Tied Together Read Online Free Page B

into the restaurant because I always kept an eye out for my dad. There’d been a few instances where he found me and gave me a tongue lashing out in public. It was humiliating. Many people around here knew my parents were deadbeats, but no one had said anything about it publicly. It was better to keep to yourself and not get into anyone’s business.
    Except for Ryan. He had no qualms about putting himself straight into the line of fire. He was the big football star that everyone idolized, and I was a nerdy kid who lived in the trailer park. It had always been easier for me to let Ted have his say around me and then go about my business. I tried once to stand up to him in the lunchroom after he intentionally spilled soda all over one of my books. I threw my chair back, fisted my hands to my side, and was ready to go after him with everything I had. However, he yelled for the lunch supervisor and said I’d grabbed the soda out of his hands when he was innocently walking by. Even though I had tried to plead my case, I was still sent to detention. Only a few more months and I could get the hell out of this hellhole town.
    I thought about how Ryan had handled himself with Ted. When Ted flung horrible homophobic slurs at Ryan, they bounced right off him like he was made out of steel. The words fag and homo were often thrown around my house, each time cutting deeper into my soul. Those words haunted me because they were what I was trying so hard to deny. They were words that described the feelings and attractions that I had boiling in my veins.
    No one will know—ever.
    All I knew growing up was that gay people were crucified and tortured verbally, emotionally, and sometimes physically. If I wanted to make it successfully through college, I didn’t want those things to get in my way. I had to achieve my goals; if I didn’t, I’d be back here, living with an abusive father and a mother who didn’t care what the hell happened to me.
    “Tell me about yourself, Brandon… ” Ryan slowed my speeding thoughts.
    “Brandon Ford. My name is Brandon Ford.” I said, skimming the menu. I didn’t have much cash on me. I was trying to save every penny I made stocking shelves at the pharmacy where I worked.
    “How regal sounding,” Ryan said as he put his menu down.
    “Hardly.” I crinkled my nose. Our waitress came up to the table, smacking her gum loud enough that people could hear it down the street.
    “What can I get you two?” She raised her writing pad and chicken pencil up to her chest. She was a pretty brunette with big blue eyes and bigger breasts. I tried to think of what she would look like without clothes. Wasn’t that what guys my age were supposed to do? Fantasize about fucking anything with big breasts? I felt absolutely nothing when I looked at her. The guy sitting opposite me in the booth? That was another story.
    “I’ll take a BLT, fries, a chocolate milkshake, and a Coke. Oh, and a side of onion rings, too.”
    I gawked at Ryan.
    “What? I’m a growing boy!” He shrugged as if he were reading my thoughts.
    I tried to check out Ryan’s arms and chest without making it too obvious. Ryan was already tall and well built. There was no mistaking he took care of his body and worked out. For just a small second, I wondered what it would be like to have those arms surround me, embracing me close to his chest. What would it be like to be chest to chest, pressing into each other instead of pushing away in disgust?
    No! I have to clear that out of my head.
    “I’ll just take a Coke,” I said, handing my menu back to the waitress.
    “Not getting food?” Ryan asked.
    “Not really hungry,” I lied. I didn’t have enough cash with me to get anything besides a soda.
    “So?” Ryan motioned his hand in circle for me to continue.
    “There isn’t that much to tell. My name is Brandon Ford. I’m a senior at Darlings.” I stopped and drummed my fingers on the table. I forced myself to look into his eyes. The