In the middle of the oldest part of Franklin, surrounded by old brick buildings with faded paint, was the town center. Built like an octagon, the heart of the center was a stone fountain surrounded by flowering bushes. A green space surrounded the fountain for families to sit out on and picnic, with benches on the edge of the grass for passersby to sit and read. The rest of the town center was mostly cobblestone, with benches, advertisements, bulletin boards, and—in some instances, such as today—food stalls scattered about.

Connor accepted a pretzel from the gentleman manning the food stall and tried to smile. He was fidgety. Summer and Autumn were nearby, just out of sight, but he felt exposed without them by his side. He knew that they couldn’t be visible while he was out with his guy friends like this, but if he didn’t come out once in a while they’d suspect that something was wrong.

“I can’t believe I missed the Fourth of July celebration,” he lamented.

“Yeah, it rocked!” Jacob replied, rubbing the little goatee forming on his chin. “Have you met Luna yet?”

Connor shook his head.

“Not yet. I’d like to, though. She sounds cool.”

“Eric likes her,” Robert said, giving a wolfish smirk.

“Shut up!” Eric hissed.

“I’d heard about that,” Connor said slowly, adopting Robert’s grin. Turning to Eric, he asked, “What do you like about her? Tell me about the girl who stole your heart.”

Eric gave Connor a playful shove and started walking away. The rest of the group followed. Connor stood on the other side of Edward, who was fidgeting with his hands, to get away from the smell of weed surrounding Robert. Eric sat down on one of the benches, sipping a soda, and Jacob plopped down beside him.

“Have you gone on a date with her yet?” Edward asked.

“No, not yet,” Eric said. “Soon, but not yet.”

Connor sat down on the grass and glanced around, hoping he could see either Summer or Autumn. No luck. He managed to suppress a groan. His friends were talking about something new, but he wasn’t paying all that much attention. In all honesty, Connor had always felt like they were all friends because they were part of the same group, rather than because they had any kind of intimate connection to each other the way he did with Eric.

Speaking of, Eric leaned over the edge of the bench and told Connor, “Hey, that new mecha series Star Knights just dropped on Netflix. We need to get you to my place sometime soon to catch up on it.”

“That’d be awesome!”

“Yeah, it’d be a great thing for you, me, and Luna to watch together.”

Connor’s heart skipped a beat. Of course. Luna also liked science fiction. Eric would naturally want her along to participate.

“I dunno,” Connor said. “I’d hate to feel like a third wheel.”

“Oh… yeah, maybe…”

“Hey!” Connor and Eric glanced over toward Edward, who told the group, “I gotta go. I’m gonna watch the game with my folks. Catch all of you losers later!”

They all said goodbye and continued the chat. Before long, Jacob had to split and Robert took his seat on the bench, shortly before getting a phone call and having to ditch as well. Soon, it was just Connor and Eric sitting together.

“Can I give you some advice, Eric?” Connor asked, crinkling the paper his pretzel had come in between his hands.

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Maybe I’m not the most qualified person to say this, but please don’t be too patient with this girl. I’d hate for you to let a relationship pass you by when you have a solid chance. Especially since I think you said that Luna was only going to be here a short while?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Eric said, his gaze distant. “I… Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

The next day, Connor walked out of the house with the glamour disk tucked into his coat. He ducked over to his bedroom window and managed to pry it open far enough for Summer and Autumn to slip out. Together, they took off down the street in the direction of the address that Eric had given to Luna.

This time, when Connor stopped to use the glamour disk, he was sure to create a large purse so that the pixies could hide inside it without being spotted by Eric. This was supposed to be a private date, after all, but Luna would be damned before she let her friends get too far away from her.

Luna walked up to the restaurant wearing a very expensive-looking dress. Eric, dressed up a little in khakis and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, was sitting on a bench outside the building. He hadn’t gone all-out and tucked his shirt in, but Luna appreciated the effort.

“Hello, there,” Eric said, standing up as Luna approached. “So why exactly couldn’t I just pick you up again? It would probably have been a lot easier than walking the entire way here.”

“Nah, I like to walk,” Luna replied. “So, what is this place?”

She’d actually never been here before.

“Oh, it’s just a little place I frequent with my family. Nothing special.”

As soon as Luna stepped into the building behind Eric, her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t an excessively large restaurant, but it didn’t have to be. This place felt pricey. Large windows let in a lot of natural light, supplementing the soft orange glow of the overheads. Abstract wall art was everywhere. The tables were glass and the chairs all wood and modern in design.

“Are you sure that you’re okay paying for me?” she asked softly.

“Of course,” Eric replied, smiling softly. “I know that money is tight for you at the moment. Don’t worry about it.”

Luna tried to return the smile, but beneath her mask of affluence she was cringing. Of course he was willing to pay for her in a place like this. God, it made Luna feel so cheap.

Once they were comfortably seated and had ordered their waters, Eric asked Luna, “So what do you think of Franklin so far?”

It took Luna a moment to gather her thoughts before she answered, “It’s a slow town. Very… classically small-town Americana. If I was asked to explain what the typical American experience was to someone from outside the country, I’d advise them to spend a week here to get the full experience.”

“That’s… awfully poetic.”

Luna shrugged. It was just a kind way of saying that the town had no real distinctive identity. What she wouldn’t give to actually be from the city instead. Franklin just didn’t have anything going for it.

“What’s Marion like, then?” Eric asked.

“Marion… Well, I haven’t seen all of it. It’s a big city. One of the largest in the region, actually.” She chuckled nervously. “Every year, my parents take us to the theater to watch a musical. Last year it was Phantom. On my birthday, me and some friends always go to the indoor ice rink they have. But, you know, I’ve lived in Marion my whole life, but I’ve never found any boys there as cute as you are.”

“You’re quite the charmer,” Eric replied, smirking.

“I just know what I like,” Luna told him with a wink.

Eric nodded and bit his lip. Luna scooted forward so she was on the edge of her seat. Was this where he asked her to be his girlfriend?

“Good afternoon.” Luna jumped in surprise, having not seen the waiter approach. “May I get you two started with an appetizer?”

They gave their orders to the server and were left alone again. Eric was resting his arm on the table, and Luna kept staring at it. She placed her own hand on the table. She should just… take it. Hold it in her own. Luna could do that, right? Or would that be too forward?

“What are you planning to do for college?” Eric asked suddenly, shifting in his seat.

Luna answered automatically, “I want to be a science fiction writer.”

She blushed. Why had she admitted that so readily? It was absolutely true. If she could do anything she wanted, it would be that. Perhaps unrealistic for someone in her financial situation, sure, but a girl could dream, right?

“You’re that big a fan of sci-fi, aren’t you?” Eric asked, grinning. “I have got to introduce you to Connor. He’d love you. What’s your favorite series?”

Luna had to bite her tongue and think of a response that wouldn’t completely give her away.

“I loved the Hainish universe that Ursula K Le Guin wrote. I think my favorite was The Left Hand of Darkness.” There, that was a popular one. Lots of people loved that. She wasn’t making it too obvious that she was secretly Connor. “But I like a lot of writers: Asimov, Dick, Clarke, Butler, Gibson.” She shrugged. “Reading is a favorite hobby of mine.”

“Yeah, Connor is going to absolutely adore you,” Eric replied, grinning to himself.

Luna managed to resist the urge to frown. Maybe it was best to avoid this topic for a bit. She started discussing the weather (it was getting hotter every year, wasn’t it?) and that held them over until the food finally arrived.

Though she didn’t have a reference for what Greek food normally tasted like, Luna couldn’t help but feel that it didn’t compare to her mother’s food. Even with the limited ingredients that they normally had at home, her mom was a pretty great cook. Was this really what rich people ate?

“It’s very good,” she said. Better maintain the facade, she told herself. “Not quite as good as our favorite little steak house back home, though. It’s my favorite; they give you hundred dollar bills instead of napkins.”

Eric started to laugh, and a warm feeling bubbled up in Luna’s stomach.

The two decided against dessert, so when they were finished Eric paid for the meal and the two headed outside. Eric was still talking about something, but Luna was barely paying attention. She was just happy to be soaking up his presence.

“Well, here we are,” he said, stopping just outside his car.

“I really enjoyed this,” Luna said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Eric replied, “So did I.” He frowned a little bit before asking, “Would… it be okay if I gave you a kiss—?”

“Yes,” Luna interrupted.

With a grin, Eric leaned forward and gave Luna a small kiss on the cheek. He had started saying something, but Luna couldn’t hear. She was entirely on cloud nine.

“Luna?”

“Yeah, you too,” she muttered, her hand gently rubbing the spot he’d kissed.

“I’ll see you soon, Luna,” Eric promised, smiling softly at her before opening the car door. “Take care of yourself.”

Luna watched him drive off. Once he was safely out of sight, Luna opened the big purse and her pixie friends popped out. Summer looked ecstatic.

“That was awesome!” she cried, circling Luna’s head. “He actually gave you a kiss!”

“He did!” Luna squealed. “I can’t believe it!”

They began the walk home. All the while, Summer and Luna chattered about how amazing the date had been. Autumn just sat on Luna’s shoulder, not participating, with her arms folded.

Later that evening, Connor curled up in bed with another book to read. Or, at least, to try to. That kiss on the cheek kept playing over and over again in his head no matter what else he tried to focus on. It was a real struggle to keep himself from squealing and kicking his feet in excitement like some little schoolgirl.

It was so unfair that this was a world where Connor couldn’t be with Eric as himself. They really were perfect for each other. Maybe if Connor had been born a girl, things would have worked out between them, even if Connor wouldn’t have been rich like Luna was.

Eventually, Connor just gave up trying to read and pulled out his phone. His Connor phone, not his Luna phone. He sent a message to Eric, asking if he wanted to hang out the next day. Connor hadn’t had his fill of Eric just yet.

While he waited for a reply, Connor realized he needed to use the restroom. He ducked across the hall and quickly took care of business. But he looked in the mirror as he was washing his hands. Connor… didn’t really like what he saw. Too much body hair, and the frame of his body was just weird, plus Connor didn’t really like his jawline.

What the Hell was happening? Connor had never felt this way before. There was nothing wrong with his body. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“Hey, Summer, Autumn?” he asked when he returned to the room. “I know I asked about this before, but is it at all possible that the glamour disk might be affecting my mind? I was just looking at myself in the mirror and it felt… wrong, somehow.”

Summer and Autumn glanced away from the computer screen they were reading.

“That’s odd,” Autumn said. “It’s just an illusion device. It can’t interact with your brain at all.”

“Yeah, this has to be something else,” Summer agreed.

“What, though?” Connor asked, sitting down on the bed. “I mean, sure, my body isn’t at all what I’d have chosen for myself. I’m too tall, for starters. But it’s my body and I’ve never been grossed out by it before.”

He didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on it. In less than half an hour, Connor was sitting at the dinner table with his parents, who had made a small slow-cooked stew. It was far better than what he’d had at the restaurant.

Unfortunately, something was clearly off. His mother was staring down at her bowl and drumming her fingers on the table. Next to her, his father would occasionally stop eating to whisper something comforting to her.

“Is something going on?” Connor finally asked, knitting his eyebrows together in concern.

His mother bit her lip, then sighed and turned to tell Connor, “I lost the exhibition. It’s going to someone else. I’m honestly not sure how I can stretch my savings any further than I have been.”

His father cut in, “That means that we’re going to have to start cutting back on our spending some more from here on out, until things stabilize.”

Connor didn’t reply, but his food suddenly didn’t taste nearly as good. After dinner, he returned to his room and locked the door. He didn’t even say hello to Summer or Autumn before collapsing on his bed.

The pixies must have heard his quiet sobs, because they drifted over and Autumn asked, “Are you okay, Connor?”

“No,” he blubbered. “It’s just one more thing about my life that sucks! Everything is awful all the time and I hate it! I just… I just wish I could be someone else for once.”

Without warning, he stood up and approached the desk. Connor picked up the glamour disk and placed his hand on it. A rush of energy passed through him and then Luna was standing in his place. She wrapped herself in a hug and leaned up against the wall, tears streaming down her face.

She wasn’t here. Luna was somewhere else, on a far distant planet where she never had to worry about whether or not she’d have warm water. It was happier, out there, in the cold recesses of space.