Modern Day Fairy Tale

Andrea met Elizabeth and me outside her car for lunch, along with our friend Cameron. That meant we were going to a place that served salads because Cameron’s a vegetarian. We usually went to this cheap vegan place a few blocks from the school.

“Martha’s, right?” I asked.

Cameron and Andrea nodded. “It’s the only place where Cameron’ll eat,” she said.

I guess I should explain something. Cameron and Andrea are together. They’ve been together for about five months. Andrea is Cameron’s first girlfriend. In the past, he’s only had a few boyfriends.

Which means that I should explain something else. Cameron is actually a girl, like, physically, but he’s a boy in every other way. And he makes sure we all know it. IF we don’t use the proper pronouns, even on accident, all hell breaks loose. Okay, not really, but he doesn’t like it if we slip.

In our group of friends, we have the queer, me; the trans, Cameron; the bisexuals, Andrea and Elizabeth, the gay guy, Austin; and the straight guy, Matt. Every color of the rainbow, as the other kids say.

“Hello? Earth to Iggy?” Elizabeth waved her hand in front of my face. “Are you coming or not?”

I snapped out of my daze. “I guess. Yeah, I’m coming.”

Andrea and Cameron got in the front seats of Andrea’s car, which left the back to Elizabeth and me. Not that I’m complaining, or anything, because I’m not. Barely two seconds passed after I closed the door before I found a set of fingers in the spaces between my own. I smiled at Elizabeth and she smiled back.

Andrea gave us one of her knowing looks in the rear view mirror before she drove out of the parking lot. “So, how is everyone?” she asked.

“Hungry,” Cameron said.

“Besides hungry,” Andrea said. “That one’s kind of obvious.”

“I’m okay,” I said.

“I’m pretty good,” Elizabeth said.

Cameron groaned. “Ugh, that test in Graves’ class was so freaking hard.”

“What test?” Elizabeth and I asked at the same time.

“What do you mean, what test?” Cameron asked, turning to face us.

“We mean, what test,” I said. What else was it supposed to mean? How’s the weather?

“The one he talked about yesterday. Weren’t you two there?”

“No. We skipped the entire day.”

“I wondered where you were in history,” Andrea muttered. “We got new seats. You sit in the back by that weird kid, what’s-his-name. The blond kid; Sean or whatever.”

I made a face. Why did I have to sit next to him? He was so obnoxious, one of those know-it-alls that liked to rub his genius-ness in everybody’s face. “Really? Do I have to?” I whined, like it was going to change anything.

“Yeah, really. You have to,” Andrea whined back.

I grumbled something, I don’t even know what it was. Sean was…ugh. I hate him with a burning passion.

“But if it makes you feel any better, I have to sit next to Chelise.” Andrea made a face in the mirror.

“Oh, god, I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said.

“Yeah, that sucks,” I added.

A few minutes later, Andrea pulled into the parking lot of Martha’s Café. She picked the closest spot she could find that wasn’t a handicapped space.

Lunch passed in a blur. Then it was time to go back to school. Elizabeth and I sat in the back, her hand in mine the entire time.

“So, just a question,” Andrea said. “How long have you two been together?”

“Since yesterday,” I answered happily.

“Well, it’s about time you were.” Andrea laughed. “I thought it would have been sooner, but I guess not.”

“You expected it sooner?” I asked.

“For as much as you talked about each other, yes.”

I hadn’t realized that I talked about Elizabeth so much. I mean, I knew I talked about her, but I didn’t know it was so much.

The rest of the ride was silent, then we were back at the school. It happened too quickly. No amount of miles in the world would have made the ride any better. I didn’t want to go back. But at least there were only three periods left.

I walked Elizabeth to her class before I went to my own class. I didn’t really want to go to biology, but I had to. The fact that Chelise Mitchell was in that class didn’t help matters, either.

Amazingly enough, she didn’t do anything more than sneer as she walked to her desk. After that, class went by quickly. We watched a stupid movie and took notes, and that was it.

In fifth period, I bombed a quiz on yesterday’s material. I didn’t care. Then I failed the assignment afterwards.

Then in Graves’ class, I didn’t do much better. All I had to do was look at the test to know I’d failed it. I swear, Graves laughed at me squirming.

Finally, the bell rang and I was free to go. I went to find Elizabeth, who was at her locker. She smiled when she saw me.

I smiled back. “If you need to come over again tonight because of your mom or whatever, go ahead. I don’t care how much trouble I get into.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth said.

I hugged her, not caring who saw us or what they thought about it. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Iggy.”

I walked out of the school to find Mom’s car. She was right there in her normal spot. I got in the car and shut the door.

“Iggy, we’re going to talk,” Mom said.

I swallowed nervously. Please don’t let her say what I think she’s going to say, I prayed.

“So, you and Elizabeth,” Mom began.

“What about us?”

“I’m only asking because I want to know. Are you two together?”

Short and to the point. And what I hoped she wouldn’t ask. Lovely.

I hesitated to answer. Her possible reactions stopped me. I turned to look out the window, still unsure about what to say. Finally, I muttered m response. I didn’t care about Mom’s reactions any longer.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“I said, yes we are.” I repeated my answer and returned m gaze to the scenery.

Mom said nothing. Her reaction, or lack thereof, bothered me to no end. I wished she’d say something, either good or bad. Anything is better than silence.

Neither of us uttered a word until we returned home. I planned on just going into my room and doing my homework until Mom’s hand on my shoulder stopped me. I turned around.

“I want you to know that I’m totally fine with it.”