Rusty Summer (36 page)

But no! Apparently even the
perception
of gayness outweighs good looks. At least it does at Baboon High, my alma mater. Even with the girls. I watch him getting “bumped” in the halls. I watch him being “accidentally” smashed into the lockers. He was too smart, I noticed, to
ever
drink at a water fountain.

I respected that.

I don't have much info about gay people. I'd never thought about it except on
Will & Grace
reruns and
Project Runway
. . . . Oh, wait—there's also
South Park
and the gay cable station that has hilarious stand-up, but I'm not sure any of that is real helpful. I never really cared one way or the other. I don't know any gay people.

I see news stories though. I realize it's one of the things people are still prejudiced about.

I know my mom thinks it's a sin, but even though she's very Catholic—whoops, I mean,
we're
Catholic—she's very kind. She says, “If people didn't have those feelings deep, deep down, they couldn't possibly
want
to do ‘those things,' so it wasn't a choice, and so other people shouldn't be mean.” And she likes Pope Francis a lot; he is chiller about just about everything.

But she also insists that “they shouldn't ever act on their feelings.”
Ever
.

Just pray it away.
Forever
.

We had that conversation after watching that English comedian, Eddie Izzard, on TV.

But first: I've
always
gone to Mass with my mom. When I was little, I always took the whole Adam and Eve, and Noah, and Cain and Abel, and the sacraments, and “Esau was a hairy man” as the unquestioned truth.

Till last year when I got confirmed.

It was when I read about the early church, as instructed, that I grew somewhat agitated and continued investigating. I felt like I was being conned. There were no good answers for any of my questions. And believe me, with all the reflection I do on death, I have a
lot
of questions.

This, and time, is creating in me an irritated skepticism instead of unblinking acceptance.

So I guess I've made my own creed. I say: Love Is The Answer . . . We Can Work It Out.

My mom rolls her eyes. She says it's just my “teenage rebellion.”

Then I parrot back something she tells me a lot:

We shall see
....

MARY McKINLEY
is a TV writer/performer whose work has been featured most recently on the Seattle-based sketch comedy project
The 206,
and on
Biz Kid$,
an Emmy-winning young adult show on PBS. For the last thirteen years she has written standup and sketch comedy with her partner, John Keister, as well as several TV pilots. A nearly lifelong Seattle resident, Mary graduated with a BFA from Seattle University. You can visit her on the web at maryfmckinley.com.

 

 

Beau has been scouting since first grade. Not because he loves it, but because his dad does. It's the only thing they've ever bonded over, what with Beau's dad being into sports, beer, and brawling. So when they move to yet another Midwest town, Beau expects the usual Boy Scout experience, filled with horribleness and insults. Instead he finds something else entirely. Kicked out of every other patrol, their little band of brothers is equal parts nuts and awesome. For the first time, people are watching Beau's back instead of throwing things at it. Nice. Novel. And also necessary, when you're dealing with parents splitting up, crushes, first love, and coming out.

 

The first—and only—rule of Hurt Patrol: We are never going to win—but if you're outcast elsewhere, you'll do just fine here.

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

 

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

 

Copyright © 2015 by Mary McKinley

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

 

 

Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

 

eISBN-13: 978-1-61773-258-4
eISBN-10: 1-61773-258-3
First Kensington Electronic Edition: June 2015

ISBN: 978-1-6177-3257-7