The Isolation Room (GXG)

II

"Assume something about me, Katie."

I look up at the dirty blonde headed beauty in front of me. "What?"

"Make an assumption about me, and I'll make one about you.

"Uhm, you're into indie music, and the real kind not Panic! At The Disco. You either hate your parents or love them. You're an only child and you're happy about that. And you either want to or already play bass or the drums. Oh, and your shirt of choice is a flannel with a band tee underneath."

Her gorgeous eyes widen and sparkle. "Damn, you're good. Indie is my favourite genre. I despise my parents. I am an only child but I wish I had a sister for company. I play bass and would love to learn the drums. And I wear that on special occasions."

I smile. "Your turn."

"You listen to basic music, but also some good shit. You have daddy issues which makes you really close to your mother. You have an annoying younger sibling. You played the recorder in primary school and you swear you're Mozart. And you wear hoodies with only a sports bra underneath and jeggings."

"Very good. Slightly offended and personally attacked, but very good. Only, I'm an only child and proud. My friend Laura has a younger brother and when I went on a cruise with them this summer, we were about to push him overboard."

I can tell shes smiling under her mask, before she asks, "Is Laura your girlfriend?"

"Pfft, nope. Shes as straight as a pole and I've known her since the cot. Shes like my sister. Would it bother you if she was?", I ask boldly.

She stares at me again. "Maybe, maybe not."

I look at my smartwatch, telling me the time is 9:45. I've been here a half hour and Zoë has already made me feel things a virus is no explanation for.

"Why are you here, Zoë?"

She takes a deep breath, and looks over at me with her legs spread and her forearms lying on them, her hands clasped together. She then looks at me with those gorgeous diamonds, looking deeper than before.

"You really wanna know?"

"Go ahead."

She sighs. "I'm homeless."

I gasp. "What? Why?"

She shrugs. "I was kicked out last Thursday. Folks found out I was gay. My friend backstabbed me and told them, so now I have no where to go. I pretended to have symptoms and told that nice home ec teacher what happened. She tried taking me back to her place but I refused. I couldn't just barge in like that. So, I've been here since. She comes here at 6 in the morning to give me clothes, deodorant and a lunch. The other staff here are so useless they haven't suspected a thing with me in here a week. They probably think it's just a weird thing I do because I'm new. To be honest, I'm glad I was kicked out. It was either that or conversion therapy, and I've watched enough movies and read enough books to know that I'd rather be at war than there."

I widen my eyes at what shes just told me. What I'm shocked by is how unfazed she looks. Like it's normal for her to be living in a COVID isolation room after being kicked out because of her sexual orientation.

"I'm so sorry, Zoë.", I finally speak.

"Its whatever." She smiles under her mask, quoting me from earlier. "You asked, I answered."

I want nothing more than to go over to her and hug the life out of her. I've never wanted to do it more. But I can't.

"You can come home with me, if you want. Ma and her boyfriend won't mind."

"I can't. When you go home, even if you're negative, you'll have to isolate for 2 weeks."

I sigh. "You're right. Bollocks."

"Yeah."

I get more comfortable in my own seat. "How did you realise you liked girls?"

She shrugs. "Always knew. I was always the dad in Moms and Dads. When everyone had those stupid boyfriends in playschool, I wanted a girlfriend. But all the girls had boyfriends, and I went to my uncles house and cried that day. He knew before anyone else."

I'm honestly really surprised how open she is with me. We've only just met and shes clearly had a lot happen to her, and she tells me as of shes telling me her favourite bands. I honestly like it. I like that she trusts me.

"Why? Do you think you might be into girls?" I know damn well shes smirking.

My breath hitches. I've always wondered, but I've gone in and out of denial and I'm just plain confused. Growing up in the suburbs of Limerick city also means growing up surrounded by homophobia. I once saw a boy being beaten by a gang because they thought he was gay when I was walking home from school. Here, drugs and drinking and joy riding is normal, but off to hell you go for kissing who you want to kiss consensually. Considering it took 44 years for us to win an all Ireland cup again in 2018, we haven't moved past then.

"I don't know.", I finally answer. "If I did, I'd never be able to express it unless I wanted to be beaten or raped. That's how things roll here."

"Gee, my parents really fit in here so.", she says with a chuckle.

"Homophobic people are so stupid. The same boys in our year who will beat on a gay couple are the same who will be munching on a 12 year old after school." I roll my eyes. "I can't wait to leave once I'm old enough."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"France. It's a lovely country and French is my best subject."

"Can I come with you?"

"Will you even care for me by then? Its 2 years away."

I can tell shes smiling, and a tiny tint of pink near her eyes tells me shes blushing. "Of course I will."

Theres a few moments of silence, occupied by a nearby class giggling. Secondary school girls will find the tiniest things hilarious. I look out to see that dumb Oktapodi video projecting on the whiteboard. It gave me nightmares in first year.

I turn my head back to see Zoë staring at me again. I'm not uncomfortable with her looking at me, I'm uncomfortable with what she could discover by looking at me. I'm afraid she'll discover weaknesses not even Laura or my mother is aware of. But something in me is telling me she'll find it all out, and today could be the day.