Being born twins with someone isn't necessarily easy when you're a teen; always getting confused with one another, being referred to as the Pines twins rather than your respective names, and even having to go along with Mabel's crazy birthday ideas just to keep her happy. You don't really mind it all, though, considering that no one really questions the fact that you're identical twins. Sure, it's not genetically possible, but ever since Mabel helped you come out to everyone back when you were just kids, you've never felt more confident in the fact that you were identical twins with Mabel. And you were proud of it.
Of course, no one seems to take you seriously when you leave home. Even with your binder and the medication, you're still referred to as "ma'am" or "miss" and you can't help but find yourself too scared to correct them. You think they'll judge you for who you are. You think they'll hate you for it.
And then you meet Wirt. He's one of the few people who doesn't automatically assume you're a girl just because your features are still slightly feminine, and maybe you still wear the occasional dress or skirt sometimes with Mabel's persuasion. No, he understands right from the get-go. And it clicks immediately.
You've been friends with him since the beginning of highschool, and here you are, ready to graduate in a few weeks. It's been such a long time, but you're proud of how far you have come. You couldn't last a day without him. You were practically inseparable. Even Mabel had accepted him into your top-secret twin relations.
And, on the Saturday before the week of graduation, he tells the both of you. He's sick, and has been for a while. And he's starting to get better. So he tells the both of you that chemotherapy got rid of most of it. And that he'd be having surgery on the day after graduation night.
You're nervous. You don't want anything to happen to him, but you know something worse will happen to him if he doesn't do this. Mabel simply congratulates him with a big smile, patting his shoulder happily. But you won't settle with that. You won't settle with that.
And so you hug him, without warning or say so, but he doesn't freak out. He wraps his arms around you, and it's safe. You make sure to glare daggers at your sister to make sure she doesn't say anything. And, for once, she doesn't.
The night of graduation comes. You and Wirt are sitting outside, waiting for the party Mabel's thrown to calm down a bit before you decide to go inside. But for now, you just sit in the peace of your backyard, small talk of stars and astrology until he asks the random and complex question:
"You trust me, right?"
You can't help but smile at your Great Uncle Ford's insistence to trust no one whatsoever, but you're sure that Wirt is most definitely an exception. And so you agree.
And then he says it. He confesses his feelings for you in your goddamn backyard, right before he has surgery the next day. Of course you like him back. You have for at least a year now. But he wouldn't just say it so randomly like this. No, he was hiding something.
"I really like you, too, Wirt. I really do. But- but why do you say this now? I mean. Why today of all days?" you ask, and he sighs.
"I'm afraid I'm not going to be the same after surgery. I just wanted you to know. Just in case."
And you can't help but shudder at the idea of the doctors being careless enough to accidentally ruin Wirt's life, but you don't respond. You just grab his hand, interlocking your fingers together, and give his hand a comforting squeeze. Its message is obvious, and Wirt seems to have calmed down a bit from it. Which is good, you can't have yourself crying. That's be bad; he'd think you had no hope at all. And that was a total lie.
The next day rolls around, and you have around the house nervously, waiting for the phone call saying his condition. It seems like forever, but you finally get it.
And he's okay. He'll be able to leave in a free weeks. He's going to be able to live a normal life.
And that's when you know that graduating wasn't such a bad thing after all.
