There was a new kid in the LGBTA group. She looked so young she had to be a freshman. She glanced up a few times but mostly kept her gaze on the desk in front of her. Maggie suggested they all introduce themselves again, and when she mentioned pronouns, the new girl perked up.
“Why don’t we start with you?” Maggie said.
“Um, okay. Hi, I’m Leah.” She fiddled with her hands. “So we can just pick what we want people to call us?”
Maggie nodded. “Whatever pronouns you want us to use. And you can change your mind later if you want to.”
Aiden thought Maggie should be a teacher or a counselor, something like that. She was so good with people.
“Oh.” A little smile tugged at the new kid’s mouth. “I think I want to be ‘they’ if that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay.”
Some of the tension left her—no their—shoulders.
This time Maggie had only asked for names and pronouns, so the introductions went faster. When Aiden’s turn came, his heart pounded in his ears. Don’t chicken out.
“Hi, I’m Aiden Spencer. He pronouns. And um, I’d like to share something.”
Beside him, Tiago gave Aiden an encouraging nod.
Everyone was watching him. This group existed as a safe place. They wouldn’t turn on him and start calling him names or treat him like crap. Nobody had said anything about being outed to the rest of the school, so they hadn’t tattled on each other. If none of these kids had even outed Tiago, which would be seriously juicy gossip, then they could be trusted.
Besides, even if someone did blab to the whole school, would it be a big deal? Aiden’s parents knew. Dylan knew. Was anyone else really that important?
Is your fear more important than what you want? Mr. Emery asked him that sometimes.
What Aiden wanted was to hold hands with Tiago in the halls, give him a quick kiss before class. To not carry around one more secret than he absolutely had to.
“I’m bisexual.” Several people’s eyebrows went up. “I’ve known it for a long time, but I was scared of how people would react. And then I found out I was a changeling and had to come here, and I didn’t want to burden my parents with something else and…” The words tumbled out of him, and he paused to take a breath.
“Anyway, I’m tired of hiding. And I’m tired of making Tiago hide for my sake. So, I want you all to know we’re dating.” He reached out for Tiago’s hand and grasped it clumsily.
There were a few murmurs of surprise, but all that mattered was the wide smile on Tiago’s face.
“I’m so proud of you.” Tiago squeezed his hand. Then he leaned over and kissed Aiden’s cheek.
It wasn’t the same level of relief as coming out to his parents, but Aiden still felt lighter.
“Thank you, Aiden,” Maggie said. “I’m so glad you feel comfortable enough to share that with us.”
“Is that why you kept trying to talk to us?” Ellie said. “You weren’t perving on us, you just wanted to be friends?”
Aiden tore his gaze away from Tiago. “I wanted to ask you how people reacted to you. Maggie said gay people were no big deal in Shadow Valley, but what people see and what it feels like to experience it are two different things.” Just because gay people weren’t being shunned didn’t mean they were accepted.
“Some people are bigoted assholes,” Kenzie said. “A lot of people give you funny looks. Gross dudes think it’s hot and want to watch you make out.” She arched an eyebrow. “Though I guess you won’t have that problem.”
“Most people get used to it,” Ellie said. “When Kenzie and I started dating last year, we got weird looks and comments. But after a while, that started going away. Most kids in our grade don’t care. But this year it started up again.”
Kenzie snorted. “I thought high school kids would be more mature.”
“If anyone picks on you, let me know,” Tiago said.
“You think a girl can’t take care of herself?”
“I made the same offer to Aiden.” Tiago shrugged. “Some people don’t like confrontation. If anyone here wants help, I’ve got your back. Pretty sure Dylan would have your back too.”
It sucked that Tiago didn’t include him, but it was true that he didn’t like confrontation. Some days he couldn’t handle it at all. Some people called Aiden a hero, but he sure didn’t feel like one.
“The dragonkin?” Leah asked.
“Yeah, we’re friends with him,” Tiago told them.
“I thought everybody knew that,” Kenzie said.
Leah hunched their shoulders. “I heard that, but I didn’t think he would want to protect… people like us.”
Because a macho dude with anger issues was more likely someone they would need protection from. Aiden didn’t blame them for thinking that. He’d panicked when Dylan caught him and Tiago kissing because he thought Dylan would reject him. “He’s known about me being bisexual”—Aiden wondered how many times he’d have to say that word before it felt normal—“for a while now. He’s totally fine with it. He’s not a homophobe or anything.”
“Well, that’s a surprise.” Kenzie looked thoughtful.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” Maggie said.
“It’s a hot cover,” Preston murmured. He was the other kid who had introduced himself as gay at the first meeting.
Tiago laughed and someone else snickered. Aiden’s heart swelled. This was a place where he could really be himself, where he didn’t have to lie or hide.
Well, except about that whole thing with Morgan.
* * *
Another warden class tonight. And Aiden had to decide if he wanted to make his relationship with Tiago public. Not that he was going to stand in the middle of the lunchroom and announce it. Maybe kiss him during lunch, act like it was a totally normal thing?
Aiden closed his locker and turned. Kenzie stood there, so close he almost ran into her.
“Oh, uh. Sorry.” Aiden jerked to a halt.
She stopped too. “Whoa.” She blinked before the corner of her mouth tilted up. “Um, actually, I was coming to apologize to you.”
“Apologize?” That was a shock.
“Yeah. About calling you a perv and stuff. I shouldn’t have assumed, but, well… Boys have said gross things about us.” She shrugged.
“I don’t blame you. I’d think the same thing if people gave me and”—he glanced around to make sure no one was too close—“Tiago a weird look.” When. Not if, when. Oh God. Even if most of the school didn’t care, there would always be a few people that were jerks about same-sex relationships.
You’ve managed to survive actual life-in-peril attacks. This should be easy.
Kenzie shifted closer and said in a low voice, “I won’t tell anyone, you know.”
By tomorrow that might not matter, but he appreciated it. “Thanks.”