Chapter Text
My family and I have been driving for five days. We've finally arrived to our new home, at least for now. Until ICE is gone. A place in Mexico. I don't know the name. My sister, Elise, and I are more than happy to be out of the car. Our new neighbors welcome us with a party. Their my mom's friends, I think. There's food and music and many, many people. A lot of them have kids. Elise immediately runs off to meet them, but I stay back. As much as I'd like to get settled and make some friends, my social anxiety is blaring in my head, and a strange feeling has settled in my heart.
I creep off, looking for something to climb. I find a wall, and climb over it. I hop over to the other side. I pull out my phone. I miss my friends back home. I want to remember them, but I can't. All I've been left with is this strange, hollow feeling that can't even be described as loneliness. Like I've forgotten something important.
I lean against the wall, listening to the distant thrums of Spanish music. I like it, but it isn't the same as the music I love. What I'd listen to with my friends.
"Hey."
I look around. A boy is sitting beside me.
"You the new neighbor?" he asks. I nod.
"I'm Elliot." He extends his hand to me. "The parties can be so overstimulating, I know."
"Zee," I say, introducing myself.
"Nice um... Is that your name?" Elliot asks. I nod again.
"It kinda reminds me of a show I like... have you heard of Murder Drones?" he looks away.
"I love that show," I almost scream at him. "And yea... I'm genderfluid... and my deadname was so... feminine. And I based my name off N and V!"
"Oh damn," Elliot says. "That's nice."
We talk for a while. Its nice, being with him, even the music blaring in the background is just part of the vibe. Even though we just met, I find myself telling him about myself, and wanting to know more about him. He accepts me, the way I am. I try to search for a word, something to describe it. Like all those people who'd try to "help" me would always say. "What are you feeling?" Then I realize Elliot isn't asking me to use words. He's just... with me. It's nice.
It turns out we're into a lot of the same stuff. I realize we must look pretty strange together, me in all my nerdy, weird glory, and him in his red traditional Spanish shirt and pants. I can't bring myself to care, though.
I end up telling him I play guitar and sing. It turns out he plays piano. He invites me to play and sing with him. I'm scared to, but it would be good for my stage fright to do so. He brings me into an empty abandoned plaza. There's a piano there. I run back to the car and grab my guitar and amp. He starts off with a melody so luring and soft, it sounds like stars twinkling in the sky. I jump in then with my guitar, painting the moon into the sky. I hesitate for a minute, but then I'm singing. Actually singing. In front of someone. Into a melody I've never sung before but sounds so familiar. My heart beats fast with the music. I want to heat things up even more. I just want more. I want more of this. I want this to last forever and ever. I nod at him, and we change into a rap. This is amazing. So amazing. It's right... it feels right. To sing and play here with him.
We end the song, our song, this song. The song of a night sky, the song of two kids hiding from a party, our song. I find myself grinning. He smiling too. "That was amazing!" he screams. I nod, still in shock that I actually just sung.
"It's getting late... you stay up?" he asks. I nod. I always stay up doing one thing or another.
"Meet back here at midnight?" he asks. I nod.