Drowned World: Pride / Anniversary Edition

By Sheldon L'henaff

Drowned World introduces Scott Riley, an ordinary Saskatchewan high school student not only determined to make his mark by writing for Erindale High’s newspaper, but also by making the school basketball team. He ends up becoming friends with Jeremy, the jock who not only is impressed by the story that Scott recently wrote for the paper, but also is willing to help him with his aspirations on the basketball court.

Scott is invited to a massive rave called Motion by Nicole, one of Scott’s closest friends and the most popular girl in school. He agrees to go with her and discovers Jeremy there as well, realizing that they share more then just science class and hoop dreams. By the end of the party, they begin to set in motion the events that will change both of their lives forever.

Drowned World is Scott’s heartbreaking and exciting story about coming out, lost love and friendship, and being found by both all over again. It is also the first book to also introduce the characters in Scott’s world that would join him for the ride throughout and beyond. A snapshot of queer love in the age of sex, drugs, and techno.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781698708287

Sheldon L'henaff

Sheldon L’henaff was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, however grew up in various cities throughout the province. His love of both music and writing began at an early age and continued throughout his high school and university years. Between 1995 and 2000 he was an arts and entertainment writer for The Sheaf, the University of Saskatchewan’s student newspaper. Later on he would contribute articles to Saskatchewan gay and lesbian news magazine Perceptions as well as a regular electronic music column called “Freshly Mixed,” to a now defunct Edmonton-based queer publication called Fresh Magazine. He currently is a rave and club DJ as well as part time promoter residing in Edmonton. This is a republication of his first book, Drowned World.

Book preview

Copyright 2021 Sheldon L’henaff.

Back Cover Photo Credit: Patrick Loveday.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Drowned World is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, and

incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any

resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0830-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0829-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0828-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021913329

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are

being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 07/09/2021

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CONTENTS

Foreword — History

Part One:   Fumbling

Part Two:   Growing Pains

Part Three:   Surfacing

Acknowledgments

Essential Playlist

FOREWORD — HISTORY

I received my proof of Drowned World on June 25, 2009, the day after the beginning of my thirty-second spin around the sun. Fleetwood Mac sans Christie McVie had played a stellar gig the night before, Michael Jackson had just died, and I was off to Montreal for a month-long working adventure. My friend and I had driven to the FedEx depot in Southeast Edmonton to pick up the physical proof. A mix of emotions flooded me as I held that very first copy in my hands.

The biggest emotion I felt as the book had been finally released worldwide on July 2, 2009, was relief—relief that after I had started working on the story after all these years, Drowned World had finally arrived. While it was my fictional story about a high school kid named Scott Riley, when it was released that hot July day, it became the rest of the world’s as well.

As an author, I had always wanted to see a coming out coming-of-age story with the backdrop of the rave scene as the catalyst. It was that scene and community that had become my personal epiphany in March 1997. I had attended my very first Plastic Puppet Motive club night at Saskatoon’s iconic gay club Diva’s. Earlier pieces of the puzzle included seeing the UK film Beautiful Thing the previous Valentine’s Day alone as well as safely corresponding with a couple of persons online who let me verbalize my thoughts, feelings, and curiosities. The introduction of electronic dance music seemed to be the final piece.

Work on the two manuscripts commenced a month after that snowy March night out. Drowned World’s original working title was Couples, its premise somewhat different from the initial story idea. The second manuscript’s working title was Karma: Voyeur, a story loosely based on the music of Canadian electronic act Delerium’s album of the same name. As I started working on them both, the intention was for both stories to be companion pieces to each other. However, it became apparent which story I seemed to be more invested in at the time. While Karma eventually became a skeletal manuscript over the summer months, Couples sat with the blinking cursor stuck on page 30.

Cue a move west from Saskatoon to Edmonton in 2001. Along with my turntables, vinyl, and a duffel bag of clothes, both manuscripts followed me. Eventually, Couples had started to come together as I’d begun writing again in the summer of 2003. The roadblocks I’d encountered years prior were lifted. The first draft’s working title had also evolved into a tip of the hat and a curtsy to the pop music icon whose music has transcended dancefloors worldwide. The fresh approach to writing meant Drowned World’s first draft was finished in November 2004. While working on the second draft, I had already begun to build the directional maps that will eventually be the continuation of the adventures of Scott Riley & Co. in the upcoming third, fourth, and fifth novels.

Originally, the plan was to rerelease the novel in a pride/anniversary edition on Drowned World’s tenth anniversary. However, with Becoming Remixed finally being released in October 2018, I had decided to wait and revisit the world I had created the decade prior. Without going full George Lucas on my original manuscript, I really wanted to take advantage of the resources the publisher now had available and tweak the book’s minor hiccups. Here in your hands is the pride/anniversary edition of Drowned World, my debut novel. While the changes have been minimal, the story and its message remain just as intact when it was first released in 2009. It’s still a vibrant snapshot of queer love in the age of sex, drugs, and techno.

Sheldon L’henaff

June 25, 2020

Irvine Welsh/Stephen King/

Armistead Maupin/

Jonathan Harvey/

Romeo & Juliet/Beautiful Thing/

Trainspotting/Massive Attack/

Oasis/Chemical Brothers/

Orbital/Suede

The Verve/Madonna/Leftfield/

Plastic Puppet Motive/

Galaxy Lounge/

Nexustribe/Gatekeeper/J.A.DJ/

Delerium/Deko-Ze/Dr.J/

Jamie Invader/Jakob/Nick Delgado/

Jeff Galaxy/Sasha/John Digweed/

Chris Liberator/Hoojchoons/

Platypus/Yoshitoshi/

Saskatoon/Edmonton/Montreal/

Other novels by Sheldon L’henaff:

Becoming Remixed

The Heart’s Filthy Lesson

Joy (Maybe This Christmas)

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DROWNED WORLD was originally released on July 2nd, 2009.

For Knockwood

PART ONE

FUMBLING

ONE

FIFTY CENTS . . .

Scott handed a copy of the Erindale Illustrated to a girl who smiled sweetly and then walked away.

He glanced beside him to where a very smug Dave complained, I don’t know why we keep getting stuck with the fucking newspaper sales duties.

Scott chuckled, When I start playing basketball, you’ll have to find someone else to share your pain.

Yeah, if you even get on the team this year. Dave frowned as he looked toward the lunch area.

Dave and Scott were both sixteen, Scott being shorter and lighter skinned, with short almond-brown hair. With his boy-next-door looks, he definitely received a lot of attention from the opposite sex—not that he was paying attention anyhow.

In addition to being one of the school newspaper’s salespeople, he was one of their prize writers. He had just finished a short story he submitted called Fair Play, about an aspiring athlete who tirelessly worked hard to earn his way onto the school team, gaining the respect of his teammates. While it was a thinly veiled reference to his own life, between sorting out the joys of puberty and just wanting to make it out of high school didn’t leave him a lot of time for other projects than his writing, but he was hoping to change that this particular year. With the season starting late, he had mulled over the decision to try out for the team and, as the time came closer, made the decision to venture outside the box.

Dave asked, When do tryouts start anyhow? while Scott skimmed over the paper.

Next week, I think.

Dave explained, Well, at least this issue, we’ll be able to make some money. Your story was received really well.

Thanks, man, Scott replied in satisfaction as the pair were shortly interrupted by the comment One paper, please.

When Scott looked up, he was partially taken aback by the person standing in front of him. He was about five foot eight, no taller than Scott, and his hair was frosted blond at the top. When he leaned over to give Scott the fifty cents, his well-toned body rippled as he reached out, Scott handing him the newspaper.

Thanks, he said with a quiet smile and began to walk away.

Dave pointed out, That’s Jeremy Marcus. He was last year’s basketball MVP.

Scott nodded. Yeah. He’s in my science class this year. Can’t get to class on time, mostly.

The pair laughed as Scott began to think again about basketball tryouts.

Finally, he and Dave decided to close up the stand while the first bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Once Scott had gotten his books, he walked over to the science lab, where his next hour of boredom would be.

As he began to stare out the half-brick, half-window wall into the second-level atrium, Mr. Saxony walked in, shutting the door and announcing, Okay, class, just so you know. Quiz next week.

The groans from the class were met with the ruffling of papers as he began to write the lesson out on the board. Scott noticed that seconds later, the same person who had made a dash for it in the hallway had now knocked on the door and strolled in casually.

Well, if it isn’t Mr. Marcus . . . Saxony observed while Jeremy sat down at one of the side lab tables. His face turned tomato red while Saxony explained, Before we start with the lesson, I just want to congratulate Scott Riley on a job well done on his story ‘Fair Play.’ Scott turned red too as he continued, I’m also supposed to remind you guys on Tuesday that basketball tryouts will begin and to sign up right away.

Scott penciled it down while glancing around the room, noticing that Jeremy was now face-down in his work. He looked down at his notes as he began to focus on the teacher’s lecture, already bored.

Finally, the bell rang, and Scott grabbed his books and headed out the door. As he started to store everything in his locker, he noticed a girl walk up, shyly greeting him.

Hey, Nicole, he replied as he pulled out his religious studies textbooks.

Nicole was one of the most popular girls in school, and she also shared Scott’s English class. She asked, Are you still up for working on that presentation together?

Scott nodded as he closed his locker door.

How does tomorrow after school sound?

Sounds good to me. He then asked her, So how much have you gotten done so far?

She quickly opened her binder. A fair amount, but I think we’ll need to do some note comparison.

He agreed. We can definitely do that and then tie up the loose ends later on.

She thanked him and headed over to her next class, while from the other end of the hallway, an ever-so-observant Jeremy stood watching them converse back and forth.

As he walked into his own English class, Jeremy wished he’d have the same amount of luck with her as Scott did. A common fact around Erindale was that she’d recently broken up with her boyfriend, a football player from another school, and was not looking to see anyone anytime soon. Jeremy played the scene back in his mind, wondering how someone like Scott could even muster up the courage to talk to her. Her creamy peach skin, augmented with her blue eyes and light curly brown hair, made her the talk of the school. Every guy wanted her, and she knew it. However, her strong sense of independence put her at odds with most of the school’s most eligible suitors.

The final bell rang, and classes let out for the day as lukewarm temperatures welcomed the rush of bodies from the school. Scott threw on his headphones and walked toward home. It was a short maze of crescents and bays, confusing even the smartest suburbanite.

He made it to his front door, closing it behind him and tossing his bag onto the couch, announcing, I’m home!

He grabbed the milk from the fridge and pulled a note off the door that was left by his parents, reading, HOME LATE — ORDER PIZZA.

Scott mumbled to himself, Pizza again . . . as his younger brother, Chad, sped down the stairs and sailed into the kitchen.

Cool! What’s the occasion?

Scott replied, Working late again.

Scott’s mother worked for the Government of Saskatchewan, while his father was one of the main editors and a contributor to the Saskatoon Star. With the recent transfers in web systems, Scott’s mom had been home especially late for the past couple of weeks, leaving the two brothers parentless a little longer throughout the workday.

He spotted Chad’s dirty shirt, adding, You better throw that new shirt Mom bought you last week in the wash. There’s a nasty stain on the front.

Chad looked down at the stain, replying, Shit!

Scott then said, While you’re at it . . . and tossed his shirt at him.

Chad laughed and said, Bastard, as Scott laid his homework out on the table.

With pizza ordered and Chad doing laundry, Scott began to look over his science notes as Chad sat down beside him and announced with a sigh, Pizza again.

Scott replied with a smile, You better appreciate it now ’cause later on, when they’re home for supper . . .

Yeah, yeah . . . he said as the doorbell rang, Chad running to the door, money in hand. As they opened the box at the table, Chad asked, So are you going to ask Nicole out?

Scott gave him a funny look. Where did you get that idea from?

I was talking to Nicole’s brother this morning in phys ed. He took a bite of his pizza as Chad reasoned, You’ve got to admit—she’s pretty hot.

Scott nodded in agreement as Chad continued to lay out his argument.

Just think. You’ll be the envy of the rest of Erindale.

Scott argued, We’re just friends, Chad. Besides, just ’cause you start high school in two years doesn’t mean that me dating Nicole is gonna score you extra points.

Chad snickered as Scott grabbed the last slice.

Plus, I wanna play basketball this year. He then looked at Chad. So what you got planned over the next couple of days?

Gotta get homework done. Nicole’s brother and I are hanging out this weekend. Chad then pulled out a flyer from his bag—You should take her to this—and slammed it down on Scott’s books.

Scott picked up the flyer with the big letters that read Motion on the front. He opened it up and started to study it. He’d always heard about the raves in Saskatoon and had a small inkling of the electronic subculture. He’d never seen a flyer like the one for Motion before. For now, he decided he’d use it as a bookmark and closed his textbook.

A few hours later, he was listening to music in his bedroom when his mother came in, greeting him as she sat down on the bed.

Hi, Mom, he replied and looked up from his book.

Dad’s crashed out on the bed. How was pizza?

Scott snickered as he put down his book. Good, Mom, as she then explained, Sorry it’s been taking us a bit later to be home.

He then looked at her as he breathed in and said, Mom, we agreed that this year, I’d be able to play on the basketball team.

She gave a nod, Chad’s old enough to be on his own, so I don’t see it as a problem. She then added, We’ll be alternating a bit more, so one of us will definitely be around for supper.

He asked, No more pizza?

She giggled and kissed him on the forehead, saying good night as she headed over to Chad’s room.

He lay back and let his mind wander to the events at school. Chad, no matter how young he was, was ultimately right. Why couldn’t he ask out Nicole? The other thing that had stumped him was Jeremy. He’d never seen a jock in his school pick up a copy of the newspaper before, let alone acknowledge its existence. As he fell asleep with the lamp on, he tried not to think too much of it. It was only a mere coincidence, which didn’t need further dissecting.

Meanwhile, that afternoon, Jeremy had just made it home, announcing his arrival as he entered the kitchen, where his mother was.

Hey, hon. She smiled as he asked, How was work?

Good, she answered, tacking on How was school?

It was okay . . . he halfheartedly said. Struggling with science still. Mr. Saxony says I need some tutoring. He began to help himself to the scalloped potatoes, asking, Doesn’t Dad know anything about science?

She took a bite and then a quick sip of her drink. Yeah, he knows a bit. Why not ask him if he gets home early enough?

Silence then ensued between them both, Jeremy finally asking, Dad working late again?

She nodded, and he took another bite.

Once finished, he went up to his room and flopped onto his bed. He knew that his parents were hardworking and that his father had always tried to provide for them. While he and his mother were close, Jeremy’s father was recently not as visible, if at all. He never knew or understood why his father had kept his distance, except that was just the way it was. He’d tried to ask his mother about it, only getting the response that he worked hard and just didn’t have the energy to spend time with him.

He fell asleep while reading the school newspaper, Moist’s Believe Me as the soundtrack in the background, while Jeremy’s copy of the newspaper hit the floor as he rolled over onto his side.

With both boys living in the same neighborhood, both had been completely oblivious to each other until that afternoon at school. In a school full of over 1,500 students, it was almost too easy to miss someone, but unknown to both of them, a connection had been established, and it would be only a matter of time before they would cross paths again.

TWO

THURSDAY’S LUNCH BELL RANG OUT as Coach Bolland yelled, All right, class! Hit the showers! It’s lunch!

Jeremy hopped into the shower, lathering himself as he cleaned up before heading out with his friends for food.

As he walked out of the shower stall, towel clad, one of his classmates, Tony, asked him, You ready to knock some hoops, Jer?

He nodded in affirmation as he continued, "So you’ve been reading the Illustrated, I see. What gives?"

Just this interesting story that this kid wrote in the paper . . .

And since when did you learn to be such a connoisseur of literature?

Jeremy threw a sock at him. You know what, Tony? He’ll probably be a best-selling author, and you’ll still be jerking off with your basketball. Laughter rang out in the locker room as Jeremy grabbed his bag and said, Later, Tony . . .

As he walked out into the commons area, he noticed Scott walking back up to the computer labs. After he’d finished reading his story, he wanted to give Scott a quick compliment, but as with Nicole the other day, he wanted to find the right words to say to him, if anything at all.

He just shook his head as he turned, unexpectedly bumping into someone, nearly falling over. As he regained his balance, he noticed it was Nicole whom he’d bumped into.

Sorry, he said as he gave off a shy smile, while she scrunched up her face at him.

Fucking creep, she muttered as she left the scene as fast as she could.

Jeremy kept on walking as he reached the table where Tony and all the other high school jocks were perched.

Looks like you made a new friend, he said as Jeremy opened a bag of chips.

Nah, he replied as he looked back at Nicole. I only wish.

Tony pointed out, She’s totally unfuckable. No one interests her. He then added, Supposedly, the dork that wrote the story wants on her.

Jeremy grunted and then said, Well, he’s got the shoe in. Silence fell over the group, and he explained, They’re in English together.

The chatter and laughter continued as in the back of his mind, he was still trying to think about what he wanted to say and how to approach Scott about his story.

Elsewhere, on the second floor, Scott entered the newspaper lab when Aiden looked up at him and waved him inside. Aiden was the editor of Erindale Illustrated and also one of Scott and Dave’s good friends. The three had known one another since early elementary school, and this had always been one of the projects that they had found common ground working on since they’d entered Erindale.

Hey, man, Scott said as Aiden asked him, Are you aware of how much buzz ‘Fair Play’ has made? Scott could only smile as he continued to explain, Even the muscle heads, who can’t even admit to reading, are reading this issue.

Just then, Dave and two more people walked in as Aiden asked Scott, Can you and Dave work on layout for today? I need something hammered out for the next issue.

Dave and Scott looked at each other as Dave nodded to Aiden.

He then explained, Coleco and I are gonna work on the stories while you two start putting it together.

As the group split up and began to work on their respective projects, Scott and Dave planted themselves at a computer and began to debate the next issue. The hour went quickly as finally, the first bell rang, signaling afternoon class. Scott left the newspaper room and headed to the outdoor patio area, opening his books to begin work on his studies.

Jeremy walked by the entrance, stopping briefly to peer outside while the hallway traffic emptied into their various classrooms. He spotted Scott, took a deep breath, and walked into the open area where he was studying.

Jeremy said, Hey, while watching Scott glance up from his homework.

Scott asked, How are ya?

Good, he replied as the moment of silence afterward began to clam up Jeremy. I . . . I just wanted to say that I read your story, and I really liked it.

With those words from Jeremy’s mouth, the tension started to subside as Scott smiled at him and replied, Thanks. He then looked up at Jeremy again and asked, You’re in Saxony’s class, right? Jeremy seemed stumped as he elaborated, Fourth period, science, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Jeremy nodded as he asked, What have you thought about his class this semester?

Jeremy replied, It’s my fucking worst class. I have a sixty-eight in it.

That’s not too bad, Scott mused as he then asked, You wanna sit down? I could maybe show you some stuff.

Jeremy sat down as Scott looked through some of his lab work. He showed him a few extra steps that Jeremy was missing, while Jeremy tried to follow along. He explained that this would make the work much easier to manage and his formulas a lot easier to plow through.

Jeremy thanked him and then got up to go when he stopped and said, extending his hand, I’m Jeremy.

Scott extended his hand and replied, Scott Riley, and they shook.

Jeremy then asked, So you thinking of trying out for the basketball team?

Scott stammered out an Uh . . . when he cut in.

I kind of thought you were, with you writing your story and whatnot. He then added, What I liked about ‘Fair Play’ is that it captures the emotion of a defining moment in an athlete’s career, especially someone who’s just starting out. It was made into something tangible, something you could relate to. Jeremy then stopped, blushed, and explained, At least, that’s what I caught.

Scott was surprised by the whole analysis of his story. Shit, I’ve never heard it put that way before. He then mentioned to Jeremy, I’m thinking about trying out for the team, but I dunno . . . He blushed as he explained, I kinda need some work.

You wanna shoot some hoops?

Scott asked him, You mean right now?

Gym’s free. Let’s go.

He followed Jeremy eagerly as the pair headed down to the gym on the main floor. Once there, Scott was tossed a basketball into his hands.

All right, Scott, Jeremy said. Let’s see what you got.

The two of them sparred on one half of the gym, both trying to score as many baskets as possible. After about twenty minutes, both boys were drenched in sweat, and Scott just barely had the upper hand.

Jeremy said in between breaths, Shit, you’re not too bad at all.

Scott smiled back and said, Thanks.

They walked over to the sign-up sheet with all the names.

As Scott trailed behind him, Jeremy said, I don’t see your name on here.

Scott looked at him and asked, You really think?

Why don’t we shoot some hoops and get you ready over the next bit?

What’s the catch?

How ’bout some tutoring in science?

They shook on it and Scott assured him, It’s a deal.

That afternoon, after class, Scott and Nicole met in the library, and the two of them worked together on their English project.

Somewhere in the studying, he asked Nicole, So what do you look for in a guy?

Nicole looked at him funnily as she asked, Why do you wanna know?

Scott flushed as he said, No reason. He then tried to explain, It’s just that, well . . . He finally blurted out to her, People in class say you won’t date anyone from Erindale.

She smiled and explained, Well, I just got out of a relationship with a guy from Mount Crest. She sighed as she added, He’s in senior year now. We’d been going for a couple of years. She began to pick at her nails after she leaned back in her chair. He was pretty hot, captain of the football team, and oh so smart . . . She looked out the windows of the library and pointed at them. See those guys over there?

He looked at them and asked, Those guys?

Outside on the main concourse were Tony, Jeremy, and a couple of other guys goofing around as she explained, I’ll never date them. She sighed as she looked back at Scott. They’re fucking space invaders. Plus, they have the intelligence of the lowest common denominator.

Scott laughed for a few seconds and then reasoned, Jeremy seems okay.

Nicole smiled at him and then said, I’m not sure if I really want to find out.

They laughed together again as they continued to work more on their project.

As the afternoon started to shift into evening, they finished their work, Nicole asking, You gonna have any time next week to keep working on this?

Between the newspaper and basketball tryouts, I might be able to squeeze you in.

She snickered as she looked down at her calendar book. Well . . . she began. Today’s Thursday. She turned the page and said, How would Sunday be? We could meet at the downtown library.

He nodded in agreement and said, Sunday, it is, then.

As they left the library and Scott headed toward his locker, he heard the word Fag! shouted from across the hall.

He looked back to see Tony and his small entourage giggling like schoolgirls as he shook his head and ran down the steps to his locker. Once he’d put everything away, he started to head out the door, mind deep in thought about the next couple of weeks. Most of all, he was excited about basketball tryouts and the support that Jeremy had thrown behind him to try out for the team.

As he kept walking, he heard another voice from behind him scream, Hey, Riley! as he turned around, finding Jeremy trying to catch up to him.

The first thing Scott asked him was Did you have any problems doing the simple chemistry that he handed out?

He answered, The more he keeps throwing at me, it seems the more confused I get.

Scott nodded in agreement. Yeah, he doesn’t explain it very well. He then paused and asked, You got some spare time?

Right now?

Scott said, Yeah.

Yeah, I do. Why do you ask?

Scott explained, If you want, I just live up the street here. You could come over, and I could explain to you what he was trying to teach in class.

With that, they headed up the driveway, and Scott opened the door. He threw his bag on a dining room chair, and Jeremy opened his bag to grab his books. Just as he was starting to arrange them on the table, he could hear the sound of feet accelerating down the steps. A small jump afterward and footsteps toward the table, he turned around to see a shorter figure standing close to the table.

Jeremy said, S’up? as he asked, Have you seen my brother?

Jeremy replied, Washroom.

The person eyed Jeremy up and down and then asked, Aren’t you Jeremy Marcus? You’re Skip’s basketball mentor.

Jeremy asked, You go to school with Skip?

He nodded and then said, Please tell Scott I’m over at a friend’s.

He nodded and said, Have fun.

As Chad sped off, Jeremy finished opening his books and began to file through his notes, while Scott finally appeared, balancing two glasses of Coke and some cookies.

Hope you’re semi-hungry, he said.

He took a cookie from the pile, explaining in between bites, I’m supposed to tell you, ‘I’ve gone to a friend’s.’

Scott smiled and said, Ah, you’ve met my younger brother, Chad, then.

He pulled up a chair close to Jeremy, and the two began to chisel away at the multiple equations, explanations, and everything else that chemistry currently had to offer. Jeremy tried his best to keep his attention on the homework but always wound up focusing on Scott, in which case he’d ask him again. Finally, after a couple of hours and more sugar, they managed to pull through the entire assignment.

Jeremy leaned back, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and grumbled, I didn’t realize this took so much fucking work.

Scott snickered and said, It’s not that bad. This isn’t my strongest subject, but I do all right.

Jeremy asked, What’s your strongest subject?

He replied in a lower hush, English.

That’s probably why your story was so great, he said as Scott asked, Really?

Yeah. There’s no shame in what you’re good at ’cause, I mean, we’re all good at something.

Scott then asked, What’s yours?

A look of confusion swept over Jeremy’s face as he looked up at Scott. My what?

Scott repeated, Best subject?

Jeremy thought for a moment and then replied, Social studies and history. Scott looked surprised as he continued to explain, I’m really into the whole current events angle. I watch the news when I can. He paused again and then added, Oh, and phys ed.

They laughed while Jeremy began to re-stuff his bag. He then threw his bag over his shoulder. I should get out of here, Scott. I’ve got to get some work done.

He nodded as he too folded up his notebook when Jeremy asked, What’s your schedule like tomorrow?

Well, I’ve got newspaper stuff, Scott began to explain, and the first tryout is this Saturday.

Jeremy then asked, Did you wanna hang out on Sunday night?

Scott asked Hoops?

He replied, Well, sure, if you want.

They walked to Scott’s front door when it suddenly burst open.

His mom walked in, dropped her bags on the floor and looked at them, greeting Scott as he said, Hey, Mom. This is Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Mom.

She shook his hand as Scott explained, We’re just finishing homework . . . He then added, almost as an afterthought, Jeremy’s helping me brush up on my basketball skills.

In turn, she smiled in approval as Jeremy turned to Scott and said, I’ll give you a call on Sunday afternoon.

See you later, he said as Jeremy left down the driveway, Scott closing the door.

By this time, the shopping bags had been whisked away to the kitchen, where he found her preparing dinner.

He rifled through the bag and pulled out a box. Hamburger Helper?

She gave him a disarming smile. I don’t feel like cooking, hon. Sorry.

He began to pile up his books when he asked, When’s Dad gonna be home?

Well, lemme think. Your dad left this morning, and he should be back on Saturday. She began to cut up the ground beef in the pan delicately when she added, "He really likes the conference he’s at in Toronto and getting the chance to do some special reporting for the Star. He told me they’re thinking of sending him out for special assignments a little more often."

Scott replied, Cool, in amazement.

The writing gene seemed to run in the family as Scott’s father was one of the Star’s best editors. He knew from the moment he’d gone to work with his dad that this was what he wanted to do in life. From watching people edit and layout the newspaper to the actual printing presses, it fascinated him completely.

His mother then asked, How are your odds for making the team?

Scott replied, Not too shabby. It sucks the season is so short this year.

As she turned over the hamburger, she pointed out, Jeremy seems nice enough.

He nodded in agreement. Yeah, he’s cool. He liked the last story I did for the paper.

She added proudly, Everyone at the office really liked it too. They thought it was very well written. I guess your dad didn’t tell you that his boss was thinking of publishing it in one of the weekend sections.

Scott’s eyes lit up as he asked, Really?

She nodded and then said, Don’t tell your father I told you yet. She began to serve Hamburger Helper onto a couple of plates and then asked, Where’s Chad?

Scott replied, Out at a friend’s, while he grabbed two forks and sat at the table.

Once she had taken the first bite from her plate, she looked at him for a moment and then said, May long weekend . . . She swallowed her next bite and then asked, What do you have planned?

He swallowed his mouthful and replied, I was considering sticking around here and getting stuff done.

She then explained, David and I are in Toronto the entire weekend. We decided to spend it with your aunt Lori. She took a sip of her drink and then started to fidget with her food. Chad will probably stay at Grandma’s for the weekend. Did you wanna hold down the fort here?

Sure thing, Mom, he replied as she took another bite of her food.

I figure you can handle being here on your own, and you’ll be busy. She then pointed her fork at him and said, If you have a party, just make sure to replace all the breakables and hide the dead bodies.

He snickered and replied, Not likely, Mom.

Once they’d finished dinner, Scott grabbed his books and threw them onto his bed. Again, he opened his English textbook and stared at the flyer, which was almost drawing him in. The question still burned in his mind on whether to ask Nicole to the party or not. After storing it back in his textbook, he continued to study his notes. Finally, after an hour, he turned out the light and fell asleep instantly, excitedly looking forward to the first round of basketball tryouts, only a couple of days away.

THREE

EVERYONE STOOD IN A LINE IN FRONT OF COACH BOLLAND, clad in T-shirt and shorts as he began his speech.

For some of you folks, this will be your first tryout, while some of you have played for me before. He eyed everyone up and down, "There is no ‘I’ in the word team. And over the next week, we’ll be weeding some of you out and finalizing our lineup, and game one will be after the May long weekend."

Scott looked to his left, catching Jeremy paying more attention to himself than anyone else. He returned his attention to Coach Bolland as he grilled all the would-be basketball hopefuls on what it meant to be part of the team.

Once finished, Bolland turned to Jeremy. Marcus, you take one half. Brendan, you get the other.

Everyone dispersed into two groups, Scott being delegated to Jeremy’s as the smaller group was divided yet again.

Jeremy explained to the smaller groups, We’re gonna play a couple of games and see how you do. Keep in mind here we’re only having fun, so no pressure. He then smiled and said, We’ll save that for later on. He motioned to Scott and one other guy. You two . . .

Scott’s nerves began to jump as he moved closer along with the other boy.

You two get to make the opening jump in the first skirmish.

With those words, his heart began to race while he proceeded to the center of the mini court. They both got into sparring position as Jeremy now held the ball, both pairs of eyes fixated on it as he made the toss into the air. They made the initial jump, with Scott getting the ball and beginning to dribble down toward the net.

As the mini skirmishes continued, Scott’s team won the first bout and then lost the second. By the last game, he was drenched in sweat, his body slick in the gym light as he was tossed the ball for the last six seconds. A couple of quick moves, and he tossed the ball to a teammate, who, in turn, passed it back to him, and in the nick of time, he was able to make the winning basket.

As he glad-handed all his fellow players and the competitors, he dried himself off with his already-soaked tee. Looking around, he saw Tony carefully eyeing his every move, making Scott feel uneasy, and then he eventually shrugged it off. He sat down, watching the other groups finish off their game and then over to Jeremy, who was trying to coach everyone new. Did he intentionally have Scott play off the other person on purpose? Was there something that had set him apart in terms of his basketball skills? His thoughts were broken by Bolland’s announcement.

All right, guys! Let’s get some exercises accomplished. Then we’ll play another game.

For the next hour and a half, Bolland guided them through an intense warm-up routine that even dwarfed the most rigorous army training in comparison. He was able to keep up, almost feeling like he was going to drop from exhaustion. In the end, Scott’s resolve and his determination kept him going.

After what seemed like forever, Bolland called everyone to the bleachers. We’re gonna have a game before I let you guys go for the day. Everyone in your original two groups! He then pointed to Scott. Riley, I want you to jump against Brendan for the ball.

The uneasy feeling knotted in him again as Tony sneered at him. They met toe to toe, Scott trying his hardest to focus on the ball, but his eyes shifted to Tony in a desperate attempt not to get sidetracked. As Bolland tossed up the ball, Tony jumped for it, knocking Scott onto the floor. Scott quickly jumped to his feet, chasing after the ball, finally swiping it from his opponent, and passed it on to one of his teammates.

For the remainder of the game, Scott tried to make sure that Tony wouldn’t try to run him over while trying to keep his eye on the motion of the ball. With the final few seconds of the game, he ended up guarding Tony, trying to prevent the ball to be passed to him. When it was finally passed down, he knocked Scott again over onto the hardwood floor. This time, he fell with a thud as the whistle blew, signaling the end of the game.

Bolland yelled, Hit the showers! as they filed into the locker room. He then shouted, Tony, get over here!

Tony jogged up to Bolland and Jeremy, who was standing beside him.

Tony, you can’t be knocking the shit out of your opponent every time you have an opportunity to get the ball.

Tony wiped himself with his shirt as he continued.

You’ve been playing ball for two years now, and you still need to kick that. Get in the shower. We’re done.

As he watched Bolland walk away, Jeremy noticed the lack of emotion in Tony’s eyes and said, What the fuck are you doing, Tony?

Oh, fuck off and give it a rest, man . . .

I saw you knocking Scott over, dude. That wasn’t a fuckin’ accident.

Since when did you start defending the little faggot?

Since it’s my and your responsibility to make sure this team works as just that—a fuckin’ team, Tony.

Tony grumbled, Whatever, and went into the locker room as Jeremy could only shake his head.

He couldn’t quite understand what Tony’s problem was. This was a game, not a hugely fierce competition, and Tony’s attitude only seemed to sour things.

When Jeremy looked up across the bleachers, he saw Scott nervously seated and looking at him. He strolled up to him and sat down as well. You gonna shower?

I will in a moment, Scott replied. Just gonna wait.

Jeremy thought for a moment and then said, Don’t worry about Tony. He breathed in and explained, He’s always got a stick up his ass. Don’t let him get to you.

Yeah, I know. He looked down at the bleacher underneath him, looked back at Jeremy, and breathed, I better get showered.

They headed to the locker room as Tony walked out. He saw the two of them, grunted, and then walked away.

Inside, Scott pulled off his gym clothes and grabbed a towel to wrap around him. After a brief shower, he dressed in his street clothes and began to head out of the gym when Coach Bolland yelled after him from his office, Good start today, Riley!

Thanks, he replied as Bolland peered from out of the doorway.

He then said, Next tryout is on Tuesday night, and I expect you here.

He strolled out happily, making his way home from his first practice, which he’d successfully finished.

The following Sunday morning, at around eleven, he walked up to the entrance of the downtown public library and opened a door, heading straight to the information booth.