“We’re not all bad,” I say, then point to the glowiest of structures along the Promenade. The corners of the building are lined with bright purple lights, a huge logo blaring “LuxeFlix” in gold. It used to be an old-timey cinema before it was bought and refurbished into the most intimate of theaters, seats separated into pods of two recliners with a table between them for full-service dining. “I give you your first date. Dinner and a movie all in one place. Plus, it’s their monthly Romance Night, where they show a classic love story. So you’ll also get to see that romance is the second-best movie genre, second only to rom-com, and that humans actually do have emotions. We’re watching The Notebook.”

Ross looks skeptical. “You’re telling me a movie about office supplies full of paper made from decimated trees is supposed to be romantic?” They shake their head. “Humans.”

“No, no, it’s about so much more than that. It’s old, but the themes are timeless. It’s about how these two people fall in love, and life and war and dumb society and social class separate them, but then, spoiler alert, nothing can keep them apart.” I move forward and pull Ross along with me, tottering in their heels. “You’re gonna love it.”

We get to the box office and the attendant takes in Ross from head to toe. He scowls, not necessarily in a hateful way, but definitely in a What’s up with them? kind of way, as I’ve seen so many people do to genderqueer and nonbinary folks. As if one pair of heels makes someone who others see as male deserving of being gawked at or somehow less of a human being.

I glance at Ross. They’re too busy looking at the glowing building and taking deep inhales of the popcorn scent wafting out of the theater’s open doors to notice. I instinctively pull them closer to me, my arm looping around their waist, and say, “Two for The Notebook.”

The attendant just shrugs and swipes my debit card before handing me two purple tickets. I glance at the printed card stock and realize I should have just bought them online to save the paper. Ross is already rubbing off on me.

“Okay,” I say, pocketing the tickets before Ross notices the waste, “you ready to—”

“Sean? Ross? Hi!”

I glance over my shoulder to see Miguel, waving enthusiastically, and Dominic, staring at my arm wrapped around Ross. My heart and my head go through entirely different emotions. My head is like, “Ha ha! Got you, sucker! Now you can feel what it’s like to see the love of your life with another person,” but my heart is like, “Oh, poor D, come in here and let me protect you, babe.”