Page 14 of The Rebel's Guide to Pride

“Does he know how problematic—”

“Why do we need a piñata again?” I cut her off, clearing my throat.

Slowly, her concern twisted into a smile. “Because we’re gonna pretend it’s Mayor Dickbrain’s face,” she relented, allowing me to change the subject. But there was a bullish glint in her eye that said we weren’t done discussing it. “And I filled it with glitter to make tonight extra gay.”

“Yeah. Totally. I should’ve suggested that,” I said, tying the rainbow’s string around a ceiling joist. But I didn’t know where to begin suggesting anything. I wasn’t like her, and all Ididknow fit in a shoebox.

“Zeke?” someone called as I climbed down, and my face heated with more embarrassment.

“Drape those flags over the lamps,” Sawyer ordered before I had a chance to respond. “Here, I’ll show you what I mean.”

She darted off while I stood there like a dipshit. Before December, I’d known what to do. Stand on the pitcher’s mound and make the bleachers erupt in cheers as I struck out the competition. Pretend to be straight and make everyone love me like my father had wanted. Keep my mouth shut and convince them I fit in. But now? I didn’t know how to be me like I’d thought.

Trying to prove myself wasn’t so easy.

I need a break,I decided, turning on my heels. Anything to get away from not being able to answer another question. My sneakers squeaked on the concrete floor as I walked quickly to the stairs. It was nearing nine p.m., but it was obvious Sawyer had things under control.

I pushed open the door for the main level, and I slinked out before it closed behind me. “Seriously, what the hell was I thinking?” I mumbled into the darkness of the bookstore, leaning back against the wall. No reply came other than the buzz of the neon sign by the entrance. HOLA Y BIENVENIDO it read, but I was feeling very unwelcome right now.

A shadowy figure suddenly stood from behind the register, and I startled upright. The glow from the computer screen shined across his face as he eyed me. “S-sorry,” I managed, squirming under his hooded stare. “Didn’t know someone was up here.”

“It’s all good,” he replied in a velvety voice. He scanned the unlit store, running a hand through his messy dark hair. “I just finished closing up.”

“I can, uh, just go back down…” I trailed off and turned to leave.

“Hey, you’re Zeke, right?” he asked, rounding the counter.

“I’m he,” I replied, turning back. The deep cadence of how he’d said my name tripped me up. “I mean, I’m Zeke.”

A smirk tugged the corner of his lips as he swaggered toward me. Slowly, he came into focus in the dim lighting. The guy was tall, slender, with a tight T-shirt for Estrella Books stretched across his chest. I gulped and stepped back as he checked me out, his gaze raking over my body.

“Shouldn’t you be downstairs?” he asked.

“Uh…” I could feel sweat beading on my forehead, and I tried to play it off. “Just needed a break from…you know…”

“Don’t be nervous about tonight.”

My mind raced to ask how he knew what I’d been stewing over. But I managed “I’m not.”

The smirk turned into a dazzling grin. “Good, because what you’re doing is brave. I wish someone would have done this over in West Point. But my hometown is as homophobic as this one. No one cares about Pride. Not like you do.”

“Like me,” I repeated, my cool facade threatening to crack.

“Looks like you’re not afraid of a fight either.” He pointed at my black eye. “Such a rebel.”

“Hardly.”

“For real, there wouldn’t be a Pride if it wasn’t for you.”

“I guess,” I said, more to myself. Sawyer was willing to let everything be canceled, butI’ddone something. That had to make me less of a fraud, right?

“I’m Mason, by the way.”

“I’m Zeke…” I blinked slowly, feeling dumber. “But you already knew that.”

He laughed, an even deeper roar that made my pulse quicken. “C’mon,” he said with a wink and reached for the door handle. “We’ll dance those nerves away.”

I let out a breath, exhaling the tension in my chest. This was no different from spending three hours in the town square.I can handle this,I reassured myself, following his lead.