No matter how often Cora glanced over at Fruitastic, there was no sign of Farron. It became harder to sneak a peek when the rush picked up, and as much as Cora normally appreciated the chance to show off her skill, now wasn't the time. How was she supposed to check up on Farron when customers kept asking about the nutritional facts of their extra large double caramel blended with extra caramel and whipped cream?

"I haven't seen them either," Kevin whispered to her as he grabbed a pastry from the display case next to her.

Cora, who had been waiting at the register for a customer to pick out pennies from their pockets, jumped a little. "Who?"

"Farron, obviously." Kevin plated a blueberry bagel, then turned to pop it in the toaster. "You've been looking for them, haven't you?"

Instead of answering, Cora began to silently count the coins the customer had already splayed across the counter.

"Of course you are," Kevin said. "I don't think they left, though. I saw their bike in the parking lot when I went to take out the trash."

Cora spun around. "Really?"

As soon as Cora's eyes targeted him, Kevin jumped, the tongs in his hand snapping upwards as if to defend himself. Across the counter, the clinking of coins stopped; Cora turned back with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry!" she said, adding a slight chuckle for good measure. "Where were we?"

The customer stared at her with raised eyebrows before looking down at the coins in their hand. "I need twenty-five cents, but I don't want to use my quarter."

Cora glanced at their hand. A silver quarter shimmered amidst the dull pennies.

"It is exceptionally shiny," she said, smiling as she tried to ignore the impatient crowd behind them.

"It's a state quarter. Massachusetts. I don't think I have one of this quality."

Cora hummed with exaggerated intrigue. By the espresso machines, Darlene glared at her, then nodded to the growing line.

"That is quite the rare find," Cora said, facing the customer again. "Do you have any larger bills? I can give you change instead."

The customer narrowed their eyes. "I said I was trying to get rid of my coins."

For a moment, Cora froze. "Right. But maybe I'll find another rare quarter in my till? A past customer probably didn't have an eye for beautiful coins like you do."

When the customer continued to stare at her, Cora wondered if she misspoke. It took a few seconds before they reached into their pocket again and retrieved a five dollar bill from their wallet.

"Can I get my change in quarters?" they asked, sliding their rejected coins and the bill across the counter.

Cora forced her smile to remain as wide as possible. "Absolutely!"

As she faced the coins before her and mentally prepared for the daunting task of counting them, Kevin cleared his throat.

"Farron sighting," he whispered as he crossed behind her. "Two o'clock, tables."

Cora's head snapped up. Behind the growing line to her register, she could see some food court patrons at the tables, but she still had to maneuver herself to find her target. Off to the side was Farron, sitting alone and hunched over their cup of instant noodles.

They were on their lunch break, and Cora had to make sure she could join them.

Suddenly, someone else cleared their throat, this time with much more force—Darlene. Cora didn't need to look at her manager as she smiled wider at the waiting customer, but before she began to count their coins, another thought crossed her mind.

She spun around. "Wait! Kevin!"

Kevin, already passing the sinks, whirled around with wide eyes, brandishing the tongs again with one hand and the plate with a toasted blueberry bagel in the other.

"What are your pronouns?" Cora whispered.

After a second of silence, Kevin gave her a small smile. "He, him. For now, at least. You?"

"She—"

"Ahem!" Darlene snapped, not bothering to imitate the noise anymore.

Cora and Kevin both jumped before returning to their respective tasks.

As long as the line of customers was, Cora managed to clear it in mere minutes. Perhaps their orders were just simpler than normal, but regardless of the reason, they were gone, and Darlene and Kevin completed serving them soon after. For once, Cora was eager to clock out for her lunch break, and she didn't waste a second as she dashed to the backroom, untying her apron along the way.

Luckily, Farron was right where Cora last saw them. Unfortunately, they looked more disheartened than ever as they picked at their noodles with their chopsticks, their gaze fixed on the empty chair across from them.

Cora didn't hesitate before squeezing through the crowd to join them, armed with her lunch and a warm paper bag.

"Is this seat taken?" Cora asked, nodding at the empty chair.

When Farron lifted their head, their eyes lacked their normal mischievous glint and even their occasional deathly glare. All that remained was vacant darkness, as if they were reflecting the emotions deep within Cora's soul...

Nope, Cora definitely couldn't think like that today. This was about Farron and their recent run-in with their jerk of an ex. Cora could ruminate in her deepest and darkest thoughts later. Now, it was Farron time.

But what if Farron didn't want to talk to Cora? They ran away from the conversation when they last spoke, so why would this be any different? What if Cora being there bothered them even more?

"No," Farron whispered, turning back to their untouched noodles. "Go ahead."

After taking a second to comprehend their words, Cora plopped down on the empty seat, almost falling over in the process.

For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. As Cora stirred her rice porridge, Farron continued to do the same with their food. At one point, they picked up some of the noodles, only to stare at it as the toppings slipped back into the cup.

Upon closer inspection, Cora recognized the typical freeze-dried green onions and mystery meat cubes all too well. Farron hadn't dressed up their instant noodles like they normally did.

The situation was more dire than she expected. Cora had to act—fast.

"Oh! Um..." Cora picked up the warm paper bag and set it between them. "Your cinnamon roll. You forgot it earlier."

Farron glanced at it, then dragged it closer to them. "Thanks."

Cora's heart sank. This was really bad.

"Farron..." Cora began, but she didn't know what else to say. Asking if they were okay would be an awful question, and "how are you" wasn't much better, but she had to do something. "How you okay?"

Well, that did not go as planned.

"Sorry," Cora said, her nerves only growing when Farron looked at her. "I mean...are you? Okay? No, that wasn't right. Of course you're not. How are you? Wait, that wasn't a good one either. But...sure. How are you?"

At first, Farron stared at her with an empty expression. Before Cora could try to remedy her mistake, and likely make Farron feel even worse in the process, Farron gave her a small smile. While it didn't quite reach their eyes, it was at least a start, and Cora could work with that. Maybe.

"Honestly, not great," Farron said, turning back to their untouched lunch. "Seeing...her again was...unexpected. I never thought she would be at a place like this—I mean, you saw how she dressed, right? I figured the only reason she would come here would be to buy the mall, not shop at it."

Cora forced herself to nod, but she couldn't help but wonder if Farron would think of her differently if they knew the truth.

"Not that she's one of those rich asshole types or anything," Farron continued. "Well, not that much of an asshole. I probably wouldn't have even dated her if that was the case." They looked up at Cora. "Oh yeah, I'm gay, in case that wasn't obvious."

Cora nodded. "Oh yeah, me too."

As soon as she heard the words in her own voice, her eyes widened. Did she really just say that? After years of never admitting her sexuality to anyone, or laughing nervously whenever the topic of romance came up, had she really just outed herself to a near stranger?

But Farron wasn't really a stranger, were they? They may not follow each other on social media or have each other's numbers or know what the other does in their free time, but they're familiar in different ways. Farron had waited with Cora at a bus stop in the middle of the night. They had stood up for Cora when she faltered and comforted her when she needed it. They were the first person Cora had invited into her shabby home, and they didn't criticize her like Cora had feared.

Maybe they really weren't strangers. Maybe they weren't even rivals anymore. Maybe, just maybe, they were actually friends.

Cora didn't remember the last time she had a friend, but she sure as heck wasn't going to screw it up.

"That's right!" Cora said, nodding firmly as she gripped her spoon like she was about to stab her porridge. "I am very, very gay. Super gay. Like a superhero, but my powers are being gay."

Again, Farron stared at her for a moment before grinning, this time wider than before. "Alright, super gay, I'll let you know if I'm ever in desperate need of flannel then." When they looked back down, their smile faded. "Anyway, when we dated, Natalie was great for the most part. It wasn't until after I...came out to her that things got...uncomfortable."

"About..." Cora hesitated, not wanting to screw up and hurt Farron like Natalie had done, "your pronouns?"

Farron nodded, their eyes still downcast. "I'm nonbinary." They chuckled, but it sounded forced and weak. "In case that wasn't obvious either."

When Farron's smile faded, Cora's heart ached. "And that icky Natalie didn't like that?"

Somehow, Farron's smile returned, and while it was still small, it seemed a little more natural than before. "Not really, no. But...it wasn't really that part she minded."

Farron sighed as they dropped their hand to the table, taking their chopsticks with it. Their lips were sealed tight in silence, but every so often, they would twitch, as if itching to release the secrets behind them.

Not that Cora was staring at their lips. Of course not, and especially not during a serious conversation in the middle of a mall food court during their legally mandated lunch break. That would be highly inappropriate.

"I..." Farron began, then sighed. When they continued, their voice was only a hint louder than a whisper. "I'm genderfluid. Like today, I go by they, them, but sometimes, I use she, her. It just...depends."

Cora's eyes widened. How much had disgusting Natalie hurt them that their natural confidence was nowhere in sight?

"Sometimes, I'm sure of it," Farron continued, likely unaware of how Cora's heart was breaking and burning at the same time. "Like, yeah, I'm a woman. Other times...I don't know. I don't feel like I'm she, her or he, him or anything. I'm just...me. I'm just Farron. And no other words can describe me." After staring at the table between them, they sighed, shaking their head. "I know, it's weird—"

"It's not weird," Cora said before she could stop herself. But when Farron finally looked up at her, their eyes wide and glistening, Cora didn't want to stop. "It's not weird to feel like you. And anyone that says otherwise is a liar and...and stupid, and..." She hesitated. Farron hadn't criticized their ex that much, so Cora probably shouldn't either, right? "And a meanie. A...big meanie."

When Farron chuckled, it was quiet, but it sounded real. "Yeah. Yeah, she's a real meanie."

Cora grinned at the sound of Farron's laughter, but when their smile faded once more, Cora's followed soon after.

"There's no shame in being you—in being Farron," Cora said, even as Farron's gaze fell from hers. She wasn't sure if Farron would believe her words, but she needed to try. It was the least she could do. "You don't need gender to define you, to tell you who you are. You should be able to determine that for yourself. You get to decide who you are, and no one else."

Including nasty Natalie, Cora itched to say, but she forced her thoughts down and her lips shut.

For a moment, Farron didn't respond, their gaze still focused on the table between them. As much as Cora wanted to reach across the table and grab them by the face, exclaiming, "You're perfect the way you are," such actions would probably get her punched, ditched, and fired in that order.

Eventually, Farron sighed again, and when their gaze returned to Cora's, it was accompanied by a smile. "I should, yeah?" They chuckled. "Thanks."

When their smile widened, the raging fire in Cora's heart continued, but it shifted from anger into...something else. Something...unfamiliar. Something that she definitely wasn't going to think of just then.

In the meantime, Cora grinned. "Any time."