An excerpt from X. the Novel
The girls had danced through two more songs when a tall figure in a skinny black suit, who had caught themselves shimmying against Amelia’s back, glanced over and decided to make conversation. “Great dress! Where’d you get it?”
“Thanks! I got it at this little boutique back home in Texas, actually,” Amelia clarified. After a beat, she continued with, “You look so chic, by the way.” Maddy turned then, and Amelia grabbed her by the arm as drunken giggles escaped her. “Maddy! Doesn’t she look so chic?”
Before Maddy could respond, she heard her new friend say, “They.”
“Sorry, yes, both of you are totally chic!” Amelia said nodding to the boy that had moved in close behind them.
“No, my pronouns. You can refer to me as they, them and their. Or like, my actual name which is Kay, by the way,” they corrected.
“Oh, shit, wait what?” Maddy said, widening her eyes.
“Oh god! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to assume your gender just now,” Amelia apologized, laughing nervously.
“No worries at all,” Kay assured her.
“You just weren’t what we were expecting,” Maddy said. Kay cocked their head in confusion. After a moment, Maddy turned bright red. “Wait, no, sorry! That’s absolutely not what I meant! I just meant, you’re the first person we’ve met that like, identifies with more than one gender, like how could we have known, you know?”
“Non-gender binary,” Kay corrected.
“Non-gender binary! Fuck, sorry…umm, like, I’m just gonna stop talking because none of what I’m saying right now is coming out the right way. And part of it is because I’m pretty lit.”
“Hey, don’t worry! I think I get what you mean,” Kay laughed.
