Kris and Kit

Chapter 14 ~ The Early Hours

Kit

 

        There came a point where Sherry turned off the lamp light, leaving us in total darkness. We were rather quiet--some of us sleeping--and I found myself exploring my thoughts. Usually, I was asleep before I could do such a thing, but tonight I was fully exposed to things that filled my head. I thought about the day I met Kris.

        In realizing that Kris was a girl, I was so thrown off that I hadn’t understood my feelings about it. Honestly, I was still trying to work through my thoughts on the matter. When I had visited the park that blazing hot day, met by Kris’s worried gaze, panic had seared my chest. For a split second, I had felt something else too, but I didn’t know what to call such an emotion. Something like… well, almost like relief? No, it was more complicated than that. I didn’t understand.

        “Psst, Kit,” Kris’s voice startled me.

        “Wh--Uh, y-yeah?” I stuttered.

        “Are you awake?”

        “Well… yes, I just answered you.”

        “Oh," Kris whispered. "Ok."

        I waited for her to say something else, but she was silent. "Did you... have something to tell me?"

        "Hm? Oh, no I was just wondering."

        "Um, okay," I chuckled.

        Soon, we decided that it was time to play Are You Awake, a game in which Kris and I would whisper everyone's name one by one, followed by, "Are you awake?" Sherry and Sophie were definitely sleeping, and Riley was in danger falling asleep at any second. Jo was mostly awake.

        "So just to confirm," Jo began, "you are straight."

        Kris poked me, and I replied, "Oh, me? Yes."

        "M'kay."

        "Why?" I had to ask.

        Jo hesitated, Kris and I waiting in curiosity. Then she answered, "I thought I was straight once. Didn't realize I might be anything else." Jo paused, and we couldn't say anything. "Didn't know that was a possibility. You know, nobody ever tells you that not being straight is normal. You have to suffer for a while before you find out through a friend or on the internet."

        Nobody said anything for a moment. "Yeah," Kris mumbled.

        I remained awkwardly silent as the two discussed their sexuality. Jo added, "And nobody understands. Sometimes if you're lucky, you have supporters, but nobody actually gets what it's like unless they're gay, y'know?"

        "Yeah dude," Kris replied. "Kit," she began, catching my attention. "If you get anything out of our awkward friendship, I hope it's... acceptance of people's differences."

        Surprised, I turned to face her, but all I could see was her silhouette. "I accept everyone," I told her.

        "Do you?" Jo asked.

        "Of course I do," I defended myself.

        "I dunno man--"

        "Did you just call me man?"

        "Uh... yeah. Anyway, sometimes people say that they accept everyone without knowing how many different types of people there are. Then they see new kinds of identities that they don't like, and they just kinda… make exceptions to their support."