This Is Me

16

TW's:
-Mentions homo/transphobia
-Mentions abuse

George's POV

I arrived at home with my dad and went up to my room as I saw my sister and brother immediately come after me. My sister probably wanted to play and my brother saw my bruised face.

I quickly walked to my room and wanted to close the door, but they got in faster than I could close it. My brother didn't question anything and sat down next to me on my bed with his arms around me as my sister showed me a book about animals.

'Cows and sheep,' she muttered as she showed me a picture in the book.

I smiled softly, but I was too tired to reply to her. My brother hugged me and smiled at my sister. 'They are a little bit tired, Drista.'

'Who are?'

'George.'

'And who else? You said they.'

My brother looked at me. 'Do you want to explain it to her?'

I nodded slowly and my brother grabbed Drista's hand.

'Drista, can you listen to me? I'm going to explain something difficult to you about George, okay?'

Drista nodded and laid her book down as she looked at me and my brother.

'Do you know what pronouns and gender are?'

Drista shrugged. My brother explained it to her in very easy words and Drista nodded. 'I am a girl,' she nodded.

'You are,' my brother smiled. 'Can you guess what pronouns you use?'

'She,' Drista muttered. 'And her!'

'Good job. And I? What do I use?'

'He and him? Because you are a boy.'

'Well done! For George this works a little bit different. George doesn't always feel like a boy.'

My sister nodded slowly. 'But how does that work?'

'They are born as a boy with a boy's body, but their gender switches. Their sex stays the same, but George feels different every day!'

'What does they mean?'

'Some people don't like being called she/her and also not he/him. They don't feel like their gender fits with any of those and they are non-binary for example. Then they just feel like no gender, so they aren't a boy and they aren't a girl.'

Drista nodded. 'It's difficult, but I think I understand.'

'George is gender fluid,' my brother said. 'Their gender can switch every second and sometimes George is a girl.'

Drista nodded and grabbed my hand as she cuddled up with me.

'Dad made something so George can switch their pronouns every time they feel differently. For example, they switched it to they/them now.'

'So you aren't a boy and you aren't a girl?' Drista muttered as she hugged me tightly.

'No, they are non-binary! Sometimes, Drista, sometimes George feels like a girl and then they wear beautiful dresses and makeup. They feel very comfortable and confident in those clothes.'

'Dress? Why is it weird for George to wear a dress?'

'That's not weird at all, but some people are a bit mean and make fun of George.'

'Why?'

'Because they think dresses are for girls.'

'But George is a girl when they wear a dress, right?'

'They are,' my brother smiled.

'Why is a dress for girls?'

'It's not, but some dumb people think they are only for girls.'

'Even if they were, George is a girl when they wear a dress.'

I smiled and ran my hand through Drista's hair. 'Thank you for being so sweet, Drista.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too,' I smiled and kissed her hair.

She looked up. 'Can I also be non-binary? It sounds cool.'

'Do you feel like a girl?' my brother asked.

Drista shrugged. 'A little bit, but being a boy sounds cool too! Can I be both?'

'You could, that's called bigender,' my brother smiled.

Drista nodded. 'Maybe I'm too young for that.'

My brother shrugged. 'You can be whatever you want, age doesn't matter.'

'Okay,' Drista smiled and my brother grabbed her hand.

'And Drista, do you know what being straight is?'

Drista shook her head.

'That means that you like the opposite sex. So if you're a boy, you can only fall in love with girls.'

Drista nodded. 'Okay.'

'I'm bisexual,' my brother said. 'I like both genders, I like boys as well as girls.'

'And I'm gay,' I smiled. 'I only like boys.'

'Why is that something you have to tell me? Isn't that a normal thing?'

'It is normal, you're right! Drista, can you keep a secret?'

Drista nodded happily and my brother smiled at her. 'I have a boyfriend, I'm in love with a boy.'

Drista's mouth fell open. 'Can I give him a hug? Who is he?'

'I'm sure he would love you to give him a hug! Do you remember the boy I had over at dinner?'

Drista nodded. 'Is he your boyfriend?'

'He is.'

'Do you have a boyfriend?' Drista asked me.

I shook my head. 'I don't.'

'Do you like someone?'

'A little bit,' I smiled as I rubbed her back softly.

'Clay? I miss Clay, I could always hug him. Is Clay a boy? Or does Clay also feel like a girl?'

'Clay is a boy for as far as I know, but Clay is not going to come here for a little. He's very busy with school,' I said with a fake smile on my face.

'I miss Clay, I miss his hugs. Can you show me your dresses?'

I shrugged. 'I'm not feeling like it, sorry.'

I stood up slowly to walk away, but my brother grabbed my hand. 'What happened at school?'

'Nothing important, I just don't feel like wearing a dress and makeup anymore.'

'Never?'

I shrugged. 'Maybe, it's stupid anyway. I'm just a boy, I shouldn't feel like a girl.'

'No, you aren't just a boy if you feel like a girl.'

'I'm just a boy,' I muttered. I walked downstairs and sat on the couch as I stared outside.

'Just a boy,' I repeated to myself as I wished to be wearing a dress and makeup. Clay was right, he had ignored my texts, he hated me. He had a reason to.

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