Chapter 111: Chapter 111

Hah…the great pretender. That was Billy. Pretending to be everything he wasn’t. Even at the ripe old age of twenty-two and recently graduated from college, his true identity, his very soul, stayed hidden behind a shield that he rarely let fall. That shield had protected him over the years. Sure, it had some dents and scratches now, and the energy required to lift and hold it up daily was almost more than he thought he could give sometimes, but it was his only defense against a world that didn’t often understand him.

Tonight wasn’t about wallowing, he reminded himself. Tonight was about celebrating his graduation andhanging with his younger sister, Carolyn. His heart felt lighter just thinking about her, and he couldn’t wait to meet her at Max’s Diner over on Main Street. She was so full of joy that nobody could ever feel sad around her. Besides, Max’s had the best chocolate malts on the planet. Rich. Frothy. Perfection. His mouth salivated.