A TIME BEFORE ME - Softcover

Perronne, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1583484639 ISBN 13: 9781583484630

Publisher: iUniverse, 2006

Synopsis

In this poignant coming-of-age novel, a gay teen struggles to find his identity in the contrasting worlds of rural Mississippi and the big city of New Orleans.Growing up in a small Mississippi town in the early 1990s, shy and inexperienced Mason spends much of his time with his best friend and secret childhood crush, the charming and daring Billy. When a six-pack of beer leads to a passionate encounter between the two teenagers, Mason believes his dreams may have finally come true. Billy's apparent disregard for the incident, however, leaves Mason feeling confused and betrayed.When Billy slips off to glamorous New York City immediately after high school graduation, Mason fears he's doomed to spend another humid Mississippi summer scooping ice cream. But Mason's life changes dramatically when vivacious Aunt Savannah invites him to live with her in New Orleans and work in the box office of her drag queen cabaret. It's there-in the decadent and liberating French Quarter-that Mason begins to fall for Joey, a strikingly handsome and sweet nineteen-year-old, who may just be ready to open his heart to someone new.A surprise visit from Billy hints that he may be ready to return Mason's feelings, and Mason faces a difficult choice. With the help of his spirited aunt and a sassy drag queen, Miss Althea, Mason learns that sometimes it's best to roll life's dice and take a chance.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Holloway Perronne is an adult-education instructor and writer, educated in Mississippi and Louisiana. Now living in Los Angeles, he will always call the Deep South home.Please visit the author?s Web site at www.michaelhperronne.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Prologue

Ever notice how life gives you the answers to the big questions about a day late? That's exactly how I felt as I sat on the front step of his apartment in defeat. I looked at the bouquet of flowers that I had brought with me. They were already wilting in the oppressive New Orleans heat. They looked like I felt.

Miss Althea, the black drag queen who lived next door to him, walked up carrying three grocery bags from Schwegmann's stuffed to their brims. She wore a knee length yellow sundress, black sandals, and her "church" wig, the shoulder length red one with the curls. She eyed me curiously as she walked up the steps to her apartment.

"Baby, whatcha doin' sweatin' down there with them flowers next to ya?" she asked.

I debated on how much to tell her. There seemed to be three major forms of communication in New Orleans -- telephone, telegraph, and teleMissAlthea. Anything you told her you could be sure everyone in the French Quarter would know by morning. They would be discussing it as they drank their chicory coffee, spreading the latest gossip, or bizness, in the neighborhood.

"I had just decided to stop by and see if he was home," I said.

Miss Althea took another look down at the flowers and then back up at me, and she seemed on the verge of dropping her groceries and spilling them all over Rue Burgundy. However, she sensed that there was a story here and she wasn't going anywhere.

"Baby, ain't you done heard?"

"Heard what?" I asked not liking the way that question was phrased.

"That boy done gone. I saw him dis mornin' leaving with his suitcase by his side. He say he was goin' to his auntie's in Shreveport."

"Shreveport!" I exclaimed, standing up and dropping the flowers next to me.

"I'm sho surprised ya didn't know!" Miss Althea said.

She had a look on her face that said she was proud of the fact of being the first one to spread some fresh gossip.

I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach when I realized that I was too late, and that my own stupidity had gotten me to this point. Maybe I had just gotten exactly what I deserved?

By now you're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. I should go back to the beginning, or at least what I would consider the beginning.

It was the day that Billy Harris kissed me.

Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1583484639
• ISBN 13: 9781583484630
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 186