Hayden Pike, Noted Ally

Hayden knows what he saw. Clear as day, right there in the middle of Shane’s text thread with Lily.

A dick pic.

Hayden keeps mindlessly scrolling Instagram—a pantomime of paying attention, not really taking in anything that’s passing across his screen. Mind racing as a series of realizations wash over him.

Christ, no wonder Shane was so cagey about Lily. No wonder he didn’t want to introduce her to the guys.

Hayden would like to believe that everyone would be chill with it, but he could think of at least five guys off the top of his head that would a hundred percent take issue with Shane dating a trans woman. He can imagine, far too easily, the kind of slurs that would get thrown around the locker room if anyone ever found out. Towards Lily, sure, but towards Shane too—because Shane had to be gay, if his girlfriend had a dick, right?

Or, Hayden finds out something that he was never supposed to, and decides that the only thing he can do is show his best friend that he can be the best ally ever, if he just gives him the chance.