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I cry harder. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with the guys. What if they resent me for this?”
“They won’t. They knew what they were doing when they started dating you. You’re not to blame.”
“That’s what they said, but I’m not so sure…”
“Be sure, Mari. No one is to blame here. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know it isn’t wrong in my heart, but it’s wrong according to the NYU handbook. That’s what matters.”
Jessica scoffs. “It obviously doesn’t. Look at how the others were punished! They weren’t. Yet Mark and John are going to be punished – probably fired. What matters is that the school board is against bisexual relationships.”
Jessica continues to rant about the injustice I’m facing, but my mind is on Mark and John. They seem so confident in everything. I wish I shared their confidence.
Mark is sure he can earn enough money playing cards to support a family. Is that a realistic goal? What if he loses his touch? What if the site he uses is shut down? What if they make gambling illegal? These are all very real possibilities to consider. I can’t put my baby in danger by relying on something like online cards unless Mark can assure me that nothing bad will happen.
Then there’s John. He claims that he’s not going to Nepal, but how long will that resolution last? He said it himself: he has a wandering foot. John wants to travel. He’ll resent me if I make him stay in the United States. I don’t want that. Even worse, he might resent our child.
Is what we have enough to survive this hurdle? We’ve only been together for a few months.
Regardless of my fears, I’m not giving up. I meant it when I said I love Mark and John. They love me, too. We’re perfect together. I’m terrified, but I believe in our love.
I just hope it’s enough.
“And even worse, Dr. Dryer is targeting you!”
I startle. Jessica has been talking the entire time I’ve been lost in my head.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Jessica stares at me. “Have you been listening to me at all?”
I bite my lip. “No. What were you saying?”
“The gist is that we need to do something about this.”
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing that can be done.”
“Well, you know I have a personal stake in this. I’m in a bisexual relationship as well.”
“That’s different. Neither of your guys work at the university.”
Jessica nods. “That’s true, but do you really think they’ll stop with staff members? If the university is biased against bisexual relationships, they’ll find a way to stop all of them. MMF will be banned from campus. Bisexual students will start being expelled for random reasons.”
“You’re getting carried away again.”
“Am I?”
I want to say yes, but I’m not so sure anymore. Everything Jessica is saying seems plausible at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to get rid of anyone in a bisexual relationship on campus.
I thought this university was so accepting. They act like they’re friendly toward all sexualities, but only if the relationship is two people, I guess.
“So this is about you, but it’s about me, too. I’ve been thinking while you’ve been ignoring me.”
“I wasn’t ignoring you!”
“You were, but that’s fine. Anyway, I’m going to organize a rally.”
I bark out a laugh. “A rally? You’re going to organize an entire rally over this?”
“Why not? You need the help. Mark and John shouldn’t be fired over this. And I need to protect the future of the fraternity. It’s a win all around!”
“Jessica, this all sounds really sweet, but I don’t think… Mark, John, and I aren’t ready to be out in the open with all of this.”
“It’s going to get out, Mari. You should get ahead of it.”
“I don’t know. This sounds like a lot.”
“It is a lot. But you don’t have to do anything but show up, okay? I’ll handle everything.”
I think about it for a minute. The gesture is really nice of Jessica. She’s trying to help me. I’ve never seen her so passionate about anything. If she wants to put her whole heart into the cause, who am I to stop her?
“I can’t be a part of this. You have to leave us out of it as much as you can.”
Jessica grins. “Yes! I will, I promise. I won’t do anything to expose you without getting your approval first.”
I pull my best friend in for a hug. “Thank you, Jessica.”
We talk a bit more about everything, and I feel lighter already. Jessica is the best person to have on my side. The fact that she wants to have a rally in my honor is heartening.
I’m not sure what the guys are going to say. I hope they feel the same as I do. I doubt the rally will prevent them from losing their jobs, but it might help change the minds of some staff members. At the very least, it’ll call attention to the bias present at the University.
