Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt

Author:Amy Ellis Nutt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2015-10-19T16:00:00+00:00

Heath closed his editorial asking for financial contributions to the Christian Civic League and its evangelical work for the people of Maine:

Click on the paypal button above. Don’t wait.

Kelly and Wayne were afraid, for good reason, that Heath and his allies had only just begun to fight.

CHAPTER 22

Defending Nicole

Kelly and Wayne were consumed with ensuring Nicole’s rights, but it was Jonas who was there every day at school—not in the same classroom, but close enough to know and see and hear the sorts of things being said about, and to, Nicole.

During recess one day, Jonas and several other boys were heatedly engaged in the playground game of four square. Drawn onto the pavement, each square is occupied by one player, and each player must bounce the ball to the others, in turn, while also trying to get them to misplay it. In one version of the game players are not allowed to move beyond the lines of their own box. Several boys waited to get into the game with Jonas when a new competitor took up his position in the lowest square. It was Jacob. Jonas looked away, a slow anger building inside him. He didn’t like Jacob, and he didn’t like what Jacob was doing to his sister, and, frankly, to him.

Ever since Wyatt had publicly transitioned to Nicole, Wayne had been careful to explain to Jonas that he needed to protect his sister at all times. That was his job, his father said, and as long as he was at school, on the bus, or somewhere out in public with her, it was his duty to keep her safe. When he’d been younger, Jonas had never thought of his sister as someone needing protection. First of all, she was more aggressive than he was, and second, why would someone threaten her for how she felt about herself? Lacking credible answers to his questions, Jonas had to be on the alert, and when people were too afraid to ask Nicole questions about her gender identity, they came to Jonas, the quiet, more approachable twin brother. It was a heavy burden for a youngster—making sure his sister was always safe—and it had sometimes made Jonas a bit paranoid, unsure whom to trust. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Nicole. And when something did—not physically, but psychologically—he hadn’t been there. Perhaps that’s why he now felt incensed whenever he saw Jacob, and why, when Jacob joined the four square game, Jonas felt sure it wasn’t going to end well. It didn’t take long before the two boys clashed. After one volley, Jonas accused Jacob of stepping on the line of his box, a violation.

“You’re out,” he said, then added: “You think you and your grandpa can push my sister and me around. Well, you can’t.”

“We’re right, and you’re wrong,” Jacob answered. “We don’t have to have fags in our school.”

Jacob turned to walk away, but before he’d taken a few steps Jonas had bounded across the four square board and jumped on Jacob’s back.

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