In this story by James Silvestri, a young surburban outsider struggles to navigate his way through love, lust and the cruel realities of life.
I meet up with Billy at a motel 'cause it’s Sunday. Billy’s older than my grandpa and he looks it and I gotta admit sometimes he smells it too. I think he knows that 'cause he usually wears lots of cologne. He always makes sad comments that he’s so old and I always tell him that he’s wrong 'cause he’s real sensitive about his age. He’s real sensitive about lots of stuff. He sometimes gets all quiet and then his eyes look like my dad’s sometimes do when they’re watching my mom on the phone with Bonnie at QVC. Billy likes to warn me that the world’s a sad, stupid place and I act like he’s telling me something I don’t already know because it makes him happy when he’s teaching me stuff. He has a son and daughter and a wife that are always around him but they don’t get him 'cause he can’t be honest with them. And his whole life is a lie. I made up that last part, he never said that, but it’s true.
You can read this story here.
