In the dimly lit corner of the schoolyard, I, Travis Phelps, found myself entangled in a conversation with Larry Johnson. The air hung heavy with unspoken tension, my façade of toughness faltering in the face of my hidden truth. "Phelps," Larry addressed me, the usual cold distance in his eyes. "What do you want, Johnson?" I retorted, attempting to maintain the mask of aggression that hid the turmoil within. He leaned against the graffiti-covered wall, and for a moment, the noise of the world faded away, leaving only the two of us. "You don't have to be such an ass, you know." My heart raced, the weight of my secret pressing down on me. "Easy for you to say," I muttered, avoiding his gaze. Larry's eyes softened, a hint of curiosity breaking through. "You don't have to keep up this act, Phelps. It's not fooling anyone." I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, contemplating whether to let down my guard. "You think you know everything, huh?" "Maybe not everything, but I can see through the act," Larry replied, his tone unexpectedly gentle. As the words lingered between us, I wrestled with the suffocating silence. Could I summon the courage to confess the truth, to reveal the storm within me? The weight of my father's expectations and the fear of rejection paralyzed me. The secret, like a heavy anchor, kept me tethered to a life of lies.
4 parts