Jude and I both shake our heads. “No, we had it done professionally,” Jude explains.
“So, you paid to get your nose pierced?” Mr. Cohen says. “With whose money?”
“I paid for it,” I blurt, probably a little louder than necessary. “It was a gift.”
Mr. Cohen glares at me, but doesn’t respond.
“Aw, come on, Bill,” Uncle David says with a chuckle. “Don’t be such an old grouch. Face piercings are far more common these days.”
“And a nostril piercing is one of the tamer ones,” Ashlynn adds. “The doctors at our practice allow them.”
Brian grunts. As a doctor himself, he would probably never allow anything fun for the nurses at his practice.
“I just think girls as pretty as DEADNAME shouldn’t feel the need to butcher their faces like that,” Mr. Cohen grumbles. “But I felt the same way when she chopped her hair off, too, so apparently I’m just too old-fashioned.”
Yikes.
“Mm, no, you’re entitled to your opinion, Bill,” Cody says with a mouthful of macaroni. “Free speech is still our God-given right in this country, despite how hard the left constantly tries to take it away from us.”
My brows shoot up.Oh boy, here we go.
“That’s right, Dad,” Megan chimes in. “It may not be considered ‘woke’ to uphold traditional gender roles, but it is Biblical.”
Jesus Christ,I think to myself, carefully keeping my face in check.Ha. Literally.
“Amen,” Steph adds.
Wow. How insightful.
Shit. I have to be careful. I have one job: to be here for Jude. If I argue or make a scene, it’ll only make things worse for them.
“Hey, maybe we shouldn’t bring up politics or religion today,” Taylor interjects.Finally, a voice of reason.
“Why not?” Austin argues. “It’s not as if we’re in mixed company.”
All eyes land on Jude and me—well, mostly on Jude. Shit.
“Psh, just because DEADNAME has short hair and a little diamond in her nose doesn’t mean she’s a liberal or anything,” Ashlynn adds with a laugh. “Right, girl?”
I feel my pulse spike. I reach under the table for Jude’s hand and squeeze it. Their face is pale, but they keep their gaze fixed straight ahead, refusing to engage. It’s probably for the best.
“Well, she is attending a very liberal college in the middle of very urban Atlanta,” Cody mutters. “It’s only a matter of time before the brainwashing takes effect. Right, DEADNAME?” He actually winks at Jude, and my stomach churns.
“Okay!” Mrs. Cohen stands abruptly, an exaggerated smile plastered on her face. “Who’s ready for dessert?”
God, I’ve never wanted a cookie so much in my life.
Oliver wordlessly follows me to the kitchen to retrieve my desserts. I can feel the rage seething off him. Fortunately, no one else joins us.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he finally exhales. “Are you okay?”
I shrug. “You?”
Oliver starts pacing. “Not great.” He strides back and forth across the kitchen, taking long, deep breaths, then returns to my side. “How do you do this? How do you take all their shit without losing your mind?”
It takes most of my willpower not to burst into hysterical laughter. “I don’t. That’s the secret. I dissociate while I’m here and process it later when I’m alone. It’s the only way.”
Oliver shakes his head. “I’m trying, Jude. I’m trying really hard. If they were this shitty to me, I wouldn’t care, but… it’syou. They’re bullying my best friend, and I can’t do anything about it. It’s driving me insane.”
