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how many people still misgender me.

People who claim to be allies

don’t even seem to try,

like there’s no ‘T’ in LGBTQ+.”

“You should move to my school,”

I say, half joking, half wishing.

“I bet you’d get sick of me

if we were at the same school.”

“I mean, I’m pretty sick of you already,”

I tease, feeling more at ease with Vass.

They laugh.

So, tentatively, I venture my question:

“Have you kept in touch with Adonis?”

Vass waves my question away:

“Μαλ?κα! Forget about him.

It was a holiday fling.

Why would I keep in touch with him?”

I think of all the possibilities

with photos and video calls.

I’ve zoomed in on the photo of Adonis

on several occasions at night.

“Don’t answer that,” says Vass.

“It’s a rhetorical question.”

As Vass begins to swing,

I have to jump aside

to avoid their javelin-long legs.

Wednesday: The Boys—Lunch Hall

“Matt’s a beast at boxing,” says Nathan.

“Yeah, man.” Kwesi joins in.

“I was scared when TJ paired me with him.”