About Becoming Us

by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
176 pages / 88000 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-828-9, 1-60370-828-6
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc, epub, Sony-optimized pdf, paperback

Zac Mitchell and Bryce Tellier were best friends for the first two years of college, but things got complicated their junior year. Their senior year isn't looking to get any easier. Zac is out with a bang, featured in a magazine article on queer college athletes. Bryce didn't have a clue, but now Zac's revelation is shattering his world, making him question everything he thinks he knows, making him wonder if he'll manage to keep things together.

Bryce's father wants him out of the house he shares with Zac and two other friends, doesn't want him around someone like Zac. Bryce has spent years ducking his brothers' accusations about his sexuality. Now, Bryce has to decide where he stands, and he has to face how Zac makes him feel. Zac spent years working up the courage to come out and now he might have to go back in the closet to be with the person he wants most. Nothing seems right when Zac and Bryce part, so can these boys make their relationship work?

Review

Alexa Snow, author of Sleeping Stone, writes:

Bryce thinks of himself as a liberal, open-minded kind of guy, especially in comparison to the rest of his family, who are bigoted and homophobic. When Bryce's best friend Zac comes out of the closet, Bryce doesn't tell his family because he knows what their reaction will be. But it's not even that simple -- the more he thinks about the revelation of Zac's secret, the more angry and confused and upset Bryce becomes, and he isn't even sure he knows *why*. Is Zac, who knows Bryce so well, willing to help him figure it out?

This book is a primarily serious one about how two individuals become a couple. The cast of characters is small, which definitely does a lot to benefit the development of the main characters, giving the reader plenty of time with them as their relationship changes and develops. There's a nice variety of first-time experiences that are explored in detail; this is the type of thing that so many readers enjoy and which isn't always given this sort of attention, so it's particularly noteworthy that this story gives it the focus it does. The dialogue is nicely done, the level of eroticism quite high, and the ending a satisfying conclusion to the story. This is definitely a story for a reader who likes first times, and for anyone who enjoys character-driven erotica. A truly enjoyable read.

Sample

Something smacked into the back of Zac’s head, knocking him into the beer table. Cups sloshed and Kaede yelled, “Hey! Watch it, man!”

Zac rolled his eyes. His housemate was a little overzealous in his protectiveness of the beer. It wasn’t like they’d gotten the imported shit, not for this party. The back-to-school party didn’t rate that kind of expense. Especially not when the crew team and the water polo team were out here playing volleyball with a giant beachball and aiming right for the keg with every shot.

Turning around, Zac picked up the ball that had caused all the trouble and served it back toward the net. “Be careful of the beer!”

A couple of the crew guys waved like they understood, but Zac knew better. They were all totally sloshed already. Whatever.

He grabbed a couple of the big red plastic cups filled to the brim with cheap beer and went looking for Bryce. He hadn’t seen Bryce since the first partiers had shown up hours ago. Used to be, Bryce was the quintessential party guy, always ready to have a good time.

Used to be, Bryce was Zac’s best friend. All that had changed, though. Zac just hoped they could get some kind of friendship back. He couldn’t face a whole year of distance between them, like there had been since since an article about ‘out’ athletes in last month’s back-to-school issue of Game On had included interviews with Zac and their friend Perry. Perry was gone, graduated, but Zac still had to deal with the repercussions of their decision.

He slipped through the front door, looking for Bryce inside the house, but it was mostly empty. Just a few people using the bathroom or getting pizza from the kitchen. No Bryce.

The party stopped at the back door, but Zac found Bryce in the backyard, sitting alone on the old swing. Swallowing his nervousness, and his pride, he headed over to make a peace offering.

Zac flopped down on the swing uninvited, setting it to swinging with a loud creak and a shiver. They’d pulled it out of someone’s trash and put it together right around the time they’d moved in, back in sophomore year. Amazingly, two years later, it was still in one piece.

He held out one of the cups. “Beer?”

Bryce sighed and took the offering. “Thanks. Shouldn’t you be partying?”

“Shouldn’t you?” Zac countered, taking a sip of his beer.

“I am. See?” Bryce waved his cigarette and beer, sloshing beer all over him. “Godfuckingdamnitsonofabitchmotherfucker,” he said, without much heat behind it, like he’d given up.

“Dude.” Zac snorted and reached out to take the cup back. “You okay?”

“Fuck it.” Bryce tried to shake the beer off and ended up dropping his cigarette. He stomped on it, in spite of being barefoot, and slouched back in the swing. It was probably already out, thanks to the beer. “This is Not Right,” he snapped, taking his beer back.

“What’s not?” Zac had his suspicions, but he wanted to hear Bryce say it.

“Me not knowing. Why did Perry get to know and not me?” Bryce sloshed beer again, but the cup was already a quarter empty and it only went over his hand and wrist.

“Bryce...” Zac wasn’t sure what to say to that. That wasn’t what he’d expected, not at all. He’d known things with Bryce would change, but he hadn’t thought about how coming out together in that interview would make it obvious Perry had known all along. “Because it wasn’t really... relevant.”

“Not relevant?”

About the Author - Anah Crow, Dianne Fox