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Homecoming

Today is the fall homecoming dance, and it's 2016. Mia and I agreed to go together, as friends, of course, and I am on my way to pick her up, since I know how to drive and technically still have a license. I walked up and knocked on her door. I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a blazer. It's basically been my go to look all year. Her little brother answered the door. "Hey, Henery, is Mia here?"

"Are you her boyfriend?" He asked me.

"No, I'm just her friend, we go to school together."

Mia appeared behind him. She was wearing Jeans and a t-shirt. "Hey, Mia" I said, probably smiling as big as she was.

"Hey."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes." We drove to the school. We both MPed together, and got put on our stations. "So... I made this new friend and she might hang out with us at the game tonight."

"Let me guess, Jasmine?"

"How did you know?"

"I saw you guys talking yesterday."

"Oh, so you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? Can't wait to meet her. Is she the reason you're so happy right now?"

"No, I'm just happy I'm not alone for once, going to these things, and being put with people you don't know is hard, and awkward. With you I feel like I can be myself. When we met, I felt like we had this... connection, you really helped me out. We both stopped cutting, and I'm actually passing my classes thanks to your brilliant mind."

"School hasn't always come easy to me. I was in a/b honor roll all through elementary school, but I let a boy distract me in middle school and my grades started to slip. I kind of wish I wasn't put in honors math in middle school, it got really hard then."

"Wait... you're gay?"

"No, I thought I was straight, then I met this girl who changed everything. I found out that I liked her because she was always on my mind, then we started dating, and then I realized I was transgender. I do like to use the term gay though, or bi, but honestly, it's a spectrum. And I don't know where on that spectrum I am. I do know that every relationship I've had didn't work out." 

"Maybe you just haven't met the right person yet?"

"But what if it's too late? What if I never meet the right person?"

"Maybe you already have, you just don't know it yet."

"I thought I did, it didn't work out, and I still can't stop thinking about her."

"What was her name?"

"Her name is..." two other MPs walked over to us to switch. We left our spot and walked inside the gate. "Is Jasmine here now?"

"Yeah, I think so." We found her and her friend sitting in the bleachers.

"Hey, Jasmine." Mia said and sat down. What if this is what I'm supposed to change? Out of everything that has happened in my life, she's the one thing I never forgot. "This is Eli, he's my best friend."

I wasn't prepared to meet her. I was speechless for a minute. "Hi." I said, finally.

"I'm going to go grab a drink." I said, and walked away. I grabbed her a hotdog and a dr. Pepper, and I got some water. I  walked back to her and handed her the food and drink.

"You didn't get anything?"

"I wasn't hungry, I just needed a drink."

"Okay." We went to the dance after the game. Half way through it, Jasmine and Jacob left together. "And she left me."

"At least you still have me here.."

"Thank you for coming with me."

"Of course. I'll always be here for you. Wanna learn some other secrets?" I asked. We walked through a door inside the room where the dance was held. There was a staircase inside the door. We walked down it and explored the school some more. We ended up in the auditorium again and sat on the edge of the stage. "So... Jasmine?"

"What about her?"

"You know how you said before maybe we weren't supposed to meet yet and that's why you never noticed me?"

"Yeah."

"She went to school at Robidoux and lives shockingly close to where you work, and you never met her before now?"

"Maybe we weren't supposed to meet yet."

"Yeah, that could be true, or it was the universe trying to keep you two apart."

"Why would it do that?"

"To keep you safe?" I tried to come up with the right words to say, but nothing was coming out right.

"Why would I need to be kept safe from her?"

"I don't know." At this point, I have no idea what will happen if I don't let them date.

"Are you jealous of Jasmine?"

"No, no no no no no."

"Then why don't you want me hanging out with her?"

"I never said that." I thought for a minute. "Just... be careful. I've always helped you and wanted what's best for you, like stopping you from talking to Connor, and preventing you from being bullied by Kyrie and Audrey and..."

"What do you mean you stopped me from being bullied? I never told you Connor's name, how did you know it?"

Woops. "I didn't mean that. Forget what I just said."

"Kyrie would never bully me, she's not that kind of person."

"And if she caught you talking to her boyfriend would she be?"

"I don't know."

"Mia, just trust me."

"Okay."

"We should get going, I'll take you home."

"Did I make you mad?"

"No, it's just ten at night."

"Okay." We drove to her house and I leaned over the seat and gave her a hug.