Chapter Two

Joan turned out to be a cute girl with Raven hair and piercing green eyes. Micah noticed her in gym class the week she got the note and couldn't understand how such a stunning girl could possibly be interested in her. Joan was a little taller than Micah but not by much, she had a lithe frame, one that Micah thought belonged on an angel or depiction of Aphrodite. The young girl was stunning and Micah had no intention of approaching her. It would turn out however that Joan had bucked up enough courage to approach Micah. 

In the hall after class, while Micah was putting away her class materials, she heard the sweetest voice she could imagine. 

"Hey Micah? I'm Joan, I know a note is kind of childish but I just got so nervous. Anyway um do you want to go out with me this Saturday?" 

Micah froze. Panic and anxiety coursing through her body while she tried to choke out a yes. 

"Y..yeah. Um sure, I mean yes." Micah's voice broke and she blushed scarlet. Joan let out a tinkling laugh and arranged to pick Micah up at seven on Saturday night. 

As soon as Joan walked away Micah bolted out of the school and ran home. Micah crashed through her front door to find her mother in the kitchen.

"Mom, a girl. A girl asked me out!" She said between gasps of air. Micah recounts the note, and the conversation in a hurried voice. When finished she looks at her mother beseeching,

"What do I do?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with." Martha said, trying to hold back her laughter.

"It isn't funny! This has never happened before. I don't know what to do on a date." Micah yelled, before adding quietly "What if she doesn't know I'm not a real girl?"

Her mother stops and looks at her. "Micah you listen to me. You're as real a girl as I am, and if this girl wants to date you she will accept you as you are."

"Thanks Ma. So, what do I wear?"

Saturday came before Micah was mentally prepared for it. Her entire wardrobe was strewn across her bedroom and she was face down on her bed lamenting her lack of dating experience.

"Micah, what on earth are you doing?"

She only groaned in response.

Martha took over, pulling an outfit together out of thin air, or so it seemed to Micah.

"How, how did you do that?" She asked in wonder, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Micah was dressed in stylishly ripped jeans, a black tank top, red zip up hoodie, and her signature black chucks. Her mother dabbed the smallest bit of lip gloss across Micah’s lips and she was ready.

Just then, the doorbell rang and Micah hurried to answer it.

"Hey Micah, wow you look great." Said Joan. Joan was dressed in a soft pink dress that fell just below her knees. The pink made her green eyes sparkle, she was stunning.

"You, gosh Joan, you look, wow." Stumbled Micah, her face flushing bright red.

Joan laughed, and took Micah’s hand.

"Let's go."

The date turned out to be a semi romantic picnic at the park. Joan packed a great dinner spread, with a simple Greek salad and grilled veggie kabobs.

"Oh I should have mentioned, I'm a vegetarian."

"That's cool, I'm transgender." Micah blurted, she felt the embarrassment of such a random statement settle like a rock in her stomach. There was a thick silence before Joan let out a huge, gut shaking laugh. Micah was stunned, no one had laughed at her for years. She could feel tears filling her eyes helpless to stop the heartbreak spilling down her cheeks. Joan noticed the tears and stopped laughing abruptly.

"Oh honey no, don't cry. I'm only laughing because I knew, and the announcement was so sudden. I'm sorry really." Joan pulled Micah into a gentle hug.

"How did you know?"

"I just did."

Micah turned her face up to look at Joan, they were close enough to kiss. With a start Micah realized that she could have her first kiss right now and quickly backed up, stumbling over words.

"Hey Micah, don't worry. I'm not going to kiss you first. I'll let you take the lead there okay?" Joan smiled and Micah melted.

From their first date on the two girls were inseparable. Joan was always at Micahs house, studying, goofing off, or helping with chores. Martha treated Joan as her own daughter and the three became a family I'm no time. Everything was perfect in Micah’s world, she thought nothing could take her happiness.

Like all good things, someone had to come along and try to mess it up. In Micah’s case, it was three someone's.

Three very large boys surrounded Micah in front of her locker.

"Hey gayboy, what are you doing prancing around holding hands with a girl?"

"You're a boy, you gotta act like it."

Micah was frozen in terror, surrounded by boys twice her size. They continued to throw insults as her, getting more cruel the longer she didn't respond. Her tormentors had enough of the verbal abuse and began to move closer to Micah, "we'll show you how a man is supposed to act." One spoke, menace dripping from his tongue. Before they could touch Micah, Joan came running into the middle of the almost fight.

"Leave my girlfriend alone, you homophobic, misogynistic, jerks!" She bellowed. Joan yelled and berated the bullies, getting louder as she continued. A crowd started to gather and the three boys were about to leave when a teacher approached, the teacher took reports from the two girls and escorted the three large boys to the principal’s office.

"Joan, you're so brave. Thank you."

"It's nothing. Guys like that love quiet victims, if you make a scene they leave you alone."

Micah stood in front of Joan in awe of the other girl’s bravery. Micah froze when confronted but Joan, Joan stood her ground. In that moment Micah knew that she wanted to be brave like her girlfriend, so she did the only brave thing she could do. Micah kissed Joan for the first time. It was an extraordinary first kiss, sparks flew, warmth fluttered in her stomach. When they parted Joan looked into Micah’s eyes and in her soft beautiful voice she said.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Micah knew then that everything would be okay.