Coming-of-age Stories

Sarah excitedly waited there, her eyes staring through the front window of her boyfriend’s first-floor flat. She was hoping to catch sight of Liz’s silver Porsche, get in the car, and get out of there before anyone had a chance to see her with her older female lover. It was the one thing that frightened her: the possibility of her family discovering that she was bisexual and was now regularly sleeping with other women. Sa...

Clare’s story… Clare looked into her refreshed cup of tea and then sipped it before glancing at me. Maybe she noticed that my demeanour had changed, as there was hesitation in her voice. “My story is similar to Sarah’s. What happened was almost by accident, as I ended up having sex with a man.” I felt my stomach turn as I looked at Clare. "How could she do that to me?" I thought. "But you told me that you are only into gi...

My senior year of high school was nothing short of an ongoing hell. Every corner of the school felt like a trap, where my bullies could torment me undisturbed instead of offering even the smallest refuge. There wasn’t a single place I felt safe, no sanctuary where I could let my guard down. So, I stayed in sight, lingering where the teachers—those few who still cared—might keep an eye out. It wasn’t much of a shield, but...