Marti wakes up on Tuesday morning to their mom yelling from the other room about how she can’t find her keys. Marti knows that they will be hanging from the coat rack underneath their mom’s thick Levi jacket because that’s where they are almost every morning. After getting ready, Marti slips through the front door without being seen and hops into their car.
       Pulling up to the local high school Marti spots their two best friends, Zee and Layne. Zee is smoking a cigarette while Layne is nervously looking for any authoritative figure. As soon as Zee spots Marti, he breaks into a grin and stubs out the cig while sauntering over to envelop Marti in a hug. Layne is next, looking considerably more relaxed now that any immediate threat of trouble is gone.
       “Hey, babes, how are yeh?” Zee asks with his  slow, scratchy voice from too many cigarettes, and slight English lilt. Zee is from Bradford, England but his mom decided to move to Portland when he was 15 and since the first day of sophomore year, him and Marti have been best friends.
       “Yeah Marti, we haven't seen you in a while and you’ve not been answering your phone. Are you okay? Did anything happen?” Layne begins to stumble over her words as she grows progressively more worried. Layne is the “mom” of the group and Marti’s other best friend since the second grade when they were both the slowest runners in P.E.
       “I’m fine, guys, sorry, my mom has just been weird lately and wanted me to stay home because I sneezed and she thought I was going to recreate Outbreak,” Marti says with an exasperated tone.
       At that moment, the bell rings and Layne goes to physics while Zee and Marti go to the art building. On the way into Mr. Mooney’s classroom, Marti sees a flyer for an art class at the community rec. Center.
       Grabbing it, Marti looks at the dates and times and, deciding it would be a good excuse to leave the house, stuffs it into their bag.
       When Marti gets home that night, they quickly discard their backpack, change into an old shirt that they don't mind dirtying and some old vans, hops back into their old blue mazda, and drives the twenty minutes to the rec center. Upon arrival, Marti sees a small stream of people coming outside and ducks once they realize it’s people they know. Hurrying into the building they quickly find the room where the lessons are being held, taking the first empty seat they see. Once Marti finally looks up to observe their surroundings they realize the are sat next to, quite possibly, the most beautiful human being to ever exist, and they are staring right at Marti with a smirk that suggests they know the affect they have on people.
      “Hi.” they say, amusement clear in their voice.
      “Hey, hi, I’m Marti. Hi,” while Marti mentally scolds themselves for being so painfully awkward, Beautiful Creature Angel Face starts laughing and it sounds like soft windchimes to Marti’s ears.
      “Hello Marti, I’m Harley. Very pleased to meet you,” Harley says as she extends her hand for a handshake, and of course, of course this person has the softest skin Marti has had the privilege of coming in contact with. Marti then realizes they’re just holding Harley’s hand and quickly drops it, their cheeks heating up.                Throughout the class Marti gets to know Harley and is delighted to find that she is absolutely hilarious. That is how the next few weeks go, Harley painting completely inappropriate pictures and smiling with a sense of pride every time she get Marti to laugh the most hideous single syllable cackle that never fails to have Marti clapping their hands to their mouth in an attempt to somehow push the sound back past their lips. Harley is cool. There really is no other word to describe her. She’s calm and even and intriguing and funny and everything Marti wants.

         Which is why Marti almost chokes on their spit when Harley says, “We should hangout somewhere that isn't this dirty art room that smells like moldy paint.” And that’s how Marti ends up driving Harley around downtown and taking her back to Marti’s house to go to the forest that hasn’t changed since Marti can remember. The rustling of leaves is drown out by their laughter and the wind is filled with their exchanged stories. And it goes on like that, the spaces between them lessening with each second until their lives become so entwined that going more than two hours without a text from one of them sets off warning bells.

       That reasoning is what Marti uses in justifying going to Harley's house after she hasn’t responded in over seven hours. As they pull up they can see Harley exiting the front door carrying a backpack and it isn’t so unusual but when Harley looks up Marti can see the tears rolling down her face. Immediately exiting the car, they run to each other and Harley cries into Marti’s sweater, blabbering about how her dad is the worst and she doesn't know why he can’t just accept her. It’s in this moment, Harley’s snot on Marti’s clothes that they realize they’re gone. Even crying, red blotches on her face, Marti thinks Harley is still the most beautiful.
       Pulling back, Marti wipes Harley’s face and says, “Do You wanna go back to mine, babes?” and now they hold their breath because the term just slipped out, but Harley gives one last tight hug before getting into the car. Marti finally relaxes when Harley stops crying and begins to breathe normally again. Turning onto their street, Marti realizes it’s around ten at night and that Harley is probably going to spend the night.
        When they get into the house, Marti asks Harley if there is anything she wants to eat but Harley seems tired so instead Marti leads her to their room. After a couple of minutes Marti becomes so curious about what happened at Harley’s house that they feel like they could burst.
       “Do you wanna, like, I don’t know, talk about what happened?” Marti asks quietly.
       “I came out to my dad. He said I was just looking for attention. He slapped me so I packed some clothes and was gonna catch a bus to yours but you were already there.” Harley says with an air of nonchalance that Marti knows is fake, but that isn't the problem. The problem is Harley just basically came out to Marti and they are freaking out internally.
       “Oh..” and Marti wants to punch themselves because, seriously? Harley just told Marti something that could change their relationship possibly and all Marti could come up with was “oh”. Jesus, how pathetic. They’re quiet after that, content to just listen to Harley breathing and existing in the same space as Marti.
       Marti’s heartbeat quickens as Harley whispers “We should go onto the roof,” from her place on Marti's bed. Marti fidgets with a ring on their finger as they try not to stare too intensely at Harley's lips as she talks.
        “Yeah, okay,” Marti whispers back, which is kind of preposterous since Marti's mom is spending the night at her boyfriend's and it's just them in the house. It's just them. That thought pings around Marti's brain making their breath get caught in their throat, forcing out a hideous choking noise. Marti's cheeks start to redden when Harley looks up from tying her shoes to shoot Marti a confused look. She obviously doesn't think it important after Marti waves her off. Marti begins leading the way to the backyard where there is a chunk of stone sticking out of the side of the house close enough to the ground to jump on and close enough to the roof to pull yourself onto it. They're quiet for a few long minutes when they finally settle themselves on the roof.
       It doesn't last long when Harley suddenly exclaims, “I should like the world to be as in love with me as I am it.” Marti looks at her with eyes that are both amused and shocked. Marti feels an unexplainable tug at their stomach, because what the heck? Why does everything Harley say sound like it's a quote straight from Oscar Wilde?
       Marti just lays down and mumbles, “I don't really think the world could stop itself from loving someone like you, Harley.” The thankful and pleased look on Harley's face soothes some of Marti's embarrassment at having said that out loud, and when Harley takes Marti's hand and laces their fingers together, any trace of shame vanishes completely.
       Falling asleep that night with Harley half on top of Marti and slightly snoring, Marti feels so happy they could burst but decides that would be weird so settles on pulling Harley closer and finally succumbing to the tiredness.
       After waking up, Harley and Marti get ready to go into downtown because Harley needs a new book and Marti wants some shoes. They split up once they reach Powell’s, Harley going into the Doctor Marten store right across. After getting some new boots, they head to Powell’s to find Harley who ends up being in the cafe. Sitting down across from Harley as she reads and sips tea, Marti finds themselves entranced with the way Harley’s brows scrunch together if she doesn't like something that’s happening and the way her lips mouth the words.
       After a couple of seconds Harley looks up and says, “What shoes did you get?”
      “Oh, um, just some boots, ya know, cause my toes go through my old ones.” Marti says slowly.
      “That’s nice. Shall we go?” Harley asks. Marti is still worried. Harley has never been so not vocal and, frankly, it’s terrifying to Marti. Harley must sense Marti’s discomfort because she stands and grabs Marti’s hand, anchoring them, and guides them both through the store all the way to the car. And then she still holds it and plays with Marti’s fingers as they drive back to the house.
       Entering the once again empty house, Marti and Harley go back into Marti’s room. Marti wants to kiss her so bad and decides now is the best time to tell Harley their true feelings.
         “Harley, liste-” they don’t get to finish that sentence because Harley’s lips are on Marti’s and they are softer than anything Marti had thought up. Kissing Harley isn’t fireworks, but it feels like sinking into a
warm bath with Chopin playing in the back and like having a good amount of sleep and it’s everything even if it is just a kiss. Those feelings are cut short, however, when suddenly there’s a gasp from the doorway and turning, Marti sees their mom’s shocked face.
       “Mom!” Marti squeaks out.
       “Sorry, oh my god this is awkward, sorry I’m just gonna go. I’ll see you, Marti,” Harley quickly slips out leaving just Marti and their mom.
      “Mom? Can we go into the living room,” Marti meekly suggests. Their mom nods and walks to the living room in a shocked haze.
      “So, you’re a lesbian?” is the first thing Marti’s mom says.
       “Um, no, it’s more complicated. Being a lesbian would mean I only like girls, so I just prefer the term queer. Oh, that would also require me to be a girl, which is also not true, so, there’s that.” Marti waits for their mom to say something and when she doesn’t, Marti begins to explain what being non-binary is. After they explain the prefered pronouns and everything that goes along with it, they, once again, wait for their mom to say something.
       “I love you Marti, and even if my daughter isn't really my ‘daughter’ so to speak, I still love you and I will try my hardest to make you feel comfortable by using your pronouns, but it might take awhile.” Once she’s finished she’s close to tears at this point so Marti rushes to hug their mother. Telling their mom that they are gonna go clear their head in the forest is Marti’s last words before leaving the house.
       Upon entering, Marti spots Harley leaning against their tree. Rushing over, they plop down next to her and grab Harley’s hand. Harley squeezes back reassuringly before looking up.
       “Are you and your mom okay?” she asks, then, more quietly, “Are we okay?”
       “Yes. To both of those questions,” Marti says.
       “Marti, what are we?” Harley sounds so vulnerable that Marti wants to just wrap her up and keep her from everything bad in the world.
        “Whatever you want. We don’t have to be anything. We can be best friends, just now best friends who hold hands and kiss, I guess.” Marti responds, sounding more even and calm than they feel.
       “Okay. I think that sounds good. You’re too patient with me Marti. Like a flower seed waiting for spring in Antarctica.” Harley whispers. Marti breathes a sigh of relief because Harley is back to her poetic way of speaking.
       Laughing breathily, Marti leans back and says “The people look like flowers at last,” and smiles because that’s Harley’s favorite poem book title. Squeezing Harley’s hand, they lean over and kiss the corner of her mouth and then look up at the leaves swirling through the sky to the ground until Harley leans her head on Marti’s shoulders. Which is where they stay until the sun has disappeared and they’re both too tired to do more than clamber back into the house and pass out as soon as their heads hit the pillows.