Against The Rage (Gay Romance)

Chapter One: A Diamond in the Rough

Chapter One: A Diamond in the Rough

             Alone...

            What matters in a world where people hurt, betray, and kill one another? A world where one only talks and never listens, looks but never sees. Where everyone is born alone in the beginning and dies alone in the end. And what's in between only matters to the person who lived it.

            Suffering...

            A life of surviving little by little each day, clouded by the judgments and hatred of people who don't matter. Always told what's wrong, and what's acceptable in society. Assigned stereotypical labels to decide 'who' is 'what'. At what point did the human race demean itself low enough as to bring each other down?

            Lost...

            In a world where people are forced to question and fight themselves, never understanding why there is always something about them that society will shun. Told to believe the words that slither from the mouths of ignorant spectators, whose solitary goal is to feel superior, looking down to anyone "less fortunate". And every sickening syllable slowly creates a blackened void, filled with doubt and pain, with each word more poisonous than the last.

            Don't give in...

            The buzzing of Alex’s alarm clock bounced off the bare, white walls of his bedroom, disrupting him from his few hours of sleep. He let out an aggravating moan and twisted around under the thick covers to face the blustering sounds coming from the nightstand, level to his bed. "Another day at school," he managed to croak, silencing the beeping with a press of a button.

His honey glazed eyes watched the tiny flecks of dust that sparkled as they drifted aimlessly through the sun shining between the blinds, fighting the urge to go back to sleep and stay asleep. 'Nothing ever changes...' Alex doubtfully thought.

The time changed to 7:10, mocking his life by taking away every minute. Defeated, he felt for his iPod beneath his pillow until he felt the smooth, familiar surface glide under his hand. Music had never helped with the insomnia that cursed Alex with sleepless nights- he listened mainly to avoid his own thoughts.

He rubbed at his eyes, trying to mask the traces of another failed attempt at sleeping. Forcing himself out of bed, with aching shoulders from not sleeping right, he plugged in his iPod to charge, and got ready for the long hours ahead of him.

It didn’t take long to skim through his walk in closet for a clean shirt and regular blue jeans before heading towards the kitchen. It was quiet throughout the house, aside from Alex’s sister’s squealing voice that drifted through the air.

Elizabeth sat at the kitchen table with her phone glued to her ear when Alex entered the dining room. Her short dark brown hair bounced in a pink bow she tied it back with, with each forced laugh she pushed out. It was no surprise to Alex when she turned around and announced she was talking with Dan - another football playing jock at school - after she hung up. "I just got off the phone with Dan, and guess what?" She badgered, too energetic to sit still in her chair.

"He finally dropped out of school?"  Alex asked lamely to placate his sister, having no interest in Dan.

Elizabeth’s dark brown eyes glared at her brother, but she did nothing to otherwise acknowledge Alex’s comment. "He asked me out! Can you believe it? He is so hot!” she yapped. With much less than half of Elizabeth’s enthusiasm he gave her a "Congratulations."

The morning went on like any other, and by the time they had left for school, the rain started to drizzle down over the state of Washington - one of the wettest states in America. The early morning fog was never a surprise, and Alex had even began to covet it, and wouldn't want to have it any other way; it was a reason to be able to get close to someone, to be in the warmth of someone’s arms.