The Boy Next Door's Hands-On Curriculum

I used to harbor feelings for my childhood friend, Kenneth Parker, but I never told him about it because he wasn't into men.Kenneth had the kind of face that seemed to attract every woman around him. He'd been catching their attention ever since he was a kid.I got so used to seeing him receive love letters every day that I would have been more surprised if he didn't get one.We had been friends since childhood, so I was the one tasked with handling all his love letters. I always felt especially happy whenever I tossed one in the trash, and I thought of that happiness as my possessiveness over my close friend.This went on until we turned 16—when one day, a young man with a gentle, delicate countenance handed Kenneth a love letter, blushing as he did.Instinctively, I ducked behind a wall, wanting to hear Kenneth's response. I couldn't quite put my finger on the feeling, but there was a bitter ache in my chest.It was only then that I realized I probably had feelings for Kenneth

I woke up to the stark white ceiling of the hospital coming into view.Mom exclaimed, "You're finally awake, Xavier! Do you feel pain anywhere? It's all my fault for not seeing Nancy for who she truly is!"I had no idea she would ever treat you like this, Xavier. You can rest assured I've already fired her, so you'll never have to see her again. "Why aren't you saying anything, Xavier? Is it because you're still mad at me? I'm really sorry."I struggled to push her away, thinking I couldn't possibly speak unless she let go—she was hugging me so tightly I felt like I was being choked.Since that incident, Mom no longer trusted anyone else to look after me. She personally drove me to school and back every day and even took me to work with her. However, it didn't take long before the strain of raising me while managing her business became too much for her.It was then that Mom's longtime friend, Meredith, returned from abroad and offered to help care for me after hearing what had h