Ingredients:
- Clean, folded clothes
- Noise-canceling earbuds
- A secret crush (measured carefully)
- A loud voice
- Ignored texts at 2am
- Notebook (Optional for added flavor)
- Go to school with confidence in your outfits. Never feel like you have to be more “masculine” or like the other guys.
- It’s okay to like theater and hate sports. Focus on your talents. Not what would make you look better.
- The hallways love the f-word. Turn the volume up. I use Pinkpantheress as seasoning.
- Use your secret crush sparingly. “He was so nice to me today.” Now it’s time to get over it. Ninety-nine percent chance he’s straight with an invisible margin of error.
- Cafeterias have many trash cans. Discard the friends who only treat you well if you shine like their purses.
- Don’t engage with the boys who text you “wyd” during the night. They’re insecure and fragile. We deserve better.
- Write your story in a notebook. One day, I want to read it. Just like you’re reading this now.
- Better recipes come from more ingredients. I’m still figuring out which ones don’t poison me.
An emerging writer from the East Coast of the United States, Christopher Grady is a LGBT black teenager who utilizes experimental ways in showcasing stories or characters that readers can connect and engage with to their fullest extent. His most recent publication was in mid-August for The Disappointed Housewife.