It was your first day of high school at Mount Carmel, and you'd already thrown up three times, traumatized by your middle school years and the torture and bullying you had endured.

Boys had always been a scary topic for you, seeing as you were gay which made you a popular bullying target by all of them, not helping that this high school was only boys.

You had only ever met one boy in your life who had looked past you for being gay: Mike, your camp counselor from this past summer. He had seemed genuinely kind and charming when he was around you and you had felt...safe.

And then the summer ended, with no trace of him or any of his contact information.

You had been devastated beyond belief to have to return to your house, where you had an abusive and drunk father waiting for you, the only person you could confide in your brother, Charlie.

You had just gotten off the bus, boys already whispering and chuckling quietly.