Junior Chaz Willis strolls through the hallways with a broken heart sewn together with friends and music.

“I’m an outgoing person, at least I would say. I am very loving and compassionate,” Willis said. “I love music, that’s how I express myself. Any genre of music helps me keep going.”

Having a busy day is how Willis searches for happiness.

“Hanging out, shopping, looking around, exercise and just walking keeps a smile on my face,” Willis said.

While Willis seems pleased with his life, past realities slap him in the face as he enters the school doors.

Eighth grade left Willis with threats, bullying and depression.

“I’m an outcast to our school because of my homosexuality,” Willis said. “Everyone is different. There’s just things about us that we simply cannot change. I got beat up for the first time, so I left Bryant and went to Hall in Little Rock. I got beat up again there.”

Willis said the hardest thing about being homosexual was telling his parents.

“I thought my parents were going to kick me out because my mom is from a strict religious background, and I never really knew how my dad felt about it because that’s just something we didn’t speak about. It was just really scary,” Willis said.

Willis said he couldn’t understand why the people he cared about most were judging him.

“No matter what I did, everyone kept pulling me down. I’ve always been really nice to people and I care for others,” Willis said. “I learned a lot of things after getting beat up. I learned that everything gets better in the end.”

According to the gay bullying statistics from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, about one fourth of all students from elementary age through high school are victims of bullying and harassment while on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion or sexual orientation.

“I don’t really care as much anymore now that I’m about to graduate. I have to understand that other people’s background may be different than mine. They may have never encountered someone that has been gay before. I only say something to somebody if they are consistently making fun of me or something,” Willis said.

After moving into a different home, Willis hopes to pursue his dreams.

“My mom agreed that I would have more opportunities and that I would be happier if I moved in with one of our friends,” Willis said. “ I’m really close to her and all of her children. My mom is still having a hard time accepting that I’m gay, and my parents were never married so I living with my dad wasn’t really a choice. Things are just better living with them.”

Willis has a twin sister, half brothers and a step brother.

“My sister and I are trying to become closer. She still lives with my mom, so things are kind of complicated,” Willis said.

As a child, Willis became depressed and couldn’t understand the world.

“I lived with my dad when I was in the fourth grade. While I was there, we had a next door neighbor that was 18. Our friendship grew strongly since we hung out so much through riding bikes and stuff,” Willis said. “One night I went to his house while my dad was outside having a barbeque. While we were inside by ourself, he sexually assaulted me.”

According to a 2003 National Institute of Justice report, three out of four adolescents who have been sexually assaulted were victimized by someone they knew well.

“I thought I was going to get in trouble. After a month, I told my dad,” Willis said. “The guy is in jail now for 18 years.”

Willis said they had to get involved with Department of Human Services for Willis to not have to speak in court.

As Willis thought everything was starting to become normal again, fate showed him otherwise.

“Right after the guy got convicted, my dad left me alone at home with one of his good friends. He also assaulted me,” Willis said. “I blamed myself for everything because I couldn’t understand what was going on. Not even my grandma believed me; she told everyone I was lying. My dad was really angry at his friend and felt like he was a bad parent.”

Bags and boxes were packed for Willis and his father after the abuse.

“I started acting out soon afterward everything happened. We had to move because I burned down the park where we lived and they evicted us, so we had to leave,” Willis said.

Leaving behind his past, Willis plans for his future.

“I want to go to New York for college. I am in advanced mixed choir, so I want to get a degree in music,” Willis said. “After I finish school, I want to move to the U.K. I can relate to their fashion sense there a lot.”

Willis said if he could speak at graduation he would offer encouragement.

“I would say ‘Be true to yourself’. I am going to stay positive towards everyone, no matter what they’ve said to me. All I want to do is help people. You just never know what someone has been through in their life,” Willis said. “The smile on everyone’s faces is what keeps me going.”