>The minute you retreat back into yourself, you feel the immense weight of guilt and shame

>Shoulda done it when you had the chance

>Coward

>No

>Not now

>Not here

>This isn't the time, nor the place

>You're glad you didn't

>Sam's eyes flutter open, and you see her flash a look of confusion

>And then the shame comes

>She throws her head downwards, her shoulders sloping with her gaze

>"I-I-" she starts, but you're not going to allow her to do this to herself

>She's too good of a person, drowning there in her hand-me-down hoodie and sweats, ears lopping carelessly behind her crop of hair that you've come to find beautiful on her

“Your secret is safe with me," you say, trying to cut the tension

>"It…" she stops herself, uncertain in her next fumbling words

>"I-It doesn't have t-t-to be a s-s-secret anymore."

>Wat?“… Are you sure? You want people to know?"

>She hesitates for a moment

>And then, drawing herself up with a deep breath, she fixes you with a determined stare

>"Yes," she says, her voice as steady as steel

>You gather a sharp-dressed Alex, a Jenna dressed like a bumblebee, and Mike, who has done little more than acquire a slick leather jacket that's slightly too big for his frame, outside the costume shop 

>You're dressed up in your white priest vestments, which are a loose cut of pale-yellow cloth with cheap gold thread running down the center

>Beneath that, you have a white robe, and Gloria's crucifix dangling around your neck

>You look like a priest, if the Catholic Church were in a severe budget crisis

>"You two done making out yet?" Mike groans. “It's getting dark and I'm getting hungry."

>Indeed, the sunlight was dissolving away into the blue dusk

>People were inside having dinner by now with their families, so the clean-swept sidewalks were barren

>Meaning the party was going to be soon

>The one you were all crashing

>That harvest moon was rising, huge like another earth looming overhead

“Quit yer' bitchin', my son." You waggle a finger at Mike, who playfully bites the air around it

>Jenna giggles

“I helped Sam with HER costume, so it took awhile," you say, taking care to really draw out the 'HER'

>You sweep the group with your eyes, looking expectantly from face to face

“I said, I helped Sam with HER costume, so it took awhile."

>This silence tastes like need-smarter-friend-juice

>They don't seem to understand

>Except Jenna, who cocks her head

>The sharp ears on top of her head twitch with curiosity, like a live wire jumping with current

>You lean forward

>Here it comes

>The big moment

>

>"It took you THAT LONG to get him his costume? What is he going as anyway?" She says

>"I bet his costume is really elaborate. Lots of moving parts. Did you cop a five-finger-discount on it?" Alex says

>…

“Actually," you start, “you're not even wrong. The costume was almost free. We just had to buy a little rope for HER bat."

>Mike, that pale motherfucker, shivers, and says: “why do you keep saying it like that?"

>Bingo

“Like what?"

>The vampire fledgling folds his arms across his chest

>"'Her.' You keep saying that instead of 'him.' Say it right, man. I'm too cold to deal with this."

“Ah, you stupid bitch. Maybe there's a reason for that?" You prod

>Jenna's face lights up with a sudden alarm

>"You're not messing with us, right?" She says, eyes going wide. “Are you saying what I'm thinking you're saying?"

>You fight to keep the smile growing on your face from betraying your pointless ruse

>The fox shakes her head. “You're just messing with us. Right?"

>Her pleading expression and Mike/Alex's cluelessness is the straw that breaks the camel's back

“Okay Sam, you can come out now!" You call

>The bunny totters around the corner of the building, trying her best to keep her hands away from her ears and to keep the blush from overpowering her 'costume'

“I give you: Samurai Outlaw."

>You gesture towards Sam like she were a new car on a game show

>She stands before you all, as short and as self conscious always

>Her hood is thrown over her head, with two holes sliced out of the top so her ears can dangle down behind her 

>And a red bandanna obscures every feature of her face except the amber glow of her eyes

>Her brother's baseball bat is strapped to her back with a bit of rope and cord

>Other than that, not much has changed about her

>It's a simple costume, but dead close to her idealized drawing of Samurai Outlaw

>"Is that it?" Mike says

>You scowl

“Don't you think it's cool?" You say, ignoring his jab

>"I mean, it's pretty simple, is all. I don't know why it took you guys so long."

>"I think it's really fucking cool," Alex says, encircling the rabbit, who is frozen in the metaphorical spotlight

>Too much attention on her all at once, you muse

>Jenna is dead-frozen, staring fixedly at Sam

>"She really does look… good…" she says, stiff and distant, her mind trying to reconnect its crossed wires

>"Awww not you too," Mike says, now encircling Sam with Alex, like two sharks honing in on a bleeding whale

>He's a little more interested than he lets on, you think

>The simplicity of Sam's design is its main strength

>You could see Samurai Outlaw as some kind of urban antihero or something in a comic book

>Sam flinches and shrinks away from the prying eyes of Mike and Alex as they comment on how cool the baseball bat prop is

>Jenna loudly clears her throat, drawing everyone's attention from Sam's bare-bones costume

>"Sam," she says, a cautious warmth tinting her words. “Is what Anon says true?" She threads her fingers together and folds her hands down at her waist

>The bunny points her eyes down at her feet in response to the sudden question

>You open your mouth to spill the metaphorical beans for her-

>"Y-Yes. It's true. I-I-I-I'm a girl," she says suddenly

>The boys come to a sudden halt

>"You're fucking with us," Mike says, glancing between both her and you. “Actually, you're both fucking with us."

>"I KNEW I SMELLED A FEMALE'S SCENT," Jenna says, and the joy of being right gleams in her eyes, brighter than her polished fangs

>Instinct takes over, and Sam shrinks back away from the fangs and the claws, holding her bat out in front of her like an aluminum shield

>Jenna recoils quickly and mutters an apology

>"A-Anyway," she continues, looking incredibly harmless, dressed as a bumblebee. “I thought I smelled something… strange. But I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. This explains so much."

>Alex looks dismayed

>"So wait, Sam, you're really a girl?"

>Overwhelmed, Sam shoves her bandanna back over her face to hide her blush

>"Yes," she says, behind the cloth. “I-I'm not lying-"

>"Wait, if you're a girl…" He looks at you, and then back to Sam, steam practically pouring out of his ears

>Guess his mind is really cranking

>"If you're a girl… And Anon is a boy… And you two…"

>You feel a steady knot of anxiety and embarrassment settle in on your chest

>It spreads quickly to your face

“Alex… Don't…" you caution him

>…Okay, maybe there's a little rage there too

>His mouth drops open, his smile almost as wide as his face

>"ANON ISN'T GAY!"

>Strangely enough, he looks to Mike for confirmation

>And that fuckass is smiling, nodding, as the realization slowly dawns on him with all the speed of a turtle and the grace of a rhino

>"Anon's not gay," Mike repeats, more to himself than to the rest of you

“I've been saying that from the very fucking start; I'm not gay, you goddamn idiots," you counter, face pulsing red

>You almost hate that they care more about you being not-gay than they do about Sam's true identity

>"Sam, you're really a chick? Like, pussy and everything?" Mike leans forward, smiling like a total shithead

>The bunny flinches backwards, and you know Mike's just doing it to fuck with Sam, but you can't help but internally cringe on her behalf

>You imagine her blush must be the same color as her bandanna

>"MIKE!" Jenna cries. “What the hell is wrong with you?"

>He spins around with a wounded look on his face

>God you really are glad Jenna can keep him under control

>Mike mutters an apology while Alex claps you on the shoulder

>"I'm seldom wrong," he says, “but you played the long-con with me. Good work."

>You smile at him — a warm smile that you hope communicates how fucking done you are with this whole joke

>He smiles back, and deep down, you still don't think he understands

>"Hey," Mike holds an open palm out to Alex. “You owe me 30 bucks."

>Alex looks down at the pale palm, spiderwebbed with blue veins, and then back up at Mike

>"You idiot," he shakes his head slowly, that smile still warming his face. “You actually think I have any money?"

>"Nah," Mike says, all too casually. “I just like knowing I was right."

“Wait," you turn to the vampire. “So you thought I was straight the whole time?"

>You still feel that warm pulse of shame and blood in your face

>"Nah, I thought you were bi. That's why he only owes me 30 and not 60. You're not bi, right?"

>You answer him with a raised middle finger, while Sam stares holes into the sidewalk