Pressure (An LGBTQ+ story)

Meet Shane.

Hello and get ready for the most stereotypical opening line in any source of media, welcome to my life. In all seriousness, I, Shane Hunter Pointer, lead a pretty sweet life. Let's talk about school because even though school can be hell for people, I love school.  I enjoy all of my lessons, including biology with insane Miss Ross who I'm pretty sure does realise that she's always wearing her shirt on back to front, I just don't think she really cares anymore. I love English, especially creative writing. Mrs Woods, aka the most caring and sweet lady on the planet, says that she thinks I could have a real career in writing. Mrs Woods had been my honourary mom ever since my real mom passed away a few years ago. She wasn't sick, she was an alcoholic. She was a chronic drinker and would argue with my father constantly, usually about drinking. This would then cause her to cry, drink her sorrows aya, and repeat. I guess one particular day the alcohol must have clouded her judgment so much she thought it was acceptable to drive home from her boyfriend Mark's house in the middle of the night. Spoiler alert, she was not acceptable to drive. People may call me insensitive for talking about my mother's death this way, but I guess a part of me could never truly forgive her for leaving me behind. You see my mom was a free spirit. She listened to Kate Bush and would wear chiffon dresses and let her natural mane of curly hair run free every day. Some would put the kooky attitude down to the alcohol but I knew her. She wasn't always a great mom, but she was always a great person. She always told me to reach for the stars, and never to let anyone stand in my way. For a long time, her and my father were like to peas in a pod. They settled down early to have me, and as an only child, I was brought up in a house of peace, love and rock and roll. But everything changed when my dad's band got dropped from their record label. My dad loved his music almost as much as he loved me and mom. He fell into a deep depression, and gave up his dream of music, relying on cheap women and alcohol to make him feel better, whilst my mom would sit at home crying, knowing too well where her husband was and who he was with. The record label dropping my dad is what sent our family off the rails. 

After mom died, dad banished alcohol from our house, making a vow to himself that he would never let it affect him or anyone he loved ever again. He got himself a new job as a manager at a magazine company, and although I could see how much he hated it, I would never bring it up, because my father had become a man of pure unhappiness and buisiness, two things that go hand in hand. He now accepts nothing less than perfect from me. Dreams of writing are no longer something I can aspire to have, as I now have to think practically. Writing won't last forever, or at least that's what dad tells me. I guess I can never fully forgive my mother for driving drunk and leaving me with the most ordinary and mundane life imaginable.

Anyway, getting back on track. I have a great school life. Incredible in fact. I have a great group of friends. There's Rocco, whom I have been friends with since I was a mere terrified two-year-old joining pre-school for the first time. Then there's Ryan, the misunderstood ladies man, whom just can't seem to catch a break. And finally, there's Joshua. Now Joshua has been at Ridgemont (my high school) for a few months. He arrived as the tall, dark and handsome stranger, whom us three all expected to look straight past us and join the football team instantly. But to our surprise, he joined us instantly when he got to Ridgemont. Joshua was very gay. I say this in the least derogatory way possible. I love gay people. I love all people. We later realised that Joshua had only sat with us because he thought us three were also gay, and when he realised we weren't he was already too far in to back out. He already loved us too much. 

So yeah. I had it all. Great grades and great friends. The homelife situation is slightly different but we don't need to worry about that right now. For now, my dad is just happy that I participate in sports and talk about my latest girl crushes with him. It's nice that I can make him smile. Because god knows that's the only reason I do those things. I dread to think what would happen if he ever found out that I'm a raging homosexual with a crush on nearly every boy on the swim team. Oh yeah did I forget to mention? I'm Shane Hunter Pointer and I'm gay.