" So, we get to camp out?" Josiah asked."Just until we get you two bunked into the attic." Nathan smiled and sodid I. That was a solution."No more cle...aning our room!" Josiah shouted."How do you figure that, mister?" I asked."Are you going to climb the ladder every day to inspect us?" Mark asked.He knew--everyone that knows me knows--that bringing five of God'sgreatest gifts to term had wrought no little havoc in my lower back. Ican get around fine, as long as I don't overdo it, but I would. Treya might actually keep it, but I don’t know what she’ll do after that. Shavala will either go home someday, or she’ll just keep right on traveling.”“What about Bobo?”“Fifty years from now, he’ll still be snoring away in the next room. I’m never going to be able to get rid of him.”Katrin laughed.There was a knock at the door, and Corec opened it to let in Ellerie and Boktar.“Did you finish getting the supplies?” he asked.“All stocked up,” Boktar said. “Are we leaving tomorrow?”“I think I’ve. It makes me happy just to come home to you,” I told her, taking her in my arms and kissing her. “Uh oh? What's wrong?”My little teary eyed Ainsely didn't struggle, she just let me hold her. When she whimpered a little, I stroked her hair and waited for her to decide what to tell me. A quiet fear began knotting my gut, a fear that something bad had happened, or was going to happen, and I felt sure it was going to have something to do with her black lover.She spoke softly into my chest, “Oh. This is the first time I've gone out like this. My roommate, KarlRogers, is a football player. Look, you don't want to hear this."I could see she was uncomfortable, but she trooped on. "What did he do?"Now many other students are also listening. Good."He found out I was transgender and outed me to the whole school." He can't do that." He said if I didn't do the homework for the team and buy him beer, hewould out me. When I refused, he did. Look, I got to go." I turned andwalked out.I knew where.