“We look like the first half of a Pride flag,” Makayla says. “Plus the green.” She gestures to my pants.
“I forgot until, like, last night,” I say, grimacing.
“It’s all good!” she says. “You look cute.”
“I don’t, but thank you,” I say, and she’s about to respond, but the bell cuts us off. I head to class, feeling eyes on me. I wish I’d brought a change of clothes. I wish I’d thought about this ahead of time. Maybe Jayden had the right idea about doing his own costume. This is probably why he didn’t want to coordinate with us. We’re dumb, and dorky, especially me. At least Anna and Makayla made their costumes look cute. It’s just me who ruined it.
Maybe I’m the reason he’s pulling away. If he is pulling away, that is. I want to ask him, the urge crawling under my skin like a monster about to burst out. I’d seem weird and possessive, though, and he would definitely stop being friends with me after that. It’s probably fine.
But what if it’s not?
I’m the first one in Mr. Harrison’s classroom at lunch. He waves from his office, and I grab a chair to start setting up for Queer Alliance.
“HO HO HO! MEEEERRY CHRISTMAS!” a familiar voice bellows behind me. I turn around and there’s Forrestin full Santa mode, from the hat, wig, and fake beard, to the stomach that’s probably a pillow buttoned under red velvet, to his shiny black boots. His hazel eyes glint behind gold-rimmed costume glasses.
“Santa? In October?” I snort, scanning him up and down.
“It’s a commentary on how capitalism starts marketing us Christmas stuff way too early,” he says.
“How intellectual.”
“I try,” he says, eyeing me up and down. “And you are ...one of my elves?”
I look down at my clothes. It didn’t occur to me this morning, but now I see it: the red and green color scheme.
“An elf who really likes strawberries?” He’s looking at my cheek now, and I cover it with one hand. “That’s very nonbinary of you.”
“I’m supposed to be a strawberry,” I say. “Just a strawberry. No elf. Me and Makayla and Anna—”
“Ohhhh!” he says. “I saw them earlier. Now it all makes sense. All of you together make a gay little smoothie.”
“Strawberry, orange, and ...lemon?” I make a face. “That’s so random.”
“The tartness would be good!” he says.
“OK, weirdo,” I say.
“Takes one to know one.” He drops his bag as I groan.
“Do you evernothave a comeback?” I say, joining him as we drag more chairs into place.
“Nope. I’m always prepared. Like a Boy Scout.” He dashes around me, pushing a chair ahead of him. I wince asits legs screech across the floor. “It would have been cool if you were an elf, though. You’d look cute in a little elf hat.”
I stop, staring at him, but he’s oblivious, racing to get more chairs into place as the other club members trickle in. Forrest thinks I would look cute in an elf hat? Forrest thinks of me as someone who is, or would be, cute?
Forrestthinks ofmethat way?
What alternate reality is this?
“Sid!” A hand claps my shoulder and I twitch, snapping back to earth. Jayden’s beside me. “The exhibit is a big hit. Mx. Prager said people are really getting into following the little history trail thing.”
“Oh, sweet!” I scan him up and down. I may not be an elf, but he’s decked out in a costume that looks a lot like—“Link?” I ask. Jayden is a huge fan of theLegend of Zeldagames.
He grins. “You got it.”
“You looksogood!” I say, touching the fake pointed tips attached to the tops of his ears. “What are these made of?”
“EVA foam!” he says. “Alexander showed me how to make them. He’s really into cosplay.”
