Fire and Freedom - Book One of the Café Latte Trilogy

Chapter One - Jasper

Hi everyone, welcome to Fire and Freedom.

This is an older version of a book I have published on Kindle. It will remain free to read on Wattpad as it has done for many years, but if you'd like to buy your own copy to read on a Kindle reader or the app, please do! It has more content, has been re-edited and re-formatted, and of course, supports me in my work!

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BX4LV8HQ

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4LV8HQ

Love, Cam

♡

PS. Thank you for reading!

Chapter One

Jasper

"I'm concerned about your sanity."

I rolled my eyes at my friend Cyri, who was watching me nervously as I casually walked with her in the opposite direction to my next class. "All you have to do is say that I had a dentist appointment that I couldn't reschedule."

"I know how to cover for a friend," she snorted. "We're grown adults. We don't even need to go to the sodding classes. I'm more concerned about what your plan is."

"My plan is to go to a gay club, get very drunk, dance, and then get a taxi to yours," I grinned. "I'll climb in through the window."

"And if your parents want to speak to you?" Cyri asked, almost biting through her lip. "I'm just saying, this is kind of risky."

We reached the end of the corridor, and glanced both ways to check that no one was lurking nearby that would rat me out if they saw me. "Ri," I grumbled, as we carried on towards the exit. "If I'm going to get through the hell that is this year, living at home, dealing with my parents for yet another year, I need to at least be gay somewhere. I can't do it here, I can't do it at home - at least there, no one knows me."

"What if someone from school is there and suspects you?" Cyri asked.

"Please," I snorted, pushing the door open. "If someone from school is at a gay club, then I think we'd both look the other way and pretend we never saw each other."

Cyri hesitated, and then said, "You know, if you wanted to come out, I'd support you."

I shook my head immediately. "You remember when Tom Ramsdale came out? Remember what happened to him?"

Cyri looked as though she'd rather pretend that she didn't know. Tom hadn't been beaten up, or insulted - he'd just become completely ignored. No one spoke to him. Overnight, he became invisible. I had secretly wanted to stick up for him, to speak out, to try and include him, as had Cyri. But we were cowards, and we knew we'd get the same treatment if we spoke up. Watching his ostracism had convinced me I should keep quiet for another year.

"Exactly," I replied to Cyri's silence. "It sucks enough that we're almost nineteen and back in school part-time. It sucks enough that our original plans for life didn't bloody work out. It sucks enough that we're surrounded by children-"

"You know those children were us a year and a half ago," she grinned.

"School sucks enough without adding complete and utter radio silence. I'm popular, I'm happy, and I'm secretly gay - and I'm fine with that."

"It still sucks," Cyri sighed. "I wish you could just come out and be who you are."

I snorted. "Don't worry - we just have to get through the next six months of being back here, get our bloody A Levels, and then I can go to university and be as gay as I want - provided my parents don't completely explode when they find out."