“Okay,” said Niel. Ricky looked at him in puzzlement.

“I still kind of am a boy,” Ricky said. Niel merely nodded. “I still have a .”

“Okay. I’m gay,” Niel dead panned. Ricky looked at Changjo and pinched his cheek.

“You have a keeper!” She squealed. Changjo swiped her hand away.

“Of course! You think I would go out with someone for three years thinking that they would push you, of all people aside. I mean, don’t you think that would be a little hypocritical?” Ricky laughed as she hit Changjo again. “You need to learn how to hug people instead of punching them,” he said. Ricky laughed once more before punching Changjo again. She then turned to Niel and gave him a hug before sticking her tongue out at him. Changjo merely glared before motioning towards Niel.

“Oh, yes! So I was born a boy, technically still am, but I never felt right. I had known Changjo since I was small. Like, I was three and he was two, and our parents always let us play together since they worked together. Anyway, I always liked dressing like a girl, doing my hair, and being pretty since I was little.” As she spoke, memories from her childhood arose.

“Stop letting him dress like that!” A yell reverberated through the house. “It’s disgusting and unnatural!” A small Ricky with shaggy black hair flinched back as her chest of clothes was thrown across the room.

“Stop it!” Her mother yelled. “You’re scaring him!” She came and kneeled down to her and held her close. “He’ll get over it; he’s just a little boy.”

“And if he doesn’t! He’ll be an abomination! He’ll be damned to hell!” Little Ricky stayed in her mother’s arms and watched as the fight unfolded. It went on or weeks and she stopped speaking at home. She stopped smiling as she stopped dressing up. She found it to be her fault that her parents fought, and the more her father yelled, the more he brought God into the conversation. To Ricky, God became someone she did not want.

When she went to Changjo’s though, she smiled. Changjo kept dresses and skirts, bows and makeup, and even a wig or two in his room for her. His parents were accepting of it, but it may have been because they weren’t home often. They had a babysitter, but she was always locked up in the guest bedroom either sleeping or on the phone. She wasn’t bad; she just worked nonstop to support her family’s medical expenses. She always fed them and made sure to check on them, but for the most part, they were alone.

“Changjo! Help brush my hair!” Ricky yelled as she held the brush towards Changjo. He smiled and started to brush her hair slowly.

“Are your mom and dad still mad?” Ricky nodded slowly. “You know I’ll always be here. You’re like my little brother, and sister, at the same time!”

“But I’m older than you!” She whined.

“So? You’re smaller than me! That’s why you’re so pretty!” Ricky smiled at the compliments she stared at herself in the mirror.

 Beep. Beep.

“Someone’s coming!” Changjo yelled as he went to the window. His parents had installed a detection device on their yard entrance so that they could feel safer. They found that they could use it whenever Ricky’s parents came to pick her up early. “It’s your dad!” He yelled out.

Ricky quickly messed up her hair and took off her dress to put on her t shirt and shorts. Changjo took out the small box of dirt and grass from his closet and threw some on Ricky and on himself. The doorbell rang and was answered by their babysitter.

“You came early today,” she said as she greeted Ricky’s father. “Ricky! Your dad is here!” Ricky came running out and was greeted by her father, who smiled down at him approvingly upon seeing him dirty.

“Come Ricky. We have a dinner party.” He then looked up at Changjo who was also messy. “You might want to take a bath. Your parents will be taking you as well.” Changjo nodded before waving goodbye to Ricky. His babysitter turned to him.

“I’ll call your parents and ask them what you should wear and you take your bath.” Changjo nodded before running to his room and put his and Ricky’s things away. As he put everything away, he saw something shining in the dress. He thinks that Ricky must have forgotten it, so he puts it on so he wouldn’t forget to give it to her at the dinner party.

It was a gold necklace.