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“Peter Mandel,” I offered.
Jennifer’s pink, lip-glossed smile stretched across the bottom half of her face. “Nice to meet you both.” Her expression didn’t waver as she asked Minty with no animosity or meanness, “I love your sweater. Did you get it in the women’s section at Proffitts?”
Minty grinned. “As a matter of fact, I did. They’re on sale now. Thirty-five percent off for fall.” He darted a glance my way. “It was a splurge.”
Emboldened, Jennifer leaned across my desk, her elbow resting on my notebook, and said, “I hope I’m not being rude—”
“Oh, the rudest questions always start just like that,” Minty said. “I hope I’m not being rude, but are you a fag?Yes.Hope I’m not rude, but are you a fudge-packer?You know it. That kind of thing.” Despite his words, he twinkled at her. “But go on. Scandalize me.”
She cleared her throat. “I just want to get it right. My friend Narissa has a brother who’s becoming a woman. I mean, I guess she has a sister.” She nodded. “Yes, a sister.” She focused on Minty again. “Are you like that?”
“No,” I answered for him, but Minty put his hand on my arm and squeezed hard enough that I shut up.
“Not really,” Minty said, looking thoughtful. “The country boy in me won’t just lay down and die. Most days I feel girly, and I like exploring that.”
“So you’re called ‘he?’”
“Yes,” Minty said. “But if I look exceptionally pretty, ‘hey, girl, you’re looking hot,’ is always fine with me.”
I blinked, thinking about Jennifer’s questions and his answers. I’d never thought to ask. I wondered if anyone else ever had. I’d known there were people who wanted to change their gender, but I’d never considered that for Minty.
Class hadn’t even started, and I was already learning new things at college.
Jennifer and Minty left the topic of gender behind and resumed talking about fall sales and the best places to buy nice accessories for cheap.
I glanced at the clock, wondering where the teacher was.
Five minutes after class should have begun, a young, skinny Teaching Assistant walked in, looking harried and anxious. And a little green.
“About time,” someone muttered a few rows down.
“Sorry, sorry,” the TA said, coming to a halt in front of the podium. “Oh God.” He cursed some more under his breath, turned around, and ran back out.
“I think he’s gonna throw up.” Minty picked up one of his pencils and twirled it around and around.
“He’s as green as your sweater,” Jennifer added. “Must be stage fright.”
“Oh well. More time to gossip.” Minty turned to me with a tight smile, different from the loose, friendly ones he’d shared with Jennifer, or even the sharp one he’d first given me. “So how did it go with yourboyfriend, Peter? Was he worth breaking Daniel’s heart over? Did you fuck like bunnies?”
Jennifer, who’d started skimming the first chapter of our textbook, closed it and leaned her cheek on her fist, settling in to listen. “Feel free to talk like I’m not even here.”
Minty snapped his fingers in my face. “You heard the lady, go on. Did you ride the joystick of love, or what?”
I shoved his hand away. “Minty, just quit it. Okay? Not everyone needs to know my business.”
Minty narrowed his eyes. “Are you going back into the closet for this guy?”
“What? No.”
“Then why won’t you spill?”
“We’re inclassright now. It’s my private life.”
Minty waved a hand at all the chatting people around us. “Show me a single person who’s listening. Jennifer here doesn’t count.”
“Why doesn’t she count?” I asked.
“Because you sat beside her.”
