Zora

Chapter Twenty

Zora ran up to Tyler. He lifted her up and flipped her over his head. She dangled off him for a brief moment before landing on the ground. She spun around and pressed herself against his back, wrapping her right leg around his waist as he walked forward, dragging her with him. He spun her out, back into his arms, and then dipped her.

"You were a bit rusty in the beginning, but you did fantastic toward the end," he complimented as he stood her back upright.

"I'm trying," she exhaled.

Tyler smiled and ruffled her hair. "I know you're just starting out, but you are doing great. It will take some time to get used to dancing with another person, but I believe in you."

"Thanks," she said as she sank to the floor, forcing a smile.

Sitting next to her, Tyler pouted and moved a piece of hair behind her ear. "What's wrong?" Shaking her head defiantly, Tyler held her head still and gave her a pointed look. "Don't lie to me."

Zora couldn't tell him about her worries. The fact that Terrance couldn't completely accept himself hurt her. Coming out to his friends and family was the next step, a big step that she was so proud of him for wanting to take. The fact he wanted it to remain a secret seemed backwards. How was he supposed to be happy if he continued to lie to everyone around him?

"Can I ask you a personal question?" she murmured.

Tyler nodded.

"When you came out, what was it like for you?"

Smiling faintly, he shrugged. "It was hard, you know? I was scared my parents weren't going to love me anymore, but they have been my biggest allies. All they care about is my happiness, and once I realized that, I didn't care if anyone else accepted me. All that mattered was that my family loved me. It was because of them that I was able to come out."

Terrance's family loved and accepted him, and they would never stop loving him no matter what. She couldn't understand why he would be so afraid to come out to everyone else if he was able to have people by his side to make sure he wasn't alone. His situation would be far better than hers.

Letting out a small laugh, Tyler gave Zora an all-knowing look. "I am assuming this wasn't just a random question because you were curious." She gave him an apologetic smile, but Tyler shook his head, still smiling. "What's going on?"

"My friend came out to me and his mom. Yet he's still scared to come out to his friends. They all seem to know, but he'd rather continue to lie about it."

"Did you accept yourself right away?"

"Not...publically. Like, I always knew I was a girl since I was a kid, but I never admitted it to anyone until my dad caught me wearing girl's clothes in my room."

"Everyone's coming out experience is different. He might be coming out to those who he cares about the most in order to help him restore some lost confidence so he can come out one day. It's a process, you know that."

"Yeah, I know. I thought that if he had someone to confide in, he would be able to come out to his other friends far easier," she explained.

"It all depends on how ready they are. The fact they came out to you after not knowing you for very long must mean they care about you a lot," Tyler commented. "You should take that as an honor."

"And I do," Zora assured. "But it hurts because I care about him so much, and I want for him to be happy. But I know that lying to himself is killing him because of...reasons."

"It kills me more to know you can't keep a secret," Terrance stated. Tyler and Zora jerked their heads toward the dance room entrance where Terrance stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed on his sister.