“I’ll be back soon,” she says. “Keep my spot, okay?”

I nod, watching as the power couple stalk around the edge of the gym, Sorin steering a course away from the teachers who are busy making sure we don’t stab each other with scissors.

Toivo detaches himself from the wall where he’s been standing at the back of House Fajro and follows. Weird. I mean, Kekri is one of the few school events Toivo doesn’t consider beneath his participation, but what’s with his sudden Sorin obsession? It’s not like they’ve ever been anything close to friends.

“Guess he’s not missing then,” Morgan says. His sudden appearance makes me startle and earns me a few frowns from fellow green-clad Teroans.

“Guess not.”

“Think it’s a love triangle thing?”

“With my brother? Gross!”

“Sorin is really pretty, I mean, I get it.” Morgan glances at me sideways.

It takes me a moment to catch what I think he’s trying to tell me.

“You think he’s pretty?” I ask gently, not entirely sure how to navigate these waters. The only person I’ve ever talked to about this stuff is Natalie and that went fantastically.

“Don’t you?” Morgan shoots back.

“I guess, but I’d never want to date him, or any boy for that matter.” Each word sounds more strained than the one before it.

Morgan doesn’t respond straight away and for a moment I think I’ve shattered yet another friendship with a confession I should’ve kept to myself.

“I would. I mean, I think I’d be okay dating a boy or a girl or anyone actually,” he says it so quietly I have to lean in close to hear him. His freckles disappear beneath the pink glow splotched across his cheeks and he swallows hard. “You’re the first person I’ve told that to. Here at least. Back home, Kelly knows, but not even my parents do. Not yet.”

“I won’t tell anyone, promise.” I pat his frayed knee in a gesture that is super awkward, but hopefully also reassuring.

“You’re out, right?” he asks.

“Yeah. If I want people to use the correct pronouns, I have to be.”

He picks up a bundle of twigs and I do the same. “Were your parents cool with it?” he asks after a minute of silence.

“A bit unsure at first. Lesbian they could understand. Being nonbinary was a bit harder for them to get, but my parents were still pretty supportive. The pronouns only matter in English anyway, so it wasn’t such a big deal. Not even with Toivo. He’s a jerk, but never about that.”

“That’s good,” he says, and then adds, “you’re lucky.”