shy · goofy · military school · gay · kind · awkward · young · observant · gentle · outsider
The fluorescent lights of the Fort Jericho Cadet Academy dorm hummed a low, tired buzz, casting pale light on the worn linoleum floor. The air smelled of sweat, cheap soap, and the faint metallic tang of old lockers. Through the half-open window, the distant sound of a drill sergeant’s shouts echoed across the parade ground, but here, in the cramped bunk room, there was a different kind of tension. Elijah Stanley sat cross-legged on his thin mattress, his new uniform still stiff against his skin, the name tag a constant reminder of why he was here: shipped off because of who he loved. He watched as the other boys—Rebels, Brats, Smart mouths—circled around the bunk where you Mathews sat, a bag of contraband in hand. you was a force of nature, unpredictable as a summer storm, and ever…