One gorgeous Friday afternoon, Van-El was sitting in the garage of his older sister's boyfriend's house. Valara had to stay late at school to finish up an extra-credit project. Neither of their parents was home. Their mother, Loana, had to work late at the "Daily Argo." Their father, Kal-El, was occupied with attempting to hire some helpers to work the family farm. So, Van stayed with his sister's boyfriend until she finished her extra-credit project.
Van's bright blue eyes gazed at his sister's boyfriend, Dev Dak. Dev Dak was quite a good-looking young man. He was tall, extremely fit, with chiseled features. His dark hair was in a short ponytail to keep it out of his almond-shaped brown eyes. His confident smile and dimples were on display whenever he smiled. Van also thought he rocked the one-earring look that was gradually becoming a popular trend among the male youths of the city. Not that his own parents ever let him get his ears pierced.
The sixteen-year-old was currently working on his star racer. (Like Oban Star-Racer. So, it's an alien version of race cars.) He hoped to go pro after finishing high school and university. He'd even built his own racer entirely on his own! "Hey, Van? Could you bring me my other toolbox? I need to guarantee the reactors won't leak in the next race. Never can be too cautious, you know?" Dev requested, to which the young boy went to retrieve it.
"Here you go, Dev," he said, handing him the toolbox. Dev came out from under the racer for a moment to see his girlfriend's brother look very bummed out. "Yo, Van? Is something bothering you? Like, do you have a guy problem? Because if it is, I'm here to help you," Dev asked brotherly.
Van sighed before replying. "I've got a couple of issues. My grades are slipping some since I can't comprehend plintconarhythmic physics."
Dev raised an eyebrow, "Why are you studying a college-level subject? I mean, only the most intelligent intellects can even comprehend that subject! Since you literally have to envision every figure and component in a three-dimensional manner!"
"I'm not sure either. However, they employed a few new educators since it's beyond the standard curriculum. Well, none of us understand why they're forcing subjects that are too advanced on us," confessed the middle schooler.
"I'll let my mom know as she's Head of the Educational Committee. Something isn't right trying to force kids to learn something that even most adults can't do! Even your grandfather can't understand that particular subject, and he's like one of the cleverest blokes on the planet!" remarked the young racer.
"Thanks, Dev. I could also use your guidance on another subject," the preteen twitched nervously.
"Let me guess, it's a girl?" the attractive fellow asked the cute youngster.
"Sorta, Estird identifies as genderfluid," Van clarified.
It took only a few minutes to process what the boy was saying. Then he smiled again, "Well, more people are coming out about their gender and sexuality these days. Thankfully, they revised the laws so you couldn't be discriminated against based on those. So anyway, do you like this, Estrid?"
"Well, yes. Most of the time, they're female. However, they have spontaneous, manly days. But most of the time, I referred to them as female unless they tell me otherwise."
"Okay, I can understand its tricky with pronouns when you first encounter individuals from that community. So tell me about what this individual fancies and why you are attracted to them."
"Well, they're physically attractive. They've red-violet hair in a pixie cut, mulberry eyes, and charming freckles that still stand out with their toasty skin tone."
"You do know, Van, that you've to like someone for their soul, not just their looks," Dev reminded the young boy who blushed.
"I know that. But you can't deny everyone is first drawn to someone by physical attraction before getting to know that individual!"
Dev nodded and replied, "Fair enough. So what else can you tell me about Estrid?"
"They're the leaders of the school gardening and astronomy clubs. Estrid also adores creatures and takes long hikes through the countryside. They don't care what others think of their gender identity. They speak straightforwardly and have no trouble standing up for others. They adore various shades of pink and purple. They also love using their hoverboard and are members of the school honor roll."
"Sounds like they're a remarkably well-rounded person, " Dev replied in an impressive tone. He grabbed some drinks before sitting beside the boy he saw as his younger brother."I can see why you're attracted to them. I suspect you've not tried talking to them because you don't want to offend them accidentally. Am I correct?"
Van nodded, "Dad said the LGBTQ community has been shunned since my great-grandfather's youth. However, in the last fourteen years, they've ultimately abolished those laws and granted them the same privileges as everyone else."
"I'm quite delighted they did, as my cousin is a trans-female. If anyone speaks ill of her? Well, you can bet I'll knock the stuffing out of them."
"I'd like to invite Estrid to your next race with me. They're a huge fan of star racing."
"I understand the situation; you're unsure how to approach them. Again, eleven is too young for a proper date, yet I could see it as hanging out. What is this person's last name, by the way?"
"Estrid Corill. Why?" Van asked, confused.
Dev gave Van one of his dashing smiles. "I believe I can arrange for an opportunity for the two of you to get the best seats in the house for my next race. Leave it to me."
Van was baffled but accepted that Dev knew what he was doing. Half an hour later, Valara returned to take him home after thanking her boyfriend for watching her little brother.
Two weeks later, the entire El family, along with Lucia Miro's, were joined by the Corills. It turned out Estrid's mother was also on the education committee to ensure that members of the LGBTQ were treated fairly. So Van could sit next to Estrid while both enjoyed the race. Then, afterward, they spent time getting to know each other. So it was a great day all around for everyone.