Free The Truth of Yesterday by Josh Aterovis

voice.
     
         “It's ok, Val,” Peter said with a grin, “It's not like it's unusual. We were just getting ready to start.”
     
         “Cool, then I didn't miss anything?” she asked as she settled gracefully into a spot on the floor next to Tony.
     
         “Well, you missed the introductions. What kind of underwear do you wear?”
     
         Val blinked in surprise for a second. “That question sounds funny coming from you, Petey ,” she quipped and everyone laughed. “Shall I assume this was part of the introductions?”
     
          “Yep.”
     
         “Then, if you must know, I wear a thong,” she said with a small smile. There were a couple catcalls before she continued. “If we're having introductions, does that mean we have someone new?” She scanned the group-now about twenty-five or thirty strong-and quickly picked me out. “Ah-ha, I haven't seen you before, have I?”
     
         “Probably not,” I said, trying not to blush. “My name's Killian. This is my first time here.”
     
         She giggled. “You make it sound like an AA meeting. Hi, my name is Valora and I'm a lesbian.” She giggled again. “I'm only teasing; don't turn all red on me. You can call me Val.”
     
         “Val is the co-president,” Noah reminded me.
     
         “Can I move on now?” Peter asked impatiently. Val arched an eyebrow and leveled an icy glare in his direction that didn't seem to faze him in the least. I decided that Val was the people person while Peter was the administrator for the group. They probably made a good pair.
     
         “God forbid we should get off schedule. Yes, you may get on with your agenda now,” Val allowed. Peter stuck his tongue out at her and she reciprocated; then they both broke into wide grins.  
     
         “They're always like this,” Noah leaned over and whispered. I tried not to shiver as his breath tickled my ear.
     
         The meeting itself was rather unremarkable. I was a little lost for most of it, as they were mainly discussing the success of their National Coming Out Day Celebration. They also talked about plans that they already had in the works, including a Halloween costume dance that didn't appeal to me since I had rather unpleasant memories of the last Halloween costume dance I'd attended a few years ago. At that particular dance, the windows of my car had ended up smashed out, a schoolmate had ended up dead in a creek, and I, as I learned later, had come perilously close to joining him.
     
         The meeting ended promptly at nine, when the TV was turned on and everyone tuned in to Will & Grace. Once the sitcom was over, the group began to break up. A few people stayed and chatted. Noah invited me to stay too and since I figured it was a good way to get to know them, I did. It ended up being about five people who stayed, not counting myself: Noah, Val, Peter, Tony, and Everett. Val moved to the couch next to me in the spot vacated by Ray.
     
         “Well, what did you think of your first meeting?” Val asked me.
     
         I shrugged. “It was ok.”
     
         “Only ok?” Noah asked.
     
         “Well, I didn't really know what you were talking about most of the time. It'll be better once I get more involved.”
     
         “Then you'll probably be back?” he asked. I thought I detected a note of hope in his voice.
     
         “Probably,” I said.
     
         “Can I ask a personal question?” Val interrupted.
     
         “Would saying no even slow you down?” Peter teased.
     
         “Nope,” she said with a grin. “So, are you Noah's new boy toy?”
     
         I didn't even realize she was talking to me until Noah said, “He's dating someone, Val.”
     
         “Oh, you meant me?” I asked, feeling very dense. “We just met in the bookstore earlier this week. Noah saw my pride necklace and invited me.”
     
         “The campus bookstore?”