Struggle For Homo

Part 1

Prologue

Dear President Kashmark,

Following on from our previous letters, attached is a manuscript regarding our cause's origins. We hope this makes you open your eyes. Read, learn and act.

For all of them.

Chapter 1

Close your eyes. Make a wish. I've been told to do this on my birthday each year by my mums and they insist on continuing the tradition. They don't think perhaps an eighteen- year- old may want to just get on and eat the cake or that wishes are as realistic as nightmares. Perhaps in my final psychology exam I will type on the essay title "Why do mums hug the past?" this summer.

I open my eyes and they gleam at the slab of rich, triple-layered chocolate cake they got printed which will soon be stuffed in my mouth. Mum Eileen balances a tablet above the cake which displays a picture of sticks called "candles". You can't find any in my cupboard- went out of style a hundred years ago. Still, that doesn't mean I don't gaze at them and in that blank space between song and cake see those ellipses of light sway and illuminate my mind.

One. Two. Three. A chorus of cheers echo through the room while I stuff my hands in my pockets, Mum Sarah the loudest obviously. She instructs HAA (House Automated Assistant, the inventors really were having a laugh when they invented this) to play some pop music and send a message up to Tyler's room system. Doesn't matter to him I paid for the house bot he wanted for his sixteenth and he couldn't get off his backside to watch me blow out virtual candles.

"Braylen! Braylen!" Mum Eileen exclaims waving her arms wildly when all I want is to fade into the background. She weaves through crowds of people I don't know (probably Tyler's friends) and shouts painfully over the music. "Get Tyler to come down here. I'm not letting him play on one of those virtual reality games on his brother's birthday! He is ignoring all my messages."

"Yeah Mum," See, I'm the good, eldest child and my brother is the bratty, rebellious little shit out of us two. Her shadow melts into a kaleidoscope of coloured beams of light and darkness. "Ford, let's drag my brother out of his bed,"

"Right I got you, let's bounce," Ford yells with a mock salute. "So then, what did you wish for? An Adonis to keep you company toni-" I give him a good-natured shove to say "kindly, piss off," and he laughs.

"Shut up," Ford always bring a smile out of me even though they are hard to coax. "Honestly? I wanted to shove that cake down my throat," He grins wider than necessary because that's him. Without him, I would be chips without fake fish; salt and no vinegar; tea without almond milk. Don't argue with me on almond milk, don't say you prefer coconut.

Hurriedly, we push through swathes of randoms from school so as not to incur Mum Eileen's wrath. We squeeze past a pair of lads snogging; I peer into Tyler's room. No one in there. As a last ditch attempt I try my room and it's locked. That little- he'll pay. He had worked out my passcode, I need to get this upgraded.

There is a click and we're in... my God. Fuck's sake. Tyler kissing some skinhead leaning on my bed. Good thing I came now otherwise I would have had to wash the sheets.

"Slow down soldier swear you only met him downstairs," Ford tries to lighten the atmosphere, yet my eyes harden, and I fold my arms.

I don't shout nor punch him since that's not me. My voice falls to a low, glacial tone. "On the one day that's mine you have to bring the attention back to yourself. I've tolerated your shit since day one, and you don't give one about me. Why am I surprised?"

"Just because you haven't," Tyler scoffs, locking my stare and challenging me. Ford looks deliberately away. We don't talk about that.

"Come on, get out bro before you have nothing left to play with," Ford grimly states. Despite me being his brother Ford is the single person Tyler will listen to. He gets up and leaves with his eyes glued to his phone. At least his "playmate" has the decency to mutter an apology.