In the Middle

So, only to middle school, and I have hedged already. Part of me wants to say "I had a normal middle school experience, just as miserable as everyone else." Another part of me wants to try to dig a little deeper into those repressed memories.
Is is normal to be called queer or fag everyday? I knew it wasn't nice and it didn't feel good. I'm not sure I equated the degrading slang with being a homosexual (which term I never heard) But, I knew I wasn't whatever the chippewa wearing, tobacco chewing rednecks damned me to be.
I was just a Mormon. Wasn't that why I was so very different? Special? Wasn't that why I wasn't particularly into girls. I wasn't supposed to be interested until after a mission.
In 6th grade, I started parting my hair, on the RIGHT SIDE! Gasp! My father would comment that that was the side that faggots parted their hair to. Who knew that parting your hair a certain way meant you were gay? I have never understood that. And yes, the word faggot was tossed around in my house just like that.
One particular low life scum sucking 2 time 11th grade repeater, Joe, happened to be in my 9th grade science class. He liked to flip his wrist whenever he passed me and squeal "hi clark." I always ignored it, but one day I was eating out with my cousin, Saralynn. She was 2 years older than me, but only 1 year ahead of me in school, a little rougher than I. Anyway she confronted him to find out what he was meaning by that-she found out and said I was not a faggot. Then we told my cousin Jake, who was captain of the football team. Well, the next day in science, Joe came in shaking and told me not to get Jake involved with him. I just told him to leave me alone or I would not hesitate to let Jake know I was having a problem.
I have no doubt there was more talking behind my back, but I was mostly left alone after that.