The Sceptic

Prologue

^^Tevan^^

•Tevan•

Whoosh... having the autumn breeze wake me up is not my idea of a good morning. I look to my right and see the curtains blowing into the room, I must have forgotten to close the window last night.

Pushing the thin sheets away from my body, I stretch out my arms with a yawn and get out of my warm bed. I stumble towards the open window and peer out into the streets of my small neighborhood. It's so beautiful, peaceful, yet the people here are so menacing ,I think as I leave the window open since I'm already awake.

I walk towards my bed and check the time on my phone, 7am. I have all day to pack my things so that when tomorrow comes, I will join Jackson back to his place in New York. I'm happy to leave this town and explore the outside world.

I'm certain your lost as to what I am raving about, well let me explain.

My name is Tevan Tresler. I'm 24 and I've been a resident of Tawas city, Michigan all my life. Oh and I'm gay. Jackson is my elder brother, only by a year and a few months. He moved to New York when he turned 22- a year after we buried our parents- to go and find a job. He left me to tend to the family business which is fixing cars and I'm good at it, I enjoyed toying with engines and I love the smell that comes out of a car's exhaust.

Anyway, ever since Jackson left. I have been living a normal, boring life as a mechanic. Being in the closet was not helping either. Although gay marriage is legal in Michigan our small town is not so open-minded. Jackson knows I'm gay and is very accepting, unlike our parents- they thought I was a curse to them, they died still hating me.

Jackson came back last week for Thanksgiving and he discovered the secret that I have been hiding from him.

*****

A few months ago Dwayne- a guy that owns a shop next door to my garage- somehow figured out my sexuality. He asked me out on a date, telling me how excited he was to have someone that's going through the same ordeal as him- being in Narnia. I, being the idiot that I am, agreed.

On the day of our date he showed up accordingly at my door with flowers and even complemented the way I looked before ushering me towards his pickup. He was such a gentleman. Although I am bigger than Dwayne and don't plan on being a bottom any day. I am soft hearted, shy and I seem to be attracted to dominance. Attracted to men that have control, a man who knows how to lead- at least that's what I've noticed when watching porn. Although I don't wish to bottom I find myself attracted to the top, he always has control over his bottom. I know bottoms can dominate the top too its just that pornos never show them.

He drove us to the lake and when we got there, he even had a romantic setting under a huge tree with candles and a blanket to sit on. He even held my hand as we walked towards the tree. I was so excited that I didn't notice four guys coming up behind us with baseball bats. When i did notice them, I- being the bigger one of us two- pushed Dwayne behind me, ready to protect him from this group of guys who looked just about ready to kill us, why? My guess would be because we were holding hands, because we were both men, because we are gay.

"Faggots, ey?", see told you. Because we are gay. It was the biggest of the four that spoke- the rest just sneered at us as they surrounded us like hungry pitbulls would a sheep.

"Leave us alone, we're not disturbing anybody.", I sneered at them. I was still pushing Dwayne behind me with my arm, protecting him even though this was our first date. I had to show him I could protect him. If things go well between us he would be my first boyfriend, my first love and my first sexual interaction.

"You are disturbing us with your faggotness, it's not normal. That's why you're the only one like this Tresler. We have to stop you before you infect others.", another one spat, looking at me as one would look at gum under their shoe. They're stupid, not only for using a word like FAGGOTNESS, but for also saying it's not normal and that I am alone. My eyes drifted to Dwayne with a smile.

"But I'm not alone, so this has to be normal. Dwayne feels the way I feel so it has to be normal.", I stated in a naive manner, still looking at Dwayne who now stepped away. His fear stricken face molding itself into a sinister one. I was confused, staring at him as he went over to the guy that had been the first to speak in the group.

"Actually, it ain't normal Tresler.", I was stunned by the coldness in his eyes and voice, is this the same guy who was sweet to me just an hour ago?, "It's disgusting, you're disgusting. I'm gonna have to scrub myself down when I get home just because I touched you."

"B-but... But you came to me and said you liked me. Y-you called me beautiful when you picked me up.", I was shocked and couldn't help the quiver in my voice.

I had actually thought things were getting better for me, that just maybe I would have someone love me the way I am. But I was wrong, painfully wrong I realized as the five of them jumped me and beat the crap out of me, kick, snap, crack, kick, snap, crack.

They probably wouldn't have stopped if the sheriff hadn't been patrolling and caught sight of the attack. By the time he got to me they had bolted in different directions. The sheriff came towards me and called an ambulance that took me to the ER, which then led to three weeks of recovery. I had pressed charges of assault on the five men but after the sheriff heard the whole story -my being gay included- he deemed it useless to investigate.

I remember the day he came to my house to warn me, the sheriff came to warm me, to stop going around flaunting my gayness in his town. He told me that I went looking for a beating and I got what I wanted, what I deserved, so I should not waste his time and his resources by pressing charges. "Faggots are a waste of space.", he said, and I am a faggot and so I am a waste of space- I am disgusting.

*****

Ever since that incident I have been getting death threats and bricks thrown through my window. I even had to shut down the garage because the people weren't bringing their cars around anymore. They feared I would leave my gayness in their cars to infect them (insert eye roll).

I hadn't told Jackson because he had a temper and he would just blow up, but he couldn't beat up the whole town. Though now, the secret was out because Jackson had witnessed one of the bricks fly through my kitchen window, narrowly missing his shoulder while he was washing the dishes. He had gone and picked it up and read the paper wrapped around it, "die you faggot",  was written just like on all the other ones. He bristled and rushed out the door to look for the long-gone culprit before getting back inside and giving me the third degree over the brick. I was forced to tell him the whole ordeal and by the end of my explanation I couldn't help the sobs that came out of my mouth as he held me to his chest whispering words of comfort.

After that night, he told me I was coming to live with him in New York. He didn't even leave room for discussion. I would go with him to his place and find a job, look for a place to stay- although he said I could live with him for as long as I needed, a new life in a new city.

Sighing, I pull my gaze away from the luggage and make my way to the bathroom to take a hot shower and get ready for the day. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day with the 14 hours drive to Manhattan.

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