1. The End.
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Hello and welcome to my new story! I've had this idea in my head for a bit and I'm so excited to share it with y'all. I hope you are ready for some fun, death, and magic- maybe not necessarily in that order. As always if you like what you read, leave me a comment so I can blush and say thank you!

It is one of the truths of the known universe that nothing sucks worse than Senior year final exams when all you want to do is put on a dumb little cap and gown and graduate. And yet, you still have to go to them because at the end of the day you have to get through your final papers and projects and tests so you can jump through, potentially, the final hoop of your academic career. 

Okay of course there are things worse than having to take an exam. Maybe the rinky-dink C-tier college that you go to would catch fire, or there’s a gas leak, or maybe a lunatic with an axe will break in and decide to put everyone in your French Revolution 321 class on the chopping block. That’s not even getting into the wider tragedies that could befall you before you even take the exam. Earthquakes, out-of-season hurricanes, tornadoes, a bus that can’t go under 60 miles per hour or it’ll explode, all of these natural disasters could happen at any moment. Hell at any point in time your appendix could just completely burst and you’ll have no idea that you’re taking some of your last breaths. 

My friend Kass knows all about the subject of disasters because, well, she lives with me and I’m kind of a walking one. It’s not my fault! Bad luck seems to stick on me like a warm candy bar sticks to a wrapper in your back pocket in the summer. There’s not a single pit, tree branch, errant brick, or tiny little crack at Central Piedmont University that I haven’t stumbled over or into. We actually kept track over our Sophomore year (back when we still had the distinct displeasure of living in the dorms) and people spilled coffee, soup, and any other kind of staining liquid food or beverage on me about 25 times over the course of the year. That’s not counting the people who bumped into me, the papers that mysteriously vanished the day before they were due, or hell just the number of dramatic misunderstandings that happened because “Jerrod Lane” is such a generic name. 

So because of my piss poor luck, I think you can understand why I worry about things. I’m just a worrier. If there is an unknown I’m going to fret about it. It’s just hard not to. Years of poring over ghost stories, urban legends, true crime, weird books about dumb ways to die, and the occassional horror or disaster movie have shown me that there is a lot to worry about in this world. And I did. I worried all through college, just like I worried all through high school, just like I worried all through middle school, just like I worried all through elementary school. Hell I probably worried as a baby before I even developed object permanence. Well actually judging by how many times my keys seem to just get up and walk away from where I placed them, I probably still haven’t mastered that yet. 

Usually my best friend Kass is there to distract me from these worries. Okay, I know that’s not her job. She’s not like, joined at the hip with me. I’m not dependent on her. But we became such good friends in our first two years here at ol’ CPU that we moved into an apartment together right off of campus. I spent enough time in her dorm room those first two years that everyone on the floor just referred to me as an honorary girl, something which I’m still kind of weirdly proud of. They must have realized that I was a feminist and a friend and I worked really hard to be there for Kass and all of her friends. Of course every guy assumed that we were dating, but unbeknownst to most of the college Kass was queer as fuck and we both agreed that we would be even more of a mess if we got together. 

What really was so amazing about Kass was that she had this unflappable confidence that was always hard to live up to, but I felt like I could do anything when I was with her. Like I could be anything. We both brought out the best in each other. I helped slow her down when she flew off the handle and got too agitated about something, and she helped calm me down during panic attacks. But there was a problem. . .

I’ve just been so worried about what’s going to happen when school is done. She’s going to be staying here at CPU for her masters and me. . . Well. . . I have no clue what I’m going to do. I’ll have a degree in history and some internships at a few museums around town, but I have no idea if this is what I’m going to do with my life. Right now my brain is operating on a “postpone now, ask questions later” mindset which really is just fine. Or at least, it was, until Kass started acting weird too.

I noticed it as soon as we got back from Spring Break. For everyone else this was just normal Kass. Everyone in our friend group thought I was going crazy when I said that something was up with her. That’s just Kass being Kass, they said. But they didn’t live with her, they didn’t have dinner with her almost every night. Sure she still looked like herself. Maybe she still dressed with spikey collars and denim vests. Maybe she still had perfect winged eyeliner and a cocky smile that just made you want to say “yes” to whatever it was she was going to suggest. The one big difference in appearance was half of her gorgeous purple wavy hair was shaved into a side-cut that just made her even more kickass. 

And yet, despite everyone telling me she was fine, something was wrong with Kass. She was edgy, and nervous, like she was constantly picking over a scab that just wouldn’t heal. We’d go on one of our weekly trips to 8Bits or the Yacht Club (an arcade and dive bar, respectively) and half the time it felt like we weren’t even in the same room. She’d zone out like she was weighing telling me something and kept changing her mind. It felt alienating and all I could think of was “did I do something wrong to upset her?” Surely she knew how close we were? She had to have valued our friendship the same way that I valued her, right? 

For my part, I just wanted to be there for my bestie. I went out of my way to reassure her that she was safe with me and she could tell me anything. There were long nights where we both cried, dealing with some sort of deep pain that neither of us could really articulate to each other. Mostly nerves, I guess. But seeing her in obvious pain made me hurt. I cared for her. She was my non-biological sister and there was nothing I could do. 

All I really could do is just turn these thoughts over in my head again and again and again. She’s gotten more edgy as exams are wrapping up. Part of me worries that as soon as this school year is done and the lease on our apartment is up she’s going to find a place to stay with some grad student and I’m just going to be out of her life. I’ll be a college friend that she initially sees 3 times a year until a few years later we barely talk. Maybe she’s trying to find the best way to break that news to me? That would suck, sure. But I know Kass. She wouldn’t do something like that to me without telling me first. She’s not that kind of girl. 

All of these thoughts and worries made it all the more surprising to see Kass in our simple two bedroom apartment as soon as I got home from my last exam. Most of her exams were practicals so she had finished them a few days ago and she knew I was stressed about the presentation that I had to give on gender roles as seen in mid-century America (yeah she also helped me on the project as well, giving me a lot of feedback about how heteronormative and basic the older ideas about expectations for men and women were). I guess what I wasn’t expecting, besides seeing her, when I walked through the door was a mouth-watering cake. 

It sat on our kitchen table, a simple cookie cake with the words “ConGRADulations” written in it in curly-cue writing. After I shucked off my shoes at the door I bounced over to Kass and shot her the best “I definitely haven’t been worried about you” smile. I’d perfected that over the past couple of weeks. 

“Heyyyyy,” she beamed, “If it isn’t my most favorite roomie in the world. So, spill everything! How did your presentation go? Did they like it?” While she was talking she cut a small slice of cookie cake and slid it my way. Kass knew my favorite kind of sweet treat was a cookie cake. Who couldn’t like it?? You take the cookie, you take the cake. Put ‘em together and boom something amazing happens! Somehow they just tasted better than both cookies and cakes, don’t ask me why. I’m assuming it was just magic. 

Still smiling, I snagged the offered slice and gave it a nibble. There was a bakery downtown who just made the best cookies, the middles melted in your mouth while the outsides had the perfect crisp little crunch to really wrap the whole thing together. It was a miracle that they were able to make such a good big cookie! “Oh Kass you should have been there. Professor Thompson absolutely ate it up. They loved the citations and the depth of sources that I had found through using interlibrary loan, and they really liked how I tried to look for voices that were ignored during their time. Oh, and you were totally right, Professor Graham thought using the forgotten female beat poets was a really strong point, so I owe you.”

“Of course you owe me JJ,” she said using a nickname she gave me Freshman year, “without me you’d just be soooooo lost.”

“Oh yeah, can’t even figure out a way to the library, let alone how to decipher a primary source. Woe is me! I’m but a helpless damsel.”

This brought a slight chuckle to Kass’s lips, low and throaty. I always adored how sophisticated her laugh sounded, which I know is weird. But I had the tendency to bray like a mule when I laughed, I couldn’t help it. I tried very, very, very hard to change how I laughed after I met her. Tried to make it something softer or lighter, and not so harsh. But it was hard and sometimes I did my uber-laugh and I hated every second of it. “I know I’ve been kind of.. Off, Jerrod. But you’ve been so great to me, I wanted to take you out. My treat? I was thinking we could go to that conveyor belt sushi place a few blocks from here and eat ourselves absolutely silly. If, uh, if you want to that is.”

If I wasn’t a being of complete seriousness and dedication to my masculine pride I would have been bouncing up and down with excitement. Well. Actually yes, I was bouncing up and down with excitement but shush, I can do that. “Yes! Oh my God Kass yes we haven’t had sushi in forevvvvvver. That’s my favorite spot.”

“I know it is, dingus.” She punctuated her sentence with a playful shove to my shoulder. 

“You’re the dingus.”

“Fuck off.”

“You first”

“You wish.”

“Yeah yeah whatever.” Not wanting push our goofiness into dumb places, I slipped my shoes back on and waited impatiently for her to be ready to go, bouncing on the soles of my feet as she tied the laces of her pastel converses. 

Setting out down the stairs we settled into the comfortable silence of two people who have lived together for years. Despite being the middle of May the summer heat was setting in with vengeance. I cursed the fact that I forgot to switch from the stiff dressy outfit that I wore for my presentation into something a little more casual. Kass looked all cool and fresh in her shorts and tank, I felt a brief pang of envy at how relaxed she seemed. Well, to be fair she was looking more and more uncertain as the minutes passed. But physically I’m sure she was relaxed. Besides having mental anguish + physical discomfort is the worst so at least she wasn’t all sweaty and gross. 

We got to the crosswalk and she kept turning her head to me, hesitating, and then facing forwards again. I didn’t even notice until I was halfway across the street that she wasn’t right next to me. Turning around, all I could see was her standing there, fists bunched up in balls and staring at the floor. 

“Uh. Kass. Are you okay?” No answer, she continued staring like she was trying to drill to the Earth’s core just by fixating on the ground. I took a step towards her, nervous about being in the street sure, but even more nervous for her. This was it wasn’t it. She had something to say. Why else would she do something like take me out to dinner. I’m such an idiot. It was a set up all along. 

Taking another step forward, I repeated my question, “Seriously Kass what is up?”

“I need to talk to you about something, Jerrod. I can’t keep hiding it.” I could see the tears welling up in the corners of her golden eyes.

“You know that you can tell me whatever you want, even if you think it would hurt me.” I braced myself, preparing to be told by my best friend that she didn’t want to see me anymore. I knew she’d get tired of me eventually. 

“It’s not that I think it would hurt you. I’m just worried. I’m worried that it would shift our entire relationship. I’m worried that from now forward you’re going to look at me differently. You’re going to be confused and then things will get weird and then everything is going to fall apart. I know that I’ve been pushing you away a bit this semester but I’ve been. . . well I’ve been working on me.” 

“Whatever it is Kass, you gotta believe that I’m here for you. Remember Freshman year when everyone made fun of us because we dressed up like Veronica and J.D. from Heathers? I was Veronica, you were J.D. and I just wanted to go home. I felt so broken up inside and you gave me a big hug and told me that we were gonna fight all the bastards together forever? Well I’m here to do the same. What’s eating away at you, because I can’t scrap with some real metaphorical son’s-of-bitches unless I really know what I’m fighting against.”

“That, uh, JJ that was kind of forced.”

“I know but I’m out of my depth and I really just need to know how I can help.”

“It’s not. You can’t.” She shook her head, seemingly trying different branches of this conversation in her head and discarding it. “Okay, what I’m about to tell you is hella confidential.”

“You know I respect the code of hella confidentiality.”

“Always?”

“To death, bro.”

She paused, looking me in the eyes for the first time the entire conversation. “I’m nonbinary, JJ.”

“Fucking cool.”

“Yeah?”

“Hell yeah dude. What pronouns do you want me to use?” Every single muscle in Kass’s body just relaxed right then and there. I don’t know how Kass thought I would be a dick about this. I get it though, I had thought about if I was trans or gay or something I would worry about people staying by me. No matter what. I’m not mad or anything, I just hope I didn’t do anything to show to Kass that I didn’t respect their gender or trans people in general. 

“Uh Zie/Hir is what I’m fucking with right now.” Zie seemed sheepish, I mean I get it. There was a lot of debate about neopronouns out there, but people who talked shit about them don’t know what the fuck about language. It evolved and changed. All words had to get made up at one point in time, so fuck anybody who’s gonna give someone shit for using a new word. Get outta here with that kind of negativity. 

“That’s sick as hell. Thank you so much for sharing with me.” I realized I was still standing in the middle of the street and shuffled a bit more towards the curb. I didn’t want to crowd Kass so I stood back and gave hir some space. I paused, “Uh does anyone else know? About the pronouns and things. I’m assuming we keep it under wraps for a while til you’re ready?”

“Yeah, I’d appreciate that Jerr. I wanted to tell you for so long but I’ve been worried. And I know it’s ridiculous. But you’re the first person I came out to. And there’s uh, one more thing too.” What could be bigger than the fact that you’re non-binary? That’s cool and super personal and honestly we should celebrate it more than anything else!

“So you know my major here at PCU?”

I nodded, “Yeah, you’re doing poli-sci or something like that.”

“Yeah that’s a lie. Complete shit. I’ve been uh, I've been studying Theoretical SpellCasting and Crafting in the Advanced Magics Department.”

“That’s. . . Okay well I’m glad we’ve gone from serious to ridiculous in one movement, Kass. Come on.”

“It’s true, JJ, it’s true. I’m a wxtch. And it’s sucked hiding the real nature of my work from you.”

“And why are you telling me right now? You could have just kept this hidden or messed with my brain or whatever!? Magic? Look, yeah, I want to believe but oh my God Magic? You aren’t fucking with me. It’s real.” Zie nodded. “Fucking hell fuck can you teach me?” Zie shook hir head. “Aw fuck well worth a try. Magic.”

“Well I’m going to be doing my Masters here and I’m going to have to do a lot of spellcasting around the house and. .. I don’t know I want to keep living with you because you’re basically family. If something goes wrong I want you to know. And also I have felt like complete shit hiding this from you. Especially this semester. The more I learned about myself and my identity, the more I felt like you needed to know the FULL me.”

“It’s really great to meet the full you. Honestly you already were cool as hell but this makes you even cooler.”

Zie beamed at me, eyes bright and happy. “You mean it?”

“Hell yeah I do. Now, all you can eat sushi? Those fishies are calling my name.”

“Yeah, maybe you can get all the way out of the street and then we can cross and talk some more about magic and eat so much sushi that we want to throw up? I think that sounds fun.” 

I nodded and stepped towards the sidewalk, my mind on fire. Zie could just decide like that to change hir identity. Hir pronouns? That’s so brave. That’s so cool. I heard the distant sound of a bike bell but I was in too much of a daze. Picking my head up, I realized that I was about to come face to face with a pretty upset cyclist. Time slowed down as my brain frantically scrambled trying to figure out how to respond to the situation. Waffling between jumping back or plunging forward and suffering through the hit waged war in my brain. Cowardice, the sneaky bastard, won out and I shoved away.

“JACKASS!!” shouted the biker as he whizzed past my face as I stumbled more into the street. I opened my mouth to say something witty back like “Dickfucker” but I knew he was already gone. He wouldn’t see me. 

Also to note, someone else didn’t see me. Some idiot driving a massive jacked-up Ford. I know this because I backed up right into their path and I swiftly picked a fight with the favorite truck of manly men and small dick enthusiasts.

I think the truck won.

Well y'all, good story thanks for joining me!!

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