home alone. Where are you, Frank? Todd wonders.
“He’s on a date.” Leaning up against the purple locker next to Todd is Devon Rankin. Devon is slightly taller than Todd, standing 5’ 8”, but he has less muscle definition. He too plays b-ball, but unlike Todd, Frank, and Crystal (the three stars of Pride’s Panthers and known by all as the three gay caballeros), his dedication level only landed him on the junior team in grade ten. The three gay caballeros played on the senior team last year. Even so, Devon is in good physical shape. His smile is radiant and his blonde curly locks dangle over his shoulders. Today, he is wearing his hair tied back in a loose ponytail. He wears silver stud diamond earrings and a thick silver chain to match. Leaning with his back to the locker, Devon’s hands are hidden behind his backside. He offers Todd his profile, definitely his most handsome feature.
“Huh?” Todd looks around at Devon, unaware that he had expressed aloud his thoughts concerning Frank’s whereabouts. Devon smiles, exposing for Todd perfect teeth. “Uh, we were supposed to meet,” Todd mumbles.
“Yeah, well, I saw him leaving about five minutes ago with Davie.” He clicks the inside of his cheek as he winks. “Davie’s pretty sweet. And they say he’ll even tumble on the first date.”
Todd smirks. “I guess he’s Frank’s type then.”
“Yeah,” Devon concurs, “which explains why the two of you are only friends.”
Todd laughs outright at that. “Yeah. I can’t imagine myself ever looking, or acting, like the tinsel tarts Frank dates.”
“Tinsel tarts,” Devon chuckles. “I like that.” Studying Todd briefly, Devon is very agreeable at the moment. “Yeah, I don’t like guys lookinglike women either. I mean, what’s the point? It feels too, het’ro, if you know what I mean.”
Todd assumes a serious expression. “Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean.”
“Now you,” Devon says, nodding Todd’s way. “You dress the way I like a man to dress.”
“Really?” Todd is flattered. Devon is actually the first person to compliment his style of clothing. “Everyone else says I look too much like a ‘mechanic’.” He feigns quotation marks with his fingers.
“Hey,” Devon asks, “isn’t your father a mechanic?”
“Papa Mike is.”
“What does your father do?” Seeing gloom in Todd’s eyes, Devon immediately apologizes, “I’m sorry, Todd. I didn’t know.”
“That’s okay,” Todd replies. “I don’t really talk about it.”
“That’s okay; I understand.” Devon’s compassion touches Todd. “Do you mind my asking what he did?”
“Nah, sure. Dad was an agricultural engineer.”
“Wow!” Devon exclaims. “That’s big!” Suddenly Devon realizes Todd’s last name is the same as the famous bioengineer Will Middleton. “Your dad was Will Middleton ?”
“Yeah,” says Todd, proud of his father’s accomplishments.
“No wonder you’re so good at b-ball. Will Middleton was one of the greatest college b-ball players ever.”
“He also helped establish the soya farms in Quadrant One,” said Todd. No one had believed Will Middleton when he had said soya would grow in the grasslands of Quadrants One and Two, considering it was not that long ago on the evolutionary scale that the region had been mostly boreal forest. But with the rapid increase in planet temperature, the temperate marshy grasslands quickly moved north, and with the onset of hot summers and moderate winters, the southern tips of Quadrants One and Two proved to be fertile soil for the valuable, lifesaving plant. With less room for raising livestock, the soya plant has become crucial in providing Hadrian’s citizens with much needed protein, especially since cattle are nearing extinction. With over twenty billion people crowding the earth, very little room is left for cattle ranches. In fact, the national government only allows one cattle ranch to exist within Hadrian’s walls because
“He’s on a date.” Leaning up against the purple locker next to Todd is Devon Rankin. Devon is slightly taller than Todd, standing 5’ 8”, but he has less muscle definition. He too plays b-ball, but unlike Todd, Frank, and Crystal (the three stars of Pride’s Panthers and known by all as the three gay caballeros), his dedication level only landed him on the junior team in grade ten. The three gay caballeros played on the senior team last year. Even so, Devon is in good physical shape. His smile is radiant and his blonde curly locks dangle over his shoulders. Today, he is wearing his hair tied back in a loose ponytail. He wears silver stud diamond earrings and a thick silver chain to match. Leaning with his back to the locker, Devon’s hands are hidden behind his backside. He offers Todd his profile, definitely his most handsome feature.
“Huh?” Todd looks around at Devon, unaware that he had expressed aloud his thoughts concerning Frank’s whereabouts. Devon smiles, exposing for Todd perfect teeth. “Uh, we were supposed to meet,” Todd mumbles.
“Yeah, well, I saw him leaving about five minutes ago with Davie.” He clicks the inside of his cheek as he winks. “Davie’s pretty sweet. And they say he’ll even tumble on the first date.”
Todd smirks. “I guess he’s Frank’s type then.”
“Yeah,” Devon concurs, “which explains why the two of you are only friends.”
Todd laughs outright at that. “Yeah. I can’t imagine myself ever looking, or acting, like the tinsel tarts Frank dates.”
“Tinsel tarts,” Devon chuckles. “I like that.” Studying Todd briefly, Devon is very agreeable at the moment. “Yeah, I don’t like guys lookinglike women either. I mean, what’s the point? It feels too, het’ro, if you know what I mean.”
Todd assumes a serious expression. “Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean.”
“Now you,” Devon says, nodding Todd’s way. “You dress the way I like a man to dress.”
“Really?” Todd is flattered. Devon is actually the first person to compliment his style of clothing. “Everyone else says I look too much like a ‘mechanic’.” He feigns quotation marks with his fingers.
“Hey,” Devon asks, “isn’t your father a mechanic?”
“Papa Mike is.”
“What does your father do?” Seeing gloom in Todd’s eyes, Devon immediately apologizes, “I’m sorry, Todd. I didn’t know.”
“That’s okay,” Todd replies. “I don’t really talk about it.”
“That’s okay; I understand.” Devon’s compassion touches Todd. “Do you mind my asking what he did?”
“Nah, sure. Dad was an agricultural engineer.”
“Wow!” Devon exclaims. “That’s big!” Suddenly Devon realizes Todd’s last name is the same as the famous bioengineer Will Middleton. “Your dad was Will Middleton ?”
“Yeah,” says Todd, proud of his father’s accomplishments.
“No wonder you’re so good at b-ball. Will Middleton was one of the greatest college b-ball players ever.”
“He also helped establish the soya farms in Quadrant One,” said Todd. No one had believed Will Middleton when he had said soya would grow in the grasslands of Quadrants One and Two, considering it was not that long ago on the evolutionary scale that the region had been mostly boreal forest. But with the rapid increase in planet temperature, the temperate marshy grasslands quickly moved north, and with the onset of hot summers and moderate winters, the southern tips of Quadrants One and Two proved to be fertile soil for the valuable, lifesaving plant. With less room for raising livestock, the soya plant has become crucial in providing Hadrian’s citizens with much needed protein, especially since cattle are nearing extinction. With over twenty billion people crowding the earth, very little room is left for cattle ranches. In fact, the national government only allows one cattle ranch to exist within Hadrian’s walls because
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