Miranda isn’t sure if she is transgendered or a lesbian. When Cal, a gay boy her age comes to stay next door for the summer, they become close. Even though they are opposites, they are both outsiders, and their friendship blossoms over the summer. Could there be romance despite their differences?<br><br>Then twins Ada and Van move into the neighborhood, and Miranda finds herself torn between them. She can’t decide who she’s more attracted to -- Ada, who may be lesbian, or Van, who is transgendered. Will she find love with one of them instead?

A Rare and Beautiful Thing

So I was pretty miserable and not expecting much. Anyhow I wasn’t unhappy to see my little neighbor, still pudgy, come plodding over to see me. We don’t get a lot of snow where we live, and the sun, though thin, was struggling to shine. Curly’s walk was not a happy one this time, either.


Curly plopped down beside me and snuggled up to me. His face looked like he’d been crying. I knew that look all too well, from my mirror.


“You’re supposed to be thinking of turkey and pie and Santa,” I said, hugging him. He looked like he could use it.


“How’s Cal?” I blurted out. We’d exchanged emails and had a lot of other online contacts, but not since Halloween. “Is he sick?” I asked.


Chapter 11