Don't Tell; It's Our Secret

Chapter 1

Tommy
Present

I never thought my life could be changed in an instant.

Everything I had even known and ever was...vanished in the blink of an eye.

It all started a few days ago.

If you can believe it, my life was normal enough.
I lived in a small house with my parents, Alejo and Lynn. My father was an immigrant from Brazil, he was hardworking and did everything he could for us. My mother was a blonde haired, blue eyed, All American girl.

They married young and had my older sister, Mariana.

She and I, have about an 8 year age difference.

You can tell who was planned and who wasn't...

Until a few years ago, my family had it made....that was until my father had his accident. He was paralyzed from the waist down now.

Now we live hand to mouth...we as in my mother, father, and I.

It had been a long time since my sister was married and moved off.

The day it started was just like any other.

"Tommy!" My mother called down the hall. "Hurry up! You'll be late!"

I rolled out of bed just as the sun peaked out of the horizon. The old floors creaked beneath my skinny frame.

School was a hell; work was another kind hell I couldn't even describe.

It didn't help matters that I was throughly and unequivocally gay.

I had never been interested in women and I didn't feel anything toward them that wasn't platonic.

I pulled on an old t-shirt and jeans, running my fingers through my dark brown hair before making my appearance. My mother was in the small kitchen, she placed a plate in front of my dad.

"Are you gonna eat, Tommy?" She didn't even look at me as she situated my dad at the table.

"I'm alright, Lynn." He smiled shyly at her.

"No, I gotta go," I sighed as I grabbed a pair of converse I had haphazardly thrown off to the side of the hallway.

"Alright, have a good day." She walked back into the kitchen.

"What time are you gonna be home, son?" My father called.

"Late," I answered quickly. "I have work."

"Again?" His head dropped. "You're only 17, Tomas. You should be having fun."

"Fun..." I scoffed. "My fun died the day you crashed that fancy car of yours into a pole." I cut him off from reply.

I laced up my shoes as fast as I could. I grabbed my school bag and ran outside.

My friend, Mary, was waiting outside. Her old car hummed with life as she waved happily at me.

"No jacket?" She raised an eyebrow at me as I opened the door. "Again?" She casually pointed to the temperature gage in her car that flashed 50.

"Nah, don't have one anymore." I shrugged.

"You can't keep pawning your stuff, Tommy." She scolded as I closed the door.

"How else are we supposed to pay off those medical bills? And the court stuff? Not to mention the family of that whore who died in the accident." I rolled my eyes as she pulled off and drove me to school.

"Tommy..." Mary chided.

"Just drive." I rolled my eyes again as she drove.

I hadn't told anyone how much I'd detested school since we moved here. The kids didn't like me; the teachers didn't like me; I was the outcast who started school in the middle of the year.

I was short, brown haired, blue eyed, and a wallflower.

No one knew my name.

No one knew my age.

No one knew me.

I yanked an old hoodie out of my backpack and tugged it over my shoulders as Mary parked the car.

As she jaunted out of the car, I sluggishly shoved the door open, pulling my hood over my head as we walked into the school.

Crowd after crowd made their way down the hallway, and as Mary went to her class, I shoved my headphones in my ears and vanished like the wallflower I was.

I went through the day hidden; on the walls, the lockers, in corners and shadows...no one saw or heard me.

As the last bell of the day rang loudly, the halls filled again with crowds, and I easily made my escape.

At the end of the school day, I walked to my job.

Mary had begged me to let her drive me, but I felt bad enough letting her drive me in the morning. As I walked along the road, my eyes caught sight of my dreaded work place.

The corner street gas station was a red and off white color. The sign flashed neon "Knot's Gas" and I cringed at the slight buzzing sound. It was a ratty old place and I pushed the door to see the old man sitting at the window.

"Tommy!" He chuckled, "it's about time! I thought you'd be late." He smiled.

"Never am, Mr. Craig." I sighed as he walked out from behind the desk and walked out the door.

I dragged my body behind the counter and threw my backpack under the counter. I zipped up my jacket and kept my hood pulled up as I looked out. I hated the scene I saw every evening. As the sun set, and the outer lights came on, the dredges of society came in and out and around the gas station.

I didn't live in the best part of town, and this gas station wasn't in the best part of town, but it was work.

Several times I had caught thieves and vagrants.

Several times I had seen men brandishing knives and guns.

As I stood behind the counter, I tried to avoid the altercation occurring outside of the large windows.

The sound of a loud bang drew my attention, and the shrill scream of a petrified man as he swung the door open cause my body to sink at once and hide under the counter.

"Help!" The man cried, "please for god sakes help me!" He banged on the counter above my head but I didn't dare move, I barely near breathed.

"Help me!!" he screamed again as the door opened and closed. "Oh god!" I heard his feet scramble and another man laugh cruelly.

Then first man jumped over the counter. His body crashed on the ground in front of me. He didn't see me at first. A pair of long legs appeared and the first man tried to crawl away. The long legged man grabbed his collar and flipped him over. He cried out as the tall man stood over him.

A gun glinted in the fluorescent lights.

"Please! Please Wu! Please forgive me! I'm sorry!" The man on the ground put his hands up.

Another cruel laugh sounded out and the gun went off.

The man on the ground was dead.

But the long legged man went to stand over him, and shot him twice more.

I covered my mouth with my hands as the long legged man's body turned my direction. I felt hot tears running down my face as the long legged man sank down...

And he stared right at me.