We glance around, no one saw us. Except Zoe. She stares at us, wide-eyed. We awkwardly stare back, blushing. Her shocked expression transforms into joy as her her gaping mouth curves into a grin and she jumps up, yelling.

"Happy New Year!" Our parents say, probably assuming she's happy about the new year.

"She ships it," Connor whispers to me, jokingly. "I mean, not that we're dating or anything."

"Right," I chuckle, uncomfortably.

For the next few days we continue on our walks, as if nothing happened between us at midnight on New Years. It's finally the morning of the first day back at school, and I wake up at 5:30, and I just lay in bed for about half an hour. If I'm taking the bus I technically don't have to leave until 7:30. After getting dressed and brushing my teeth I return to my room to find Connor perched on a branch of my tree outside my window.

"How long have you been sitting there?" I open my window.

"Only about ten minutes," Connor smiles. "Well anyway, hi!"

"Hi!!" I grin. Do I seem too happy?

"Would you mind showing me where school is, Evan?" Connor asks.

"Uh, sure," I say. "The bus doesn't come until 7:30 though."

"I was thinking we could walk," Connor adjusts himself on the branch, worrying me.

"Okay, well, you should come in. We won't have to leave for another hour or so anyway."

"What about your mom?"

"She's already at work," I tell him, he seems slightly surprised that I hadn't been exaggerating when we first met, but he climbs through my window safely. We stand awkwardly for a few seconds. "Um, you'll be cold in just a hoodie," I say awkwardly.

"I haven't unpacked my jacket yet," he shrugs.

"One sec," I walk down the hall to my mom's room. I open her closet and dig back to the stuff she doesn't wear and keeps behind everything else. I select a fluffy black sweater that seems comfortable and oversized. I bring it back to my room and I find Connor looking around, mostly at my plants and books. I hand him the sweater.

"Thank y- OH MY GOD, IT SMELLS LIKE VANILLA!" Connor holds the sweater to his face and falls back onto my bed, his feet dangling off the edge. I always thought my mom smelled like cookies, but vanilla works too. I laugh and lay down beside him. We spend a while staring at my ceiling, silently recognizing each other's presence.

"I can't believe you have glowstars too," Connor laughs, pointing above us, and breaking the silence. "I thought I was the only one."

"They helped me with my fear of the dark, my mom would tell me to count them instead of sheep," I smile.

"What the hell? Me too," Connor says, laughing. He lowers his hand to the mattress, palm facing up. I slowly move my hand on top of his and leave it there, my fingers tingling. We lay in silence again, until Connor sits up, removing his hand from underneath mine. "Should we go?" I watch Connor's eyes focus on my own.

"Okay," I say. We walk to school quietly, our fingers intertwined, my hands sweating. When we arrive at school I introduce Jared and Connor awkwardly, and I'm relieved when they get along perfectly. Most of their jokes consist of laughing at things people say and raising their eye brows. I had to explain to Connor that I only have three classes a day, two of which with him, and lunch, otherwise I just have frees. As I explain I watch Connor's eyes cloud over with confusion. "Whatever, your schedule matters to you more," I smile, leading him to his first class.

I sit outside the room, and eventually watch Connor storm out of the room just as the bell rings, tears in his eyes. He squeezes me in a hug. Around his shoulder I can read his schedule, which I've been holding so he doesn't lose it. I'm relieved when I see that he has a free period like I do. I grab his hand, and lead him to the gender-neutral bathroom. I lock the door and we sit right by each other, my arms wrapped around his waist, and his around my shoulders.

"They called me Alice," Connor says, close to crying.

"What?" I ask.

"They called me Alice, and they wouldn't call me Connor," he removes his arms from around my shoulders and moves next to me. We both let our hands fall to our sides, and he grips mine.

"Why Alice?" Connor cringes at the mention of that name.

"My birth name," he mutters.

"Hey... Connor," I turn towards him, reaching and grabbing his other hand. Our faces inches from each other I continue. "You wanna know something?" Connor's eyes meet mine. "You're my best friend, and I love you. You are Connor. I pushed your birth name out of my head as soon as I heard it on that day when we first met, because it means nothing to me. Connor is my best friend. You are my best friend. Your dead name means nothing to me. Okay? Nothing."

The tears finally spill out of Connor's eyes and he lets his hands slip out of mine, resting his head on my thigh and squeezing my calf. I stroke his hair softly, "Shh, I'm here, I'm right here, I'll never leave, Connor. Never." I say with him until his sobs and tears turn to shaky breaths and tear-stained cheeks and he sits up, rubbing his nose and eyes with his sleeve.

"I don't want to go to my next class," Connor sniffles.

I glance at his schedule, "Connor, it will be better this period, I promise," I say recalling the teacher of our next class. "We have this class together, just sit next to me." I pull Connor towards me, wrapping my arms back around his waist.

Connor washes his face and we walk to our science room. I have Connor explain to the teacher that he should sit next to me so I can help him catch up.

"Okay, perfect! I'm Clark," our teacher, Clark, says. "Oh, and can I get your name?"

"Connor, Connor Murphy. But, the name-" Connor starts.

"The first initial of your birth name is 'A'?" Clark interrupts, glancing between Connor and the attendance sheet. Connor nods, and Clark scribbles something down. "He?" Connor replies with another nod. "Thanks, Connor."

Connor grins at me as we turn and walk to our table in the back. He tells me what happened down to each facial expression, as if I wasn't there. "Clark's the best," Connor grins.

"They haven't even taught you yet," I grin back.

"They?!" Connor's eyes sparkle.

"Clark's non-binary," I say, catching Clark smile at me from across the room. I swear he read my lips from all the way in the front of the room.