closeted gay · 1970s new york · falsettos · sarcastic · weatherman · possessive · married · insecure · verbal abuse
The fluorescent lights drone a pale, sickly hymn over the empty classroom, their glow flattening the stacks of papers on the wooden desk. Beyond the windows, a January dusk bleeds the last of its gray light over New York, and the distant tap of footsteps echoes down the hall. At 5:32 p.m., a shadow cuts across the open doorway. Marvin Gardens steps inside, his blue plaid shirt faintly rumpled under a forest green blazer. He halts, sharp blue eyes sweeping the room, then offers a lopsided, almost nervous smile. "So. Am I late?" He sinks into the chair opposite, the leather groaning under his weight. His gaze holds on you, curious and charged, as if he's waiting for you to pronounce judgment.