Class of '03

Chapter 1 Shay Rogers hummed merrily as he made his way up the steps to the front door of his brownstone. It was a beautiful summer day. Maybe he’d go to the beach later and catch some late afternoon rays. And who knows, he might meet someone interesting. He stopped at the mailboxes in the entry hall. As he was taking out his key, his neighbor and good friend, Melissa, came in. “Hey,” she said in greeting. “You look like you’re in a pretty good mood. You win the lotto or something?” “I wish. No, I’m just feeling good. Nice day. Thinking of goin’ to the beach and gettin’ some sun.” Shay opened his mailbox, took out the mail, and began looking through it. “I’ll take Jasper. He’s had his midday walk with Nick, the dog walker, but it’s been awhile since he’s had a chance to run.” Melissa laughed. “Jasper—run? The only time I’ve seen him move anywhere near quick is when he’s getting to his food.” Shay smiled. “Well, he’s an old southern gentleman. Bloodhounds are known for their refinement and laid-back approach to life.” Shay’s eyes fell on a letter. The return address showed it was from Tom Itrich. Shay’s smile faded. “Something wrong?” Melissa asked. “No. It’s from the guy who was president of our senior class. Probably an announcement of another class reunion.” “Sounds like fun.” Shay shrugged. “What? You’ve told me you loved high school.” “Most of it, yeah.” “But not all?” Shay sighed. “There were some things I did I’m not very proud of.” “Enough to keep you from going to your reunion? But you said you were pretty popular and into all sorts of activities.” “I was. And that’s the problem.” “So, you’ve never gone to any of your reunions?” Shay shook his head. “Why not?” Melissa looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Shay sighed. “I wasn’t out in high school.” Melissa gave him a puzzled look. “Well, how many guys are out at that age? You are now though.” “I am—here in Boston. But not in sweet home Alabama. It’s okay to be gay up here. It’s a whole different world back there, especially in the smaller communities like the one I grew up in. When I go home, and I don’t do that very often, I walk back in the closet, close and lock the door behind me—tight. Even my family doesn’t know. They think I have a girlfriend.” Melissa frowned. “You invented a girlfriend just to keep them from knowing?” “Yeah. Pretty lame, huh?” Melissa chuckled. “I’ll say. How do you pull that one off?” Shay looked sheepish. “I send pictures and talk about the stuff we do together. But when they suggest I bring her home with me, I say we’re not serious enough for her to meet the family.” “Wait—you send pictures?” Shay grimaced. “What? Just random pictures of some girl?” “No. I send pictures of you…us. They think you’re my girlfriend.” Melissa stared at him. “I don’t know whether to feel used or amused.” “I’m sorry. It’s just…to come out to my family and friends from home is just too hard. That’s one of the reasons I went to college up here and stayed. I kind of live in two different worlds.” “You might’ve let me know I was your beard.” “Are you mad at me for doing it?” Shay asked. “No…well…no. I kind of understand. We’re friends, and I guess good enough friends for me to be okay with it. So tell me, how long have we been an item?” “A couple of years.” “Well, as long as we’ve been together that long, and since you’ve already set me up as your girlfriend, I think you should go to your reunion, and I could go with you. Then you’d have a cover if it’s that important to you to keep your secret.” “Uh…I don’t know.” “Just think about it, okay? I think you’d have a good time seeing all your old friends.” * * * * Shay went to his apartment and unlocked the door. When he went in, Jasper was asleep on the couch. He raised his head as Shay closed the door. His tail thumped the sofa, but he made no move to get up. “Come on you lazy hound, give me a proper welcome,” Shay said. There was no response other than the continued thumping of Jasper’s long tail. Shay tried another tack. “You want to go to the beach?” Jasper raised his head, got up, stretched, and yawned. Then he circled and laid back down. “Okay, you lazy cur, you win—no beach for you today.” Jasper yawned again. Shay checked his watch. It was getting pretty late. He’d spent quite a while talking with Melissa. Since it was the weekend he’d go to the beach tomorrow. Shay went into his bedroom. He stripped down to his briefs and began a workout. A natural athlete, he’d always been proud of his body. Handsome and well-muscled, with a thick covering of dark hair on his chest, and a five o’clock scruff, he’d had no trouble attracting women…or men. That’d been his downfall. He finished working out and took a shower. When he was done, he put on a tee and lounging pants and returned to the living room. Jasper was still snoozing on the couch. Shay picked up the mail from where he’d left it when he’d come in and sat down next to the dog. Jasper raised his head and let it flop on Shay’s lap. Shay stroked his long, silky ears. Jasper sighed. Shay sorted through the mail. When he came to Tom’s letter he held it for a moment, just staring at it. His first impulse was to toss it aside; he’d done that with all his previous invitations to his high school reunions. However, Melissa’s words came back to him. Well I think you should go. You’d have a good time, and since you’ve already set me up as your girlfriend, I could go with you. Then you’d have a cover if it’s that important to you to keep your secret. So, this time Shay opened the letter. He scanned the page. Dear Classmates, The 2003 class of Gregorville High is going to have another reunion! It’s 15 this time, so start those workouts and start shedding those extra pounds, so we can all impress one another. “Leave it to Tommy,” Shay said aloud to Jasper. “He never did mince words.” Jasper yawned. Shay read the rest of the letter and made mental note of the planned activities and dates. At the bottom was a handwritten note. Shay. Get your ass down here this time. We’re all dying to see if the guy voted Most Handsome, Best Athlete, and Most Likely to Succeed has fulfilled that prophecy. Seriously, it’d be great to see you, man. Tom. Shay laid the reunion letter aside. He wasn’t convinced he’d go. However, for the first time he was at least tempted. After feeding Jasper, making his own dinner, and cleaning up, he took the hound for a walk. All the while he thought of what it would be like to go back home again and see his old friends. And if Melissa went with him, he’d be able to avoid the persistent questions from his family of why he was still single. When Shay got back to the apartment, he pulled out his senior yearbook and sat down on the couch. Jasper immediately resumed his recumbent position beside Shay, his head once again on Shay’s lap. Shay opened the book and began a trip down memory lane. There were pictures of him in his football and baseball uniforms, pictures of him in student council and class advisory board, National Honor Society, and Lettermen’s Club. On the memories page he was shown dancing at the senior prom with Lilly Franklin, the girl he’d dated and taken to all the major dances. Then he turned to a page that made his heart stop. It had a picture of a scene from a play he’d been in his senior year. There before him was the reason he’d never gone back—Dwayne Sayles. Shay closed his eyes, leaned back on the couch, and remembered.