{"id":354,"date":"2012-01-09T20:41:08","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T18:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zahraowens.com\/?p=354"},"modified":"2012-02-17T01:06:13","modified_gmt":"2012-02-16T23:06:13","slug":"excerpt-of-you-can-choose-your-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zahraowens.com\/?p=354","title":{"rendered":"Excerpt from You Can Choose Your Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s already an excerpt on the Dreamspinner website<\/a>, but here’s a little bit more.<\/p>\n

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Since Fran and Jay didn\u2019t really share any friends, they rarely went out. The fact that neither of them had any money to spare didn\u2019t help either, but occasionally they crashed a party or two, mostly by tagging along with Jay\u2019s brothers. Jay felt it was his duty to educate Fran not only in what movies were good, but also in what beer was great to get really drunk on.
\nFran wasn\u2019t much of a drinker though, so when Jay got really wasted, it was Fran who made sure he got home in one piece. Fran wasn\u2019t a big fan of the parties, which were rowdy and wild and basically for the football players and the cheerleaders, but in an effort to stay close to Jay, he gladly went along.
\nJay seemed to enjoy the attention he got, and there were always girls hanging around them. Some of them even turned their eyes on Fran, but unlike Jay, they made Fran feel uncomfortable.
\nOne night, they were walking home from one of those parties, Fran walking next to his bike and Jay half hanging onto Fran to stay upright.
\n\u201cJennifer seems to like you,\u201d Fran remarked.
\n\u201cJennifer has slept with half the football team, including my brother Mark,\u201d Jay replied, without the slightest hint of reproach in his voice. \u201cI think I\u2019ll pass.\u201d
\n\u201cShana then?\u201d Fran suggested. \u201cShe\u2019s kind of shy, but she was eyeing you all night.\u201d
\n\u201cNo, I don\u2019t want Shana either,\u201d Jay said as they walked along. The night was cooling and they could see their breath.
\n\u201cSo what kind of girl do you want then?\u201d Fran asked.
\nJay sighed. \u201cI\u2019m gay, Fran.\u201d
\nFran stopped walking, and it took Jay a few moments to realize it when he almost lost his balance and only barely remained standing.
\n\u201cI thought you\u2019d be okay with it, man. I thought you knew,\u201d Jay said with a lopsided smile.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re drunk,\u201d Fran replied when he started walking again, but keeping his distance from Jay.
\n\u201cI might be. In fact I probably am, but that doesn\u2019t make me any less gay, Fran. I like guys, not girls. Well, I like girls, but not to have sex with. Girls are great to hang out with, but that\u2019s all. I\u2019m gay no matter whether I\u2019m drunk or sober. I can\u2019t change that.\u201d
\nJay made perfect sense, but Fran still felt panic rising. Everyone knew they hung out together all the time. Some people probably knew Jay was gay, so they\u2019d think Fran was as well. It didn\u2019t matter that he\u2019d been hiding his feelings for his friend. It didn\u2019t even matter that thanks to this new knowledge, Fran\u2019s feelings could possibly be returned. Then again, it did matter. How could he keep denying his attraction to Jay, if Jay was attracted to him too? He couldn\u2019t let anything happen, though. Word would get out and that would be the end of him.
\nJay flung his arm around Fran again and Fran froze, but Jay didn\u2019t seem to notice. Jay leaned closer and Fran could feel Jay\u2019s lips against his ear. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter, does it, Frannie? You\u2019re gay too, aren\u2019t you?\u201d
\nFran pulled away from Jay. \u201cNo, I\u2019m not.\u201d
\nJay sagged down to the ground as soon as Fran walked away, making Fran stop and turn around before saying, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d

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\"\"<\/a> days to go until You Can Choose Your Friends<\/a> is available! $1.20 going to the ItGetsBetter<\/a> project for every copy sold!<\/p>\n