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Sydney could still remember the day her best friend had come out as part of the LGBT community, the confusion, the fear of losing her, all still fresh in her mind like it had happened yesterday.

It was like any other day, Sydney and Saoirse were sitting on the benches in the gym during recess, watching Omar and a couple other students in a game of basketball.

Sydney watched Omar dribble the basketball across the court in admiration, she couldn't help but sigh dreamily, when all of a sudden, one of the opposing team members slammed him from the side, knocking him to the ground and stealing the ball.

Buff, how typical of him (Yes, that was his name).

Sydney watched Omar collect himself and get back to his feet, ready to go again.

Sydney took in a deep breath and let out a quiet burble; he was quit the rooster, wasn't he? If only she could find the courage to get to know him better.

Saoirse recognized this look and turned to Sydney seriously, "Why don't you go talk to him already?" She said.

Sydney sighed, "I mean I've waved to him in the hallway, he said 'hi', so it's not exactly like he doesn't know who I am."

Saoirse looked at Sydney, head resting on her wing, eyes still transfixed on Omar, a look pure dreaminess and longing on her face. Cluckers, the girl was down bad.

"I don't know what you see in Omar," Saoirse said finally, continuing to watch the young rooster as he chased after his opponent and the ball, "If you're looking for a guy, he's not exactly the "guyest" guy there is. I mean don't get me wrong, he's definitely a guy, he plays some sports and does guy things, but he's not exactly the strongest muscle or anything, and I wouldn't say he's the most "handsome" body. If you're looking for guy guy, why not go for one of the more serious jocks - why not Buff? Or if you're looking for the guy with intellect, why not go for one of the nerds. Omar's neither of those, he's just a guy, a normal, simple guy. I mean there's nothing wrong with that, but he's not exactly the guy other hens swarm over."

"Oh come on," Sydney said, "Omar's just... Omar. Besides, he's one of the nicest guys in school. I don't know... I just like him," she crossed her wings in emphasis, as if completely satisfied with that answer.

"Hmm," Saoirse mused, looking at him again, "I suppose he's just not my type."

"And what is you're type," Sydney asked, suddenly curious.

Saoirse went quiet, pulling her wings into herself. "Well..." She hesitated.

Sydney knew her too well, "You have someone specific in mind, don't you?" Sydney scooted closer, waiting for her answer.

Saoirse seemed stuck, not sure of what to say.

"Come on," Sydney urged, "We're friends, I want to know."

Saoirse looked at Sydney and took a deep breath, then raising her wing shyly, she pointed across the room to a group of students sitting on the benches opposite, all laughing and joking together.

Sydney looked over where Saoirse was pointing in confusion. They were a diverse group of all breeds, some classmates, a few upperclassman that Sydney didn't yet know the names of; there was a Buff Orpington (unironically the one really dating Buff at the moment), a Rhode Island Red, another Plymouth Rock like Saoirse, and a couple of others which she wasn't sure of, but try as she might she couldn't make out the guy Saoirse was pointing at, from her vantage point, they all looked to be hens. Perhaps she was missing something, so she looked back at Saoirse for clarification.

Saoirse shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" Sydney asked.

"Well, it's not exactly a guy," she admitted. Silently, Saoirse pointed again, this time clearly pointing out the Rhode Island Red, Amantha, Sydney was pretty sure her name was.

Sydney hesitated, "You mean you're..."

Saoirse nodded.

Sydney went real quiet, she tried to look at her friend, but she could only look away.

"Listen, I know you were raised a certain way, that your family doesn't believe in certain stuff, but just try to understand..."

Sydney flinched, feeling suddenly guilty, "I, uh, I don't know what to..." Was all Sydney could manage.

Suddenly Saoirse burst, "I know, okay? If I could wish away these feelings, I would, but I can't, I can't be anything different then I am."

Sydney grabbed her friend with her wing and looked at her, "Saoirse, listen, I don't want to..." But Sydney didn't know what she didn't want, "I need time to think..."

Saoirse looked at her, Sydney could see tears building in her eyes, "I wanted you to understand, but now I think I shouldn't have bothered you with this. I'm sorry."

And with that, Saoirse spun around and hurriedly made her way down the benches toward the door.

"Wait, I want to talk," Sydney said helplessly.

But Saoirse didn't listen, she just made her way out of the room, tears still building in her eyes.

As the gym door closed, a few of the students looked up at her questioningly. Sydney folded her wings in herself.

Did I do something wrong?

And for once, she felt very alone.

The rest of the day, Sydney went from class to class with confusion trapped in her mind. She didn't get a chance to talk to Saoirse again, and she feared that even if she did, Saoirse wouldn't want to talk to her again anyway.

Sydney couldn't help but wonder if maybe she did the wrong thing by not talking to Saoirse right away, she knew her friend was expecting her to be supportive, but with the way she had been raised... What if Saoirse never wanted to talk to her again? What if she was betraying her friend by disagreeing with her? But deep inside, she really didn't know if she could...

Sydney groaned in frustration. Whatever she did, it felt like she would be doing the wrong thing.

Why was it wrong anyway?

Sydney knew for many it was a religious thing, that being... a certain way... could lead to serious consequences spiritually. And if that was the case, wasn't it Sydney's responsibility to try to deter her friend?

But was that what she really believed? Did Sydney really believe that Saoirse was a bad chicken just because she had a crush on somebody someone said she shouldn't?

Sydney didn't know how everything worked, but she knew Saoirse was her friend, that couldn't change. There was already enough anger and misunderstanding in the world, and what did it help to add more to it. Sydney wasn't sure how much support she could show her friend, but she at least didn't have to turn her back on her either.

But what if that wasn't enough? She knew some members of the community could feel greatly offended by people who had conflicting views like she did.

Well, she'd have to try, because she was not going to lose her best friend to something silly like who she had a crush on.

Besides, this wasn't the first time Sydney and her friend had disagreed on something after all. Recently, Saoirse had decided to pick up on a few curse words; Cursing was something Sydney had never done in her life, and something she never planned to do, but they hadn't stopped being friends over it, they had understood where the other was coming from.

Okay, Sydney didn't actually understand the point of cursing, but that hadn't completely torn them apart, and this time it was about love, and that's something Sydney could understand, even if she wasn't fully on board with all aspects of that love.

Just talk to Saoirse and make amends, Sydney told herself, that matters more than who is correct.

But what if it doesn't work out?

Sydney felt a cold and lonely air fall over the room; she didn't know the answer to that.

It wasn't until later that day when Sydney finally got the chance. As she stood in the courtyard, the final bell had rung, Saoirse appeared next to her, leaning against the school wall, her posture showing no anger, just weariness, her wings folded loosely across her, unable to meet Sydney's gaze.

"I'm sorry I blew up at you earlier," Saoirse said quietly, "It's just..." taking a deep breath, she gathered the courage to meet Sydney's eyes, "...I just found out about this myself, and I'm still trying to figure this all out, and I'm just afraid... what if all of this is wrong, and I'm becoming something unforgivable-"

Sydney laid her wings in those of her friend's, pulling her to a stop. Sydney could see the tears building up, the fear in her friend's face, and suddenly she was glad that she hadn't been able to talk to her earlier, glad for the time she'd had to think and try to come to terms with all of this, "Listen," she said, "I know I was raised the way I was, and I don't know if I can just change that, but you're my friend, and I don't want to stop being your friend, even if we can't always agree on everything."

Saoirse looked at her, feeling the tears lightening, "So you don't hate me."

Sydney shook her head.

"Even if I go out with Amantha?"

Sydney looked at her, suddenly feeling playful, "If it was for me to tell you who you can and can't go out with, I would just date you myself," Sydney teased.

Saoirse looked at her, brightening as she caught on to the joke, "Nah, you're not my type," she said with a laugh.

Well now, THAT was just savage; Sydney feigned a look of offense, "Huh? My tail features aren't floofy enough for you?" She said, raising them out behind her and shifting them in exaggerated indignation.

The two laughed together.

Once their laughter finally died down, Sydney let out a breath and looked at her friend lightly.

"I can't tell you who you should be, and I can't promise you I'll always agree, but I can promise you I'll always be your friend."

Saoirse felt the heaviness of the day finally leaving her, "Thank you," Saoirse said, pulling Sydney into a warm embrace.

The two held eachother for a long moment, and when they parted, Saoirse looked at Sydney once more. "I'm going to go talk to her now."

Sydney nodded.

As Sydney watched Saoirse hurrying across the courtyard to meet up with Amantha before she left the school for the day, Sydney could only hope for the best for her friend. Sydney looked down at herself and gave a regretful cluckle. She was such a coward, here Saoirse was defying everything society had told her about herself and was opening up to a path that was so uncertain, and Sydney couldn't even bring herself to talk to Omar.

Sydney looked at her wings in thought; maybe someday soon a path would open itself up for her to talk to him, but as it was now, she was still alone; Saoirse would always be her friend, but they were getting older and eventually they would start to go their separate ways in life, separate understandings of right and wrong, there was no telling where they'd eventually end up. Sydney wanted to be glad for her friend, but right now, all she felt was a new separation of loneliness opening up inside her. What if Saoirse was wrong? Maybe that was something only Saoirse could decide.

Folding her wings into herself, she headed out the gate and into the parking lot where her mother would be arriving soon to pick her up.

Where she nearly ran into Omar.

"Oh, sorry," she said, stepping around him.

"Oh, don't be, my bad," he said, "just forgot to grab my homework from my locker," and then, as he headed back toward the building, he turned back and gave her a kind smile just before disappearing back into the school.

At that, Sydney felt the start of a new warmth beginning to glow within her. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was something, and that was a start, that maybe there was hope.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Sydney turned, surprised to see Saoirse rushing across the walkway to meet her.

She reached her a moment later Sydney's and held up a wing while she caught her breath.

"What gives?" Saoirse said once she was finally back to breath. "I didn't expect you to leave without me."

"But I thought-" Sydney started.

"Just because I may be getting a girlfriend doesn't mean I'm not going to see my bestie girl off from school," Saoirse laughed.

Sydney blushed, but felt herself relaxing with warmth for her friend, "So, what did she say?" She asked curious.

"We're all going to the movies this Friday, you're welcome to come with us." She looked at Sydney, amusement glinting in her eyes, "What, you think I was going to ask her out the first moment I met her? We're just going to hang out."

Sydney allowed herself a gentle smile, that did sound fun, even if she didn't know the least bit about Amantha and her friends, "Yeah, I'll join."

"Hey, you should see if Omar can join us too," Saoirse said, bumping her teasingly.

Yeah, well unfortunately, that part didn't happen.