Chapter Text
Flynn’s body tensed up as each moment passed. Her eyes searched the crowd for support, from someone, anyone, but everyone was avoiding her gaze.
Flynn had never felt more alone than she did now. She had an ally, two, even, sitting or standing near her, but of the possible hundreds of people in that room, voting, that meant nothing.
Even with someone that was more than an ally sitting right in the front row, right in Flynn’s view, it meant nothing. Nothing.
Nothing, because the entire room was voting against her. To them, she was bad enough that she might as well be a demon.
All she wanted was to take her girlfriend to the prom, like any guy got to do. Why was it any different for her?
She knew why. She knew why, but she hated knowing why.
It was different because she was different. It was different for her because she was daring to be herself, but they didn’t like who she really was. It was different for her because she dared to try something outside of the community’s comfort zone, and now she was being punished for it.
As if she hadn’t already been punished enough. It was just one thing after another, piling on top so heavy that she could barely stand, but she did, she kept standing through everything they threw at her.
Until now.
Now, Flynn was falling. One thing, she wanted one thing, and they still had to take it away from her.
Could she not have this tiny shred of joy? This one night, one time when things actually went her way. Could she not have a single moment where she could be truly happy?
Was she really that terrible to want what everyone else got so easily? Was it really selfish to want to go to prom with the girl she loved, after all she’d been through?
She didn’t want to change herself, truly, she was proud of her identity, but in this moment, when everything was going wrong, she wanted to be normal. She wanted to be normal enough that she could go to prom with her date like any kid could.
She just wished that she was anywhere else, because there were so many places that were better than here. So many places where she really could be herself, and instead, she was stuck here.
Stuck here, while the man she used to idolize as a child lead the entire town in a vote against her.
Trevor Wilson, previously a famous rockstar, currently, head of the school board, and pretty much Flynn’s worst enemy.
“All those in favor?” he asked, rousing Flynn from her thoughts.
She gazed over the crowd, watching nearly every hand go up. Her heart sank. Even just a moment ago, there was hope. There was a tiny thread, that she hung onto.
But now, as everyone raised their hands, the thread was snipped, and Flynn was plunged into despair.
“All opposed.”
Every hand went down.
Some hadn’t raised their hands before, and Flynn thought, maybe someone will actually vote for my side, maybe someone will actually care, but even those who hadn’t raised their hands before, didn’t do so now.
Not a single hand in the crowd was raised.
No one cared.
The meeting was quickly adjourned, and people started to file out.
Flynn looked out over the crowd and briefly, very briefly, locked eyes with Carrie, before she was quickly shooed out the door by her father, none other than Trevor Wilson.
A gentle hand was placed on Flynn’s shoulder.
“I’m so sorry,” Ms. Harrison’s voice whispered.
Flynn didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. How could she? Prom had just been canceled, just because of her. Just because she wanted to bring her girlfriend to prom.
Somehow, Flynn arrived outside the building, just in time for Trevor to leave, and the reporters to flock her.
“Flynn Myers, would you like to give a statement?”
“How do you feel about the cancellation of the prom?”
“Is there anything you’d like to say about tonight?”
Question after question directed at her, for her to answer. They pounded at her head, at her heart, and it took all she had in her not to break, then and there.
She gave them no answer, and it became clear to them quickly that she would be giving no statement. Not tonight.
Not tonight.