Jonchelle and Vanessa started to walk towards the exit. There were a few students still around, most of them people Jonchelle had seen during the tryouts. Vanessa looked around nervously and then gently reached for Jonchelle’s hand, stopping in her tracks.
“Hey, um...” she began haltingly. “Do you want to come and hang out at my place tonight?”
Jonchelle blinked. “Are you sure? Will your dad even let me in?” Vanessa had told Jonchelle briefly about her family, how they had declined to take part in the resolution, and how they reacted to Vanessa coming out.
“I’m hoping that when he sees what a great girl you are...” she explained. “He might loosen up and come around to the idea. If not, we always have the stone.”
Jonchelle blushed at the compliment. “Well, only if you’re sure.” Vanessa nodded, certain.
Vanessa’s apartment was further away from the school than Jonchelle’s and so the two girls headed towards Vanessa’s car. It was a small, cheap model that was clearly used; the paint had faded in places, and there were a couple of dents in the bodywork. Jonchelle texted her mom to say that she would be late home.
After a short ride, they arrived at Vanessa’s apartment complex. It was a little run-down and could do with a bit of maintenance. Vanessa pulled into a space in the parking lot, with its faded stripes. The buildings made Jonchelle’s house look like a mansion—no wonder Vanessa preferred to hang out there.
Digging her keys out of her purse, Vanessa got out of the car, took Jonchelle’s hand and led her inside the building. There was no elevator in the building, so they took the stairs. Fortunately, Vanessa’s apartment was only on the second floor.
The floor plan of Vanessa’s apartment was pretty basic. It was an open floor plan with the living room and a small kitchen off to the left, divided by a small half wall. The bathroom and a couple of bedrooms were on the right.
“Hey, Dad!” Vanessa called out. “I’m home... I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some company.”
They found Vanessa’s dad in the living room, sitting in a battered recliner, watching the news. Instead of the warm, friendly greeting that Jonchelle was expecting, they received a low, disappointing grunt.
“And where have you been?” he asked, not looking up from the TV.
“Cheerleading practice,” Vanessa replied. She looked at Jonchelle and they moved further into the apartment.
“At least that’s something,” Vanessa’s dad muttered. As they came into the living room, he noticed Jonchelle. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Jonchelle.” Jonchelle smiled nervously and even tried a little curtsey. Vanessa’s dad rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Another one, huh? I tell you, this town’s gone crazy. It’s even on the news.” He gestured toward the TV, on the screen was a new-boy anchorman and a new-girl anchorwoman. He shook his head again.
“Dad!” Vanessa whined, but all she got was a look.
“Enough!” he barked, starting to get angry. “I told before when you first floated this stupid idea, men should be men and women should be women. There’s no in-between, and boys certainly shouldn’t be wearing dresses!” He glared angrily at Jonchelle and Vanessa, his arms gesturing at their outfits.
Vanessa trembled and ran off to her room. Jonchelle frowned at Vanessa’s dad and ran off after her.
