Under a Sky of Ash by Witt Brandon

Author:Witt, Brandon [Witt, Brandon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781634770484
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2016-03-20T23:00:00+00:00

MY FEAR was confirmed within fifteen minutes. We’d barely entered the park, gotten a locker, and had just used our towels to claim three chaise lounge chairs in front of Captain Jack’s Wave Pool when thin wet arms wrapped around my waist. “Mr. Greene!”

I’d know that voice anywhere, and she was as boundary-less as ever. I took a heartbeat’s time to make sure my face didn’t show the revulsion I felt at a student touching my bare skin. Why the hell had I come here?

After unlocking her hands at my waist, I turned. “Hi, Gabby. How’s your summer?”

She rattled off something, but I didn’t hear. Directly behind her were her father and two other girls from my school. At least neither of them were in my class.

Gabby’s dad pulled her back roughly by the arm. “Don’t bug your teacher. He doesn’t want to see you right now.”

Truer words had never been spoken, but, as always, the cutting tone of the man when he spoke to his daughter caused her face to fall.

“Not at all. I’m thrilled to see Gabby. I’m excited about seeing you every day again starting next week.”

The seven of us stood in awkward silence, even Gabby and Aaron, who never shut up, simply looked back and forth between the adults.

Whatever. Just get it over with. I motioned between Gabby’s father and Ben. “Mr. Riley, this Ben Woods, my boyfriend. Ben, Mr. Riley.”

There was the briefest pause as Mr. Riley’s eyes widened. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Part of me braced for a repeat of the alley. Though unintentional, I felt my muscles flex.

“Huh.” Mr. Riley stuck out his hand and Ben took it. “My uncle is gay. Bit more nellie than you two, though.”

And that was it. The big moment of drama of me coming out to a student and her parent. No fireworks. No cursing. No accusations. Just a backhanded compliment, at least I supposed that’s what it was.

Gabby, on the other hand, let out the biggest gasp of her life, which was saying something. Complete with hands clasped over her mouth. She looked back and forth between Ben and me, her eyes pausing to glance over Ben’s body, which was disturbing but expected for Gabby. Then her eyes narrowed. “Does Ms. Bello know?”

Aaron and Ben both laughed. “That’s what I thought too!” Aaron came to the rescue, of sorts. “I’m living with Ben right now, and I see Ms. Bello all the time. She and Mr. Greene are just roommates. She takes care of me when Mr. Greene and Ben wanna—”

Ben’s hand shot out and clamped over Aaron’s mouth. He smiled at Gabby’s dad, who suddenly looked uncomfortable.

Join the crowd, Mr. Riley. Join the damned crowd.

Ben released Aaron’s face, and surprisingly Aaron didn’t say anything else.

“Wanna come with us?” Gabby had turned her attention from us to Aaron, apparently satisfied that I wasn’t cheating on Ms. Bello. I was going to have to tell Charity how the entire school seemed to

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