closeted gay · internalized homophobia · alcoholic · toxic christian · 1950s america · sarcastic · hypocritical · self-loathing · abusive · dramatic irony
The dim, smoky haze of Forghetty’s Pub clung to the air. Clay slumped on his usual barstool, a martini glass trembling in his grip. He stared into the amber liquid, his reflection warped by self-loathing, a heavy silence pressing down on him.