The weekend had dragged on impossibly long. He had done his best not to brood, but his mind kept straying back towards Zach, no matter how much he tried to distract himself. At least with it being Monday he had school to return to, which usually kept him pretty busy during the week.

He noticed a handful of students whispering during class and casting frequent glances towards him. He would have shrugged it off as people still gossiping about him being bi, but he noticed a few students in choir and the LGBT Alliance giggling as well.

Finally, after he had just finished doing a lecture on thermodynamics, a few students lingered after the bell to approach his desk.

“Hey, Mr. H,” said a Junior girl named Alexa. “Did you have a good weekend?” Her eyes were bright with mischief.

Shane lowered the dry eraser he’d been using to wipe down the board, eyeing her for a moment. “It was all right. Nothing too eventful. How about y’all?”

“Really? Because we heard you had a really good time,” chirped in another student named Johnny.

He grimaced. It all made sense now, at least. Of course Tammy would have told everyone she’d seen him go on what was obviously a date with another man. No wonder his sexuality was once again the talk of the school.

He wasn’t sure if he was more annoyed at having his privacy intruded upon, or at having the reminder of the rejection. He couldn’t be angry with Tammy, really. Kids liked to talk, and odds were she hadn’t meant for everyone to hear about it.

After taking a deep breath, he put on a smile, waving the dry eraser towards them. “Fine. Yes, I had a date.”

“And?” Alexa leaned forward curiously, books held against her chest.

“And we decided to just be friends,” Shane said, and couldn’t help but be satisfied when they all looked at him in disappointment.

“Ugh, really? We heard Tammy said you two were super cute together…” Another student named Craig said, pouting.

Shane lifted a shoulder, then turned back to wiping down the board. “Sorry, kids. Guess you’ll just have to get your entertainment somewhere else.”

“Aw, come on, Mr. H. It’s not like that,” insisted Johnny.

“We just think you deserve someone you’re super cute with. We’re all happy for you. Or… were. Sorry it didn’t work out,” Alexa continued.

Shane paused to glance back towards them, then let out a soft sigh. “I appreciate that, I really do. But sometimes things just don’t work out.”

If he kept saying it, maybe it’d start to sting less.

“I guess,” Alexa agreed, still looking a little disappointed. “See you later, Mr. H.”

He watched them filter out towards their next class, then sighed more heavily once he was alone. His hand strayed towards his pocket where his phone was, and only after fighting with himself for a few seconds did he pull it out to look at the screen.

Nothing.

Zach hadn’t texted him all weekend, and he still hadn’t heard anything from him. That was probably normal, right? You didn’t chat up someone you just rejected.

Shane didn’t want to push things too hard. He’d decided to leave the ball in Zach’s court, and he wasn’t wanting to make himself look desperate, or like he was pressuring Zach into a relationship after all. So he had wanted to wait until Zach contacted him first, but waiting was hard. He kept finding himself thinking up jokes he thought Zach would find funny, or seeing pictures online he wanted to share with him.

Hell, attraction aside, hanging out with Zach had been some of the most fun he’d had since he’d moved to Hidden Creek. If nothing else, he wanted to talk to him, to see if he was okay, how his day was going. Things friends could totally do without being attracted to each other.

Come on, Shane. Pull yourself together, he brooded, grabbing up a marker to start writing out notes for the next class. You’re acting like one of the teenagers.

He pushed the thought of Zach aside as students started trudging in for the next class, and set his mind on the upcoming lecture.

Shane headed for the teacher’s lounge at the start of lunch to heat up the soup and grilled cheese slices he’d brought. It wasn’t much, but he couldn’t afford to splurge a lot on a teacher’s budget, and it would fill him up well enough.

Other teachers came and went, but most of them ignored him, or offered only polite nods or greetings. At least if they had heard the gossip about his date, they didn’t seem to give a damn, so he was saved the awkwardness of repeating the conversation.

He passed by posters taped to the hallway walls on his way back to his classroom. Handmade banners the student council had likely put together, advertising tickets for the Winter Formal on sale. Paper snowflakes covered in glitter hung from the ceiling around it. He made sure to give it a wide berth just in case they sprinkled bits of sparkles on those that had the misfortune to brush against them.

He barely had time to sit down at his desk before the door burst open. Jesse came in, their eyes glossy. They clung tightly to the strap of the backpack hanging from their shoulder, knuckles pale from the grip, their shoulders hunched. Shane frowned, immediately setting aside the slice of grilled cheese so he could turn his chair towards them.

“Did something happen?” he asked gently.

They tried to blink away tears, then stepped over to a desk to drop their backpack on top of it. Sometimes it took a moment for Jesse to gather their thoughts enough to speak, especially when upset, so he waited patiently until they were ready.

“I just bought tickets for the Winter Formal,” they mumbled. “And they said… they said me and Millie couldn’t go together. That the administration thought it’d be… inappropriate. So we have to go separately, and they said there was a dress code—so we both have to wear dresses too. Or we can’t go.”

“What?” he blurted in disbelief.

Jesse nodded, arms wrapping around their chest. “Millie was looking forward to going to the dance so much. I don’t know how to tell her… She’s gonna be so upset.” Their head shook back and forth. “It was the one thing we were looking forward to. To just—sticking it to all the assholes and just… being us. And they won’t even let us have that.”

The moment he saw tears starting to roll down the kid’s face, he was on his feet and stepping over. His arms lifted in offering, and Jesse fell forward to accept the hug. He wrapped them up in his arms and squeezed, patting their back lightly.

“Why can’t I just be me? What’s wrong with me?” Jesse mumbled into his chest.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said in a calm but firm voice. “You’re a damn good kid, an amazing person, and whatever gender you are, or who you love, doesn’t change that one bit. If people can’t see it, then they are wrong, and seriously missing out on getting to know one of the best kids I’ve ever met.”

Jesse sniffed, but didn’t reply.

He was forcing himself to remain calm, but his blood was boiling. Sure, he knew there were going to be a lot of bigoted assholes around, especially in Texas, but he had thought maybe Hidden Creek would be different. There’d been so many LGBT friendly businesses opening up around town, and not to mention the LGBT Community Center… You’d think this sort of thing wouldn’t be an issue anymore. Guess the school system hadn’t quite caught up to the changing climate of the town.

Shane clenched his jaw. No, this wasn’t going to happen. Not if he had anything to say about it.

He pulled back a bit and put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder, looking down into their eyes. “I’m not going to let this happen. I’ll go talk to the Principal, and the School Board if I have to. One way or another, you’re going to go to the Winter Formal with Millie.”

Jesse frowned up at him. “You really think you can get them to change their minds?” they asked doubtfully.

“Damn right they will. If they don’t… then we’ll fight for it.” His hand squeezed gently. “You and Millie deserve to be fought for. You and any other students in this school questioning who they are. Frankly, a fight might do some good. I’ve seen too many people look the other way while you and Millie have been bullied lately. You kids deserve a school where you feel safe and welcomed.”

Jesse bit their lip anxiously. “I don’t want to cause any trouble…”

“Sometimes things don’t change unless you cause a little trouble,” he replied, shaking his head. “And you want things to change, right?”

Jesse nodded firmly.

“Then it’s worth it. And I’ll be there every step of the way. Besides, I bet Millie will be all about raising some hell.” His lips quirked a bit.

They broke into a fond smile, head dipping shyly. “Yeah… she would. You’re right.” They took a deep breath, then lifted their chin, looking more determined. “Okay. I’ll talk to Millie about it.”

“Good. And I’ll start making some calls and setting up meetings. We’ll get this done.”

“Thanks, Mr. Howard. You really are the best,” Jesse mumbled.

“If I am, it’s only because I’m trying to keep up with you kids.” He grinned warmly.

They chuckled a bit, then snatched up their backpack to shoulder. “I’m gonna go find Millie. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Absolutely.”

He watched the teenager move out of the classroom. Once they were gone he took a deep breath, trying to help cool the anger still pumping through his veins. He needed to keep a clear head if he was going to do this. People reacted better to confidence than rage, and he was going to make sure he did everything he could to make sure this battle was won.

Even if he had to put himself at risk to do it.