Two Thousand Pounds Per Square Inch

Warning: this story includes both explicit language about sex and graphic depictions of sex itself.

Russel Middlebrook is a gay teen who's been through a lot. He's the lead character in Brent Hartinger's Lambda Award-winning Russel Middlebrook Series. And he's also the star of Geography Club, the book that started it all and has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Ana Gasteyer.

But now Russel is facing his biggest challenge yet: getting tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Could he be HIV-positive? Along the way, he recalls some of his own most important sexual experiences.

This free short story is part of The Real Story Safe Sex Project, an-all volunteer organization created by Brent Hartinger dedicated to using entertainment and popular culture to spread the word about HIV/AIDS and safe sex to gay and bi male teens and twentysomethings. For more information: brenthartinger.com/therealstory