Mom goes out with her friends, as she usually does. Normally, Dad picks her up, but he is taking Auggie to a birthday party. He asked me to pick her up, with her car. I see her sitting with Katy and Camille, the one who made the locket for Maya's fourteenth birthday.

I walk towards her table and hear the other two ladies go "ooh, Riley's here", giggling and nudging my Mom. She immediately stands up and makes her way to me.

"Where's Cory?" She asks me, and I roll my eyes.

"He asked me to pick you up, since he's taking Auggie to Doy's birthday party!" I tell her enthusiastically.

"Dewey" she corrects me, and turns to walk towards the car.

"Well, you're welcome? What's with you?" I ask sassily. She continues walking, so I follow while asking "I saw that, yknow. You didn't want your friends to see me."

"Some people wouldn't understand." She doesn't even face me, before I stop her.

"And now it's so obvious. What did you tell them?"

"Just look at you, Riley." I look down at my clothes. I am wearing loose jeans, with a white t shirt that is one size too big for me. The shirt has a rainbow plastered across the whole thing. I didn't realize it, I just liked the shirt. On top, I am wearing a denim jacket.

"And I tell you countless times not to slouch. You look like a guy." She straightens my back as she speaks. Only then do I realize that my posture is relaxed and slightly slumped.

"I've always dressed like this." I lie quickly, not looking directly st her eyes.

"No you haven't, it's getting worse. Why are you doing this, I'm only trying to help you!" She raises her voice only slightly, before looking around nervously to check if people heard. Nobody apparently did, except Katy and Camille, who look away from us and continue laughing.

"You're not helping me. You're trying to help yourself. It's not about me, it's about what people think about me, isn't it?" She looks offended, and I continue "Imagine what would happen, if people thought your daughter was some big queer!"

"Stop it, Riley!"

"Thanks. Great" I shove the keys into her hands, and she yells after me.

"Riley, let's go home"

Without turning around, I tell her "I'm walking. You take the car."

"Where are you going?" I don't answer.

I don't know why I'm here. Again. I just need to know more. I don't know how making out with a random stranger helps my knowledge, but it does. They tell me things, some of them.

"I haven't see you around here before." She tells me.

"Yeah, well I don't come here much" I reply quietly.

"So... can I get your number?" She grins in a cute way, but I back away.

"N-no" I stutter, and before I know it, I am out the door.

As I stumble outide, I see a church across the street. I almost want to cry, but then I see a sign near the front door. It reads:

"PRIDE: ALL WELCOME"

Again, I return home past midnight. But this time I'm prepared. I don't want to be grilled by my mother again. As I enter, she stands up from the couch, but before she's able to talk, I do.

"Don't worry. I was at church" I tell the truth... technically.

Family visits for the day. I greet my grandfather, Alan, grandmother, Amy. Uncle Josh, Uncle Eric, and Aunt Morgan and her family. She has a nine year old daughter, named Cameron, who was born a year after Auggie. Also here is Topanga's older sister, Nebula. Her parents told us that they couldn't visit, but Nebula was conveniently in town while the Matthews planned to visit.

Auggie and I asked if we were allowed to invite Ava and Maya, but our parents agreed that nobody was allowed for the morning. Especially considering there is barely enough space for the amount of people currently here on the table.

The whole family apparently already knows about me, and somehow the conversation has arrived, during breakfast.

"Maybe it's not my choice" I tell them, feeling like it's a debate.

"That's like saying stealing isn't a choice" Cameron replies in a matter of fact way. Auggie looks annoyed at the little girl sitting next to him, and Morgan reminds her to eat her vegetables, earning a moan in reply.

"Cameron is right" mom tells me. The little girl smiles, knowing she has always been the smart child. "The Bible says that men were punished for their acts with other men."

"You don't change, do you?" I ask, and everyone seems tense.

"I can't change the Bible" she tells me.

Josh, who is sitting next to me and extremely quiet, chimes in, "I think people should be able to love whoever they want." Some of them look confused and awkward towards him, so he covers his statement with "Oh, Topanga, this breakfast is delicious."

"Even animals know who to do it with." Topanga continues.

Josh tries to crack a joke, declaring that "Actually, Morgan, doesn't your dog do it with a pillow?"

He is interrupted by Nebula, who has barely spoken. "Can we please discuss something different?"

"I'm done with my food!" Shouts Auggie.

"Me too!" Yells Cameron.

"Go play in Auggie's room" Topanga says, earning a nod from Morgan. Eric follows the children, laughing.

As soon as they're gone, I announce "I don't want to go to college" This earns their attention, and everyone goes silent.

"What's next, you're going to ruin your life?" Mom yells.

"It's my life to ruin!"

Josh pats me on the back, and my grandparents look at Cory disappointedly. Morgan leans against her husband, and Nebula sits, almost unphased, the only one still eating her food.