Imagine this...

Here's the storyline to a short story that i'd like to write once i've finished my major novel:

Zachary. 15 and in year 10. He's Greek, (big surprise there ey!?), and is the third child. He's always been known as Zachary, never Zach. He has an older brother and sister, and another sister, Glykeria, who is one year younger than him. He's always wanted a twin, but Glykeria is better than nothing. They have their fair share of ups and downs. As always, and like most families, they get through the tough and laugh about it later.

His parents are hard working and dedicated. As before, they have problems, but they get through. Zachary is a quiet boy. Shy, but extremely loyal when he makes firends. His friendships are based on it. Solid, unfounded loyalty and trust. Often, this naive trust is taken advantage of. Zachary can see it, but functions on the notion that if he were ever in need, then he would recieve help. His true friends alert him to the fact that more often than not his trust is being abused. He doesn't stop being there for others, though.

Zachary is an in- doors person. Loves the out- doors to, but he's more of the quiet type. Anywhere quiet and peaceful is where you'll find Zachary. He is the pondering type. He ponders, sometimes on the bigger questions of life. He loves to read. One of the problems he has with his parents is the amount of money he spends on books. The top shelf of his closet is packed with books. Of course, his parents don't really mind. They just pick on him for being such a book- worm.

Family is a lot to Zachary. Actually, it's everything. It comes before health, school, and self. This may be a good or bad thing, but that is how Zachary is. It's something he blames his father for, in a good way. Sunday's see either Zachary's home, or his cousins place, hosting the weekly get- together lunch after church. Since Zachary's cousins are older than he and Glykeria, they spend most of their time together. Although, the families are close. Both families even have a running joke that even makes appearances on invitations to weddings and baptisms. It's something small, but to Zachary, it defines them all as a family/ clan.

Growing up in a Greek family, religion makes it's way into Zachary's life without question and hinderence. Each sunday, since he was five, Zachary was serving in the altar. Ten years on, and Zachary still serves at the altar each sunday. He's known by practically the entire parish. Since he was five, he even had the prospect of becoming a priest in his sights. This made many proud. However, it also added an extra pressure. One that would come back to haunt him later on. He still has the idea in his head. Amongst all the other stuff running through his mind. He has, however, questioned his worthiness of the job, since growing up. It was one of his teachers that actually made him stop and think. He was reminded that priesthood was a big deal because it was about a person carrying the spiritual well- being of the congregation. This is no small task for the faint- hearted.

So life continues. The weeks roll on by and Zachary continues going to school every day from monday to friday. On the occasion, he'll go out with a friend or two on saturday. Other than that, he's at home. Zachary's room is his sanctuary. It's not a place he likes strangers in. It's his realm. He has posters up of his favourite bands, singers, and football, (soccer) teams. He has pictures of family, relatives and friends hanging up in certain places too. The most noteable feature, though, and Zachary's favourite, is an art work that he bought from an international art student. It was of a crashing ocean at sunset. The red setting sun's rays are reflected in the water of the ocean, making it seem like a sea of blood. The artist used rocks from a beach, chipped the rock and painted over the shattered peices, adding to the texture of the piece. It was a perfect image for anyone who wanted to create the feeling of escape. Zachary had things he wanted to escape from. There was one thing in particular.

It haunted him from the very moment he became aware of it. Whilst Zachary's parents could claim to know their son. There was one thing they didn't. Not even Glykeria, or his closest friends knew this secret. It was a deep secret. Not dark, just deep. Maybe too deep for Zachary's liking. He tried to be honest and true to himself. Zachary didn't like phoney's. Ironically, he found himself in a predicament that he felt made his life a complete hypocrisy. While he was trying to be the person people knew him to be, he was not being the person that he truely was. He was better off being an abomination of humanity, than admit to anyone close to him, what he really was. He was terrified. It was something that haunted him and lurked in the shadows. At school, at home, while he was out with friends, even when he was at church. He was not left at peace.

Zachary was homosexual. It's believed that people who are homosexual are born like that; You can't become it. You either are, or your not. Unless of course, something has happend in your up- bringing that has had an affect. Looking back on his life, Zachary was able to make a few extrapolations. While he was young, his brother and father were at work. This left him in the care of his sister and mother. Where they went, he went. He always dressed well, and took care of himself. He wasn't the rough sort. He didn't like sports much when he was young. He liked to watch, participation depended, (and still does), on the game. Otherwise, he was on the side- line. Growing up around women, he became sensitive, not only to the emotions of others, but also to the needs of others. Thus, he was not only physically affected, but morally he was changed as well.

More than once, Zachary asked himself whether or not he was reading into these signs a little too much. Questioned whether or not he was making a mountain out of a mole- hill. At some point he thought this might be the case. Untill he realised that there was still one thing he hadn't considered. Something big, which he'd almost forgotten to take into consideration.

When Zachary was in kindergarten he was sexually abused by another student in his class. Yes, another boy, the same age as Zachary, sexually abused him, and stole his innocence. Zachary couldn't remember the boy's name. He could, however, remember the colour of the boy's hair, the tone of his voice, and even the instructions he gave Zachary. This boy had, obviously, seen such behaviour taking place at home. The lack of care meant that he took this behaviour with him to school. Being friends with Zachary meant that little Zachary was to be the target. Both didn't know any different. One had seen it at home, thinking it was right, he tried it on his friend. Zachary, not knowing that this was inappropriate, obliged. More frightening, this didn't only happen once. Quite the contrary, it became a dialy routine. Like clock- work. It was so long ago, that boy may have moved on to other things. Even bigger was the possibility that he didn't even remember Zachary. Zachary remembered him though. His face and more than one incident was imprinted on Zachary's retina, for life. (Both the school and place where this abuse took place exist today).

So this is the story, i suppose, of how young Zachary, 15 and in year 10, deals with his sexual orientation. How he plans to cope with being true to himself. I can't help but ask if Zachary actually has any plans at all to cope with being homosexual; whether he'd much prefer to continue living his life the way he has. Being the person all believe him to be, rather than the person he knows he is.

That's it that's all i'm going to reveal. (Note: If any of this piece does seem misjointed, or all over the place, most likely it's my mistake. I will, however, take advantage of the situation and say that i've already revealed too much that there hardly remains any reason for you to read the story any more). Although, i do have a question: Does the excuse i'm giving Zachary make it appropriate for me to include a friend of Zachary's who tells him to get proffessional help, or, cause Zachary to go looking for the boy, in which case he ends up going schitzo!?