Ever since he learned what the rainbow could represent, it made something thrum in Jamie's chest. He was drawn to it while he was still figuring himself out. The sight of the six colours called to him like a siren, and he couldn't ignore its song. Every time he saw a rainbow, he thought about what it meant. His eyes would linger, unable to look away as he waited for… something.
Not long after, he learned about homophobia and heard 'gay' being used as an insult by the other boys in his class. He learned to hide that part of him away where no one could see, where no one could know who he was deep inside. The insults were shut down as soon as the teachers caught wind of the harsh words, as the Californian school system has a strict no-tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. His class received multiple talks about sexuality and gender identities. Things were better after that, but Jamie still kept his mouth shut when it came to talking about himself.
Over the years, he's sure some of his classmates figure it out, but they don't say anything. They let him keep it to himself and come out to them on his own. For his eighteenth birthday, he gets a little rainbow pride button for him to wear when he feels comfortable with people knowing.
The first day of college is the first day he wears the pin on his backpack.
On one hand, nothing's changed. On the other hand, everything has.
He feels free and validated. It feels like he has a huge rainbow flag flying over his head, announcing it to everyone he passes, but no one spares him a second glance. The other students treat him like they treat everyone else, and not a single comment is made about his pin.
Until he's looking for a book in the library two weeks later, and the cute boy next to him deliberately looks at it, then meets Jamie's eyes and smiles.