“See ya tomorrow.” Carly shuffled toward the door, and Lily watched her go. She’d settled at her desk to tackle the handful of e-mails she’d gotten at the end of the day when her door creaked open again.
Eva stood in the hallway; it must be one of those rare days she stayed late.
“I just saw Carly leaving,” Eva said, leaning against the doorframe. “How is she getting on?”
Lily couldn’t help but smile—she loved seeing this softer side to Eva. Not that Lily would ever dare say as much to her face. She valued her life. “She’s doing great. Already coming on leaps and bounds in just two weeks.”
“You think you’ll be able to get her the passing grade she needs?”
“As long as she’s willing to put in the work.” Which, from what Lily had seen over the past two weeks, Carly was.
Eva nodded. “Good.” Eva’s mouth opened and closed a few times like she was struggling to think of something to say. “I wanted to thank you for what you’re doing for her. A lot of others wouldn’t have been so willing to help.”
“Wow.” Lily was sure her shock showed on her face. “Did you just give me a compliment? Did that physically pain you? I guess there is a first time for everything.”
A signature Eva Thomas glare graced Eva’s face. “And a last.”
Lily grinned. Yeah—she was growing on Eva. That had almost sounded fond.
And Lily had to admit that Eva was starting to grow on Lily, too. She was starting to see through the cracks in Eva’s armor, the uncaring façade she portrayed to the rest of the world…and Lily liked what she saw; liked Eva’s ferocity when it wasn’t directed at her—when it was devoted to her students, to doing what was best for them—liked her quick wit, even if it was usually trying to take Lily down a peg or two.
Lily told herself, as she watched Eva stalk away, that it wasn’t a problem. That starting to like Eva wouldn’t set her on a dangerous path where someone—most likely herself—would get hurt.
It was fine.
* * *
“Miss Cross, did you know it’s National Coming Out day today?” Denny Marshall’s voice rang across Lily’s classroom. Lily didn’t like the smug look on his face one bit.
She had a feeling today was the day Denny would push things too far.
“I don’t see how that’s relevant to the task at hand,” Lily said, not wanting to humor him.
Not that he let that stop him.
“It’s not, but I wanted to take this opportunity to make an announcement.”
One of Denny’s friends snickered, and Lily had the feeling she was going to be handing out a detention before the class was done.
“I have chosen to identify…as a table.”
Several laughs echoed around the room, but it was Jude’s reaction that captured Lily’s attention. His back was ramrod straight, his jaw clenched tight, and Lily knew this must be difficult for him.
“Do you think that’s funny?” Lily tore her gaze away from Jude and back to Denny—she didn’t want to give anything away, her voice icy. It wasn’t a tone she used often, and while to her, the warning beneath it was clear, the smile on Denny’s face didn’t drop.
“No, I take my identity very seriously. From now on, I’d like to be referred to as Mahogany, and—”
“Outside,” Lily said, not interested in letting him finish. “Now.”
He blinked at her, and Lily clenched her jaw.
“Is selective deafness a new part of your identity?” Lily heard someone suck in a sharp breath. “Have your legs turned to wood and no longer work?” This class had driven her up the wall a dozen times this semester, but she’d never been angrier. “Get. Out. Don’t make me repeat it a third time.”
He did, though it was with a scoff, the door slamming shut behind him. The rest of the class stared after Denny, their eyes wide.
“Get back to work!” Lily said, and they did so in silence for the first time since she’d started teaching them.
Jude stared at her in shock, and Lily wondered, with an ache in her chest, if this was the first time a teacher had stopped that kind of conversation in its tracks. She hoped not, but she also knew the two girls who had called Macie a dyke had barely been punished at all. Lily thought of David telling her a GSA “wasn’t an acceptable use of school resources” and felt her blood boil.
