In The Closet

10. I Know I Like Both Girls And Boys In Some Way, Shape Or Form

As it turns out, Jemima is in the form group I'll be joining for the next few months.

"So I can show you around and things. Even new Year Twelves know their way around by now, and you'll look super out of place if you know nothing," she tells me as we get into the sixth form building. It's all way nicer than my regular school. So much... newer. The local high school in my timeline is a complete wreck.

"Cath?" Jemima clicks her fingers in front of my face.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," I reply.

"Right... Can I call you that, by the way?"

"What?"

"Cath."

"Yeah, most people do."

"Good. Most people call me Jem."

"Okay then. Jem it is."

Jem grins. "Oh, there's Abby and Jamie," she says, walking off. She nods at me to follow.

Jamie?!

A couple of kids are stood at the vending machine, getting food. The girl is short and curvy, wearing an oversized hoodie, leggings and hair in about a million tiny braids. The boy is exactly like Jamie from my home timeline in appearance. Condescendingly tall, white blonde hair, very dark eyes which don't seem to match the rest of his colouring. But this guy looks nicer, friendlier.

"Hey, Jem," he says when he sees us. The girl repeats a small "hey" after.

"Hey, guys," Jem replies. "Cath, this is Abby" – she gestures to the girl – "and Jamie." – she gestures to Jamie – "This is Cath, the girl staying with Hayden's family. You're his cousin, right?"

"Er, yeah," I reply.

"Oh, the one with the gay sister?" Abby remarks, nodding.

"That's me," I respond with a laugh.

"Suspect she'll be joining the gay club today, then?" Jamie says.

"You have one of those?" I ask. "We don't at home. Still, crazy Catholic parents sent us to a crazy Catholic school, so it's hardly surprising."

Abby and Jamie laugh.

"I take it you aren't Catholic, then?" Abby asks.

"Nope, atheist. Led them to believe I was just so they wouldn't hate me," I say.

"They certainly sound crazy," Jem puts in, and I realize we've been ignoring her a little. "I mean, they sent you to live with your aunt, who they also hate."

"They definitely are," I say. The bell rings through the school, rattling the tables in the sixth form centre.

Jem looks at me and grins. "We'll show you round today. Just stick with us." She strides off down the corridor, Abby and Jamie following. I go after.

***

As it turns out, you can go to the "gay club" if you also support queer rights. Jem, Abby and Jamie all go, so since I don't really know anyone else, I go with them.

The room where it's based is large, bright white, and square-shaped. There are chairs set out in a circle, with about fifteen people sat on them. There are five spare, all next to each other. We sit down, me next to Jem and a girl of around thirteen, nervously hiding behind a strip of brown hair.

There's quite a big variety of people. Some look as young as twelve, and there are quite a few other sixth formers, but the main age of the people appears to be around fourteen or fifteen. About two thirds of the people are girls, the rest boys with the exception of one person, who I'm presuming is something in between. I spot Ryan and Natalie sat next to each other, across the circle from me. Natalie grins at me. I can't help smiling back.

A tall sixth form boy sits down in the remaining chair, and the room goes quiet.

He smiles around the room. "Hope you've all had a good week!" The room responds to this with a variety of words that all blur into one noise, but I think it's positive. "I've noticed two or three new faces today, so I think we'll all reintroduce ourselves?" The room responds similarly to the last statement, but I think it agrees. "My name is Jack, my pronouns are he and him, I'm seventeen and I'm gay."

Jack!

"My name's Rowan, my pronouns are they and them, I'm fifteen and I'm genderfluid and pansexual," a person with short black hair to Jack's left says.

"My name's Violet, my pronouns are she and her, I'm fourteen and I'm a transgender girl," the girl to Rowan's left says, putting emphasis on the word "girl".

"My name's Ryan, my pronouns are he and him, I'm fourteen and I'm bisexual."

"My name's Natalie, my pronouns are she and her, I'm also fourteen and I'm gay."

"My name's Christie, my pronouns are she and her, I'm sixteen and I support gay rights."

It continues like this around the circle. I count how many of "what" there are. Seven gays: two boys, five girls. Four bisexuals: three boys, one girl. Three pansexuals: two girls, and Rowan. Five of these are transgender, Violet as the only trans person who is this timeline's version of straight. There is only one other ally, but I'm not surprised.

"My name's Willow, my pronouns are she and her, I'm thirteen and I'm not really sure what I am, but I know I like both girls and boys, in some way, shape or form," the girl to my left says nervously, tripping over a few words and finally pushing the hair from her face so she can see. I give her a reassuring smile. Jack does too.

"Well, we're always here to help you," he says.

It's my turn, now. "My name's Cath, my pronouns are she and her, I'm seventeen and I support gay rights," I say. A part of me worries that I've said the wrong thing, but Jem continues as normal.

"My name's Jem, my pronouns are she and her, I'm sixteen and I'm pansexual."

"My name's Jamie, my pronouns are he and him, I'm seventeen and I'm gay."

"My name's Abby, my pronouns are she and her, I'm seventeen and I support gay rights."

Although there was the other girl, I'm very relieved that there's another ally.

"Okay, great! On with this week's topics! Rowan? Got the cards prepared?" Jack says, turning to Rowan.

"Certainly have," they grin, throwing a pile of cards with something written on them into the middle of the chairs. Everyone picks one up, then looks around the room. I grab one, and find out they each have someone's name on.

"Willow"

I look for the girl, who's stood with Jem and a boy called Adam.

"It's how they organize us into groups," Jem tells me. "Then we get a topic each. And we discuss the topic."

"How does that work?" I ask.

"Dunno. But it does, so I'm not complaining," Jem responds, shrugging.

Rowan gives each group a sheet of paper, and we organize chairs so we can... talk about it. I don't understand why people would especially enjoy just talking about a topic, but I guess it makes people feel welcome. I wish I had one of these in my timeline.

"Do homophobes have a just reason for their opinions?" Adam reads out.

"No!" me, Jem and Willow say at the exact same time. Adam laughs and nods his head.

"'Nough said."

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a/n: I UNINTENTIONALLY PUT MYSELF IN THE CHAPTER, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS LITERALLY ME UNTIL I READ IT THROUGH (okay that's not actually what happened I realized when I read it through then added bits so it was more like me bUT STILL)