"The school play?" My dad somewhat gasped. "Since when were interested in theatre?"

    I slapped a hand to my forehead. "I've been telling you about Hamilton for literally the last three months, do you listen to anything I say or just-"

    "Hang on a sec mijo." He held up a hand to answer his phone.

    If it was his girlfriend this might take a while, otherwise it was a probably some publishing company turning him down again. He hung up after a few minutes so I figured it was the latter.

    "I'm just saying you never do anything boyish these days." He said, after turning towards me again. "I'm just worried about you."

    "Boyish?" I demanded. "Are you kidding me? And you're worried about what? Me chasing my dreams?"

    My dad frowned. "No that's not what I meant, I just mean, the school play? That's rather...I don't know effeminate."     

    My jaw had dropped in disbelief. "I took a ballet class for two years, which by the way I'm about to be late for dance, and you're just bringing this up?"

    "Okay I get it. I mean when it comes down to it you can do whatever you want, and I just need to find my car keys." He finished, fishing them out of his wallet.

    I felt sick and nervous on the way to class. I had taken a ballet class before, I stopped because broadway focuses less on that and more on being able to sing and move around in a group, so I started learning more hip hop and freestyle. If you're wondering, it's really fun. This was not helping, however. Now I felt like I didn't have my own dad's support behind this decision, I felt like I was going to throw up. I took a benzo on the car ride there so I didn't show up wheezing my way into a panic attack. That was the last thing I needed right now, not my father and his fragile masculinity worrying about his feminine son, that was so stupid.

    When I got there I had calmed down a bit, and noticed Gwen had dyed her hair again. This time it was green, purple, and blue streaks. It had been a short blonder for most of the summer, but ever since she discovered hair dye she had fully abused the right of free expression. Only she looked a little stressed out today, so I asked about during warm up.

    "You okay?" I asked, when I leaned over to grab my toes, fun fact, I can touch my forehead to my knee, and do the splits.

    She blinked at me offhandedly. "Uh, I don't know. My boyfriend's been acting weird lately."

    Gwen moved near Greenflower, Minnesota from New Hampshire. They didn't have the whole touch-your-soulmate-and-your-heart-glows thing, in New Hampshire the had the Red String of Fate. She explained it to me as a red string tied to her pinkie that only she could see, on the other end was her soulmate. She had been dating her soulmate boyfriend for two years now, so this wasn't a good sign.

    "Oh, but he's your soulmate though right? I'm sure you guys will figure it out." I tried, watching her face for any difference in expression.

    She kinda shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really wanna talk about it. How about you? I know I ask this every week but any soulmate drama yet?"

    "Actually my parents have both agreed this year I have to make an effort to find her. I've shaken so many hand in the past week, you have no idea." I admitted, hoping it would make her smile.

    Gwen did grin softly. "You'll know when you find her, trust me. You'll feel it."

    "That's what I was thinking!" I gasped happily. "I'll decently tell you when I do find her, I'm gonna need a heck ton of advice."

    I'm glad I went to dance that night. I have a tendency to skip social events if I'm stressing out beforehand. The problem is I don't tell anyone I'm stressing out, so they think I'm fine. It's easier to deal with people's problems that way anyway.

    "Did you think over the play again?" My dad asks once I'm in the car.

    "I didn't say I wanted to be in it!" I gasped at him angrily. "I said I was thinking about it."

    And you're making it really hard for me to say yes.

    "Well you do a little more thinking, alright? I don't want to put you in and uncomfortable situations."

    Wow, what a model example for parenting 101. I'm kinda angry but I'll be going to my mom's in a few hours, so whatever.

    "If it makes you feel any more secure about the masculinity of your son." I said slowly. "There's a girl I like who's most likely going to be in it as well."

    Why can't you see this is an incredibly brave thing for me to do.

    His eyes widen. "Oh, well why didn't you say so? Micah that's awesome! Good for you."

    Make a note. My dad's trying desperately to be relevant in my life, but sadly has a case of Small Town Blues himself. Good to see I'm being praised now that I'm chasing after women. This is sarcasm, for those in the back. Out of all the places I could have ended up being born, it had to be Greenflower.

    I didn't sleep very well that night.