Private Property: All I've Wanted Pt. 1

"But what if he doesn't like me?" asked Desiree.
"Stop it Desi...you don't know that, you keep doubting yourself..." Melanie warned her in a friendly tone.

Desiree rolled her eyes and closed her locket, as a line of grade nines entered into Ms. Albergo's English classroom. Desiree eyed a tall, black boy sitting by a laptop, with two other boys flanking him. One was blonde, Bailey Johnston, and the other was scrawny with dark spiked hair, Chris Hunter.

Desiree sighed at the sight of Jeremy Carleton, "He's so cute..."
"Desi, if you say that one more time, I swear to God, I'll hit you..." Melanie replied. "Now moving on, I think we should start this year with a party."
"A--party?" said Desiree.
"Yes hun..."
"Mel, you know I don't do well at soirees."
"Well any fourteen year old girl who calls a party a sherbet, or whatever, won't do well...I'm talking majour social outcast!"

"And I'm talking, pay attention girls," said Ms. Albergo, smiling.

She walked down the aisle, with a purplish book in her hand. "Today we'll begin with A View of the Woods, a tale about a young girl and the trials she faced with her father..."

Melanie turned to Desiree. "Okay, look, come to the Beanery with me and Chris after school, I'm bringing Jeremy too..."
"Mel, I don't think that's such a good idea."

Melanie poked her lip out and grinned. "Please, please, please, I want us all to be friends..."
"Fine Mel, whatever...just promise me no Ms. Matchmaker business, okay?"

Melanie squealed in her seat and touched Desiree's arm, "You won't regret it!"

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"So I'm guessing you're not okay with it?" said Peter.
"Okay with what?" asked Sean from the table.
"Okay with the whole GSA crap," Peter replied.

Sean ate his last apple fritter and said, "What's wrong with a GSA?"
"Dude...everything is wrong with the GSA...if they legalize Gay Marriage, it'll screw up America, for sure," he snapped.

"Just shut up okay?" said Sean.

"Dude chill, I was just playin' around..."

Sean ignored him and looked out the cafeteria windows.

"Oh look it's that new kid....Nathaniel Goldberg," said Peter.

Sean looked up to see a boy with dark, curly hair, khaki trousers and a red golfing shirt walking out the Caf doors.

"He transferred to Taldez from Yeshiva High School," said Chelsea, a thin blonde girl from a nearby table.

"Whatever...what the hell is a Yeshiva anyways?" said Peter.

Sean felt a pang of anger rush through his chest.

Peter sighed arrogantly and took out his half-eaten beef hash sandwich, which was crawling with mayonnaise.

"Want some?" he teased, putting it in Sean's face.

Sean looked revolted and said, "Do the words, I'm a vegetarian, mean anything to you? How about growing up for a change?"

"What's wrong with you lately?" Peter answered.

"Nothing is wrong with me!" shouted Sean.

He snatched up his bag and was gone.

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Desiree thanked the waitress, and took a sip of her green tea frappe.

She closed her schoolbag, tapped her braces and twiddled her thumbs in anticipation.

Calm down...calm down...calm down.., she thought to herself. "Remain calm, cool and collected....Jeremy is a human being, not a pouncing predatour..."

"Desi!" Melanie said from across the table, with Chris on her arm.

"What?"

Melanie rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine, fine whatev..."

The door to the stylish cafe opened as Jeremy entered.

"Jeremy! Hun, so glad you could make it," Melanie began. "I'm sure, you know Desi...from last year."

Jeremy smirked and sat next to Desiree.

"Hi," said Desiree sheepishly.

"So..." Jeremy replied.

"So."

"So ummm guys I was thinking we should kick off this year with a party!" said Melanie excitedly.

Desiree stomped on her foot, and gave her a look.

"Ow!" Melanie cried. She turned to Jeremy and said, "what do you think?"

"About a party? Yeah, I'm down for it...but where?"

Desiree didn't answer.

"Desi..." Melanie urged.

When Desiree didn't answer Melanie turned to Chris. "It's gonna be at Desi's house."

"Excuse me?" Desiree replied angrily. "I didn't decide this."

"Well I did for you, big deal..." Melanie retorted.

Desiree stood up and grabbed Melanie by her arm, towards the Girl's restroom at the back of the Cafe.

Desiree pushed her up against the stall."What the hell was that back there?"

"Desi, you were acting like some 2 year old lost in Central Park...you needed a boost!"

"No, I needed you to shut your mouth for once and let me find my own way!"

"You barely even said anything to Jeremy!"

"He didn't say anything to me!"

"Why are you so self-conscious?"

"I'm not self-conscious, I'm just trying to make sense--"

"You're not making sense!"

"Mel, he was looking at my hijab the entire time!"

"Is that what this is about?"

Desiree clenched her teeth and turned to the mirror. "Yeah...I'm just afraid he doesn't like me because I'm Muslim."

"Desi...you're my best friend on the planet, I know it may sound cliche but...you've still got me whether he likes you or not."

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It was the second week of school.

Sean Collins, the son of two diehard Christian Evangelists stared hopelessly at the Gay Marriage Ads on the Mac at his schools' computer lab.

He had always struggled with the looming horror of coming out to his exclusively homophobic yet "Christian" family. No one knew his little secret, not a soul at Taldez Senior High could ever capture the idea that he always imagined himself in the arms of another boy.

Perish the thought, someone unfriendly found out.Still, something held Sean back from telling anyone about his true emotions and his hidden sexual preference. He quickly logged back into allpoetry.com, for refuge, as Peter approached.

"Hey man, what's up?" asked Peter as he took a seat. "More poetry I see?"

Sean nodded as Peter ate his beef hash sandwich, which was smothered in mustard this time.

"Hey! Mr. Wu-Men, can you step out of my lab with the food please? I don't think you have half a million dollars to pay for all this equipment, if you wreck it all!" Mr. Sawicki, the balding Technology teacher called from his desk at the back of the room.

"Check you later..."

Peter gathered his bags and walked off. Sean turned around to make sure he was completely gone.

"Ok...I'm saved," Sean said to himself. "www dot...thegyc...dot com..."

The blue-and-white page of the Gay Youth Corner loaded itself. Sean checked his messages, nothing new, so he leaned back, stupidly letting his mind wander.

"Is this seat taken?" said a calming voice.

Sean felt his own chest leap, as he raced to cover the screen. Nathaniel Goldberg, devoid of a yarmulke, looked down at him, with a smirk. Gosh, he was extremely cute.

That was too damn close...Sean thought to himself.

"Uhh no, it's not, be my guest! Well not be my guest but you know--never mind."

"It's okay, I already saw as I was walking in. I don't have a problem with you being gay," Nathaniel replied.

"I'm not!" Sean yelled.

A few heads in the computer lab turned towards him.

Sean inhaled.

"I mean...I was looking at something for a friend, he--no I mean she is gay. She's a lesbian."

Nathan gave a non-responsive look before his remark, "Okie dokie."

He sat to type.

Sean exhaled loudly, and rubbed his hands through his slowly-growing afro.

This will not be easy...Sean thought.

Sean checked the time. Thirty after three. He'd be late for Oprah. Oh well, he'd check her out on Youtube later, some loser was bound to upload her there.

Sean hadn't even exited the halls of Taldez Senior High yet before Nathaniel appeared at his side.

"Hey uhhh...I never got your name," he said.

"Sean Collins."

"I wanted to er--thank you for sticking up for me in the Cafeteria today, I heard everything...I know we're guys, and not supposed to share our feelings, but it was nice. Thanks."

"No problem..." Sean said, turning the other way, so as not to reveal his evident erection.

"See you around, my house is around the corner!" Nathaniel called, as he ran down the stairs. "Call me Nathan too!"

"Sure."

Sean waved goodbye, elated he'd found someone he'd liked on the first day of school, but also a bit angry, because Nathaniel was leaving, and he didn't want him to go.