What I Don't Know Can't Hurt You

Chapter Seven

Avery was quiet, but he had already devoured almost half his hamburger. He ate really fast when he wasn't busy drawing!

"Hey, they forgot to give you part of your burger!" Leo teased him.

"I was hungry," Avery giggled.

I tried to pick up a piece of sushi with my chopsticks. I failed miserably, and took Taryn's fork to stab it.

"Oh, shit," said Leo.

"Sorry! I'll use chopsticks!"

"No, no, Ryan and his friends are over there!" Leo replied, half-laughing.

"Well, I hope they don't notice us," said Taryn.

Too late. Ryan was approaching us, his friends trailing behind him.

"Hey, freaks," Ryan greeted us. His friends laughed.

"Hey, other freaks," Leo retorted. I kicked him under the table. Ryan frowned.

"Whatever, lesbian."

"Although I'm a boy, I guess I'm more of a lesbian than you, since I actually like girls!" This was met with the intended angry reaction. However, underneath the anger, Ryan almost seemed embarrassed, or like he was hiding something. Weird.

"Well, fuck you, Lily," he said, flustered.

"Back at ya, Rhonda!" Leo shouted, sticking out both middle fingers.

Ryan stormed off with his posse, furious. Taryn burst out laughing, and Avery and I high-fived Leo.

"That was fantastic," Avery said, chuckling.

"Yeah, did you see his face?" I said.

Taryn continued to giggle.

We finished our lunches and laughed about Ryan, then went to Hot Topic.

"Look at this cool shirt!" Leo exclaimed. I looked up from the box of buttons I was digging through. Leo was showing Avery a red and black plaid shirt. It was a cool shirt.

"You shouldn't have shown me that, 'cause now I want to buy it," Avery complained.

Taryn emerged from a rack of dresses.

"Isn't that a girl's shirt?" she chimed in.

"Oh, you're right, I guess I'm a girl now," Leo said pointedly.

Taryn scowled and went back to the dresses.

"No extra-smalls," she grumbled.

"Do you really need more dresses?" I questioned. I was pretty sure she'd been wearing a dress every time I'd seen her, excluding gym class.

"Do you really need more dresses?" she replied.

"No, but I'm a guy."

"So are Leo and Avery."

"Taryn," Leo said, "If you buy a new dress, I'm going to get the same one and wear it every time you do."

"Fine, I'll buy a skirt," Taryn decided.

I bought an All Time Low shirt, Avery bought a beanie, Taryn got a skirt, and Leo bought that cool plaid shirt.

We left the store. Right across from us was a sporting goods store, and in that store was Ryan and his entourage.

"What the hell?!" Leo exclaimed. "Is he following us?!"

"I hope not," Avery said. "Let's just walk away and ignore him."

I glanced behind me and saw Ryan leaving the store, laughing about something with his friends.

"Oh, fuck, he's coming over here!" I said. "Quick, hide behind this plant."

We ducked behind a fake bush just as Ryan passed by.

"Okay, Taryn, Leo, your hair is too noticeable. Leo, put on Avery's new beanie, and Taryn, um, here, take my hoodie."

"But this is a really cute dress!" she protested.

"Taryn, how many people do you think are in this mall that have ass-length green hair?" Leo asked rhetorically, putting on Avery's hat.

"Ryan's gonna notice you if he sees you, and he knows we're here with you," Avery insisted.

"Fine," she sighed, and put on my hoodie.

We came out from behind the plant, and straight into the path of a certain group of asshole football players.

"I forgot my wallet," I heard Ryan say to his friends. He stopped walking.

"Hey, fags!" he said, with mock-sincerity.

"Hey!" replied Leo, even more fakely.

"Whatever, Lily," Ryan replied. "You know, I haven't talked to Amy in a while."

"My name is Avery!" Avery said angrily.

"Oh, right, you're 'genderfluid'," Ryan said, putting air quotes around "genderfluid".

"I am."

"Whatever. See you Monday, fags."

"I'm straight," Taryn said.

"Sure," Ryan said sarcastically, and walked away.

Leo sighed and rolled his eyes.

"What a dick!"

Avery was frowning.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Taryn.

"My name isn't Amy," Avery mumbled.

"We know that," Taryn said.

"I'm just mad."

Taryn hugged him. He smiled.

"Shall we go to Barnes and Noble?" Taryn asked.

"We shall," Avery laughed.

Taryn took Avery's hand.

"No hetero," she said.

The four of us walked to the book store.

We didn't see Ryan for the rest of the day, however Taryn and Avery got a couple odd looks from strangers. I had fun, and I hope everyone else did, too. Except Ryan. He was an asshole.