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Collin Peck used to work in a small snack stand on the boardwalk. He doesn't anymore but between the ages of 24 and 30 he found himself psychically bound to his minimum wage job by some invisible force. Perhaps it was the aroma of burgers and dogs. Or maybe it was the chemicals he used to clean the slush ice machine and grill every night. In reality, Collin found himself trapped behind the counter by the malevolent yet lazy spirit of convenience. A specter that drained him of the will to find something better.

As far as Collin was concerned, he was doing just fine. If asked, he would probably describe himself as something of a beach bum. He liked to comb the beach in his spare time, using a metal detector to find little treasures buried in the sand. It didn't usually amount to anything more than a little spare change in his pocket. Just a supplement to his minimum wage. It was the tips he made during the summer that he survived on, when all the tourists showed up. One time he'd found a rather expensive watch in the sand but had decided to take it to the boardwalk's lost and found. That's just how his parents raised him.

During the off season, Collin's hours and pay were drastically reduced. Except for around Christmas when sales would briefly pick up before slowing back down around New Years. During those off months Collin would pick up seasonal retail gigs. He even delivered morning papers for a while. He'd considered getting one of those food delivery side gigs as well but all Collin had was a bicycle. He could barely afford his rent each month, let alone a car.

Regardless, Collin didn't feel like he had much to worry about. He worked most of the time but in the hours that he had off he liked to go up and down the beach, feeling the sand between his toes and waiting for the small thrill of his metal detector going off. He liked to people watch as well. He'd befriended many of the buskers that flocked to the pier every year like summer birds. He also got to know many of the locals who frequented the beach. Morning joggers, skaters, volleyball players who tried to persuade Collin into joining them every time, and of course, the regulars who came to his stand. There were the old timers that came for their morning coffee. If it was slow enough they would stay for a while and chit chat until a line started to form. There were the folks that stopped to grab a quick bite for lunch or dinner before going back to their own jobs. And then, there was Brock.

Collin didn't usually get to know his regulars by name but Brock was an exception. Brock was a muscular rhino who showed up every weekend and always ordered himself a veggie dog with extra relish (but not too much). Collin always secretly looked forward to seeing him. He was kind and handsome, always wanting to stop and chat with Collin for as long as he could, even waiting around a while until the crowds left.

Collin wouldn't admit it out loud but he found the rhino quite attractive. It wasn't an attraction he was comfortable having but over the years he learned to live with it. There were times that he thought that the rhino was flirting with him, which seemed like an impossibility to him. After all, he would think to himself, why would he be attracted to me? A pig who always smelled of grease and didn't have the money to afford new shoes. He would tell himself that the rhino was just being friendly, that's all.

Collin wouldn't say that he lived a solitary life. He was always surrounded by people, whether at his job or on the beach. But truthfully, he felt very alone.

Our story begins a couple years ago on the first of June. Collin didn't usually acknowledge Pride Month but he felt it in his soul. He loved seeing the colorful flags coming out and hanging from store fronts. He loved seeing the tourists wearing their rainbow attire. It filled him with a sense of hope and optimism. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to watch the parade each year, let alone attend one. But this year was destined to be different for him.

Collin woke up as he usually did and got a morning jog in before exercising on the public gym equipment at the park. By the time the sun had fully risen he was back home to shower off and get dressed for work.

As he was buttoning up his polo shirt, he noticed the rainbow pin on the dresser. He stared at it for a long moment, feeling a strange compulsion to wear it.

He'd gotten it the day before while heading home. He passed by a hippie goat along the pier who would always be playing some kind of untuned ukulele or an instrument made out of random trash or household items and occasionally handing out little gifts while he performed his weird little songs.

Collin had stopped for a moment to appreciate the raw artistry of the improvised outsider musician before pulling some spare change from his pocket and tossing it into the long bearded goat's tattered hat on the ground. The goat had been in the middle of improvising some kind of song that was a repetition of "LOVE YOURSELF! ACCEPT YOURSELF!" When the goat noticed he tossed in some coins, he stopped playing and said "THANK YOU, BROTHER! GOD BLESS YA!" in the same volume as his singing voice. The hippie took a pin off his coat, which was absolutely covered in pins and rattled with even the smallest movement. He took Collin's wrist and planted the pin right in the palm of his hand.

The goat went back to playing his discordant song and Collin pocketed the gift without getting a good look at it. He rode his bike back to his apartment, wondering how he managed to wear such a jacket laden with metal pins on a warm day.

Now he stared at the pin, the bright rainbow colors alluring to him. The man's song seemed to echo in his head. Maybe it was a sign?

To this day, Collin still doesn't understand how or why he had felt so compelled to put it on and wear it to work. He never formally came out to anyone and the thought of wearing something that identified his sexual orientation in public filled him with dread. Maybe it was the growing sense of acceptance in the community. Maybe there was some mystical power inside it, like a rainbow talisman, that drew him to wearing it. Or maybe it was all just a coincidence and Collin's desire to be seen finally took over. Whatever the case, the small decision would completely change Collin's life.

Collin wore the pride pin on his apron while he worked that day. Wearing it made him feel very exposed. Strangers and regulars would be able to see his pin and be able to pick up on something he'd always just kept to himself. For the first few minutes his hands could not stop trembling. He felt light-headed as he prepped food and served customers. Even though nobody had really said anything, he felt exhilarated and terrified at the same time. He even considered taking it off at one point but he didn't.

A few regulars seemed a little surprised by the pin but didn't say a whole lot about it. A few folks told him that they liked his pin but that was about it. A few hours into his shift, Collin was starting to feel a little more at ease. Lunch was going well and the anxiety was wearing off. He hadn't seen or heard any negativity about his pin, emboldening him more. I might even wear it tomorrow, he thought to himself proudly.

After the lunch rush, Collin was leaning on the counter and watching the people on the beach across the street when he saw a familiar face coming his way. Collin's face lit up for a moment as Brock approached the little shack but quickly froze. In a moment of panic, his hand went up to snatch the little pin off his apron but he stopped himself.

"Just be brave..." he told himself. He lowered his hand slowly.

The rhino came strolling up with his usual grin, wearing a pair of shorts that showed off a lot of his toned legs, a pair of sneakers that Collin quite liked, and a sweat soaked grey tank that read Athletic Dept. in blocky sports jersey letters.

Collin's heart raced as the rhino leaned on the counter. "Afternoon, Pink! How's the weekend treating you so far?" Brock asked.

"Good!" Collin replied. "Your usual, sir?"

Brock grinned. It had become something of a recurring dialogue between them where Brock would insist that he call him by his name but Collin would still call him 'sir'. "It's just habit. I gotta call everyone sir or miss." He would say.

Collin started working on Brock's veggie dog with extra relish (but not too much).

"You know me too well," the rhino replied, looking him up and down. Collin could practically feel those eyes scanning him and landing on his pin while he worked.

The rhino's brow perked and he gave a cocked smile. "I like your pin, Collin."

Collin felt his chest flutter. The paper sleeve holding the veggie dog nearly slipped from his hands. He gave a nervous laugh and looked down at his chest.

"Thanks! I mean, everyone wears these name tags. Mine's nothing special."

Brock gave a laugh and leaned his body on the counter, giving Collin an unintended view of the rhino's chest under his tank. "That's why I like ya, Pink. Always quick with the wit." With a coy grin, the rhino reached out and flicked his finger under the rainbow pin, lifting it upwards before letting it fall back. "You know I was talking about this one. Silly boy."

Collin's snout turned a shade pinker and he offered a polite. "Thanks, heh..."

"You an ally?" Brock asked keenly, his tufted tail swishing back and forth.

"Yeah...Well, actually no but...kind of." Collin replied, flustered. "I'm actually...gay." He said, lowering his voice some as he spoke. He could hear his pounding heartbeat in his ears. The words didn't feel real coming from his lips, like someone was speaking for him. He'd only ever thought them to himself but now he was saying them out loud.

The rhino's grin grew wider. "Really?"

"Yes, sir..." Collin said, feeling somehow bold while drowning in anxiety at the same time. "Here you go!" He nearly dropped the veggie dog on Brock as he passed it to him, his hands shaking. "Oh! S-Sorry!"

"Woah, easy there Pink!" He said with a laugh, taking the veggie dog before it ended up on his shirt or on the ground. "You alright?"

"Yeah, sorry..." He apologized. "I'm sure you'd rather eat your veggie dog rather than wear it, heh..." He handed the rhino a stack of napkins. He looked up to the rhino's face and met his eyes. He was smiling back at him with a kind smile that made him feel a little more comfortable. Without saying as much, the rhino seemed to understand what he was feeling in that moment.

Brock reached out across the counter and rubbed his wrist reassuringly with a large gray hand. Collin looked back at the handsome pachyderm and felt his snout prickling with the heat of another deep blush. He grinned bashfully, averting his eyes. "Always quick with the wit." Brock said warmly.

When another customer approached the counter and started reading the menu, Brock pulled his hand away and grinned at him. "Stay proud, cutie. I know how scary that must've been."

Collin looked back up. Before he could process what the rhino had more or less just said, Brock took a bite of his veggie dog and slapped a twenty on the counter. "Put my change in your tip jar, Pink." He said while turning to leave.

Collin opened his mouth to speak but found himself barely able to croak out a little, "Thank you!"

"Thank you for the amazing dog, Collin!" Brock called back to him. "Perfect every time, like always! I'll see ya tomorrow~"

Before Collin could stop himself, he called back, "You promise?"

The rhino stopped in his tracks, turned to look over his shoulder with a surprised grin, and only replied with a single wink and a flick of his tail.

For the rest of the day, Collin felt like he was floating on a cloud. His mind kept going back to Brock, thinking about what he said and wondering if that was his own way of confirming he was gay as well. He had thought that Brock's playful flirting was just his own wishful thinking for so long that he didn't know what to think. All he knew for sure was that he felt validated and accepted by Brock. And that's all that mattered to him.

Collin stayed in a good mood for the rest of his shift, which was a long one. He continued to get compliments on his pin from some customers, some of whom were also wearing Pride colors on their shirts or hats or wrist bands. He felt elated once again when another customer wished him a Happy Pride!

When five o'clock finally rolled around and it was time for Collin to leave, Benny and Marigold showed up to take over for the evening rush. Still in a good mood and feeling strangely energetic after a nearly ten hour shift, Collin was thinking about grabbing his metal detector and heading out to the beach for a while. It was still a nice day out. The crisp blue sky hung over the Pacific ocean and lots of people were out and about. From his view over the counter he could see a speckling of rainbows. And way, way off in the distance, like a mirage across the ocean,was Wildfox Island. He didn't know how but it almost seemed to beckon him.

He'd only ever heard of Wildfox Island and seen it on very censored brochures. It was a popular gay destination like Fire Island or Provincetown and well known for its gay bars and clubs and nudism. Notorious, one might say. It sounded like both a dream and a nightmare to Collin.

As Collin was taking off his apron, Marigold was doing a quick cash deposit when she noticed his pin. "Hey, nice button!" The stoat said, brushing her pink and purple hair back. "By the way, Boss Man wants to talk to you real quick."

Collin found his boss Jeremy around the back of the stand having a cigarette with Benny.

"Hey Boss Man, how's it going?"

The bear glanced up and gave a nod. He cleared his throat and said the words that Collin dreaded to hear. "Collin, can we talk for a second?"

"Uh...yeah, sure. What's up?" Collin replied, rubbing his hands together a little anxiously.

Jeremy gave a sigh and looked down at his chest. "Collin, I got a few complaints from customers today..."

Collin felt his heart sink. He hadn't heard a single complaint all day but he didn't doubt that they might have taken their complaints straight to his manager. "O-oh?"

Jeremy gave a thin smile and nodded, patting Collin on the back. "Now I don't care what you do in your free time. What you do is your business, Collin. I ain't here to judge or anything. But we try not to take any political stances, you understand?"

Collin swallowed. He wanted to protest and argue but he found the words impossible to get out. He was barely able to fight back the tears that were stinging the backs of his eyes. He nodded jerkily and said, "Sorry..."

"You can wear your button outside of work all you want but not while working, okay kid?"

Collin nodded, looking down. His fists were clenched tight in his pockets. The bear patted his shoulder and bid him a nice evening.

Collin walked slowly down the boardwalk, hiding the pin in his hand. He wanted to cry. He wanted to run away and hide from everyone. Worse, he felt ashamed that put himself out there. To show a little part of himself that he kept secret for so long only to be told that he was being offensive. Like his existence was offensive.

He passed by a trash can, dropping his pin inside and continuing his slow walk of shame down the sidewalk. After a short distance, he stopped and went back to grab it again. Thankfully the button had only landed on some crumpled up newspaper.

Maybe he would try and wear it a different day. At a different time. Maybe on the beach or...during the Pride Parade? He'd think about it. It was too big of a step. For the moment, he would let the pin sit in his pocket the whole way back to his apartment.