I let out a dry chuckle. “You got it.”
Thirty-Two
The next morning, I am absolutely buzzing with nerves. Clem rides to school with Hannah, so I decide to stop and get everyone doughnuts as a final thank-you for all their help.
When I get to school, there are about a dozen cars already in the parking lot, and when I get inside and make it to the 300s hall, I find well over half of Prism is there waiting for me.
A sigh of relief puffs out the minute I see our wall and that it’s intact. Even though I had no reason to believe so, a small part of me expected to find our work vandalized this morning.
I pass out the doughnuts, and while everyone mulls over the wall with paint pens in hand, I admire our work.
The wall stretches out about seven yards, and there are horizontal stripes painted every color of the flag. Directly in the middle, overlapping through the yellow, green, and blue, giant white letters read WE ARE... On the far right side is a laminated poster that reads:
Welcome to Clover City High School’s WE ARE wall.
This wall is a safe place to write your truth. It can be serious or fun or a secret or not. As long as it’s true.
This wall will be repainted and maintained by the Prism Club.
Bullying and harassment will not be tolerated. Any and all names used will be immediately painted over.
This wall is not a bathroom stall. Don’t treat it like one.
WE ARE CLOVER CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
This legacy project was created by prom queen nominee Waylon Brewer and prom king nominee Tucker Watson.
Even though I’m not feeling even a little bit generous toward Tucker, I decided to include his name. He primed the whole wall and got permission for the project, so while he’s a jerky hot lumberjack who I definitely hate and he’s out of the running for prom king, he deserves to have his name up there.
Armed with paint pens, the members of Prism don’t hold back. There are all sorts of things written on the wall.
PIZZA ENTHUSIASTS!
Nonbinary
Super, super gay!!!!
Asian American
She/Her/They/Them
TOTAL nerds
Survivors
JEDIS
TROMBONE PLAYERS
Plant-loving vegans!
Ace for days!
Seniors!!!!!!
“Your turn,” Clem says, passing me a pen.
I tap the pen against my lips for a moment before writing: QUEENS.
