One Goth Town

The most unremarkable thing about our Town was the diversity in the young people.
There were three kinds of kids - those that wore cowboy boots, those that were girls, and a Goth.
I remember the first time I saw him like it was yesterday, and it might have been yesterday some six years ago now. I was on my way down to the grocer to pick up some bread because I wanted a sandwich. Petey said he'd make me one if I brought him some bread - and Petey could make one mean sandwich. I remember how he used to put the mayo on the bottom slice and the mustard on the top slice, and he always said "Remember Steve, you have to put the mustard on the bottom slice and the mayo on the top slice."
I was never sure if he did know the difference between top or bottom or the difference between mayo and mustard.
Anyway, I was on my way to the store and - and I remember this like yesterday - I heard someone (I think it was a man, maybe it was my dad) yelling from a truck stopped at the red light on the other side of the street.
"Hey!" with husky rage, "Hey you faggot!"
I thought at first the man was yelling at me but I realised that across the street there was a kid walking really slow and looking down at the ground. His skin was like ivory - it was quite beautiful, glaring in the sunlight, but it almost blinded me. I remember how his hair looked dyed and was he wearing eye make up?
I dove into the store nearest me (I remember it was the hardware store I think) and watched everything unfold.
The man (who wasn't my dad, afterall) jumped out of the truck and commenced to laying on a beating something awful.
After that day there were only two kinds of people in our Town.
When I got home and told Petey about it he laughed but I think he was choking back tears. That was how Petey handled things - like a man, ha ha ha, but he had a sensitive spot on his heart.
The doctors didn't think he'd live past 5, but he fooled them.

I miss you bra. In Memory of Petey
[Steven]
Time:5:55 PM

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