Sure enough, the end of another school day came to an end (with plans for another swimming/diving practice set for tomorrow since Lanier was out for the day), and I was joining Oliver Slade as we made our way to his car, a stunning vintage '75 Camaro that was kept in prime condition. "Nice ride," I couldn't help but comment as I got in the front passenger side as he took to the driver side.

"A gift from Uncle Lachlan," Oliver commented as we buckled up before he gunned the engine. "It was to celebrate my completed transition from a gawky and sallow-faced girl to a stunning guy. And it was on my birthday, no less."

"I bet it was a great day for you. Your parents must've regretted kicking you out."

Oliver snorted, a clouded look in his eyes that was there briefly before he pulled out of the school's parking lot. "Thomas and Edilean Slade always believed in life that's black and white," he said lowly. "They wanted their 'mousy Olivia' to remain in the background and waiting to be married off to some spineless nitwit. I'll never regret for not becoming who I am, even after their deaths three years ago."

I looked down. "I'm sorry," I replied. "I know the feeling of loss since my maternal grandmother died three years ago as well. Heart failure. She and I were close

"Well, my parents and equally-vicious older sister Callie died from a hit-and-run by some drunk driver. And even before then, they still hated me for not being their 'Southern Belle' daughter like Callie was. Thank the heavens that I got out of there," Oliver said as he turned onto Cartier Boulevard. "But let's not talk about our past families that hated us for being different, not like your grandmother who loved you for who you were. This afternoon is all about you and I and what we can be together as teammates."

I nodded, granting him a small smile. "That I can agree with," I replied.

"Then let's go. We're heading to Honey Java's where the pastries are heaven-sent and the beverages are second-to-none."

And we left it at that as the sounds of Tom Petty blared from the stereo while we made the trek to our after-school gathering.

**********

Honey Java's Coffeehouse was definitely blessing me with the air of classic-rock, Deep-South-charm feels, and freshly-brewed coffee filling the air and my nose as Oliver and I sat down in a cozy booth. And in between sips of our drinks of choice (I had the double-mocha frappe while Oliver enjoyed his iced cappucchino) and bites of homemade fudge scones, we got to know each other better and talked about everything and anything under the sun, even getting a little personal about our life stories.

Oliver came from a family full of old money and Texan-conservative values that didn't make room for anything that was beneath them (anti-LGBTQ viewpoints and minimal talk of racial equality included). And Oliver (who was Olivia before the transition) had hated every viewpoint that his late father stood for, even being disgusted that his paternal family loved the Ku-Klux-Klan and praised the people from Westboro, Oklahoma for their worth. It was all the better for him to give them a middle finger by coming out as trans since he knew that he was more boyish than feminine. Despite being thrown out and being dealt with threats of conversion therapy, Oliver had made it all his own thanks to some supporters (his uncle and his friends, some of his late sister's friends and their families that disowned the voracious pageant girl, and even a few benefactors) and was proudly living in his truth.

In turn, he was sympathetic about my un-charmed life back in Bellevue Heights and my upbringing at Fairlake Arms Apartments He was definitely upset to learn that most of the people there agreed with my mother and wanted me dead while the others (including Mr. Tucker and his family) hated her for her words of salt aimed at me. "The hearts of mankind are cruel these days," he had spat when I told him of my mother hinting of hiring a hitman to take me out and getting away with it thanks to Uncle Carl the Dirty Cop. "Consider them lucky to just have the decency to leave you alive and not plan out your death." All in all, the two of us shared one thing in common: narrow-minded and heartless families who hated individuality and favored conformity in every sense of the word.

We also got caught up with our homework assignments for the day and talked about the first swim/dive meet against East Pasek High, Monrovia High, and Whitley Academy for Boys with me needing a proper workout/nutrition regime to get me ready for the platform diving trials. All in all, it was pretty good to just let myself be comfortable around someone who can get me.

Before we knew it, the time to leave was at hand since it was close to dinnertime at the Lomax. "I promised Javi and the guys to have you back by six," he said as we collected our things and bought a couple more scones for after dinner. "This was great, you know?"

"I'll say," I replied, grinning as I followed him out the door and to his car. "I don't want to jinx it, but I want to...well, spend a little more time with you. That is, if you don't mind."

"I'd like that," Oliver beamed as we ducked into his car and headed to my home.

Fifteen minutes before six, I was back with Joel and Taylor waiting for me. "Thanks for today, Slade. I appreciate it," I hummed as I collected my backpack.

"You're welcome," Oliver replied happily. "And Demario?"

"Yeah?"

Before I could catch myself, I felt his smooth lips brush against mine in a brief kiss. "This is something to remember me by," he breathed in my ear. "Have a good night. See you tomorrow."

I nodded, my face heating up as I hurriedly raced out of the door before being greeted by teasing smiles by my foster dads. "Looks like you two had a good afternoon," Taylor drawled, his stoic personality being replaced by a childishly-cheeky persona. "Slade's got the hots for you, kid."

"Taylor," Joel warned, though there was no serious in his voice. To me, "Go wash up and get ready for dinner."

He didn't have to ask me twice. The game of love was in play, and I was an unknowing player.

What even.

************

Dear Journal,

Oliver Slade and I had our first kiss.

Oliver Slade and I had our first kiss.

This mental trainwreck in healing and his transgender diving teammate shared a kiss of a lifetime.

What is happening in my life right now? Is this some sort of a bad joke? Is this an ongoing dream that's playing while I'm in a comatose state from drinking the vodka and swallowing Mom's Vicodin pills after being disowned.

Or...is this the beginning of something more ahead for me?

If this is from the third suggestion, then I hope that it lasts. Better yet, I want this to give me more hope.

Ooh, wee! I got this story cooking like fried catfish and sweeter than apple pie! Oliver and Demario kissed for the first time, folks! And this will lead to a budding romance between them. BUT...we still have Ryan who's not going to let another moment of chance slip away from him!

Coming up in the next chapter, it's therapy with Dr. Nguyen with a challenge for Demario to try his hand at poetry, followed by another threatening email from the same person who sent the first email! Oh, my!

Dedication: mmsmit and EmpressNyt.

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