10 facts
1. Stephen’s older brother Tyler had once been a huge figure in his life, even bigger than their father Robert (in someways, Tyler is still is). That was until it was discovered that Tyler had a proclivity to both the opposite gender and the same gender.
2. At the time, Stephen hadn’t really understood what had been wrong. There were plenty of other gay or bisexual kids at school whom Stephen had been friends with or known. Robert spent weeks on end after Tyler left cursing his son and homosexuality and whatever else he could blame. Stephen learned quickly never to mention Tyler’s name again without some sort of insult immediately following unless he wanted to get his own taste of his father’s fury.
3. Despite having an idea that his father’s rage was more misguided, Stephen never spoke against him. His father was an important figure in his life, someone to be respected or he would suffer the consequences. On top of all that his father had introduced him to football. Stephen loved football. Through all of high school he ate, breathed and was football. Unlike his older brother, who had found a passion baseball, Stepen could not get enough of football.
4. Although he did often suffer the consequences of getting on his father’s bad side. While Stephen would never dream of talking back to Robert’s face, he frequently did so behind the man’s back. On one such occasion he had been caught (uttering the foul words “you old bigoted bastard”) and had been grounded for three months straight, only to leave the house for school and his forced volunteer work at the local church.
5. Stephen also got into trouble (but was never caught) by breaking into his best friend (and the high school team’s quarter back) parent’s liquor cabinet and getting roaring drunk beside his pool. He also frequently did many other things that would make his mother balk (such as go skinny dipping with the whole team and the cheerleaders, joy ride on a stolen motorcycle, and cow-tipping).
6. As for girlfriends, Stephen’s really only ever had one. He met Diana one month into freshman year and they hit it off right away, going out to the movies for dates frequently (it was Diana who helped cultivate a film connoisseur out of Stephen). One thing lead to another and a whole year went by before they realized they were going steady. On her sixteenth birthday they both lost their virginity to each other between muffled laughter and a plaid blanket out in the field behind her house, under an oak tree. Stephen was sure he was in love with Diana and that they would get married one day. It wasn’t to be, however. On a hot summer’s afternoon before their senior year, Diana heard of Tyler for the first time. Robert went into a tizzy that day, while she was there, over Tyler going full out in his ranting (it had been over a letter Tyler had sent to Stephen, one that he never got to read). Diana shocked Stephen by out right agreeing with Robert, going so far as to say that homosexuals were the plague of the earth or some such. Stephen didn’t know what to think so he confronted her about it, begging her to be joking. Only she wasn’t and Stephen found the infatuation he’d grown for this girl melt away.
7. After ending it with Diana, Stephen just didn’t feel right dating anyone else. He tried a few times with a few other girls but never could get over the betrayal. He couldn’t believe they had been together for over two years but he had never heard her speak in such a way. The more he thought about it, the more it did add up, though. Diana’s parents were the most devoted (almost scarily so) at the church and were strict enough to put communists to shame. Still, Stephen hurt all the same.
8. When it came time for college, Robert decided immediately that Texas Christian University was the place for Stephen to go. Stephen found himself hard pressed to give his father any reason otherwise so he quietly shipped off from home and into the freshman dorms.
9. College, despite his lack in deciding which college, has been an enlightening experience for Stephen. While this college is devoted to Christianity it is still, as any other American college, equally devoted to parties. Stephen splits his time between the football team, the ΛΧΑ frat house he joins (he has to, he’s told, it’s practically a rule to be on the football team) and parties involved with both. He isn’t even sure how he manages to pass classes but he does, barely scraping by.
10. As he’s gotten older and seen more of the world out from under the eye of his father, Stephen finds himself curious in devoting himself to more “liberal” causes. It’s only apprehensively though, in quick unnoticed glances but he is looking for the right push, the right excuse to really reach out.
2. At the time, Stephen hadn’t really understood what had been wrong. There were plenty of other gay or bisexual kids at school whom Stephen had been friends with or known. Robert spent weeks on end after Tyler left cursing his son and homosexuality and whatever else he could blame. Stephen learned quickly never to mention Tyler’s name again without some sort of insult immediately following unless he wanted to get his own taste of his father’s fury.
3. Despite having an idea that his father’s rage was more misguided, Stephen never spoke against him. His father was an important figure in his life, someone to be respected or he would suffer the consequences. On top of all that his father had introduced him to football. Stephen loved football. Through all of high school he ate, breathed and was football. Unlike his older brother, who had found a passion baseball, Stepen could not get enough of football.
4. Although he did often suffer the consequences of getting on his father’s bad side. While Stephen would never dream of talking back to Robert’s face, he frequently did so behind the man’s back. On one such occasion he had been caught (uttering the foul words “you old bigoted bastard”) and had been grounded for three months straight, only to leave the house for school and his forced volunteer work at the local church.
5. Stephen also got into trouble (but was never caught) by breaking into his best friend (and the high school team’s quarter back) parent’s liquor cabinet and getting roaring drunk beside his pool. He also frequently did many other things that would make his mother balk (such as go skinny dipping with the whole team and the cheerleaders, joy ride on a stolen motorcycle, and cow-tipping).
6. As for girlfriends, Stephen’s really only ever had one. He met Diana one month into freshman year and they hit it off right away, going out to the movies for dates frequently (it was Diana who helped cultivate a film connoisseur out of Stephen). One thing lead to another and a whole year went by before they realized they were going steady. On her sixteenth birthday they both lost their virginity to each other between muffled laughter and a plaid blanket out in the field behind her house, under an oak tree. Stephen was sure he was in love with Diana and that they would get married one day. It wasn’t to be, however. On a hot summer’s afternoon before their senior year, Diana heard of Tyler for the first time. Robert went into a tizzy that day, while she was there, over Tyler going full out in his ranting (it had been over a letter Tyler had sent to Stephen, one that he never got to read). Diana shocked Stephen by out right agreeing with Robert, going so far as to say that homosexuals were the plague of the earth or some such. Stephen didn’t know what to think so he confronted her about it, begging her to be joking. Only she wasn’t and Stephen found the infatuation he’d grown for this girl melt away.
7. After ending it with Diana, Stephen just didn’t feel right dating anyone else. He tried a few times with a few other girls but never could get over the betrayal. He couldn’t believe they had been together for over two years but he had never heard her speak in such a way. The more he thought about it, the more it did add up, though. Diana’s parents were the most devoted (almost scarily so) at the church and were strict enough to put communists to shame. Still, Stephen hurt all the same.
8. When it came time for college, Robert decided immediately that Texas Christian University was the place for Stephen to go. Stephen found himself hard pressed to give his father any reason otherwise so he quietly shipped off from home and into the freshman dorms.
9. College, despite his lack in deciding which college, has been an enlightening experience for Stephen. While this college is devoted to Christianity it is still, as any other American college, equally devoted to parties. Stephen splits his time between the football team, the ΛΧΑ frat house he joins (he has to, he’s told, it’s practically a rule to be on the football team) and parties involved with both. He isn’t even sure how he manages to pass classes but he does, barely scraping by.
10. As he’s gotten older and seen more of the world out from under the eye of his father, Stephen finds himself curious in devoting himself to more “liberal” causes. It’s only apprehensively though, in quick unnoticed glances but he is looking for the right push, the right excuse to really reach out.