Every Nine Seconds A Queer As Folks Novel

Chapter One Michael Novotny sat on his bedroom floor wearing his Captain Astro pajamas and inhaling deeply on the last remnants of a joint. The fumes slid between his lips, down his throat, and into his lungs. He held the smoke there and handed the joint back to his best friend, Brian Kinney.He tried not to laugh, since that would release the smoke and totally ruin the effect.The superhero pajamas had been a gift from his mother. She had sewn them together out of material she had unexpectedly stumbled across a month before his last birthday. It had taken her a couple weeks to finish the simple outfit since she had to find time to work on it between shifts of her job at the Red Robin Diner and while Michael was at school.The pajamas were supposed to have been a gag gift. She gave them to her son on his eighteenth birthday. The day he supposedly became a man.He hadn't gotten the joke.Brian lifted the joint to his mouth. The paper bonded with his lips as he closed his eyes and inhaled, savoring the familiar taste.Brian wasn't dressed in superhero pajamas.He wasn't dressed in much at all.A pair of tight white Calvin Klein briefs barely concealed his ample bulge. The material of his white CK T-shirt strained against a chest that was trying to burst out of the fabric. His tanning-bed-darkened skin stood out in contrast to the pure white of his clothing.It was the only thing pure about him.Brian had learned the value of a good workout years earlier, and his body displayed that fact proudly. His hair was mussed, but still neatly trimmed. He wore it short and deceptively simple as if to make up for the years he had had it feathered on the sides. The entire look was well cultivated to walk the line between boy and man.He snuffed out the last of the roach.The two young men exhaled together. The smoke intermingled between them.Michael liked the buzz. He felt much calmer than he normally did when Brian was in his bedroom. He also felt hornier. The room seemed more alive to him in the darkness that was lessened only by the light of a street-lamp streaming in through the window.It was eight minutes to midnight on the night before Brian Kinney's eighteenth birthday. Brian had a standing invitation to stay over at Michael's house whenever he chose. And he chose to do so often. It didn't matter that it was a school night. Brian's parents had given up on keeping track of him years ago.Besides, the school year was almost over. The Susquehanna High School class of 1989 were less than a month away from their freedom. And Brian was always slightly ahead of his peers."So when do I get my present?" Brian asked as the last wisp of smoke brushed past his lips.Michael tried to put off the inevitable. "It's not your birthday yet.""It'salwaysmy birthday."Michael couldn't argue with that logic. Brian was always celebrating his life in one way or another -- often in his birthday suit. Michael uncrossed his legs and got up off the floor. He had the two small, wrapped gifts under his pillow."Happy eighteenth birthday," Michael said with his usual exuberance. "It isn't much.""It's from you, Mikey. It's more than enough."Michael sat back down as he handed Brian the gifts. He wished that the presents didn't look so small, but took some solace in the fact that his mom was always saying, "It's the thought that counts." Then again, he hadn't really put a lot of thought into the gifts. He knew the things Brian liked. Buying him gifts was easy. Michael hadn't bothered to get a card, knowing how Brian would react to the forced Hallmark sentiment or stupid cartoon humor."What have we got here?" Brian coyly asked as he took the gifts out of Michael's hands. He opened the smaller one first. It was plainly in the shape of a cassette."It's a mix tape," Michael said as the wrapping came off."I can see that." Brian read the names written on the side. "The Cure, PrBrockton, Joseph is the author of 'Every Nine Seconds A Queer As Folks Novel' with ISBN 9780743476126 and ISBN 0743476123.