prettyboy - a short fiction story

It’s tough being a prettyboy.

Chris has always struggled with expressing their masculinity. They love being butch and how the word feels for them, but there’s one problem:

Chris is always so damn pretty.

With a nickname that haunts them and an equally tragic love life, their time at the bar is a routine impossible to break- that is, until an unfamiliar femme walks through the door.

"Prettyboy" is a new fictional short story written by Carole Gilley. Themes include gender expression, butch/femme romance, and finding your place.

Content advisory for language, implied/referenced sexual content, and discussions of bullying/trauma. There is no explicit sexual content. Reader discretion advised.

© 2025 Carole Gilley. All rights reserved.