out to me. In truth, I was embarrassed for the way I acted and I didn’t want her to know how I reacted when I found out about Avery.
    Melissa, taking me by the hand, dragged me over to the table where Avery sat. She and I sat across from him and she said, “Hey Avery. How are you?” Sounding like her usual perky self, Avery looked up with a smile, but it wasn’t a nice one. Not when he saw me.
    “Hi. Melissa, right?” he asked. He glared at me and smirked. “You hear to talk about last night?”
    “Cyril told me,” Melissa said. “It’s okay, I support you fully. Cyril says you’re a good guy and I just wanted to finally talk.”
    “I see.” Avery looked at Melissa seriously. From the way his eyes seemed to ignite, I could tell he was going to spill the beans. “Did he tell you everything that happened last night?”
    Melissa looked at me with a small gleam of confusion in her eyes. “Yeah, I think so. He told me about how you guys went out to Town Centre so he could show you around and that you came out to him over some frozen yogurt. That is what happened, isn’t it?” The tone in her voice told me she was beginning to question my story.
    There was some sort of frustration in Avery’s eyes—an unhappiness of sorts. “Yes, that’s what happened. Assuming he told you what happened after I told him.”
    “What happened after?” she asked, but I knew the question wasn’t directed at me. She was looking right at Avery, like she couldn’t trust what I said anymore, and that pissed me