“Thank god. An agent came tonight to see me. So don’t you dare lie to me.”

“Are you kidding?” I jump in. “The audience couldn’t get enough of you.”

“Stop, you guys,” Elijah says. “Or keep going.”

After-show adrenaline is the best drug. I haven’t done many drugs, but I can tell. The high makes me feel powerful—like I could do anything, full of energy, all mushy with emotion, and ready for more. I can talk to other castmates about the show and what went wrong and what went right all night. Mix in all this attention and compliments and I’m on top of the world.

Someone messes up my hair from behind. I turn around and see my lunch buddies, Jack and Juliet, hand jiving away. I didn’t know they were at the show. I give Jack a huge hug. I haven’t seen them much—they have been focused on their dance performance next week. “August, you literally took my breath away. Smile,” they say, snapping a selfie to post. My follower count is going to explode this week.

Juliet takes my hand and twirls me around. “You were magnificent,” she says.

I take a bow. “I’m so glad you were here.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it.” Juliet waves her arm toward the protestors across the street. “Look at our community and allies coming together to fight the good fight.”

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Jack agrees.

“Do you think it’s fair that Chris Caesar will lose his job?” I ask.

Juliet fidgets with her earring. “I think it’s fair to hire trans actors to play trans characters.”

I nod. “I think that, too.”

“Everyone, let’s move out!” Anna yells, signaling to the actors it’s time to say goodbye to our fans and head to Old John’s.

Juliet and I say goodbye to Jack, who needs to go home, and walk toward Old John’s. We walk behind the group so we can talk. “I wanted to finish our conversation from the other day,” she says.

“About the chocolate chip cookies,” I say, evoking our inside joke.

“Exactly. I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

“You have?” I ask, honored.

“I have. You should have someone to talk to about these things. Even though we’re the same age, I feel like your fairy trans-mother or something.”

“That’s nice,” I say.

“Have you heard of gender dysphoria?”

“I have,” I confirm. “It’s the uncomfortable feelings I’m having around missing that body part, right?”

We cross the street. “Right. And everyone has a different level of discomfort. Each trans and nonbinary person is like a unique and beautiful snowflake. Some people are more comfortable in their body and don’t need surgery or hormone therapy, and others do. No one way is right or wrong, and what you’re feeling is your gender dysphoria.”