The Worst of Me by Kate Le Vann

till I was facing him again. ‘You have to stop saying “they”, first of all,’ he said. ‘The things you’re talking about are cultural.’
    ‘Meaning what?’ I said, impatiently, as if he was splitting hairs, but I just didn’t
know
what he meant.
    ‘I mean, it’s not the religion that sets these rules, it’s
some
of the people who live in a certain place,’ Sam said.
    ‘Countries, cultures, whatever, it’s the same. That is what Islamic countries are like.’
    ‘Okay, let me explain. That’s wrong in about three ways,’ Sam said. ‘First of all, different Islamic countries have different views. Malaysia isn’t anything like Sudan, or Saudi, or Pakistan or Indonesia – all Islamic countries. Second, not everyone in those countries agrees with all of the laws in those countries. There are Muslim women protesting in Saudi because they want to drive, there are gay rights in Lebanon. Those people are
all Muslims
. And third, tons of Muslims live in countries where they’re not the majority and they live with the values of the countries they’re in. Like here.’
    ‘I just don’t think that’s true, Sam. They don’t act like everyone else, they separate themselves, and I think they are judging us.’
    Sam shook his head. ‘Who are my friends, Cass? I’ve got Muslim friends. Abdul, Tareef, Rashad – Rash was in the band with us, you like him! Just ordinary geeky kids in my class who are members of the science clublike me, and like
Doctor Who
like me.’
    ‘Okay, but their parents —’
    ‘Their parents have made kids who aren’t homophobic, so maybe you shouldn’t second-guess them. How many white kids at school do you think have a problem with me being gay?’
    ‘Some.’
    ‘
Most.
’
    ‘It’s not most . . .’
    ‘Actually, a lot of the time it feels like
all
of them. White kids and black kids. Schoolkids hate gays.’
    ‘But that’s not the
law
. The law says you can’t do that. Whereas in Islamic countries . . .’
    Sam smiled. ‘How long have we had our law?’
    ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘Look it up. There are laws in other countries that we’d get very arsey about – even if our own laws weren’t that different fifty years ago.’
    ‘Yeah, but
now
. . .’
    ‘Your friends are using other cultures, things we don’t accept here, and trying to make us afraid of people in
this
country who follow the same religion. But not everyone who follows a religion thinks the same way, or wants to bring those laws here, no matter what Steve with the rubbish stubble says. Why aren’t you talking to Dee about this?’
    ‘Dee’s not one of the religious ones.’
    ‘Dee’s a Muslim! Why don’t you go out and find one of the “evil” ones, then?’
    ‘The evil ones won’t talk to me,’ I said. ‘They hate my freedom.’
    Sam gave me a dark look.
    ‘I’m joking! Look, what are you saying, that they’re all peaceful and gay-friendly here? What about the Muslim kids at school who say they agree with what terrorists have done? Don’t pretend there aren’t any!’
    Sam sighed. ‘It’s tough being a bloke. It’s tough being a bloke
anyway
. And being a victim of prejudice every day, in little things people say, little casual digs, whether that’s homophobia or racism or any of the things people use to make other people feel like shit, and not knowing how you slot into things.’
    I had that kind of urge to laugh you get sometimes when you’re embarrassed. When I used to hang around with Sam more and we went around school together with our little clarinet cases, there were comments all the time, nasty things about his ‘girlfriend’, jokes about AIDS, and I felt that heavy sad feeling I used to get, just from remembering it. I wanted to say something stupid to ease the moment, like, ‘But you’re not a gay terrorist, Sam,’ but I didn’t.
    ‘It’s like . . .’ Sam started picking at the rust on the chain of his swing. ‘If your parents are telling you to keep your head