Now out there someplace she was stuck. They had no way to bring Mikey back to being a male and God knew this was not a city were an eighteen-year-old ...irl could survive on her own for long living on the fringe. Oh God how he loved her. He should have run with her. He should have listened to her after the chase to the harbor, when she had begged him to go with her. She was willing then. But you tried to bring him back. That was your intention... It's not your fault you did know it wasn't going. His cousins were delighted,having another girl to hang with, especially one who was their cousin.He couldn't understand why his mother and aunt were so virulently anti-male. He knew they had been abused by both their father and theirhusbands-sexually by their father and physically and emotionally bytheir spouses. But it couldn't have been bad enough to justify theirdestroying him like this. Could it?The second Friday of the school year was the fall sports pep rally.Naturally, all the athletes. "Nothing wrong with being a faggot," he continued. I could tell something bad was about to happen, so I started inching toward the door."Well, if you want us to be faggots, then we'll be faggots for you." He whispered to Martin, who started into "Cheree." "Jerry, Jerry/my black leather laddie," he warbled toward Fat Asshole, about fifteen octaves above his usual range. "I love you." Then, everything changed. Let me explain what I mean. Have any of you ever been insane? If so, do you remember. He rubbed my back. Daddy did it slowly, softly. His fingertips ran up and down my pink pajamas. He’d pulled back the bed covers to my waist, but I wasn’t cold at all. His fingers were warming me up. I felt them plowing tiny furrows in my back.I raised my head and let it plop back on my pillow. I loved having my back rubbed and both my parents knew it. It wasn’t sexual, but it was sensual, sending ripples of happiness from every part he touched. It made me feel loved. I felt like a waffle with.