When The World Stops Spinning: Poetry & Short Stories

Trans-fixing*

He was born a male, but God made a mistake.

"God doesn't make mistakes," Zyn said, standing by Danny's room door.

Danny continued putting his makeup on. Danny was 5'6, hair cut close to his scalp in the back and

longer in front, and a scar in a shape of a snake on his left cheek near his jawline.

With his makeup and outfit on, Danny turns to his sister, "How do I look?"

"Like a girl. Danny the boy is gone," Zyn states, "Here stands Dona...Danny's alter ego."

Danny smiles, showing off his perfect teeth. Dona, Danny's alter self, was Danny's true self. Danny

felt more at peace when he was in his Dona attire and less worried about how others thought of him.

"Come on. You don't want to be late for your first day of school. Do you?" Zyn sighed out before heading down their new home's staircase.

The Brown family moved to Europe after the children's father, Mr. Brown, came to terms with

being a homosexual; Danny thought that was the main reason but it was also because Mr. Brown got a new job position. Mrs. Brown, after hearing the news about her husband, filed for a divorce and disappeared from the Browns' lives. Danny and Zyn knew that their mother was devastated by but couldn't understand why she didn't want anything to do with them.

"Are you ready, Danny?" Mr. Brown stated once he saw Dona standing in front of him.

Danny raised an eyebrow and Mr. Brown cleared his throat, "Sorry, I mean Dona."

Danny had a nervous habit of digging the tip of his shoe into the ground and swaying his ankle back and forth. Mr. Brown noticed and placed a hand on his new daughter's shoulder through the simple touch, telling Dona that things would be fine. Zyn came out of the kitchen and handed her older sister a waffle. Dona took it and the whole Brown family headed out of the home.

"Your locker number is six hundred forty-two. Your next class is Maths, on the second floor," Mrs. Twid stated quickly, "Have a nice day...Dona?"

Dona simply nods and walks into the full hallways of sixteen and seventeen year olds. Dona walks

down the hall with her head held high and arms resting by her side.

"Is that a boy?" someone whispers in the hallway, attempting to be secretive.

Dona stops in her tracks for a few seconds before she continues towards her locker. Dona spots

Zyn sitting cross-legged on the ground with her head bowed; she was praying. Dona crouches down and taps her sister on the shoulder. Once Zyn's storm grey eyes pours into Dona's pale brown eyes, Zyn lets out a sigh and nods.

The bell rings and the siblings get up and go to class. Zyn and Dona share the same homeroom, so

they walk to the room and sit next to each other. The homeroom teacher asks the new students to introduce themselves and what they like to do. Zyn goes first.

"My name is zyn, Z-Y-N, pronounced Zin. I'm sixteen years old and I am religious," Zyn finishes and takes her seat. The teacher nods and motions to Dona.

"My name is Danny but I go by Dona," Dona stands straighter, "I am transsexual and--"

"Does that mean you're gay?" A students barks out.

Dona lets out a sigh, "God made a mistake when I was born. So, since I am still a boy...down there, yes, I'm gay, but since I consider myself a girl, no, I'm not. I'm straight."

The classroom goes silent and Dona simply shrugs, "and I like to draw."

Dona sits back down and waits for someone to yell "Faggot," "Prick," "cock sucker," or "Tranny". Dona looks up towards the corner of the room, she feels someone starring at her. Dona saw a buff tall boy with bed hair starring straight at her. Dona feels uncomfortable under his glare; she recognizes that stare, it was the stare of hatred. Dona turns back towards her bag; she couldn't handle the stare, she felt that the stare was going to break her.

The school day went by and Dona was glad when it was finally over. Dona heads out of

the school building and walks down the street towards her home.

"Hey, love," someone calls form behind Dona with a British accent.

Dona looks back and the boy who gave her the glare this morning is jogging behind her.

Dona's heart speeds up, she knew the bullying would start but she didn't think it would start after the first day of school. Dona knows she couldn't out run the boy, so Dona stops walking and waits for the boy to catch up.

"What?"

"Just wanted to welcome you to the UK," the boy said with his arms open to the sky, "Name's Matt."

Dona simply nods, she  knows the hurtful jokes of being herself would come flowing out of Matt's mouth.

"I just...wanted to know...if you wanted to hang out?" Matt said nervously.

Dona's eyes widen, was this a new form of torture?

"I mean, I could give you a tour of the town," Matt states, "and I want to get to know you better."

Dona crosses her arms, "Why? Are you gay? Or are you just playing a prank? You know, I'm tired of being picked on, so please fuck off."

Matt's eyes change, they change into a warmness that Dona only saw in her father's eyes. Dona wants to run away but her movement was only her swaying foot dug into the asphalt sidewalk.

"I know how it feels to be picked on. Yes, I'm gay and yes, I am trying to ask you out. I was new to the school last year but people get over it the same way a fart goes! But one thing I learned last year was that I needed to move on from the bullying and live my life, so," Matt sighs, "can you, Dona, go on a date with me so we can both live our lives the way we please?"

Dona is stunned, she wasn't expecting Matt's stubbornness or his bravery to ask her out.

Again. Dona stares Matt down, waiting for him to break, but he doesn't. Matt stares back at Dona with his warm eyes and waits patiently for her answer. 

"Urm...erm...s-sure," Dona stutters out.

Matt's face grows into a smile. They exchange numbers and Matt watches as Dona

continues on her way home.

Beautiful, Matt thought, perfect-to be exact.

Dedicated to: All members of the LGBT who have been bullied and would like to live their lives to the fullest.

*Transfixing (v.) To render motionless, as with a fixed stareor by arousing terror or awe.