East Side Prep

Chapter XVIII

I awoke the next morning to find David’s side of the bed empty. A few minutes later, he came into the bedroom with a breakfast tray. “It won’t be as good as James’ eggs benedict, but I wanted to do something special for you this morning to thank you for all the beautiful things you said to me last night and James is off today.” He said.
“I meant everything I said. I’ll never leave you.”
“I know that now. I don’t think that I ever really believed that anyone could love me enough to want to spend his life with me. I know now that by some miracle you do. I just wish I understood why you love me so much. Usually, either people like me for my looks, or for my money, but it goes so much deeper than that with you. What do you see in me that nobody else does?”
“I’ve told you that I fell in love with you the first time we shook hands, but I’ve never told you why. It was your eyes; when we shook hands, you looked into my eyes, and when I looked into yours, it was as if I could see your soul. It was beautiful. You’re even more handsome on the inside than you are on the outside. Underneath that tough act you put on sometimes, you’re the most sensitive, kind-hearted, caring, and unselfish person I’ve ever met, and for some reason I seem to bring out those qualities in you, and you bring out those same qualities in me.”

David looked at me through tear-filled eyes. “I believe you when you say that you saw my soul that first day, because I saw yours too. That’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off you, and why I had to have you, even if it meant forcing you to be with me. I think I’m finally starting to understand what you see in me; deep down you and I are a lot alike. We’re soul mates. You love all the same things about me that I love about you. I finally get it.”
I smiled. “Well it’s about time. By the way, Dave, if you ever do decide give up all your money and move to a tenement, I’ll stay with you. I might have to physically hurt you, but I’ll stay with you.”
“I guess that was a dumb thing to say.” He laughed.
“No it wasn’t. I believe you would be willing to give it all up for me.”
“In a heartbeat,” he said as he kissed me.
“Eat your eggs while their hot. See what kind of cook you’re going to spend the rest of your life with.” I tasted the eggs, and they were delicious.
“They’re good; I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be; I had them sent up from the coffee shop. I can’t boil water.”
“Don’t feel bad, neither can I; we’re lucky that you can afford a butler.”
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” He asked.
“Yes and no; I don’t think it will be as bad as last night. At least we know our friends are standing by us, and we won’t get beat up at the assembly. I’m nervous about what we’ll say and how we’ll look to the rest of the school. Do you really think we can reach them? They seemed to hate us so much last night.”

“Don’t forget, very few of them are like Steve or Johnson. Most of them like us as people, we just have to make them understand how we feel about each other. A lot of them are in love with somebody too, most with women and some with men. I think we can get to them if we put them in our shoes.”
“What if they still hate us?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. My mother and my father’s estate donate to a few schools. I’ll get my lawyer to use that pull to get you a scholarship to one of them. Your parents will never find out what happened and you can start over with a clean slate. Hell, if I have to I’ll pay your tuition myself out of my trust fund and you can tell your parents that it’s a scholarship. If I can’t take it out of the trust fund, I’ll sell the Cézanne, the silver, or even the furniture to get the money. Whatever I have to do, you’re not going to spend three years as the school faggot.”
“You would really be willing to do that for me?” I said with tears in my eyes.
“I told you I’d give up everything I own for you, Mike. I love you, and nobody’s ever going to lay a hand on you, even if it costs me my last penny.”

* * * *

The next morning I was surprisingly calm but determined as David and I walked into the auditorium. I knew that thanks to David’s love and generosity, I would be all right no matter what happened, but there would be other Michael Sheridans and David Donovans in the future. David and I truly wanted to change things so they would never have to endure the living Hell that we had known for the past few days.
The other students started to file in a few minutes after we arrived. As they saw us sitting on the stage, I heard them muttering comments about faggots, but nobody accosted us directly. Mr. Powers came up on the stage and the room went silent. Mr. Powers took the podium.

“Good morning, gentlemen; I have called this assembly at the request of Mr. Donovan and Mr. Sheridan. As you all know, two of your fellow students circulated candid photographs of these two men on Saturday night. I have seen fit to deal harshly with the guilty parties. I have expelled Steven Corbett, and I have given Matthew Johnson a week’s suspension, which will appear on his permanent record, and he will not be permitted to attend any school functions, including the prom and graduation exercises. He will receive his diploma in the mail.” There was a muttering from the audience. Mr. Powers continued, “The only reason that I spared Mr. Johnson from expulsion was his outstanding academic record and the fact that he is about to graduate. However, I have warned him that if I receive one further complaint from Mr. Donovan or Mr. Sheridan about his conduct toward either one of them, I shall expel him immediately, even if it is on the eve of graduation day.”

“Before I turn the podium over to Mr. Donovan, I must remind you that these men are both in good standing with the school, and with me. They have done nothing wrong; rather they were the victims of an exceedingly cruel campaign to destroy their good names. I expect you to listen to what they have to say politely. I will not tolerate any interruptions or rude behavior. Mr. Donovan...”

David stood up and walked to the podium. I could see the fear in his eyes.
“My fellow students; I stand before you not to offer an apology, but simply to ask you for your compassion and understanding. As recently as Friday afternoon, I was one of the most popular men at this school, so popular in fact that you honored me by electing me to the office of Student Body President. Today I stand before you a pariah. What information about my personal life could have brought about that change in my social standing in so short a time? Did I commit a crime? Did I steal a car? Did I sell drugs, or kill somebody? No. Evidence came to light that I am in love. I admit that to you now. I am deeply and passionately in love. I love Michael Sheridan and, for some reason that I can’t fully understand, he loves me. No doubt, many of you find this statement repulsive. I ask you for a show of hands; how many of you did not know, prior to Saturday night that Mike and I were involved in a sexual relationship? Please raise your hands.” Not one hand went up. “It didn’t bother any of you that I was having sex with Mike; on the contrary, many of you congratulated me on it time and time again. Mike gained instant popularity in his class when they found out, and you even elected him to the office of Freshman Class Representative on the basis of his involvement with me. It is a time-honored tradition at this school for seniors to initiate freshman in the art of sex, but if that senior and freshman show any sign of intimacy toward each other above casual friendship, they are, no, WE are branded faggots. Gentlemen, I submit to you that this custom is outdated, hypocritical, and just plain cruel. This is nineteen eighty-one, not eighteen eighty-one.”

There was a smattering of applause. He was winning some of them over! “Imagine if you would, that you went to a co-ed school and you had a beautiful girlfriend who you loved dearly, but if you held her hand or kissed her in public even once, both of you would be ostracized, ridiculed, and possibly even bodily harmed. Mike and I know first hand how you would feel; we live with it on a daily basis. How would you have liked to be in our shoes the other night at the dance? We saw people that we consider friends, people who we sit next to in class; people who have lunch with us every day look at us with the most intense hatred that we could ever imagine. What was the reason for this hatred? Two people, whom most of you know and dislike, distributed pictures of Mike and me sharing an innocent kiss or two on a weekend. We were the victims, not the criminals! We never hurt anyone; we were the ones who got hurt!” The room erupted in applause. I never knew what an effective speaker David was! “Let me share with you the whole story of how Steve and Matthew came to distribute those pictures. They were trying to blackmail us. What was their price for the photographs and negatives? Their price was two thousand dollars and the unlimited use and abuse of our bodies. Mike and I chose disgrace over dishonor. No matter what happens to us, we will never regret that decision!” The room went wild with applause. David continued, “I can’t ask that you approve of or even understand the love that Mike and I have for each other; all I can ask of you is to allow us to live our lives among you. If you don’t approve of us, ignore us, snub us; but please don’t hate us. We don’t hate any of you. Thank you for your attention.” David received a standing ovation.

Mr. Powers took the podium. “Now, Mr. Sheridan would like to address you.” I nervously took the podium. “My fellow students; please bear with me; I’m not the polished speaker that David...I mean, that my boyfriend is.” The room resounded with applause. “I don’t know how much I can add to what David has already said. I once heard a quote, and I don’t remember who said it, ‘Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.’ I know that the vast majority of you are good men, and I ask you not to remain silent any longer. I know what I’m asking isn’t easy. I know it from personal experience. There is someone else who is gay sitting among you whose suffering David and I can only imagine. I think you all know of whom I am speaking. I have seen him sitting alone every day, and I can’t tell you how many times I have wanted to speak to him, to offer him my friendship. I’m ashamed to say that I have never spoken to him. I was afraid that if I did, it would affect my popularity, and possibly cause some of you to scrutinize my relationship with David more closely. I did nothing although I knew it was wrong, just as many of you have done. I’m sure that many of you did nothing at the dance for similar reasons. I am asking you to be more courageous than I have been. I’m asking you not to allow evil to triumph. I’m asking you to speak out when you see someone treated unjustly.

I’m simply asking you to be good Americans, and respect the rights of others who are different from yourselves. I’m asking you to respect my right to come to school every day and return home unharmed. David is worried sick that one day next year I’ll come home beaten, and possibly even worse. I would like to remain in this school next year. I’ve come to love it here, and I’ve come to love some of you as my friends; but I’ll leave if you want me to. Would you please give me a show of hands if you’re willing to allow me to stay?” Practically every hand in the room went up, and then the room erupted in wild applause. Tears started streaming down my face.

A hand rose in the audience; it was Brendan Nelson, a six foot four inch junior who was on the school weight lifting team and who had many girlfriends.
“Yes Brendan,” I said.
“I’m one of the many guys who Dave has befriended over the years. I’ve always thought that he was a great guy, and it made me sick to watch the way they treated you both the other night. It was just like you said; I was afraid to speak up for you, afraid that if I did they would call me a faggot too. I’m not afraid any more. Dave and Mike have been good friends to us all and on Saturday night, they proved that they’re braver than most of us will ever be, and that they have a lot of class. If that’s the definition of a faggot, I’m on the faggots’ side. From this moment on, you can all consider Mike my best friend. Anybody who messes with him messes with me. I’ll protect him for you, Dave. You won’t have to worry about Mike next year. I’ll look after him like a brother.”

There was more applause. David had tears of gratitude in his eyes. I embraced him and the room went wild. Somebody shouted, “Kiss him, Dave!” The chant went up, “Kiss him, Kiss him, Kiss him...” We looked at Mr. Powers, he smiled and nodded, and we kissed to a standing ovation. They didn’t hate us.