I didn’t have the courage to broach New York schools with Kanesha just yet. She was waiting on applications and scholarships, and I knew at least one of them was there, but most were here. Where she could get in-state. But I did mention to Mike that I wanted to set aside a college fund and had him help me set up a savings account.

I didn’t tell him it was for both of us. And I would help her even if we split up. I knew that could happen.

But when I got to school, it seemed that us being together had leaked. Somebody had put a “God hates dykes” sticker on my locker…except I could only see the d of dykes because somebody else had stuck a rainbow over it. I couldn’t help but laugh. I wasn’t sure who our hater was or who our supporter was, but there was something oddly refreshing about seeing both.
And then the new history teacher saw me. “Are you…”

Then she saw that. “Oh. I have something in my office that can help you remove that.” She shook her head. “Although you’ll probably have to remove the nice one too.”

I laughed. “Thanks. I might take you up on that.” I wasn’t going to let them get to me, although if they actually started bullying Kanesha I might just have to knock some heads together and get yelled at by Mike later.

“People who go around telling God who He’s supposed to hate annoy me.”

I noticed she was wearing a small, discreet cross. “I hadn’t seen it put that way before. Thanks.”

“You’d better get to class.”

She was, I decided, a definite improvement over Merrifield. And maybe Kanesha should talk to her. I noted over my shoulder, “There’s somebody who might want to talk to you.”

“Oh?”

“Kanesha. She wants to teach high school history.”

“Want me to talk her out of it?”

I laughed again. Definitely an improvement on Merrifield. And, to be honest, on every other teacher in the school. They tended, I’d noticed, to lose their sense of humor.

Maybe she could help Kanesha keep hers. If Kanesha really did get to teach high school. If the world didn’t end first.

Those thoughts sobered me all the way to first period. Which was, of course, my least favorite subject: Math.

At lunch time, I noticed a couple of people wearing visitors’ badges were hanging out in the library. Maybe they were outside speakers for some class I wasn’t taking but, for some reason, their presence seriously bothered me. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the same building with them, let alone the same room.

I quickened my pace and hurried away.