Nearly a week passed, and while Josh and I kept being on high alert, Troy didn’t make any more attempts at framing us. It was weird, actually: each time he’d tried to get at us – first by beating up the first-year student and trying to pin it on me, then by putting drugs in my locker – he’d made exactly one attempt, and then gave up and switched tactics, either because he was impulsive and easily distracted, or because he didn’t see any reason in keeping up something that had already failed. No matter the reason, it made Troy very dangerous: we had to be on our toes, to be ready for him to try anything at all.

I honestly hoped he would just give up altogether, and leave us alone for the final few months of school; after all, he would graduate soon, so what was the point in keeping this up?

In any case, though, McPearson was the farthest thing from my mind as I sat down at the cafeteria table in front of Josh, humming happily.

“Well, someone’s in a good mood,” Josh commented, a smile on his face.

I nodded, and smiled back. “Oh yeah, I am,” I said.

When I didn’t elaborate further, Josh tilted his head to the side curiously. “And what has made you so happy?” he asked.

My smile widened. “Feast your eyes on this,” I said, pulling a sheet of paper out with a flourish, and placing it on the table, face down.

“What’s this?” Josh said, glancing at it.

“A test. A physics test, to be exact,” I answered. “The very same physics test we made our bet on last week, and the results are in. Drum roll, please.”

Josh just looked at me.

“Drum roll, please,” I repeated, locking eyes with him; he held my gaze for a few moments, then chuckled, and started quickly tapping his fingers on the table in a good approximation of a drum roll.

I flipped the sheet of paper over, and turned it around so he could read it.

“An A minus!” Josh exclaimed. “Congratulations, that’s great!”

“It is,” I nodded. “And that means I won our bet.”

Josh paused. “No you didn’t,” he said.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Of course I did.”

“No, you didn’t,” Josh repeated, shaking his head. “The terms of the bet were that I would pay for everything on our next outing if you got an A. An A minus isn’t an A.”

I folded my arms in front of myself. “An A minus is totally an A.”

“It’s not,” he insisted.

“It is,” I stubbornly said.

“It’s not,” he said again. “Here, I’ll prove it to you.”

He stood up from the table, and then stepped onto his chair, standing tall above everyone else in the cafeteria.

“Hey, y’all!” he called; everyone stopped, and turned towards him. “Help us settle a question over here: is an A minus an A?”

“Is what a what?” someone asked from the crowd.

“The grade,” Josh said. “Is an A minus an A? Or is it not?”

There was a moment of silence, then someone else said, “Well… It technically is?”

“Yeah, it is. Technically,” agreed another voice.

There was a general murmur of agreement from the students. “Not exactly, but close enough,” said a third voice.

Josh stood there for a couple seconds, a slight frown creasing his forehead, then said, “Thanks, y’all,” and sat back down; after a few moments, the general background noise of the cafeteria resumed, though I could hear a couple people laughing, and someone wondering aloud what that had been about.

As for myself, I just smirked smugly at Josh.

My friend put his face in his hands and sighed deeply. “Okay. Alright. Fine. Close enough, I guess,” he conceded. “You technically won the bet.” He looked up at me. “I guess the fact I got an A minus too doesn’t count?”

“Nope,” I said. “Your grades weren’t part of the bet, even though you did very well.”

His frown cleared, and he smiled. “Thanks. So, I’ll pay for everything next time we go out.”

I nodded. “Speaking of which, take a look at this.” I pulled out my cellphone, tapped the screen a few times, and placed it on the table. “There’s an artisans’ market this weekend, about a two hours’ drive from here.”

Josh looked down at the cellphone. “This is interesting,” he said. “Do you wanna go there?”

“Yeah,” I nodded again. “We could make a whole day out of it, leave late on Saturday morning, have lunch when we get there, and then check out the market.”

“That sounds fun,” he said. “Though it is a bit far away, two hours is a lot.”

“It is,” I said. “But it’s necessary to avoid any trouble.”

Josh looked up from the cellphone at me, his eyebrows rising questioningly. “Trouble?”

I nodded. “So that Emily can come, too.”

He looked at me for a few moments, then his eyes widened in understanding. “Ooh,” he said, nodding slowly. “Yes, I see. That makes sense.” He paused. “Okay. The artisans’ market it is, then.”

“Great!” I said, standing up from the table and grabbing my food tray (which by then was empty). “I’ll think of a schedule over the next few days, and I’ll text it to you.”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting,” Josh replied, smiling at me.

I smiled back, put the tray in one of the racks, and made my way back to my classroom. It was a bit earlier than the end of the lunch period, but I wanted to get ready… For the study group.

Reassured by Josh’s approval (and by the fact that he seemed to be thinking the same thing I was, namely that it was a good way to make friends), I’d accepted Aggie’s invitation to the study group, and today would be the first time we would meet to study together. I wanted to make a good first impression: after all, up to that point my classmates – and everyone else in the school except Josh – thought I was a loner, a delinquent, and a troublemaker; I’d worked hard to cultivate that persona, the protective colouring I put on to shield myself from the world. But it was time to begin taking the mask off, to let others see me for who I really was, which would hopefully make my coming out later in the year go more smoothly than it otherwise would.

Sitting down at my desk, I pulled out my notes and my stationery from my backpack, and set them nicely down on the table. I didn’t know what we would be studying that day, so I hadn’t brought any textbooks besides those that were needed for the day’s lessons, but I was sure the others in the group had what was necessary.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Well, this is it. Time to make some friends, Emily.

And not a moment too soon: out of the corner of my eye I saw Aggie, Nick, and Mark file into the classroom. Aggie looked around for a moment until she spotted me; she waved, and the trio walked over.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here; I almost thought you wouldn’t show up.”

I shrugged. “Well, I said I would, wouldn’t I? Hi, Aggie.” I turned to the two boys. “Mark. Nick,” I nodded, then paused. “Right, sorry, Aggie mentioned your names, but I actually have no idea which is which,” I added sheepishly.

One of the two, sporting dark hair and a blank expression, nodded sharply. “Nick. This is Mark,” he said, jabbing his thumb towards the other boy, who had chestnut-coloured hair that reached his shoulders; he waved jovially at me.

“I’m Mark, like he said,” Mark said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m Wilson.”

“Wilson, huh?” Nick said. “Why the last name? Why not--”

“I prefer it that way,” I cut him off; he looked at me for a few moments, his eyebrows raised slightly, but then he nodded.

“Okay. Wilson, then.”

“And I’m Aggie, but you already knew that,” Aggie said with a smile. “Come on, let’s get to studying, we’re wasting time over here.”

“Right. I don’t know what y’all were studying, so you just go ahead and pick a subject, I’ll try to follow you,” I said.

The trio nodded, and sat down. “Let’s start with World History,” Mark said. “We were reading up on what was going on in Europe before World War One.” He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and whispered: “Spoilers – the Archduke gets shot.”

We laughed, pulled out our textbooks and notes, and got to studying.

Studying with them was actually fun: I had to take the lead in explaining some passages, but they were able to clarify some of the finer points that had escaped me when I’d revised the lesson. We weren’t just memorising stuff, we were actually learning it.

Even though I had never studied in a group before, and despite my misgivings, I found myself enjoying the experience. By the end of it I could even say I had three friends in my class: my first friends in high school, actually, except for Josh. He was still the person dearest to me, being the first person outside my family – and so far, only – who actually saw me as myself, as Emily, not as the mask I put on for everyone else’s benefit. I could only hope my new friends, and my other classmates, would be as accepting as he’d been once I came out to them.

The rest of the week flew by, and before I knew it, it was Saturday; time for my date with Josh.

Through the messages we’d exchanged and by meeting in person we’d agreed on a schedule: he would pick me up at half past nine, we’d drive all the way to the artisans’ market, and find a place to have lunch. Then, in the afternoon, we would spend time just wandering around, exploring the market, and looking at the stalls, and he would drive me back in the evening in time for dinner.

That day, I pulled out all the stops. I woke up early – at seven, which is early for a Saturday – and spent the morning getting ready for our date. I wore a really nice dress, long-sleeved and burgundy in colour, which came down to my calves in a slightly flared skirt, with black tights and ankle boots; I carefully applied my make-up, and completed the look with a bracelet and a pair of earrings – clip-ons, my ears weren’t pierced, though I was planning on doing so before my coming out.

I even sprayed on a bit of perfume – not too much – and painted my nails a deep red colour, which was slightly different from the shade of my dress and complemented it nicely.

I was brushing my hair out and combing it carefully when I heard the doorbell ring; I heard the front door open, and Mom greet Josh. “She’s finishing getting ready,” I could hear her say. Then, louder, she called, “Emily! Josh’s here!”

“I’ll be right down!” I shouted back. One final check in the mirror, and I stepped out of the bathroom; Chloe was standing there, a knowing grin on her face. “What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head, though the grin didn’t leave her lips. “It’s just that it’s nice seeing you this happy.”

I felt my face flush a bit, and I smiled in return. “Thanks, Sis,” I replied.

Chloe nodded, and stepped into the bathroom, whispering, “Have fun on your date,” as she passed me; before I could protest, she’d closed and locked the door.

I stared at the wood grain for a few moments, then shook myself. Okay, Emily. Game face.

I slowly made my way down the stairs; I could see my parents, Tony, and Josh following me with their eyes as I descended. “Hi, Emily,” Josh said when I reached the bottom. “You look really good. Ready to go?”

Again, I felt my cheeks redden a bit, but I just nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

“Be careful on the road,” Dad said from the couch. “Text us when you get there, and when you leave to come back.”

“Right,” I nodded, and I followed Josh outside to his car.

The drive to the town the artisans’ market took place in was completely uneventful; we simply got onto the highway and kept driving, while chatting about all sorts of things. I told Josh about the study group, how Aggie and Mark and Nick seemed nice, while he said that ever since we’d studied together he’d become interested in fountain pens, and had started looking into buying a few. I smiled at that, and told him I would help him out.

After about two hours, we reached our destination and parked the car. I got out and stretched: the long drive had caused some kinks in my knees and joints.

“Well, we’re here,” I said, moving my arms to limber them up properly. “Shall we head to lunch?”

“Yeah,” Josh replied. “I’ve actually looked up a few places yesterday, do you mind if I pick?”

I looked up at him. “Oh, you did?” He nodded, and I continued, “Well, lead the way then. After all, you’re the one who’s footing the bill. Remember our bet.”

“How can I not? You just won’t let me forget,” he said with a smile. “Come on, this way.”

He pulled out his phone, looked up our destination on the map, and led me around a few corners and down a couple streets, until we reached…

“A restaurant?” I asked, my eyebrows rising in surprise. I turned to my friend. “Josh this is… Actually a proper restaurant.”

He nodded. “Yes, it is,” he said. “Is there a problem?”

I hesitated for a moment, and then looked him in the eyes. “I mean… I wasn’t expecting this, to be honest. I thought we would grab a bite at a café, or get a sandwich from one of the stalls at the market,” I said. “A restaurant is… Are you sure?”

He tilted his head to the side in that endearing way of his. “Is there a problem?” he repeated; he seemed almost amused.

“Well… Restaurants aren’t cheap,” I said.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve saved up my allowance for today,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “After all, this is our first proper day out in a while, isn’t it? We may as well splurge a bit.” He paused. “Besides, it’s not like this is fine dining, it’s just an ordinary restaurant.”

I hesitated again, but then nodded. “Okay.”

He smiled, and pulled the door open. “After you, my lady,” he said, motioning me inside.

I smiled back. “Why, thank you, good sir. You’re too kind.”

-----

After lunch – which was very good, and not too pricey – we found our way to the artisans’ market, and started looking around. It wasn’t very big, maybe three dozen booths or so: a few streets in the town we were in had been fenced off for cars, and temporary stalls had been set up for the occasion, as well as a PA system through which music played softly.

We looked around for a while: there were several trinkets that caught my eye, but I had to be careful not to spend all my money at the same time – I was still a high school student, all I had was my allowance. Therefore, I resolved to only buy something I really liked, or which was significant.

Josh and I wandered the streets for hours, just looking around and chatting away. It was really nice to just be with him. But alas, all good things must come to an end: it was getting late, and I had to get back home in time for dinner.

I told Josh, who nodded, and we started back towards the car; but then he stopped. “Actually, hold on,” he said, and he led me to a stall which apparently sold various pieces of hand-made jewellery.

“Welcome, folks!” the owner of the booth greeted us. “Did you perhaps see something that you like?”

“Yeah,” Josh nodded. “How about this?”

He picked up a necklace: it was made up of a deep blue, faceted stone, about a quarter of an inch in diameter, set into a metal casing which was connected to a thin chain; he turned to me, and held it up to me.

“Oh, nice choice,” the artisan said, nodding approvingly. “It’s one of my best pieces. Coloured crystal set in stainless steel.”

Josh smiled; he reached forward, and fastened the charm around my neck, then grabbed a mirror from the booth and held it up to me. “It really suits you, Emily. Do you like it?”

I nodded as I admired myself in the mirror: the colour of the crystal contrasted nicely with the dress I was wearing.

“How much?” Josh asked, turning to the vendor.

“Fifteen dollars,” was the reply.

Josh nodded and paid him, then turned back to me.

“Josh…” I began, but he held up a finger.

“It’s a present, Emily,” he said. “A memento of today.”

I smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

We started walking to the car again, but again stopped; this time, I was the one who saw something – a little girl, wearing a light blue dress, standing off to the side of a stall and looking around, a panicked expression on her face; no one was really paying any attention to her as they walked by. I gestured for Josh to follow me, and approached the girl, smiling at her.

“Hi there,” I said, crouching down to look her in the eye. “What’s your name?”

“…Ellie,” she whispered.

“Hi, Ellie, I’m Emily,” I nodded. “Are you lost? Where are your parents?”

“I… I don’t know,” she said; her eyes were full of tears. “I was here with Mom, b-but now I can’t find her!”

She sobbed, and a few tears rolled down her cheek.

“Hey, none of that now,” I said. “I know it’s scary, but I promise we’ll find Mom.”

“P-promise?” Ellie sniffled.

I nodded again. “Promise.” I looked back over my shoulder to Josh. “Can you find out where the management’s stall is?” I asked.

“The management’s stall?”

“The people who organised this whole market,” I said. “I mean, there’s a whole PA system set out, someone must be in charge here.”

Josh glanced around. “You mean something like that?”

He pointed at a tent, set between two stalls, which had MANAGEMENT written above the entrance in big bold letters. I blinked in surprise; I hadn’t noticed that before.

“We’re in luck then,” I said, and straightened up, offering Ellie my hand. “Let’s go find your mom.”

Ellie grabbed my hand, and the three of us walked to the management tent; in short order we’d explained the situation to the people who were in charge, and an announcement was sent out for Ellie’s mom to come to the management tent as soon as possible.

“See?” I said, smiling at Ellie. “I’m sure your mom will be here soon.”

Ellie nodded, but was still looking at me wide-eyed: she was clearly scared half to death.

“That’s a nice dress you’re wearing,” I said, to distract her from the present situation.

“Dad bought it for me,” Ellie replied.

I smiled at her again. “He chose well,” I said. “A cute dress for a cute girl.”

Ellie smiled at the compliment, the first time I’d seen her smile. “Your dress is cute too,” she said.

“It is, isn’t it?” I answered. “And look!”

I twirled around on the spot, and my dress spun out, the skirt widening and rising a bit.

Ellie laughed, and imitated me as best as she could; we just stood there, spinning around, while Josh looked on, for at least five minutes.

“Ellie!” I heard a voice call; I stopped spinning, and looked to the source of the voice, to see a woman rushing over.

“Mom!” Ellie said, and she ran towards her mother; they hugged tight.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Ellie!” the woman said. “You must have been so scared!”

“It’s fine, Mom,” Ellie said, her voice muffled a bit by her mother’s embrace. “The pretty girl and nice man helped me!”

I blushed slightly at Ellie’s words; her mom looked up at us. “Thank you,” she said.

“It was nothing,” Josh said.

Still, Ellie’s mom spent several minutes thanking us profusely, until we said goodbye to them. “Bye, Emily!” the girl shouted, waving at us, and we waved back.

We stepped outside the tent, and I shivered in the cool evening air, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Are you cold?” Josh asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, ever since I started hormones I get cold much easier than before,” I replied. “Should’ve brought a jacket.”

“Here,” he said, taking his denim jacket off and wrapping it over my shoulders.

“But… Won’t you be cold now?” I said.

He shook his head. “Nah, I’m the opposite as you.” He grabbed my hand and put it against his chest; he was really warm, and I could feel his heartbeat. It was nice. “Feel that? It’s the testosterone, I’m like a furnace nowadays.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” I replied, blushing a bit.

“Come on, let’s get you home. It’s late, your parents will be getting worried.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Nah, I texted them we had a bit of trouble and would be running late. It’s fine.”

“Good,” he said.

During the drive back home we were quiet; unlike earlier that day, we didn’t say a word, we just basked in each other’s presence.

When we arrived at my house he stopped in the street and, like the perfect gentleman he’d proven himself to be, he walked me to the front door, which I opened with my keys – it was past ten in the evening, I didn’t want to disturb my family – before turning around to face him.

“Well, here we are,” I said.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

I took off his jacket and handed it to him; he put it on, then raised his arm to his nose and inhaled deeply. “Smells good,” he said. “Still warm, too.”

I laughed, and swatted at his arm. “Don’t sniff it, you dork!” I exclaimed. Then I grabbed his hands, and looked in his eyes. “Thank you for today. I had a lovely time.”

“Me too,” he replied.

We just stood there for a while, looking into each other’s eyes, until he finally said: “Well… Good night, Emily.”

“Good night, Josh,” I said.

Faster than he could react, I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. I smiled impishly at him, let go of his hands, and retreated into my house, shutting the door behind me.

Then I immediately turned around and looked through the door’s peephole: Josh was standing there, seemingly dumbfounded, his hand touching his cheek where I’d kissed him. He stood there for a minute, at least, a smile forming on his lips, before he turned around and walked to his car.

I sighed contentedly, and turned around too, only to find my mom standing there, looking at me.

“Welcome back, Emily,” she said, smiling at me. “Did you have fun?”

I returned the smile. “Yes, I did.”