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“Oh yeah. She got on her computer and started looking up facts about gay teens and how to parent them.” He shook his head. “All she had to do was go on with her life.”
I drank in the information, living vicariously through him, worried about him. “What about your dad? Is he okay with it?”
“He said he was surprised, and that’s it.”
“So overall?” I asked.
“As good as I could have hoped.” He took a sip of his caramel macchiato. “I wasn’t expecting them to kick me out or anything, but I wasn’t expecting them to throw a parade like Xiomara’s parents either.”
Xiomara’s parents had gone all in, donating to the school to have anti-bullying speakers come talk about LGBT students, and her mom had organized the parade my parents wanted me to avoid.
I admired her in so many ways... not because she was good at volleyball, because, ouch. But she was cute with big brown eyes and a smile that touched every inch of her face, and because of how bravely she was herself. She hadn’t stood in the cafeteria and announced herself as a lesbian like in some movie, but the rumors had spread, and she’d held her head high, not bothering to ignore or indulge them.
“Did you tell your parents when you got home?” Stefon asked, too much hope in his voice.
I shook my head. “I was too afraid. I can’t believe you did it in front of everyone.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d actually go through with it,” he admitted, looking out the window. The light caught his dark brown eyes, lightening them slightly. “I know your family’s more conservative than mine, and I didn’t want you to have to be the one to tell them about me.”
I titled my head, realizing that he had considered me. “Thank you.”
He smiled back at me, looking more... himself than ever before. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. I wondered if I would ever feel that way. If I would ever be ready.
“What made you decide to come out?” I asked. “I mean, I know we talked about it. But talking about it and doing it... Those are two very different things.”
He stirred his spoon around his mug. “I’ve been pretending for four years, longer than that, and the thought of pretending in college... I couldn’t do it.”
“I wish we could have forever,” I admitted sadly.
“You heard your aunt ask about a pregnancy. They would have kept expecting us to go further. To get married, have babies.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t handle it anymore. And Dillon didn’t want to have to sneak around with me. In fact...” Stefon grinned toward the door. “There he is.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What?!” I spun toward the door, where a white guy was walking inside. He was wearing rolled jeans with stylish ankle boots and a gray shirt with a rainbow heart on the front.
“That’s him,” Stefon said, so much joy in his voice. “That’s Dillon.”
My mouth fell open into a surprised grin as I looked between the guy walking toward us and Stefon. This was Stefon’sboyfriend. And if Stefon could have a boyfriend going into college... what was possible for me?
Eleven
Xiomara
Dee stoodin the bathroom with me, helping to curl my hair for the parade. It was a beautiful day, not an ounce of wind, but plenty warm, so we opted for an updo with curls framing my face. Usually I just wore my hair straight down or in a ponytail, but it was nice to feel pretty sometimes.
She even did my makeup and said, “I actually have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?” I asked as she went to her purse and pulled out a small package.
She held it up, showing a rainbow heart. “It’s a temporary tattoo. I thought it would be cute to put it on our cheeks!”
“I love it!” I said. “Way better than therainbow chapsMom and Dad are wearing to chaperone the prom.”
Dee looked equal parts horrified and amused. “You’re kidding. I know you’re not, but you’re kidding.”
I shook my head. “She showed them to me last night.”
“You have to love how she’s gone all out for you since you came out,” Dee said.
“That’s just our mom, isn’t it?” I said. “Remember when Luci liked that indie band so Mom put a cardboard cutout of the lead singer next to her seat at the table?”
