All Planned Out

One (Alex)

For as long as I have known Montana Blackburn, she has never been one to seek out attention from the world.

Or so I thought.

Our moms are twins, and the way my grandmother talks they did everything together growing up, which eventually included getting pregnant weeks apart with the two of us. She is older, choosing to come into this world a few hours before the Fourth of July. Montana Blackburn is not the type of person to let a calendar dictate anything about her own independence.

Or so I thought.

We don't talk as much as we probably should at school, or outside of it if I'm being honest, despite being in the same grade and living about five blocks from each other our entire lives. This, I told myself, is why I was absolutely blindsided when my best friend and next door neighbor Charlotte Monaghan hopped into my car and showed me a social media post Montana had made.

"I've never loved rainbows, but today (and from now on) feels like a good day to give these two a chance." The caption was under a photo of Montana standing in her backyard, back to the camera, and holding one gay and one lesbian flag over her shoulders and letting them billow in the wind around her. The post was tagged with a link to information about National Coming Out Day.

"It posted during last period. She must have scheduled it." Charlotte said before dropping her phone in her lap. "Did you, um, not know about this?"

"I did not."

"Well, that's good," she put her head down and pushed her hands up in front of her face, "because if you knew and didn't tell me I would be so angry."

"Why?" I asked, but then Charlotte's head turned and her hands moved just enough to give me a good look in her eyes. She didn't have to say a word. I knew where this was going even before I caught a glimpse of the corner of her mouth trembling. "You're joking. Tell me you're joking."

"I'm as serious as a heart attack, Alex, and those are very, very serious." She lifted her phone back up and tapped at the screen to expand Montana's photo. "She's cute. I can't help it."

"Of course you can help it. Montana? Seriously? You like my cousin?"

"She's cute." She repeated. "I've always had suspicions about her. Guess this proves it."

"Suspicions?"

Charlotte held her hand up in my face and started raising fingers one at a time. "The whole tomboy aesthetic. She should've grown out of that at twelve. She skateboards. Pretty sure she shops for the same clothes you do. She's never had a boyfriend. I know she hangs out with her neighbor Stuart all the time but, like, they'd be a weird couple."

"Uhm." Now I pushed my hand at her, making sure to block her phone, "you aren't a tomboy. Never were. I think if you ever got on a skateboard the next thing you'd be riding is a stretcher. You don't dress like her."

"I'm not that kind of lesbian. And I've also never had a boyfriend."

"Not that kind of..." I rolled my eyes. "...yeah, sure. Except as far as anyone knows you totally have had a boyfriend."

"Oh, yes, my super gay boyfriend." She reached up and attempted to pinch my cheek. "Who, as I've just explained, totally dresses like a lesbian."

"But not 'that kind' of lesbian." I said, gesturing to her body. "I doubt I could pull off capris and those ruffled sleeves."

"If you want to try, we can go back to my house. We can out you right along with your cousin."

"I will if you will." I said.