Читать онлайн «Boy Meets Boy»

Автор Дэвид Левитан

Acknowledgments This book started out as a story I wrote for my friends for Valentine's Day. First and foremost, it still belongs to them. You should all know who you are, and how much you mean to me.

I want to thank the following people who inspired and encouraged me (either knowingly or not) as I wrote this story: Mike Rothman, Nancy Mercado, Eliza Sporn, Shira Epstein, Christopher Olenzak, Bethany Buck, Janet Vultee, Ann Martin, John Heginbotham, Edric Mesmer, and Rodney Bender. I am also indebted to all the writers, editors, and production editors with whom I have worked, from the BSC to PUSH. The source of this book's dedication is the song "Tony" by Patty Griffin; whenever I needed motivation, all I had to do was press play and there it was.

I owe Shana Corey, Brian Selznick, and David Serlin for the pivotal moment that led to this story becoming this book. I am also very happy that Chris Krovatin came into my life while I was finishing it.

All the umbrellas in London couldn't stop me from showering my editor, Nancy Hinkel, with praise.

Billy Merrell brings me joy.

My deepest thanks go to my family and to my friends who are family. Cary Retlin, David Leventhal, and Jennifer Bodner mean the world to me. And I am proud to be the intersection of my brother Adam, my niece Paige, and all the Levithans, Golbers, Streiters, and Aliens I know and love. My parents are, quite simply, the best.

Thank you all.

Now Away We Go

9 P. M. on a November Saturday. Joni, Tony, and I are out on the town. Tony is from the next town over and he needs to get out. His parents are extremely religious. It doesn't even matter which religion—they're all the same at a certain point, and few of them want a gay boy cruising around with his friends on a Saturday night.

So every week Tony feeds us bible stories, then on Saturday we show up at his doorstep well versed in parables and earnestness, dazzling his parents with our blinding purity. They slip him a twenty and tell him to enjoy our study group. We go spend the money on romantic comedies, dimestore toys, and diner jukeboxes. Our happiness is the closest we'll ever come to a generous God, so we figure Tony's parents would understand, if only they weren't set on misunderstanding so many things.

Tony has to be home by midnight, so we are on a Cinderella mission. With this in mind, we keep our eye on the ball.

There isn't really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best. Back when I was in second grade, the older gay kids who didn't flee to the city for entertainment would have to make their own fun. Now it's all good.

Most of the straight guys try to sneak into the Queer Beer bar. Boys who love boys flirt with girls who love girls. And whether your heart is strictly ballroom, or bluegrass punk, the dance floors are open to whatever you have to offer.

This is my town. I've lived here all my life.

Tonight, our Gaystafarian bud Zeke is gigging at the local chain bookstore. Joni has a driver's license from the state where her grandmother lives, so she drives us around in the family sedan. We roll down the windows and crank the radio—we like the idea of our music spilling out over the whole neighborhood, becoming part of the air. Tony has a desperate look tonight, so we let him control the dial. He switches to a Mope Folk station, and we ask him what's going on.