For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,135

about to get hurt."

She paused to lick her lips, all too aware that her mouth was dry. "It also doesn't matter. I'm not ashamed of who or what I am. My family proudly supports my transition. My friends have made me feel accepted. What's under my skirt doesn't matter, and if any of you ask, just know that you'll have to tell me about yours before I'll tell you about mine." She lifted her chin. "I don't need your approval. I'm not here to drive up your ratings. I game because, for me, this is my safe space, and I will not let anyone take that away from me, or the lesbian watching this stream, or the trans guy, or the kid who's being picked on because they don't fit in some mold the rest of the world wants them in."

"Do your friends know?" someone dared to ask.

Psyc scoffed, proving he was still right behind her. "What difference does that make?"

"Well, whether or not you feel betrayed," the reporter replied.

Psyc moved beside her and draped his arm around her shoulders. "The first time I noticed Rhaven, it was because she was tough enough to mouth off to QQ. Now, could you explain to me which part of that has to do with her being a man or a woman? And betrayed? What the hell, man? Her life is none of my damned business. She's not obligated to tell me anything. She's not obligated to even talk to me. See, the thing we white boys keep forgetting is that no one owes us shit." And he pointed his finger at one white male reporter after another. "Check your privilege, bros, because the high table definitely will." Then he turned her away. "Let's go show the world what our gamer girls can do, babe."

"What are you doing?" she asked. "I was - "

"Coming out," he finished for her. "And you did. I'm just drawing the line in the sand, Rhaven. Braden told me about him grabbing Dez, right? Like, a long-ass time ago. Well, it made me realize that this is the same damned thing, and it's not going to stop until all of us stop playing their game."

"But I wanted the trans people out there to know they're not alone," she insisted. "I know that when I started, I would've loved seeing someone like me willing to speak up."

"And maybe that person's friends saying there's nothing wrong with them?" he asked. "That's all I did, beautiful. I proved that a crass and foul-mouthed gamer guy can accept that you are valid just the way you are."

Her feet stuttered to a halt. "Yeah?"

"And I will do it again and again if it helps the next young Rhaven realize that there's not a damned thing wrong with her." He reached up to trace the edge of her hairline. "I didn't have an excuse as a kid. I was just a dork. I didn't fit in anywhere - wasn't cute enough for the girls to notice, and wasn't tough enough for the guys to respect. I got my ass kicked through high school. I hated myself, but I had people like Xion to idolize. I had games where I was just like everyone else. The characters fit the man I wanted to be. I knew I belonged. And I can't help but think that..." And he caught her hand, turning her palm up to expose the scars on her wrist. "If I didn't, I'm not sure I would've been as strong as you."

"But I tried," she whispered. "I honestly wanted to die."

"I think most of us could say the same. You ever seen Chance's arm? He's got a big-ass tattoo right across it. I know Murder tried to suck the end of a gun as a teen. Dreadknot? He tried pills. Know what we all had in common? We thought we were alone, Rhaven, but we weren't. Online, we figured that out. Online, we found our tribe, and now we're going to make sure that the whole fucking world knows that it includes them."

"Thank you," she breathed. "For that, for being so cool to me when I told you."

"I wasn't cool," he told her. "I was stunned, Rhaven. I had never met a trans person before. Well, not that I know of. It doesn't matter, but I feel..." He paused, pressing his lips together. "I'm gonna fuck up, ok? I'm gonna ask something, or react the wrong way, or make some assumption that will