Jonathan walks into class and for the first time in three years, he feels alone. His girlfriend and closest friend broke up with him yesterday, and he feels totally hollow. He looks around the class and actually notices  people ignoring him. He feels the cold shoulder brushing past him anytime he makes eye contact with somebody. He feels the gossip behind his back, people asking what happened and why he isn't with Veronica. He misses her. He misses everybody.

Two weeks later, he still feels less than he was whenever he was with Veronica. He wishes he could have her back and he wants to be the same person he was back then. Everybody knows now, and everybody assumes he did something, so nobody will talk to him about it.

One day, a new student is in class. They have long hair, green eyes, and a small frame. They aren’t bulky, and John doubts they even weigh 150. The teacher tries to introduce them but the new arrival cuts them off before they get to their name, “Just call me Mia.” they say. John talks to Mia, and he feels like he’s comfortable talking with them, and John feels that space left by Veronica being filled as the two of them talk.

Two months later, John and Mia are dating and they’ve been hanging out almost every day, either getting food together or just spending time with each other. Only two months in, John feels more strongly toward Mia than he ever felt toward Veronica, because Mia is kind, smart, brave, and really loves John.

One day, after a discussion about their ancestry, John asks what Mia’s full name is. Mia turns red and says “it doesn't matter” and “It’d cause problems.” John promises Mia that he will always love them, regardless of what their outside is like, because he loves people for who they are on the inside, not what they're made by other people, not by their name, and not by their appearance, John really and truly loves people for what they're like on the inside, and Mia can feel it after John talks about how they’ll always have what they have, regardless of anything that happens. Mia takes a deep breath.

“So what does it stand for?”

“...”

“Mia?”

“It stands for Michael.”

John smiles and embraces Mia, both physically and for who they are. For who John knows they are. John loves Mia.