Pavane for a Lost Boy (Or Rather, How to Survive Loss after Rejection)

Summary/Disclaimer

My name is Demario Bader. And if you think that being a Black teenager is bad while living in Dallas; then take a look into my uncharmed life.

1. I have a dysfunctional family that relies on favoritism over unity. And they loved being bass-ackwards and belly-up as much as they hated me for being straightforward and straitlaced.
2. My domineering mother hated me for being the middle child that she never wanted while my father was a hen-pecked husband who agreed with her on everything she said bad about me.
3. I wasn't bullied in high school, yet I never had any friends (much less bullies) or mentors on my side.
4. And just recently, I had lost my parents, older sisters, and younger brothers to a freak accident before being disowned and my relatives (who were as bad as my mother) never offered to take me into their homes.

So where does that leave me? Preparing to end my life with a bottle of antidepressants and some of my father's vodka. But fate in the form of my landlord, my court-ordered therapist, my foster family, and a new love interest had other plans for me.

Fate, you had screwed me over one time too many. But I might as well take advantage of this do-over. So...this is your last chance as well as it is mine.

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Copyright 2023 by JayDEvers, all rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, redistributed, republished, or photocopied without the consent of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and other identities mentioned throughout the story are uses in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to the persons mentioned, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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All right, you guys. As you might have already known, this is a reboot of my failed attempt of writing "Unapologetic," my ONC 2023 novella that didn't make it through round one of the competition. And while this is completely done out of the blue and will more than likely be impromptu, most of elements from what I have written in the original version ("Unapologetic") will still be used: Demario Bader as the main character, Ryan Peavy as the love interest, Demario's un-charmed beginnings- to name a few. But there will be new characters that will be used while keeping the old ones from "Unapologetic."

I'm going out on a limb doing this reboot version of the novella, but all I can do at this point is take one step at a time while searching for inner peace of my own as a thirty-ish-year-old Black-American male writer. And though this is mainly unscripted, I am going forward with a new mindset and a shot in the dark.

I'll be creating a Spotify playlist and will be posting the link as soon as possible.

And yes, folks, this will be an LGBTQ slice-of-life teen-fiction novel with some elements that are not meant for those under 13 (mental health issues, suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts or actions, depression, verbal and emotional abuse from a parent, anxiety, etc.). And while there will be some love scenes, I believe that this calls for the fade-to-black/steamy content that won't be too explicit. And again, folks, this will feature BOYXBOY content. If this isn't your cup of tea, please do not go further.

So with all of that out of the way, I do believe that it is time to light this puppy up. Wish me luck, darlings. I'm going to need all of it- alongside dedication, discipline, and an ENDLESS supply of chocolate and peppermints. So let's skip the small talk and get this story rolling! Show some love to this writer and...

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