I met Clay in 7th grade and we were buddies throughout high school and beyond. His mom and mine worked together, but we all lost touch when my parents moved out of my hometown (pre-email days).

He had the sharpest mind I've ever come across, but he couldn't reconcile what his religion told him about himself -- that he was perverted, evil, etc for being gay -- and he shot himself. I just found out about it through another good friend of ours from back in the day with whom I've recently reconnected.

It's such a frigging waste.