Guy | Girl

He was in a better mood than usual today, humming and tapping his fingers to a rhythmic beat on the wood tables. He didn't even mind her poking and prodding.

"Why are you so happy?" She raised her eyebrow, "Sexual release?"

He laughed good-naturedly, pushing his already gelled back hair even further back. Anymore, and he'd have a receding hairline. "That's only one of the reasons." Smiling at the thought of the memory, he said, "I got to meet with some UMichigan scouts. Coach said I had a pretty good chance of being recruited later this year."

He looked so proud that the joy was contagious. She couldn't help but smile.

"Oh?" Genuine congratulations shone on her face. "That's amazing!

They fell into a brief lapse of silence. After a while, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was smart, really smart, she could probably get into some top schools. "Where do you want to go for uni?"

"A ballerina. New York Dance Company. My dream." She deadpanned, twirling her finger around in mimic of a pirouette.

"Really?"

"No, ha. Imagine me in a tutu. But honestly, I want to go to MIT for chemistry." 

"Wow, that sounds... challenging."

"Tell me about it. Not just for me but for all women in STEM fields who get discouraged every day from studying the maths and science fields." Her eyes shone with determination as she thought about her dream.

"Isn't it easier to be hired though? For gender diversity and all?"

"You're not wrong. But imagine all the work you put into a position and have people scrape it off to you being a 'diversity hire'?"

She shook her head, exasperated. Remembering how easily her work had been dismissed because of her gender.

"I do the same work as you. I work the same hours as you. I get the same marks as you. Why is my blood and sweat worth less than yours simply because of my gender?"

A/N - I made some updates because the information here doesn't line up with later chapters. Honestly, rereading the earlier chapters just makes me want to rewrite all of it, especially since some of the themes are being repeated.