Chapter 6
Revealed Secrets
Jake and Sam explain to Niki about Sam's past. This reveals how Sam is actually transgender and was born a girl and is actually a boy, even openly gay, although it's obvious. Sam also mentions his distant boyfriend who lives across the country. Stacy is still trying to take Niki.
The fluorescent lights of the library buzzed, a low, insistent hum that usually lulled Jake into a state of focused productivity. Today, however, the sound was a jagged edge against his nerves. He traced the spine of a history textbook, the worn leather cool beneath his fingertips, but his mind was a thousand miles away, caught in the whirlwind that was Niki.
Across the table, Sam, his ever-present anchor in the turbulent seas of adolescence, was meticulously organizing a stack of research papers. Sam’s quiet efficiency was a stark contrast to the internal storm brewing within Jake. It had been days since the disastrous attempt at a study session in the park, days