It’s not easy being a gay man in Utah, but it’s even more difficult when you’re young and overweight. Jay has never fit in with the general “club culture” and he knows he’d never be attractive enough to catch a one-night stand, much less a boyfriend. Losing himself in books and school alleviates his loneliness, and he doesn’t waste time dreaming about what he can’t have. Until he meets the new director of the GLBT Center on campus and promptly falls in love -- against all common sense and logic.<br><br>Hoping to catch a few glimpses of Stephen outside of the Center, Jay decides to start working out at the university gym. The plan turns out to be too successful as Stephen volunteers to be his workout buddy, then invites Jay out to lunch, and finally, kisses him. Jay wants Stephen more than anything, but he can’t bring himself to trust Stephen’s intentions. Not when he knows he’s disgusting and Stephen is so perfect ...

From Behind that Locked Door

Their efforts proved fruitful. They cornered and boxed up three of those underwater spiders, along with countless samples of the stuff growing on the volcano. They didn’t have the resources to handle the bird-like creatures, but the scientists were confident they could get a small chunk of flesh to study—just enough to learn about the creature and not kill it. They hoped to do the same for the whales, if they ended up not as intelligent as the Monks hoped.


When the day finally came, the Monks released their findings in the form of a short video that played outside the lab. Rapunzel was given the task of delivering the news, and a small crowd gathered to watch. Cillian brought Henri to see. They waited patiently as Rapunzel first described it in its own language before switching to English.


Chapter 45