Losing Hope

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of suicide, incest, sexual abuse of children and minors, anti-gay violence, and alcohol abuse.

Dean Holder—whom everyone calls Holder—is a 17-year-old high school student in Texas. He arrives at a party late one night to find his sister’s boyfriend making out with a girl. Though Holder yearns to physically confront Grayson, the cheating boyfriend who isn’t good enough for Holder’s sister, Les, he fights his violent urges. He then ponders taking a photo for proof of Grayson’s infidelity, but refrains because he knows that seeing the betrayal would be too painful for Les. When he interrupts the couple, Grayson begins making excuses, but Holder refuses to listen and asks for his phone. Holder dials Les’s number and gives the phone back to Grayson, asking him to call her, admit what he’s done, and break up with her to avoid hurting her any longer. Grayson refuses until Holder threatens him physically, then calls Les and breaks up with her. When he hangs up, he tells Holder that Les’s heart is broken and that it’s Holder’s fault. In response, unable to control himself any longer, Holder punches Grayson. After a run the next evening, Holder finds his sister on her bed, dead from an intentional overdose of sleeping pills.