Our New Normal

  “I also wanted you to know that this decision hasn’t been decided upon yet by the school board, but between Mr. Thompson’s compelling arguments and the recent events in the news, we do not foresee any issue.”

  Randy stood up, shaking the principal’s hand. “This is truly a great day!” he declared happily. “Thank you so much for recognizing the importance of their rights to walk in the procession.”

  The principal nodded in acknowledgment. “There will be details to sort out later, since this concept is new to the school district, such as which of you should walk on which side of the procession—”

  “Does it matter?” Chloe questioned.

  The principal looked at her, a bit dumbfounded. “No, I suppose it doesn’t,” he replied.

  “What about other couples?” Tori inquired. “What if other same-sex couples want to apply?”

  “Another student has already approached me about bringing his date to the procession with him,” he said. “This new rule applies to everyone—not just you two—so no other couples should have a problem.”

  Tori smiled, excited to talk to Stephen once she was out of the office. She was proud that he had confronted his fears and spoke to the principal; the more students that came forward, the better the chances were that the school district would take them seriously.

  “When is this change effective?” Randy asked.

  “Tomorrow,” the principal answered. “You’ll be able to register first thing in the morning.”

  “This is so awesome!” Chloe exclaimed. “Thank you again for coming through.”

  Mr. Austin nodded. “You’re quite welcome, girls,” he replied. “You both can head back to lunch. If there are any more updates, I’ll let you know.”

  The girls stood, thanking him once more before they left the office. Mr. Thompson followed suit, hugging the girls once they reached the receptionist’s area. “I am so excited for you both!” he exclaimed. “This is a first for this district. I’m so glad that, together, we are making changes to better the LGBTQ community!”

  “Definitely!” Tori agreed. “Just wait till we tell the group on Sunday!”

  Tori and Chloe practically ran back to the cafeteria to announced the good news. “WE’RE ALLOWED!” Chloe declared as soon as they got to their friends. “Tori and I can register as a couple for prom!” Everyone at the table stood up, taking turns to deliver congratulatory hugs to the victorious couple.

  Seeing the commotion, Stephen ran over. “So, can we register for prom now?” he asked excitedly.

  Tori beamed, nodding. “We can tomorrow. Tell your man to get ready for prom!”

  Stephen’s eyes welled with tears as he jumped in the air. “This is amazing!” he exclaimed. “I’m so thankful that you guys fought for this! My boyfriend is going to be so happy! I can’t wait to walk with him!” He hugged them both, quickly excusing himself as he snuck into the bathroom to call his partner and tell him the good news.

  Tori’s and Chloe’s prom announcement spread through the cafeteria like wildfire, and it wasn’t long before Sabrina heard the news. She couldn’t help but begin sobbing, knowing that some disgusting lesbians would be allowed to walk in the procession but she wouldn’t. Her mood was made even worse when she saw the boastful sneer on Tori’s face as she stared in Sabrina’s direction. It seemed Tori had finally won.

  * * *

  Gwendolyn was waiting by the door when Timothy got home. He wasn’t surprised; he knew that the news of his resignation would be on the lips of every person in the neighborhood. To make matters worse, his face was plastered all over the front of the local papers, a copy of which Gwendolyn received every morning; he knew that she’d find out sooner or later.

  “Is it true?” she demanded before he even got in the door. “Did you quit?”

  Timothy sighed. “I didn’t have a choice,” he replied. “They forced me to choose between stepping down and taking a significant pay cut or leaving entirely with a severance package.”

  “Can they do that?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, they have the authority to do whatever they want, as long as it’s in the best interest of the company.”

  Gwendolyn leaned against the wall, her heart racing. “Isn’t there some way you can fight this?”

  Timothy shook his head. “They have an abundance of proof that my comments in court adversely affected the company, so they had every right to take action. Numbers don’t lie.”

  “When did they make this decision?” she asked.

  “Yesterday.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

  Timothy shrugged. “I guess I was too upset to talk about it. HyperSpeed is—was—my life. I guess I’m in mourning.”

  “As if you lost a child?” Gwendolyn spat bitterly.

  Timothy scowled. “Now wait just a minute!” he exclaimed angrily.

  “I knew this would happen,” Gwendolyn muttered, throwing the newspaper to the floor. “As soon as I saw the first article, I knew you’d get punished somehow.” She threw her arms in the air. “I wish we wouldn’t have gone to the hearing at all! We both knew the outcome would be the same regardless.”

  Timothy’s eyes became angry slits. “I’m pretty sure you had a better idea than I did,” he began, “considering that you signed our daughter’s soul away—after you stole money from me!”

  “It’s the very least I could do for our daughter!” she exclaimed. “I don’t understand how you can be okay with knowing she’s out there somewhere but not being able to check on her or know if she’s okay.”

  “She’s no longer our concern,” Tim said dismissively. “You made sure of that.”

  Angry tears streamed down Gwendolyn’s face. “For God’s sake, Tim! She’s our daughter.”

  “Not anymore.” He set down his briefcase and pulled out a piece of paper. “The good news in all of this is that I got a severance package. A good one, one that we can live off of for a while. I’m not allowed to work in the industry for two years, but I can return after that, create another company, and pick up where I left off.”

  “Two YEARS?” Gwen repeated. “How do you expect us to live for that long with no income.”

  “Between the severance package and our savings? At least a few years,” he replied. “We may have to cut the help down to once a week rather than every day, but we’ll manage. In the meantime, though, we can finally spend time together. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to Europe, at least since before Victoria was born.”

  Gwendolyn’s heart wrenched with the name of her daughter. “Yes, I know,” she said.

  “We should go,” Timothy suggested. “We could take a couple of months—hell, the next year—and just travel together, alone. See the continent, go everywhere and anywhere we want. I know you miss the shopping trips in Italy, and I could certainly use a break from all the media coverage.”

  “You just said that you’re going to be out of work for at least two years. Now you’re talking about gallivanting around Europe? How are we supposed to afford the trip with no money coming in? What if something happens overseas that requires more money than planned?”

  “I already called my financial planner to work on the specifics,” he declared. “So can I count you in?”

  She glared at him. While she was relieved that they had enough money to get by, she resented how callously he brushed aside losing Victoria and now his company. “I’m not sure, Tim. This is all happening so fast.”

  He sighed, the excitement on his face melting away to aggravation. “Well, you can decide what you’d like to do, Gwendolyn. No matter what, I need to get away for a while—with or without you.”

  Chapter 46

  “What about this one?” Chloe inquired, modeling a violet dress with white sequins in a swirling pattern. It was Thursday night, and they had spent the past several hours moving from store to store while trying to find a dress for Chloe.

  Tori’s
nose crinkled. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “I mean, you look amazing in every dress you’ve tried on, but I’m not sure that’s the best one.”

  Chloe sighed. “We’ve been to every single dress shop in town, and nothing’s screamed out to either of us,” she said impatiently. “This is one of the many reasons why I used to hate these things!”

  Tori grinned. “There’s always that tux idea you had,” she suggested. “I think you’d be hot! Plus, you could get a vest to match my dress. It could be sweet.”

  Chloe returned the dress to the rack, glancing to the neighboring tuxedo store. “Let’s give it a whirl. We’ve spent so much time looking at dresses; we might as well check out other options.”

  Tori nodded. “Let’s go,” she said, leading Chloe out of the store.

  Neither of them had experience with renting tuxes, not even for other people’s weddings; neither of them had brothers or male relatives close to their age, nor had their fathers ever asked for assistance with any sort of formal wear. They walked into the store and began inspecting the tuxes on the mannequins, retrieving a catalog to compare styles and prices.

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” a male clerk asked.

  Chloe nodded, thumbing through the catalog. “I’m looking to rent a tuxedo.”

  “I see,” the salesman said. “Is there a particular style he’d be looking for?”

  Tori shook her head. “No, you misunderstand,” she explained. “She is looking for a tuxedo, for her.”

  The clerk nodded. “Okay, that helps a little. We have women come in to look for tuxes, so we have someone who specializes in female styles. Let me go get her.”

  “Thank you,” Chloe said absentmindedly as her head ached with uncertainty.

  After a few moments, a female clerk approached them, a long measuring tape draped over one shoulder. “Hello,” she greeted. “I’m Amber. I understand that you are looking for a tuxedo?”

  Chloe nodded. “Yes, but there are so many different styles! I have no idea what to choose!”

  “What look are you going for?” the clerk asked. “Is this a very formal occasion? Wedding?”

  “It’s for prom,” Tori replied.

  Chloe nodded. “We were thinking a three-piece. Is that possible?”

  “Definitely,” Amber answered. “That’s usually how younger women wear them. It’s very flattering, and I’m sure you’d be a hit at prom. May I suggest some styles for you?”

  “Sure,” Chloe responded. Amber led them to a large dressing room stall to take Chloe’s measurements, then she went back to the floor to find tuxes while Chloe and Tori stayed in the stall.

  “I found a few styles that’ll look great on your body shape,” Amber announced a few minutes later as she draped tuxedos over a high backed chair outside of the fitting room. “I brought some waistcoats—or vests—as well; once you find a style you like, we can pick out a different color from the cloth samples at the counter.”

  Chloe tried on a five-button vest underneath a black, single-breasted jacket with thick peak lapels. The vest dipped into a V in the center of her sternum. She could already tell that this wasn’t going to be the winning style, but she buttoned both buttons on the jacket and opened the stall door.

  Tori smiled as Chloe spun in front of her. “I like it,” Tori said encouragingly.

  Chloe’s nose crinkled as she stared at herself in the mirror. “I don’t think it’s very flattering,” she muttered.

  Tori shrugged. “Do you have any other vests? One that’s cut lower, maybe?”

  Chloe nodded, going back into the stall and changing into a double-breasted vest and a single-button jacket with a shawl collar. She left the jacket button open, and she smiled as she peered into the full-length mirror. The jacket collar framed her curves while the vest brought attention to her bosom. “I think I found a winner!”

  As soon as Chloe stepped out of the stall, Tori’s jaw dropped. “Yeah, that’s the one,” she said breathlessly, struggling not to push Chloe back into the stall and take off her clothing.

  Chloe blushed as she studied herself in front of the three-way mirror. “I think this would look pretty great with heels. What do you think?”

  Tori nodded emphatically. “It’ll look amazing.”

  Chloe giggled, her face crimson. “Okay good,” she said bashfully. “We’ll order this one.”

  “What color would you like the vest, cummerbund, and handkerchief to be?” Amber asked as they filled out the paperwork at the front register.

  “Cornflower,” Tori replied. “My dress is going to be cornflower, so we want it to match.”

  The clerk nodded, writing down the details. She then recited the rental policy, collected Chloe’s money, and set the date for pickup. They were heading to the car in no time, their prom details finally sorted.

  “This is so exciting!” Chloe exclaimed. “I’m so glad we got everything worked out!”

  “I know!” Tori agreed. “You’re going to look amazing, too!”

  “I’m just glad we get to go in general,” Chloe said. “Still, I’m sure it will be a night we won’t forget!”

  * * *

  “You have a visitor,” Sabrina’s father announced as he stood in her doorway. “He, your mother, and I had a long chat, so you know, before we decided to let him see you. He’s in the dining room, but keep in mind that your mother and I will be watching for sinful behavior.”

  Sabrina looked up from her textbook, her stomach twisting. She hadn’t had any visitors for a little over two weeks, which was fine with her; she was hoping to be left alone until things settled down.

  “Thank you,” she said as she marked her place in the book and closed it. She quickly checked her hair in the mirror, fixing a flyaway before heading downstairs.

  When she peeked into the dining room and saw her visitor, she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

  Aaron stood up from his chair. He was dressed in a tuxedo, his hair spiked and his face freshly shaved. “It’s prom night,” he declared. “I thought I’d come here and celebrate a little.”

  Sabrina caught a whiff of his cologne, sending chills down her spine. She frowned, looking down at her t-shirt and sweatpants. Trying to flatten the wrinkles in her clothes and straighten her messy hair, she sighed. “That’s nice of you, Aaron, but you know I can’t go.”

  “I know,” he said, producing a clear plastic container from behind his back. He walked over to her, opening up the package and pulling out a corsage. “I wanted to spend it with you, anyway.”

  She smiled as he slipped the flowers onto her wrist, tears welling in her eyes. “I was certain you would’ve found someone else by now to go to prom with.”

  He shook his head. “There’s no one else in that place who I’d rather be with tonight.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Thank you,” she said, a pang of guilt erupting after all the hell she’d put him through; this was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. “You know I can’t leave, though, and can’t let you come back to my room or—”

  “I know,” he interrupted. “Your parents made it clear what you and I can and cannot do. We can just hang out here—for as long as they’ll let us, anyway. I got nothing else planned for the rest of the night.”

  “I’m not sure they’ll let us do anything but sit here, though; they’re watching.”

  Aaron grinned, pulling his MP3 player and a set of speakers from his backpack. He pulled up a playlist of songs that he thought were good for slow dancing, then he guided her to her feet. “We’ll leave room between us for Jesus,” he joked, extending his arms to put them around her waist without their bodies touching.

  Sabrina’s face flushed. “Okay,” she said, draping her arms around his neck.

  They slow danced, and for a moment Sabrina felt as if her life was back to normal. “Thank you for coming.”

  “I’m just glad they let me see you,” Aaron said. “I
had to tell them we were dating, though, and I had to agree to come to dinner and formally meet them soon. I hope that’s okay.”

  Sabrina glanced at her corsage and smiled. “Yeah, I think that’s okay.”

  * * *

  “You’re going to have to squish in tighter!” Cynthia bellowed from across the room. Chloe, Tori, Lisa, Mark, Tina, Kristen, and their dates were all crammed into the Summers’ dining room while they posed for pre-prom pictures. They’d been making their rounds for the past couple hours, snapping photos for each of the parents.

  “I can’t suck in my gut any more than I already am!” Mark joked. “Don’t you have a wide-angle lens?”

  As everyone chuckled, wide smiles stretched across their faces, Cynthia snapped the shot. They were a good-looking bunch, in her opinion, and she was excited for all of them. “Okay, I think we got it!” The group parted, chatting excitedly about the procession, dancing, and what they would do after the prom was over.

  All of the details sorted themselves out; by the big day, everything was ready. Tori had taken care of most of the arrangements, including a surprise that Chloe didn’t know about yet. She’d whispered the details to Cynthia that morning, and Cynthia was beginning to think that she was more excited than Tori. It was a hard secret to keep, but somehow, she managed.

  “If you don’t mind, guys, I would like to get a picture of my daughters together,” Cynthia said, motioning for Tori and Chloe to move alongside the other wall.

  Tori blushed. While she already knew that Cynthia considered her family, she’d never outright called Tori her daughter before. She tried to contain her tears—she didn’t want to risk ruining her makeup so close to the procession—as she stood in front of Chloe and posed for the shot. Her long hair draped over her shoulders in coiled tresses, the curls ending where her dress began. The dress complemented Tori’s exposed shoulders and collarbone, and the halter straps parted in the front just low enough for a hint of cleavage. The dress flowed from the waist to her mid-calf, the fabric shimmering and flowing as if it were waves in a calm lake. She wore Cynthia’s diamond and pearl drop earrings—another sentiment for which Tori was grateful—and her arms were covered from her fingertips to elbows with satin gloves. She was glowing with the excitement of enjoying the night with her best friends and the love of her life.