“Why the macho tough guy stuff? I mean why do
you hide your more tender feelings from people?”
“To go to college I gotta get a football
scholarship. And to get that I need to play. They wouldn’t let a
limp-wristed fag on the field.”
“But, you’re not a limp-wristed fag…” Mason
shook his head. So much was wrong with what Parker said.
“The tough guy shit is designed to keep
people away, or at least keep them from guessing that I’m more than
just a football jock. Don’t get me wrong, I love football, the team
spirit, the buzz when we win a game. Even the macho B/S is
fun.”
“But there’s a lot more to you than all
that.” Mason interjected. “The gentle, caring needing-to-be-held
Parker Collins is a much nicer, more approachable guy than the
super straight, my-shit-don’t-stink Parker Collins everybody sees
at school.”
Parker laughed. “Exactly, but I choose not to
show people those other aspects of me. The Parker people see at