Content warning: This story will contain instances of a trans character experiencing gender dysphoria. During the first chapters, this character is also misgendered, because the story is told from the point of view of one of their friends, who they are not out to yet. The ending will be happy, but there’s angst throughout. Please keep this in mind, and thank you for reading!

Ryan first noticed something was going on with Ariel the summer of their last year in high school. It was hot, to the point where his shirt clung to his skin because of how much he’d sweated that afternoon.

Although his childhood friend often tended to be silent, Ariel was much quieter than usual.

“I have something to tell you.” They were both seated on Ariel’s grandmothers’ porch, when the silence filled by cicada cries, was broken by Ariel’s words. “You won’t like it,” Ryan’s childhood friend added.

Ryan turned to face Ariel. “What?” he laughed. His face felt hot again, suddenly—somehow, he had an inkling it wasn’t because of the sun’s heat. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Ariel’s teeth dug into the flesh of her lower lip. “I haven’t been feeling like myself, lately.”