Malalai “Mal” Ortiz. She was the black girl. The trans lesbian.

And as of now, she was

the only one who wanted to allow same-sex couples to attend her senior prom. At least, that’s
what she was according to her school, Berciam Private Academy. She heard all sorts of shit from
the other students, and sometimes the teachers too. But she wasn’t going to give up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We’re at the school library, watching them.

“Hey Jakob, how have you been?” Malalai asked tentatively. “I haven’t seen you since
the 8th grade. Got a girl yet? Anyone special?” He stared at her for a good second before
speaking again.
“Actually, I do,” he replied. “Her name is Vivienne, she’s really cool. She’s actually
graduated already, but she hasn’t started college yet. We met when my family moved there. Now
enough about me, how have you been?”
“Why’d you come back?” she inquired. “Surely it’s better for you there, in a bigger and
more liberal city.”
“Funny story. I actually chose to come back because I wanted to finish off high school
with all my old friends,” he answered,
“And your ex?” she joked. “But seriously, don’t you think the city will be a lot better for
you, given that you’re one of the few non-white kids in this town and you’re bisexual?”
“Oh come on, it can’t be that bad.” He paused as the bell rang. “Uh…right?”
“Nope, it’s just as bad as ever,” she sighed, getting up from her chair. “Last year, Emily
Dawson came out as a lesbian and she disappeared two weeks later. She’s okay, but her parents
sent her to some religious reform school meant to ‘teach sinners the way of God’ and ‘guide
troubled kids back into God’s grasp’. I’m not even kidding, it’s got a website and everything.”
“First of all, holy shit, second of all, what the actual fuck is wrong with people?”
Mal sighed again, grabbing her backpack. She shrugged and walked away, only looking
back to smile at him briefly and tell him one last thing.
“Come to the mall with me today! 3:00! Be there!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Boom. We’re at the mall. And so is Mal. Jakob, however, is nowhere to be seen. So Mal
goes shopping without him. First she visits Victoria’s Secret to buy a new bra, then she meets up
with the new girl in her school to help her ‘settle in’.
“Hello, my name is Anisa Kaur, and I heard you were the official new student guide at
Berciam Academy,” the girl said shyly. “So, what do I need to know? I wasn’t able to go to
school today because my parents say I should never show up on the first day.”
“That’s me! My name is Mal,” Mal said to her. “Come on, we can talk while we’re
shopping. Where do you want to go?”
 “Let’s go to Nordstrom, I passed through on my way in and I have my eye on this really
cute top,” Anisa said. “Come on, let’s go!” They step into the elevator.
“Okay, so there’s a few things you’ll need to know,” Mal began. “Do you want to hear the
academic or social shit first?”
“Um, social?” Anisa laughs nervously. “What is it?”
“Alright. So, it’s basically like the movies, but waaaay toned down and everyone’s stoned
constantly. Like, you’ve got your preppy cheerleader girls who are all dating the hunky football
boys, the insufferable know-it-alls who think they’re the shit, the angsty, suffering emo kids who
cut themselves to pieces, and, you know, the rest of us.”
Anisa’s eyes widened in shock and slight amusement.
“Well, that certainly was…vivid,” she laughed. “Is it really that bad here?”
“For most of us, yeah. Only the perfect can be powerful,” Mal replied. “And by perfect, I
mean the football boys and cheerleaders. You know. The white, cis, straight boys dating the
pretty white girls. The usual story.”
“To be honest, I haven’t really experienced that much. But I get what you’re saying, you
know? I mean, I know what racism is like, because I grew up as an Indian girl in the pageant
industry,” Anisa began. “Let me tell you, they hated me. And, it wasn’t because I was better
looking, but because I heard them talk about me. They said a lot of really racist things, and said I
shouldn’t be allowed to compete.”
“That reminds me of an experience I had once. Tried out for the cheer team once. There
was only one other black girl there, and she was also the only one who defended me when the
captains were complaining about my ‘hair situation’. By which they meant, my natural hair.”
“Oh. That’s just wrong,” Anisa replied.
“Not to mention, the only reason they accepted her onto the team is because she was
willing to straighten, it’s so stupid!” Mal threw her hands in the air in frustration and moved to
get out of the elevator.
It didn’t open. She pressed the button, to no avail. It still wouldn’t open.
“So, the elevator’s broken and we can’t get out unless we find something. She looked
around a bit, then spotted a maintenance number to call.
“Can you ring this number? My phone is dead,” she asked. “It’s for elevator
maintenance.” Anisa obliged, calling and explaining their situation. She talked for about a
minute, then stopped and stared at the phone.
“Wow, rude! Can you believe it?! He hung up on me!” Anisa sighed. “I’m pretty sure
they’re coming, but I’m also pretty sure the guy who answered was drunk.”
“Jesus Christ, these people…” Mal facepalmed. She looked down at Anisa’s phone and
spotted her lock screen, which was a picture of her and another girl. “Who’s the girl in your lock
screen, Anisa?”
“Oh, uh…she was my…friend, but we–uhhh–” Anisa looked embarrassed. “Okay, she
was my girlfriend. But that didn’t last long. It was just a fling.”
“Oh, are you a lesbian?”
Anisa went quiet.