Andy Rathko, Adam Benet, and Rebecca Angstrom had all gone to the same K-8 school. Now, except for Becky, they all went to Saint Vitus. Every school had different societies and each of these societies has further divisions. There were the athletes, and then they were divided between King Football and Prince Basketball. After that came the minor courtiers; soccer, lacrosse, track and field, ra ra ra ending in the various swim teams which basically had a ranking slightly above chess or debat...
“Swear to God,” Mason told him. “I’m not gay, but for a million I’d totally redecorate this motherfucker for you. I mean, I’m thinking a big old blood red horse head over your bed, a monster over there.” “Um,” Balliol smiled and made a contented sound, “I always wanted a horse head.” “Everyone needs a good horse head,” Tommy remarked. “Tommy said—” Mason began. Tommy’s eyes darted over to Mason. “That you mom is totally hot.” “Mason!” Balliol grinned. “Well, she is,” Mason sai...
From now on WHITE LIFE will air sundays, tuesdays, thursdays and saturday mornings, though other things may be posted on the nights when WHITE LIFE takes a break. Mason, Bailey, Sully, Addison, Tommy, their parents and friends will see you all on Tuesdays. --Ennarath
JOEL MCKENNA NEVER REALIZED HE had sworn off love until it came back to him. Love was, in the end, an untrustworthy business. Love kept your mind from reality. You didn’t know where you were or what was going on. For twelve years Joel was sure he had a perfect marriage. He was sure Martha was happy to be Mrs. McKenna. He was sure that he belonged to a loyal family. Life was good. No, life was unhampered. Life was like the beginning of the Book of Job. Joel had read Job—half of it—once. He ...
“Oh, Chris Powers is your son.” Mason realized most sixteen year olds would have flipped it, would have said, “You’re Chris Power’s dad...” “Yes.” Balliol said, neutrally. “I think he’ll take us to a championship.” “He’s a good player.” Balliol nodded. Mason wanted this to end. He knew that Chris must have said something about Balliol, and Balliol must have known that Mark knew who he was. Something was about to happen. Balliol smiled at Mark. And Mark smiled back. A lot...
When Joel saw the beard he burst out laughing and so Mark shrugged and got rid of it. It was agreed that if Joel thought it was stupid it was stupid because Joel was attractive. He was vain about his hair back then. Dukes of Hazzard hair was still in. And he was serious, a student over at Cartimandua College who worked full time. Girls loved serious and sexy. But Joel was worried that day. He had just turned twenty, and Sidney had just turned sixteen and finally it was Sidney who asked wh...
Becky locked the van and they walked up the driveway and then past the garage to the door. Addison put his ear there just in case someone might be home. Whenever his family went out of town they’d even leave the stereo or the T.V. on but for the Darrows apparently the light was enough. He heard nothing. Addison opened the door and then went in taking Becky by the hand and closing the door behind her. “We should have music or something,” Addison said as he walked ahead of her holding he...
Joel folded his hands over his chest. He was wearing a silk tie over a dark green shirt Seth had bought for him. He chewed his bottom lip. “I still don’t think it’s appropriate for you to walk out in the middle of a family dinner.” “And I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to make me the third wheel on a first date. Which is what this is. So stop being chicken. You’re chicken aren’t you?” Joel’s mouth opened and shut. Seth leaned forward, kissed his father on the cheek and said, “La...
"You’re being silly," Tommy said, with a laugh. "None of that matters. Color doesn’ t matter in Jesus." "I suspect we’ll have a talk about this later on," Balliol told him before Mason could say anything, and Tommy parked his truck on the far side of the parking lot. Mason came out on Tommy’s side and rounded to join Balliol who said, looking ahead to a group of waving teenagers. "You’re gonna owe me, Darrow." Mason looked at him and said, "I know." They walked on toward the large churc...
YESTERDAY HAD BEEN, DECIDEDLY, A bad day. The truth was that Lincoln Balliol was not a blamer. He was too stubborn and had too much of a will to power to blame other people for the problems in his life. When you began to blame people, you might as well just give up and say you have no control anymore. And, at sixteen, while Balliol knew he didn’t have ultimate control, he was still sure he had a great deal of it. That meant that to some extent things were his fault, to be fixed by him, even...
I feel no anathema towards gays (or homosexuals in American speak), but I must admit that I feel uncomfortable when they flout their "gaydom" openly ---something that I believe should be kept hidden. 1. Homosexuals is not "American speak" it if the proper term for men with same who experience same sex attraction. "Gay" is American speak and it is about men who choose to live a certain life that involves having relationships with other men. I'm probably old-fashioned but I cringed ...
“If you were a real friend, you wouldn’t just sit there and laugh every time Addison said something mean.” Tommy wheeled away and was headed down the lawn, strapping his book bag on. At the edge of the lawn he looked back and shouted, unnecessarily, “Goodbye!” And then he was walking down Owens Street, past all the other ranch houses. Mark Powers didn’t go straight home. They were out of milk and so driving to the Quik Mart was absolutely essential. He parked in the little lot of the...
She microwaved the Swanson instant breakfast waffles, sausage and syrup along with the frozen eggs from the Quik Starts box; stopping in the bathroom to fill the the glass of powdered Tang to the brim, she reached the bedroom where her husband was waiting and told him, "And you said I'd never learn to cook."
They were sitting around filling the bedroom with grey cigarette smoke, and Addison finally said, “Mase, what the fuck are we watching?” “Duh,” Mason threw his hands up from his work and pointed to the cartoon people singing in Italian. “It’s Operavox. Animation meets opera. The best of Welsh television. I thought we agreed this would be an awesome idea.” “Actually, you agreed with yourself when we were at the library, and I just said all right check it out. This shit is weird.” “...
“THIS IS PERSEPHONE AND DEMETER,” Mason announced taping the lithograph over his nightstand. “I like it,” Tommy Dwyer decided. “I don’t get it. But I like it.” “They were the grain goddesses in ancient Greece, and they had this whole sort of cult and people would come to it and worship them.” Mason set out the incense. “Mason,” Tommy said. “Is this like an altar or something?” He cocked his head, squinting at the goddesses for an answer. “It’s more like a meditation space,” he deci...