BRAVE: A Bryan Breeding Story (B5) [Completed]

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Paige and I made it to the green and I started giving out directions. I wanted everything to be perfect for this event and I wanted things to go smoothly because not only did I have to give this speech at the school, I had to give it to my community back home. I guess you can say I was making big moves and doing big things. I was fine with it because I would be attempting to help someone. And that's all I wanted to do.

Paige was trying to tell the tech guy to fix the wires so no one would trip on them. I watched as she got frustrated with him and I smiled. She was always doing something for me. I finished placing the plants and podium on the small stage and tested the mic. People were here and now taking their seats. I adjusted my shirt and took a deep breath. The event would start any minute now.

Small talk was being made around me and my law instructor tapped me. "Mr. Breeding, I'm about to go on stage and introduce you. Are you ready?"

I looked out at the crowd and the people that were standing around. "Wow, we don't even have enough chairs?"

She laughed. "It'll be fine. Just remember what you're here for." She patted me and left off to go on stage. Was I ready?

I had to be. I stood near the stage as she started the program.

"Good afternoon." She spoke and everyone got quiet. "I am professor Lohan, Law Instructor here at BU. Today we're gathered here for a special occasion and I'm so glad that everyone has come to support it. I would elaborate on what the topic of discussion is but, I'll leave that to my top student this year, Mr. Bryan Breeding. He's worked so hard to put this together and to finally see it coming out just shows me his potential. Give him a hand everyone." As Professor Lohan stepped aside and smiled, the crowd cheered. I walked on stage, hugged her and stood at the podium.

I looked out into the crowd. My Law team was there cheering me on, Paige--on the front row and I saw Ms. Karen and Bailey. That made me smile knowing that they could make it to see me today. I sighed. "Thank you. First of all I want to thank everyone for coming to support me at this event. It means a lot to me. A whole lot. I'm sure you wouldn't understand at the moment but once I'm finished I'm hoping everyone will understand." I paused a minute to get my words together. "Bare with me if I get a little emotional... I lived a great life up until the ripe age of seven. My mom and I had a great relationship until then. I found out that she was sick and not physically but mentally and emotionally. She was in love with a man, and this man just so happened to be my father. My father was in the drug business. Sold his product and brought it back home when he did come home. He was in and out of jail most of the time but when he did come home, he'd come home for me."

I looked down and changed my posture. "He was abusive.. to my mother but that didn't matter to her. She just wanted him to continue to come back so whatever he wanted, he got. And he wanted me.. cut the story short, I was molested by my own father at the age of seven. And more than one time. Instead of my mother taking the proper precautions with this guy, she didn't. She shut me out and blamed me for everything. So I grew up in the house with her, but still without her. From then on, I had been bullied in school. Being teased from the way I walked, the way I acted, the people I hung with, all down to being gay---even though I'm not gay."

"A group of guys use to bully me back in high school to the point where I was making stupid decisions but what do you expect when you have no guidance. No one to tell you what to do or how to do it. They bullied me and everyone, including the principal knew about it. It got so bad that.. I almost took my own life." I sighed trying to hold back the tears. "At the time, all I was thinking about was the hurt I was feeling, as a child being molested and then abandoned and then as a teenager being bullied by four guys and everyone knowing about it. My own mother believed I was gay because of what she heard. I wasn't thinking about anyone but me."