Chapter 18, October 11th, 2025

“Why are we doing this again?” Whit asked after he shifted the Jeep into park.

Lucy frowned, “It’s supper Darren, we need to eat.”

Whit rolled his eyes, “You know what I mean, we’ve been together for a long time, and this is the first time I think you’ve ever invited someone, besides our parents, out to eat with us.”

Lucy sat her purse down in her lap and turned to Whit, “I guess I felt sorry for her, and you. I think she should come back to your class. As far as I know she’s the only openly trans person in this whole town. I’m trying to extend an olive branch.”

Whit nodded, “OK, if it’s fine with you it’s fine with me.”

John’s wasn’t exactly jumping, but it was Saturday evening at 5PM and several people were having supper or drinking coffee at the old-fashioned lunch counter. Lucy noticed that Whit had gone with his standard attire, black jeans and a dark green long sleeved shirt. No tights or feminine sweaters this evening. They took a booth in the corner.

A few minutes later Grace walked in. She was wearing stone washed overalls, and a tight fitting long sleeve top. The outfit did nothing to hide her female figure. Lucy noticed a couple heads turn as she walked in.

“Hey ladies,” Grace said with a grin as she slid into the bench across from Whit and Lucy.

Whit hesitated for half a beat, then chuckled. “Happy Birthday,” he said.

“You look great,” Lucy said. She meant it, and was faintly annoyed by how easy it was to say.

“How have you been, Whit?” Grace asked, winking.

Whit felt heat creep up his neck and shook his head. She wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

“I’m fine.”

“So dinner, your treat?” Grace asked.

Lucy nodded. Whit nodded a second later.

Grace flipped the menu open. “Okay, where’s the lobster section… ah, the T-bone. Bet it’s excellent.”

Whit leaned forward and pushed her menu down, concerned. “They have T-bone here?”

Grace laughed. “Relax, professor. I’m kidding. Burger, onion rings, Coke.”

She set the menu down, the smile fading just enough to matter.

“So,” she said, quieter. “Why are we here? Because when people are nice to me, they usually want something.”

Lucy didn’t answer right away. She picked up her water, took a sip, then set it back down.

“You helped me at Wal-Mart,” she said.

Grace blinked.

“You didn’t have to,” Lucy went on. “You didn’t know me. You didn’t get anything out of it.”

She shrugged. “So this is supper. That’s all.”

Then, after a beat, quieter she said, “I wanted to invite you back to painting class and wish you happy birthday”

“That’s it?”

Lucy met her eyes. “That’s it.”

The playful smile returned to Grace’s eyes, “Wow, who said it doesn’t pay to be nice.”

Awkward attempts at small talk eventually gave way to hilarious stories about all of the things Whit had got wrong over the years, like his botched proposal. They were finished eating and still talking when Grace froze up, eyes locked towards the front door. Lucy looked over her shoulder and saw a group of younger people had entered, a girl had locked eyes with Grace and was walking over alone, while her friends got a booth.

“Hey Grace, it’s good to see you,” the girl said.

A fake smile spread across Grace’s face, “Hi Jennifer, what brings you to Mud Creek this evening?” she replied.

The girl looked back at her friends, another girl and two guys, they looked like central casting could have sent them over to play cliche “cool” teenagers. All designer clothes, letter jackets, and a sense of entitlement they couldn’t hide if they wanted to.

“We’re going to the game, we play Mud Creek tonight. I’m really glad to see you out. I hope everythings going OK,” she said.

“Yeap, doing great, thanks for asking,” Grace quickly replied.

Jennifer smiled and gave a polite wave to Lucy and Whit and then made her way over to her friends.

Grace was tense and nervously took another drink of her Coke, “She lived a couple houses down from me in Rado, we grew up together. We were… friends. She’s a Senior this year.”

“Well she seemed nice,” Whit said.

“Yeah, I..” Grace’s words were cut short but a loud laugh from one of the letter jacket guys from Jennifer's table who was looking towards their table.

“Her?” he said. “Grayson Miller? No way.” He wasn’t exactly loud, but his voice easily carried across the room.

“Shut up Tommy,” Jennifer said and slapped at his pointing finger.

Grace froze up, she stuttered and then got this deer in headlights look. Lucy turned around and could see the young adults ogling their table and doing nothing to hide their giggling. It stirred something old and sour in Lucy’s chest. She knew that laugh. She’d heard it in hallways, in parking lots, in voices that never had to worry about money or where they came from. The shame and humiliation of her past hadn’t left her. But she wasn’t a mousy little girl now.

“Whit, take her out to her truck please, I’l get the check,” Lucy said.

Grace was visibly shaking now, caught between panic and anger. The room got quiet and seemed to both grow larger and yet compress around her. Whit quickly got up and gave her his hand. “Lets go Grace.”

It took a few seconds but she nodded and walked out with him. Jennifer mouthed, sorry, as she walked by. As soon as they were out the door the boys giggled.

Lucy paid the check and shouldered her purse. She stopped in front of Jennifer’s booth before leaving and spent a moment appraising the youths.

The kids looked up, surprised.

“What?” Tommy asked.

“Just looking at the nice clothes your Mommies and Daddies bought you. It’s nice to fit in, isn't.” Lucy said with an over the top fake grin. The restaurant grew silent, everyone trying to act like they weren’t watching.

Tommy rolled his eyes.

The silence was broken when Jennifer said, “I’m sorry.”

Lucy turned to Jennifer. “I’m not the one you need to apologize to, but don’t say sorry unless you actually mean it. It’s insulting.”

Lucy stepped away, “Enjoy the game,” she said on her way out.

A few seconds later Jennifer came out after her, she saw Grace in her truck, with Lucy and Whit nearby and dashed over.

“Grace, those guys are assholes, I’m sorry,” she said.

Grace looked up from the tears she’d been crying, “They’re your friends,” Grace said.

“I know, but,” Jennifer swallowed. “I know, but… they’re just like that. I told him to shut up.”

Grace gave a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah. That fixes it.”

Jennifer flushed. “I didn’t mean”

“You never do,” Grace said quietly.

There was an awkward beat.

“I really am glad you’re okay,” Jennifer said, softer now. “I mean… seeing you out, like this. I hope things are better.”

Grace wiped her face with the heel of her hand. “They are,” she said. “And they’ll be way better when I get out of this piece of shit town.”

Jennifer nodded, unsure what else to say. “Okay. Well. Good luck.”

She hesitated, then turned and jogged back toward the diner.

Grace watched her go. “She always did that,” she said.

“Did what?” Whit asked.

“Left feeling like she was a good person.”

After a moment of silence Grace turned to them. “Thank you for dinner, and I’m sorry I acted that way. I should be used to it by now.”

“No, you shouldn’t have to get used to it,” Lucy said.

Grace turned to Whit, “See what you have to look forward to, Sarah?”

Whit looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

“I’m sorry, that was shitty. I’ll see you at class next week. And Lucy, I don’t know what you said to them in there, but, Thanks.”

She fired up the tired truck and drove off.