Penelope Grand Ch. 6 (A PJO fanfic)

Instructions

Enjoy! Note: if I get any LGBTQ+ things wrong, correct me in the comments. I am still learning. Thanks! First: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1251840016 Next: still working! Previous: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1279485868/ Chapter Six: I tried to sleep in, but woke at dawn. I crawled out of bed, wondering if Tate really was up early. I headed outside and someone was in front of the Athena cabin. I smiled. Tate was already dressed and ready, like me. She wore leggings and a crew neck sweatshirt. When she saw me, a smile spread across her gorgeous face. Gods, Tate was so beautiful when she smiled at me like that. The butterflies in my stomach were also awake. I tried to tell them to stop fluttering. They, along with my heart, didn’t listen. “Hey,” I said. “Morning,” she replied. “I see you remembered I’m always up early.” “Yeah,” I responded. Why did I have to like her? All my thoughts told me it was wrong. “Penelope?” she asked. “You okay? You were zoning out.” I blinked and nodded. Her voice. It was like music to my ears, my favorite song. I could listen to it forever. “Are you sure?” she questioned again. “You keep staring off into space.” I sighed. “I really like you. My dad was a homophobe and super anti LGBTQ+.” “My step mom was too. She hated me for being lesbian. I dropped the weight of it snd let her go. Now I feel free.” “Free?” It felt like a foreign word, something I didn’t know. “Free,” she confirmed. “You’ll feel so much better and like you can be yourself.” ————————————————————————— We headed to the pavilion and waited there for everyone to arrive. Mora was not a morning person. They acted like a zombie, but certainly didn’t look like one. Their golden amber eyes were lined with black eyeliner and gold eyeshadow. Their matching caramel, bronde hair waved down their back. Lena stalked over and said, “Oh, look. It’s the weirdo ‘non-binary’.” “I prefer demigirl,” Mor corrected. “So, like a female demigod,” Lena laughed. “It’d better be. You act feminine and were born female, so that’s what you are.” “No,” Mor said. “I’m non-binary, but feel like a partial female.” “You can be male or female,” Lena continued. “The gender you were born. And you dress like a girl anyway.” Mora wore a white tank and athletic shorts. “Boys were tanks and shorts.” “But not girly ones,” Lena said. “Because they’re not girls and they know it. So accept you’re a girl.” “Because the shorts are a little shorter than ‘male’ ones, they’re girly,” Mora said. “That doesn’t make sense. If I wore long shorts, would they be ‘girly’?” “Yes!” Lena responded. “Because a girl of wearing them.” She smirked. “I’m not a girl, I’m a demigirl,” Mor replied. “I’ve told you a million times.” “That’s not a real gender,” Lena snorted. “Girl or boy, female or male. That’s it.” “It’s my gender identity,” Mor calmly said. I didn’t know how she kept her cool; I would have lost it by now. “Keep telling yourself that,” Lena added. “I told you: male or female.” “Gods, stop being such a homophobe!” I shouted. “It’s the 21st century! It’s so stupid, not supporting. People can’t control what they feel!” Chiron sighed as he quickly trotted over. “Penelope,” he started. “I know!” I replied. “It’s not like I’m embarrassed enough and unaware. I know I have to try to control this!” Gods, why was I losing my temper so much? I didn’t normally . . . okay, fine, I did. ————————————————————————— We were just about ready to leave when Tate pointed out that we didn’t know where to go.