Kelly Gannon grabbed her car keys out of her office desk drawer and turned off her computer. She stuffed a couple more books into her workbag, which was already filled with several books and videos. Working at a library gave her great access to books, videos, etc, and she did not have to worry about late fees. As she lifted the heavy bag, she decided she would have to unload and finish some of its contents, to relieve the strain of its weight.

      As she left her office, passing co-workers said goodbye to her and she returned the greeting.

       "Are you doing anything special tonight, Kelly?" Karen asked.

      Kelly thought of Karen as a good friend. Karen was the only person at the library that she would consider socializing with outside of work. "No, nothing special. I probably should catch up on my reading or watch one of these videos, though." She tried to raise her bag for emphasis, but it was too heavy.

       "You seem to have quite a bit there."

       "Yeah, I'll probably lock myself in my room and plug away at this stuff."

       "Why lock yourself in your room?"

       "I can't quite curl up in the living room. It's pretty much converted into another bedroom."

       "Is that kid still there?"

       "Yeah, it's fine, but I never seem to have any privacy."

       "Are you going to do something about it? Are you letting him stay?"

       "Greg and I talked about it. We decided to let him stay for now. He got himself a job too."

       "How old is he?"

       "Seventeen. He's working at the mall."

       "That's not legal for his parents to throw him out like that."

       "What can he do?"

       "I can't believe anyone would do that to their child. I'd throw my husband out before I would harm my kids in any way!"

       "I know." Kelly chuckled. Karen often jokingly complained about her husband. "I'd better get going. I might get home before Tyler does."

       "Try to have some fun tonight."

       "You too. I hope your shift goes fast for you."

       "So do I!" Karen exclaimed. Karen still had to work four more hours that night. "Bye, Kelly."

       "Goodnight." Kelly picked up her bag and continued out the door of Fairview Park library.

      The sun was still shining as Kelly left work. She was thankful that the hours of daylight were getting longer. It was nice to leave work after a long day and not have to walk outside into darkness. She could go home and not feel like she should go to bed right away. She would actually have some time to unwind.

      As Kelly walked through the parking lot toward her car, she wondered if she would be able to relax at her apartment. Kelly had been comfortable living with her best friend, Greg, for the past year. Until she and Greg had virtually 'adopted' Tyler, who had been thrown out by his parents for being gay. Greg was empathetic to Tyler's situation, due to the fact that he was gay as well. Kelly was also concerned for Tyler; otherwise she would not have agreed to let him stay. Tyler had found a job working at a record store and he was also attending summer school, so he was no longer always underfoot. However, her time alone was now so fleeting. Someone was always at the apartment. Kelly continued to ponder these thoughts as she drove home.

      Tyler burst through the front door of the fourth floor apartment, his arms loaded with several bags. "Guess what I did, Greg!"

      Greg's attention was jolted away from watching Talk Soup. "What, robbed a liquor store?" He loved teasing Tyler, knowing that thievery was totally opposite of Tyler's A-student demeanor.

      Tyler ignored Greg's remark. He brimmed with pride as he tossed the bags onto the futon. "For the first time - all by myself - with my own money I bought my own clothes!" He pulled a pair of pants out of one of the bags. "Look at these jeans I bought."

       "I hope those actually fit," said Greg.

       "What do you mean?"

       "I hope those aren't another pair of baggy-hang-off-your-butt type jeans, which you already have enough of." Greg was proud of Tyler, although he could not resist poking a little fun. "When is that fad going to be over with, anyway?" He asked rhetorically.

       "I wouldn't talk. Your boyfriend never wears socks. Does he even own a pair? He's like a reject from the early nineties."

      Greg was surprised by that comment. "But... we both graduated then - we are from the nineties." Greg was dumbfounded. Tyler's comment made him feel old.

      At first, Greg was not sure how to react. Though he knew Tyler was joking. A smile formed on his face as he realized it was silly to let the remark bother him. Greg started laughing.

       "What?" Tyler, unable to resist Greg's laughter, also began to giggle.

       "What's so funny?" Kelly asked as she walked in the front door.

      Greg was interrupted by the ringing telephone before he could answer her question.

       "I was just showing Greg the clothes I bought, using my first paycheck." Tyler explained to Kelly.

       "Did you buy new clothes for the Pride March?" Kelly asked.

       "Not really. I'm not going. I'm not comfortable with..." Tyler stopped mid-sentence. He was still not comfortable being gay or even referring to himself as such. "Are you going?"

       "No, I'm not gay."

       "But Greg said straight people go."

       "I know - but a march isn't my thing. I have gone to 'Dancin' in the streets' with Greg." Kelly said, referring to the summer AIDS benefit and gay festival in Cleveland. "I had fun there. I think it's in July this year. They have beer and it's kind of like a party atmosphere."

       "Being sixteen, the fact that they have beer isn't too big a deal. Unless you'll sneak me one," he said with a wink.

      Kelly smiled. "Greg told me he was trying to talk you into going to that gay youth group, PRYSM."

       "Yeah, I might go." Tyler averted his eyes and stuffed his pants back in a bag.

       "Great news!" Greg announced as he hung up the phone. "Remember my friend from Orlando, Orly?"

      She nodded.

       "She's able to come up and visit for a while!" Greg's announcement was met with blank stares from both Tyler and Kelly.

       "What kind of name is Orly?" Tyler asked.

       "I think it's Hebrew or something."

       "Oh, good. I was afraid her name was short for Orlando. Orlando from Orlando would have been too much for my stomach to take." Tyler said while sticking his fingers back in his throat, as if to gag.

       "When is she coming?" Kelly asked.

       "She'll be here in a few weeks. Isn't it great Kelly?!"

      Kelly remained silent. Finding time alone would be even more difficult with Orly visiting. The apartment was burgeoning with more and more people. Where would this Orly sleep - and with whom?