It was a small town, the type of place where everyone knew everyone. There were no secrets, no real ones. I knew they would find out eventually, but I never thought it would be this soon.

Nobody was supposed to know. I thought I could keep this secret with me for the rest of my life. I thought wrong.

Loving someone means that you can trust them. You should believe that they won’t expose the dearest parts of you. It’s a flawed thought, we’re all humans, and humans do nothing better than talk.

Talk is what got me in this whole situation. Talking to friends who you love and trust. Them talking to their family. Then their family talks to neighbors. Talk has caused me to walk home slowly, with all their eyes on me.

Everyone around me knew my deepest and darkest secret. I couldn’t help but wonder which one of my friends talked first. They knew my secret, but they also knew that it should have stayed a secret. That’s how I wanted it to stay until I could get out of here.

How will I get out of here now? My family is bound to know by now, it would be ridiculous to think they wouldn’t. Even my principal’s cat should know by now.

I tried to smile at that thought, but it was difficult to do so. None of my friends had talked to me yet. Nobody had the guts to confess what they had done to me. They had practically sent me to the gallows with my hands tied.

Whispers were all around me as I walked by the park on my way home. Children had been forced to stop playing by their parents. Everyone had stopped to stare at me as I walked with shame. Some even had the gall to point at me.

None of them had the guts to talk to me. It’s been like this all day, even at school. My teachers barely acknowledged me today. When they did, it was only for a few awkward moments. Even they were desperate to be away from me.

Had I been in any other town, things might have been different. I might have even gotten a form of acceptance. Unfortunately for me, this town was not one to accept outsiders. Any divergence from normalcy was rejected here, and there were no exceptions.

Not even for a harmless teenager who has been here his whole life. A boy who has done nothing but help his neighbors and show them the utmost respect. There was no mercy in this haven of conformity.

Instead, there were glares and looks of pity. Pity for a poor soul who has lost his way. No pity for what they would do to me. Glares from parents who were scared it would spread to their children.

I tried my best to hold my head up high as I walked closer to my house. Hopefully, my parents would still be at work and I would have time to hide, or even run away entirely before facing their wrath. I tried to steady my breathing. I could feel my throat begin to close up and my adrenaline ran.

My pace quickened as I felt a surge of courage, then stopped entirely when I saw two cars in our driveway. Blood ran cold and the rush of adrenaline ended as I came to the horrid realization of my fate. Both of my parents were home from work.

The sound of someone walking towards me shook me out of my state. My next-door neighbor, Mr. Adams, had come out to see me. He gave me a disapproving look as he saw why I was still.

“I reckon you better get inside ‘for they come out for you.”

“Yes sir.” I gave him a slight nod as I continued the terrifying walk straight to the gallows. The executioner wouldn’t have any mercy so I might as well get this over with.

As I walked closer to the front door, I felt my heart banging in my chest. Everything in me told me to run away and never look back. This can’t be how it ends, I still have so much I need to do. I needed more time to plan out this conversation.

I took in a deep breath and reached for my keys. I couldn’t run, not anymore. Facing this situation head-on is the only way now. There is nothing else I can do. My disloyal friends had sealed my untimely fate.

My hands were shaking slightly when I unlocked the door. I looked inside my house and felt the fear rushing in. There was no escape route for me as I walked into the living room. I felt tears brimming in my eyes as I saw both of my parents sitting on the couch with stern faces.

My mother stood up, shaking with anger. My father looked back and forth between us with nothing but sadness in his eyes. I tried to calm my breathing as she walked closer, but there was no hope. The executioner was ready with her noose.

“Do you want to explain what Mr. Adams told us about you Cassidy?”

The release lever has been pulled, and I was in for the final fight of my life. A part of me hoped that the only one to die would be Cassidy, but I had a feeling that the innocent boy would fall as well.

After all, this was a small town where everyone knew everyone. My parents could never live with the shame of having a son like me. Everyone would know the truth.