“I’m Hannah. Junior. My pronouns are they/them, and I identify as a non-binary lesbian,” said the other latecomer.
“Hi, I’m Kelly. She/her. I’m a freshman, cis bisexual girl and I also identify as asexual.”
“Jordan. Also a freshman. I identify as non-binary and use they/them pronouns, and I’m pansexual.”
Lily made a mental note of everyone’s names and pronouns as they went around the group, trying to come up with a way to identify them all. Jordan’s hair was buzzed short and dyed a brilliant shade of blue. Kelly’s auburn hair, scraped into a ponytail, fell down to her waist. Hannah had a streak of pink through their blonde hair. Lily repeated their names in her head in an effort not to forget them.
She recognized the final member of the group from her honors chemistry class. Charlotte was one of Lily’s quietest students, usually sitting huddled in the back corner of the room, and Lily didn’t know if she’d ever heard her speak before. The response to Lily asking if she was all right was usually a quick nod, but Charlotte always scored highly on every homework. “I-I’m a sophomore. Most…most people know me as Charlotte, but I’ve started to ask my friends to call me Jude.” Jude took a deep breath. “My pronouns are he/him. I identify as trans and pansexual.”
Macie gave Jude a pat on the back, and he managed a weak smile. Lily felt awful for misgendering Jude all this time, even though she hadn’t known any better.
Seven pairs of eyes turned expectantly to her, and Lily realized it was her turn to introduce herself. “You already know I’m Miss Cross, and I’m a teacher.” That earned her a few chuckles. “My pronouns are she/her, I am a cisgender woman, and I…I’m a lesbian.” She’d debated how open to be with them, but Lily wasn’t interested in hiding her identity in an environment that was supposed to be supportive. It was worth it for the wide-eyed looks on their faces, for that sense of familiarity.
“Now that we all know more about each other,” Macie said, attention returning to her folder. “I thought we could start discussing what we want to achieve over the next year. Brainstorm ideas, set goals, that kind of thing. See if there are any events or campaigns we want to be a part of.”
Lily let them chat among themselves for a while, settling behind her desk and pitching in when they asked her for advice. They seemed like a good group of kids with a lot of ideas, and she couldn’t wait to see what they managed to do over the next few months.
Once the hour was up, they started heading for the door, a bounce in their steps and a smile on their faces, exchanging social media information so they could set up a group online.
“Jude?” Lily called out before he could reach the door. “Could I have a quick word?”
“O-okay. I’ll catch up with you later,” Jude said to Macie and Sara. He approached Lily’s desk with his head down, eyes fixed on his sneakers. “Am I in trouble?”
“Of course not. I just…I realize that I’ve been using the wrong name and pronouns for you in class, which might have made you uncomfortable.”
“Oh.” Jude lifted his head. “Um, it’s okay. There was no way for you to have known.”
“No, but there could be. There are procedures in place for students who want to change their name. I could kickstart that process if you’d like me to.”
Jude chewed at his bottom lip. “I…I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. I haven’t even told my parents.” His gaze fell to the floor again, and Lily’s heart clenched to see him look so defeated.
“That’s okay. There’s no timeline on coming out—you do it whenever you feel comfortable and safe, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes you. But if there comes a point where you do want your name changed, let me know and I’ll make sure it happens. And I won’t out you by calling you Jude in class, either. I will try and limit my pronoun uses for you, though.”
When Jude raised his head there were tears in his eyes, blinked swiftly away. “Thank you. It means a lot.”
“If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”
Jude nodded before hurrying from the room. Happy with the way her evening had gone, Lily’s good mood faded when she glanced at the pile of work she’d neglected. She had just two days to grade the pile of exams—and she hadn’t even started yet.
If Lily stayed for an hour or two longer—without the distractions that awaited her at home—she could get the majority of them done and finish the rest tomorrow afternoon.
But first, she needed more caffeine.
Lily dreaded to think what her doctor would say if he knew her daily level of coffee consumption.
She made her way to the teacher’s longue for a refill and found Eva standing by the machine.
“What are you still doing here?” Lily said before she could stop herself, and Eva raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t realize there was a time limit on how long I could stay for.”
“There’s not. You’re just…not usually here that late. That’s all.”
“Are you tracking my movements? Do I need to get a restraining order?” Eva poured her coffee and made no effort to move, hands curling around her mug and blocking Lily’s access to her beloved caffeine. “I didn’t realize I needed a reason to be here after hours,” Eva said, voice a low drawl. “Do you have one?”
“I do.” Lily folded her arms across her chest. “I’m running a GSA on Thursdays. Have you not seen the posters?”
Eva tilted her head to one side as if Lily were a problem she was trying to solve. “Why?”
