High school is full of challenges.Everything from grades to body development. This story is about Russels and Kevin who come out to eachother. It's written by Brent Hartinger. Hartinger is the founder of a gay and lesbian community center in Tacoma, Washington. He is a talented playwright as well as an author. It has 15 chapters and 226 pages. I read this book in three days: January 25, 2013-January 28, 2013.
Russel was petrified of coming out, even to his two best friends. He took showers after gym and felt like a soldier among enemies. That is until he made plans to meet with a student, who he met online, at the playground. It was Kevin Land.
Russell is in the lockeroom after his shower and afraid the boys would figure out he was gay.
Mrs. Toll was having a heated conversion with the Reverend and the principal about her showing kids how to use a condom on a cucumber. The school got rid of Ms. Toll, because she wouldn't stop defending her idea of putting a condom dispenser in the bathrooms.
Russel, Min, Terrese and Kevin started the Geography club, because it would be the only way for them to meet safely and talk about stuff that was on their minds. The club would meet twice a week. Anything said in the group stayed in the group.
Russel agreed to go on a double date with Gunnar which turned into three. Trish tried to kiss Russel. They went to Trishs parents beachhouse for the third date. Russel thought they were going to the movies as they did the for the first and second double date.
Someone else wanted to join the group. Belinda joined the geography club, which killed the gossip and hanging out.
Russel joined the baseball team to be close to Kevin.
Trish kissed Russel. She wanted to have sex with him as well.
Kevin kissed Russel later that night. Kevin wanted to kiss Russel ever since they met, which surprised him.
All the baseball players were chewing tobacco, so Russel was trying it, but hated it.
Belinda came late to the next geography club meeting. So they expanded the meaning of the club to being an outsider. Belinda became the token draught member.
Russel won the first baseball game. At school people were awwed by Russ winning the game. At lunch he was 50 cents short, the lunch lady let him go. Russ went back into the school to get books. He heard voices in the hallway. Jeered and Nolan to baseball jocks, had stayed late to practice their hitting. Brian Bond, the kid everyone thought was gay, came down the stairs.
Jeered and Nolan saw him. They made fun of him, and Russ joined in. Min came down as well, she glared at Russ. Min didn't talk to Russ all afternoon and the next day and sat with her old girlscout friends at lunch.
Min wanted to reach out to Brien Bundle, who was an outsider as well. They voted on it, and it didn't pass.
Trish, Gun, Russ, and Kimberly went out to get pizza. They surprised Russ by going to Kimberlys parents cabin that night.
Russel wanted to go home. Gun didn't want to. Kevin picked him up when he called.
At lunch, someone smeared lipstick and rouge on Brian Bund and pushed him in the cafatera to thunderous laughter.
The geography club was no more, because Min wanted to help Brian Bund and her vote didn't pass again.
Russel thought Gun told everyone he was a fag. They were going to try to put the geography club back together. Jered told Russel, everyone thought he was gay.
He was eating lunch with Brien Bund, and getting advice to deal with life now, not always hope for the future. Kevin wasn't talking to Russel. Gun didn't start the rumer, Kimberly did.
Min apologized to Russel. Kevin left Russel, because he was afraid the kids would think he was gay. Kevin wanted to get back together with Russel, but Russel said no.
Gun came over to apologize for how he acted the other night.Gun knew he was gay for five years and was cool with it.
Jerrad apoligezed for yesterday, calling him a fag, which surprised Russel. Brien applied for a gay straight club.
Russel sat at Brians table yet again. The geography club turned into a gay-straight allience.
This book was one of the best non-startrek books I read in a long time. It was about a Russels coming out and all the troubles he had in high school. I really felt what that Russel was going through.
