Changes

18

"Jake?" He says with wide eyes. "You're here!"

"I-what? Why are you here?"

He pulls me into a hug, and I accept it, wrapping my arms around him. I'm not mad at my family like Lio is.

He looks different, but not that much. He's taller than me-everyone's always taller than me-and his curly copper hair frames his face, hanging in his dark brown eyes. He's slim, but a bit muscular. None of us in my family really look the same, but we have some similarities.

"You have no idea how long we've been looking for you." He says.

"We?"

"Me and George."

"Georgia?"

"It's George now." He smiles.

"Wait, what?"

"He's trans. Mom totally flipped out when we told her."

"Where is she-he?"

"Outside, I think."

Outside? But that's where Lio is. Lio is furious at my family.

When we go out there, I see he's arguing with Georgia-George. I can definitely see the difference.

His hair is frizzy as ever, but is cut to his head- shorter than I've ever seen it. He has light, freckled skin, round glasses, and is a little bit shorter than Fred. A pencil is tucked behind his ear, and he has a bag hanging off one shoulder. His nails are painted the same color as his hair, and he has bracelets covering his wrists. When he spots me, his eyes light up.

"Jake!" He says, pulling me into his arms. "I missed you so much, you have no idea."

"Then why...?"

"We'll explain everything, I promise." He says, grinning at me. "But I want to know about you first? How are you?"

"I'm...fine." I say. "But-"

I'm interrupted by the doors to the school swinging open. Ms. Lakers, an elderly lady who teaches math.

"Class has started." She says. "Why are you on school property."

Lio starts to say something, but I stop him. "Sorry, Ms. Lakers. Our friends came to eat lunch with us, then take us to a doctors appointment. We're just about to go."

"Alright," She says, going back in.

Lio snorts. "I don't know how you do that."

"She's not that bad."

"Geography's still boring."

"She's the english teacher?"

"She is? Oh."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah."

"Jake, can we go somewhere to talk?" Fred asks. "We've got a lot to tell you."

I nod, but bite my lip. "Um, can we walk? I don't like cars."

They both nod. My anxiety wasn't that bad when I still lived with them, but they probably heard about what happened with Him.

Micah ends up coming with us to a cafe, so I have someone to walk home with. He's not really paying attention, though, and is scrolling through pictures on his phone beside me. They bought us drinks and cookies, and have been asking me about me, and asking how I've been.

I told them about Jackson, and why we moved until I finally decided to ask what happened with them.

"So, um, why were you looking for me?" I ask. "I thought none of you guys wanted to see me anymore after mom kicked me out."