The Game We Play

Chapter Twenty-One

"Ashley Robins." she heard someone say while she was about to walk out.

She turned and noticed that guy Danny who Maia had been talking with before.

"I'm pretty sure you're in the wrong bathroom." she commented.

"I'd say you're right, but the school disagrees." he said sadly. "Despite multiple surgeries, my birth certificate disagrees with me being a boy."

"So you're...?" she dropped her words, trying to figure out how to say it politely.

"Trans." Danny said definitively.

"That's cool." Ash said. "I'm sorry that you can't be in the bathroom you're more comfortable in."

"We'll see a change one day." he said with a smile. "Talk to you later Ash?"

"Yeah." she responded. "If you'd like to, you can join me at my lunch table."

He looked away with a soft smile. "I'd be a little too awkward..."

Ash laughed. "It's okay, no one will bite. Plus if you're crushing on a certain someone... I think they like you back."

"You really think so?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm sure of it." she confirmed. "But I should probably get back before Mr. Harris finds a reason to suspend me."

"Then see you at lunch." he smiled.

~~~~~~

"Hello guys!" Danny chirped, taking a place beside Maia at the lunch table.

Ash made eye contact with her confused friend and winked, easily causing Maia to blush.

"U-Uh, so what are you doing here today?" she asked him.

"Ash invited me." he explained.

"Oh she did, did she?" Maia glared at her, but Ash could see the unspoken thanks in her gaze.

Ash simply smiled in response.

"Well, welcome to the table." Conner greeted warmly.

"Yeah, whatever. We've always had an empty seat anyways." Laurence said.

"Ignore him." Charlie spoke, sliding in on Danny's other side. "Laurence always has some sort of stick up his ass."

Danny chuckled and rested his cheek against his hand. "I've been eating lunch in the library so long that I forgot what the cafeteria was like."

"I hear you man." Conner mused. "I spent a month's worth of lunches in that place studying for finals."

"And the studying paid off." Charlie said proudly. "You aced those tests."

"Oh I forgot to mention," Ash interjected. "I'm having my birthday party on Sunday."

"Give me more notice than that!" Charlie yelled excitedly. "Now I'm going to have to last minute shop and I never thinking clearly last minute!"

"And high energy Charlie has entered the room." Laurence groaned.

"Is there anything you'd like, Ash?" Conner asked her.

She'd been trying to brainstorm gift ideas, but she had always been bad at asking for anything.

"Maybe a gift card or something...?" she said, trying to think of anything.

"But that's boring Ash. Come on, isn't there something you really want?" Maia pressed.

"W-well..." she stuttered. "There is a remake of a game I used to play that just came out. Castle Crashers?"