‘Wow.’ Meg shakes her head sadly. ‘How the mighty have fallen.’
‘Yeah, apparently they don’t even have a library or sunroom!’
She gasps. ‘Animals! How will you ever survive?’
I shrug. ‘I’m in my reverse Cinderella era, I guess.’
She laughs at that, properly laughs, and I don’t know why but I feel like I’ve achieved something.
‘You’re funny,’ she says. ‘I can see why Cormac wanted to set us up.’
I’m going to be sick on her Converse.
My palms sweat. ‘I—’
She waves her hand. ‘Oh, please. I could tell from the way Cormac talked about you that I might not be your—’ she smiles then, and it’s an open and genuine smile – ‘type?’
There’s a heat behind my eyes. I look down.
Meg pulls her chair closer. ‘Oh, shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to… I can be very direct. And we were having the banter.’ She lowers her voice. ‘I sensed that you were…’
I consider running.
Meg places a hand on my arm. ‘Michael, I’m sorry. You don’t have to say anything. I don’t even know you. Look, I’ll go.’ She moves to stand.
‘I’m gay.’ The words fall out of me because I don’t want Meg to go.
She sits back and rubs my arm. ‘That’s cool. I’m bi-queer.’
I exhale. ‘Yeah?’
She grins. ‘Yeah, well, obviously I think that while all labels serve a useful purpose for self-identification and forming acommunity, they can also be used as a tool of heteronormativity that forces us to comply within limiting boundaries.’
I blink. ‘Obviously.’
She smiles. ‘But, yeah, I’m queer. Welcome to the club.’
I’m grinning like a Disney princess mid-ballad, but I don’t care.
She pulls her chair closer. ‘You seeing anyone?’
I check Cormac isn’t listening. I can’t believe she talks so openly about this stuff. ‘No. Well, kind of. There’s a guy back home. Back in London. Ben. We were friends, but then we… But he’s not out at all. Well, I guess I’m not either, but, like, I know I am, but he says he’s straight actually. So it was kind of a secret thing.’ I take out my phone. Still no reply. ‘So, no. I suppose I’m not seeing anyone.’
Meg sighs. ‘No offence, but Ben sounds like a dick.’
I want to defend him, but I can’t so I nod.
‘So, I take it you’re not out to Cormac. What about your parents?’
Don’t get me started. ‘Nah, they definitely know, but there’s been so much happening recently.’
She nods. ‘Your dad?’
A chill stirs in my stomach. ‘How do you…?’
Meg shrugs. ‘Cormac mentioned it.’
A blast of hot air leaves my nose. How could Cormac talk about that?
