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The trophy was as good as April’s, and the whole crowd knew it. She had local debate god Craig Wu right where she wanted him, but he seemed calm for someone who was losing the final round. April couldn’t detect even a hint of sweat on his brow. She shot him a smug glance as she waited for his response to her point about the effectiveness of national security programs. He leaned into the mic and flashed a chilling smile.
“I see what you're saying, but to better illustrate my earlier point, please consider this example from your personal life,” he began. “Your father went back to prison, so now that his surveillance is no longer a factor, you are now free to resume pursuing romantic relationships with other girls. The fact that he is no longer able to observe you has directly increased your levels of personal freedom. It’s the same principle for governments and citizens. In the spirit of a free society, the government should cut its surveillance programs drastically.”
April stared at him in pure shock. Tears sprang to her eyes once the reality of what he had just said fully sank in. Craig Wu had just ruined her entire life in a single sentence. She knocked over the mic as she sprinted out of the auditorium, letting the door slam behind her. Everyone had heard him! Ellen, who she would never be able to make eye contact with again, was probably calling her mother at that very moment.
Winning the debate had been the most important thing in her world when she woke up that morning, but now, the fact that she was disqualified didn’t even matter. She was going to lose her Fellowship Leader title, her friends, and her social standing. Worst of all, this was going to get back to her father.
She ducked into the bathroom and slumped down against a wall. April covered her face with her hands and let her tears flow. The entire room spun around her. As her small body trembled with fear, she closed her eyes and prayed for God to intervene. April’s phone chimed over and over and over, worsening her anxiety. She couldn’t bear to look at it.
April almost didn’t notice the bathroom door open, but once she heard footsteps, she tried her best to dry her face with her hand. Unfortunately, the running mascara made that kind of difficult. All she could see were Willingham khakis and white sneakers, but those were the only clues she needed. April quickly stood up and grabbed a wet paper towel to try and remove the inky tracks from her cheeks.
“Hey, April,” said Sterling, her voice soft. “I wanted to come check on you. Are you okay?”
“No,” April snapped. “Wu just fucking ended my entire life. I’ll never be okay again.”
Sterling frowned. “Aww, your face! Here.”
She took the wet paper towel out of April’s hands and began wiping away her tears. April wasn’t sure why she was allowing it, but she stood motionless as Sterling cleaned up her face. They hadn’t had any kind of physical contact since the night of the lock-in.
“I’m scared, Sterl,” she whispered.
“I know. I went up to Wu after you ran out and gave him a real piece of my mind about his ‘victory.’ Ugh, what an… an asshole!”
That got a light chuckle out of April. Things had to be really bad for Sterling to swear. To her surprise, Sterling pulled her in for a hug. April thought, for a split second, that she should resist, but she had nothing left to lose. She buried her face in Sterling’s shoulder. Her ex-girlfriend’s embrace should not have been this comforting, but she clung to her like her life depended on it.
“It’s okay if you have to cry,” said Sterling as she continued to hold April close. “I’ve got you.”
Sterling’s words pushed April over the edge. They used to say that exact phrase all the time when they were still together. The waterworks started up again, and April sobbed a river’s worth of tears into the soft fabric of Sterling’s shirt. Sterling rubbed her back and played with her hair while she cried until she couldn’t anymore.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” April asked, lifting her head up from Sterling’s shoulder. “I broke your heart.”
“I know this is, like, your worst nightmare. And, um,” Sterling swallowed hard and looked away for a few awkward seconds before continuing, “I still like you, April. You don’t have to go through this alone. I’ll come out too.”
April couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Sterling still liked her, even after how she had treated her at the lock-in. Cynically, April wondered if this was just some plot to twist the knife in her heart. Sterling had wanted her out of the closet most of all. She searched Sterling’s face for signs of insincerity but found none.
“You would do that for me?”
“Yes, of course!”
Something tugged at April’s heart, and she was overcome with the urge to kiss Sterling. Nothing mattered anymore, so why not? Sterling was about to be all she had. She cupped Sterling’s cheek and stood up on her tiptoes to reach her lips. Sterling seemed to anticipate her actions and met her halfway. There was no way April would’ve admitted this to herself before what just happened, but she had missed Sterling’s kisses terribly.
When they broke apart, Sterling offered a warm smile and extended her hand. April took Sterling’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Leaving the safety of the bathroom was terrifying, but April didn’t feel quite as bad with Sterling by her side.