Summertime Countdown

Jessi hunched over his desk, pencil sharpened and ready to make a list of things to do before summer. He had only weeks of school left and wanted to cherish every moment.

He started his list slowly, jotting down the small but important tasks he wanted to accomplish before the end of the year. He wrote, "Organize my room," along with "Clean out my locker," and "Write thank-you cards for teachers." He worked for the entire class, not really listening to the teacher, filling up the page with ideas big and small.

When he was satisfied with his list, he set the paper aside and stood up when the bell rang. He felt a little lighter, knowing he had a plan for his last few weeks of school.

As he turned to leave the desk, a tug in his chest made him pause. He knew he had forgotten something. His hand trembled over the list, afraid of what he'd write.

After a moment, he slowly wrote the words, "Come out as nonbinary to my family." His heart raced as he stared at the words, feeling as though they were both too big and too small for the page.

He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to come out but feared the consequences. His dad's strictness and his mom's potential misunderstanding worried him. Anxiety raged in his chest. He wanted to throw away the paper and forget this entire thing.

But he couldn't. He knew this was something he had to do. He had to be true to himself, even if it meant facing his fears. He opened his eyes and nodded to himself, determined to get through this last task on his list.

He sprinted down the hallway, heart pounding with excitement for a new beginning, coming to a halt in front of his locker.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a beautiful girl with piercing blue eyes and long dark hair cascading down her back. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice you seem lost in thought. Is everything okay?"

He couldn't believe it. This girl, who looked like she belonged on the magazine cover, was talking to him. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just lost in my own head, I guess," he replied, trying to play it cool.

"Well, maybe I can help you get out of your head," she said, with a sparkle in her eyes. "There's a party tonight at my place. You should come. It'll be a good distraction."

He hesitated for a moment but then thought, why not? He needed to let loose and have some fun. "Sure, sounds like a plan," he replied with a smile.

As she walked away, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He felt a rush of excitement as he realized that his future was brighter and a lot more exciting than he had anticipated. Than they had anticipated, they corrected themselves with a smile.