He had never fallen in love. But the day he met that guy, everything shifted. A petite figure, with unevenly cut hair and a quiet presence. Elijah found himself uncharacteristically clumsy and nervous whenever he was near. The boy would just smile at him—softly, knowingly—and chuckle at Elijah’s awkward behavior.

They had never spoken, but somehow, that boy made Elijah feel seen.

Elijah had never considered himself gay, and the feelings confused him, shook him. Still, he couldn’t help it.

As the vice-president of the high school council, Elijah had a certain image to maintain. Collected. Reliable. The kind of guy who had it all figured out. But love didn’t care about any of that.

One day, after overthinking it for weeks, Elijah made up his mind. He would ask him out. There was a new rollercoaster opening at the amusement park—an excuse, maybe, but it was something.

That afternoon, he waited by the school gates and intercepted him before he could leave. Trying to look confident, Elijah took a deep breath.

“I like you,” he said, voice wavering. “I don’t know if you like guys too, but… will you go out with me tomorrow? Like, on a date.”

The boy blinked, confused for a moment—then began to laugh softly, covering his mouth.

“I do like guys,” he said, amused. “But… are you saying you do too? You’re confessing to me?”

“Uh… yes?” Elijah muttered, growing more unsure by the second.

The boy tilted his head. “You know I’m a girl, right?”

He wasn’t a he. He was a she.