At thirteen, Joey was coping with life in a household plagued by alcoholism and violence. In the throes of adolescence, he was also trying to come to terms with his homosexuality. Billy, also thirteen, was a masculine, self-assured boy who had secrets: he lived each day in fear of being beaten by his physically abusive father. And Billy was gay. Billy and Joey were drawn to each other at first sight. When they met in history class in the seventh grade,...