Empathetic

Chapter Seven

Jonah used his key to unlock the front door, opening and closing it as slowly and inconspicuously as he could. He crept past his mother's study. Quietly, quietly, quietly.

"Clara! You're home! Hi!"

Fuck.

His mother turned around to see Jonah, just inches away from the doorframe, greeting his little brother. 

"Hey, soldier." Jonah said nervously. "How've ya been?"

"Great! At school today, Mrs. Tyler brought us cookies because it was Rosie Tyler's birthday! And we didn't have to do our multiplication tables today because we ran out of time! And best of all, we had a fire drill during lunch recess so we got extra recess time!"

"Sounds like a fun day, kid. Hey, I've got some homework to do so I'm gonna head upstairs and get started. Wanna come?" If Maxwell was with him, his mother wouldn't dare come in and lecture him. 

"Really? Could I?"

"Of course, soldier! C'mon."

Jonah raced up the stairs, Maxwell at his heels, before his mother could veto the decision. They walked down the hall and entered the second door on the left. Jonah held the door open for his little brother and on his way in, tore down the makeshift sign that hung on the door. "Clara's room. No boys allowed!!!" 

Oops. Sorry, Clara.

"Clara? Can I play on your phone?"

"Sure, bud."

He handed Max the phone and sat down at his desk. 

"Clara? This weird guy, Emer- Eme- Emersi-"

"Emerson."

"Yeah! Why doesn't he call you by your name?"

"What makes you say that?"

"He just texted you."

"Okay, cool. Don't read my messages, dude, that's weird."

"But why?"

"Because."

"Why did you cut your hair?"

"Why not?"

"I liked how it was."

"I didn't."

"Why do you talk deeper?"

"Because."

"Claraaaaaaa." Maxwell frowned.

Jonah sighed. "I'm not a girl anymore, Max."

"Really? How did that happen? Is that what the older kids are talking about? That puberty thing?" Max gasped. "WAIT! WILL I TURN INTO A GIRL?" 

Jonah laughed. "Only if you want to, soldier."

"Ew yuck gross cooties." Maxwell made a face.

Jonah burst out laughing.

"Clara isn't a boy's name. We need to get you a new one."

"I already have one."

"Really? Jeez, how long has this been a thing? How come you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want to scare you." Jonah smiled. "Name's Jonah."

"Okay, Jonah. I like that. You sound like a guy from a book."

"Twas intentional, brother mine."

"What?"

"I meant to make it sound like that."

"Oh."

"Yep."

The two boys trailed off into silence, forgetting the purpose of the conversation. Jonah turned towards his math work. Algebra. Graphs. Equations. Parabolas. Inequalities.

"Mom should take you out shopping for boy's clothes. Those clothes are girly."

Jonah had changed after school to go home. He was wearing Clara's favorite plaid button-down and some ripped jeans. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Mom doesn't like me being a guy."

"Why not? It's cool!"

"She thinks it's unladylike."

"Well you're not a lady so..."

"Yeah well she refuses to welcome Jonah and is forcing Clara to hang around."

"But you can't just walk around school like that! That's crossdressing! Against the dress code."

"It's okay. I've been borrowing clothes from my friends. I change when I get to school."

"That doesn't sound fun."

"It's not, but I want to be me so I have to."

"That isn't right."

"Damn straight, little guy."

Maxwell gasped and slapped Jonah lightly. "BAD WORD!"

Jonah laughed and apologized. His little brother was such a ray of sunshine. Maxwell, the sickly third grader. Smaller than everyone in his class, but definitely just as intelligent. Maxwell, the eternally positive and nonsensical little boy. Friend of everyone, enemy to none. It was uplifting. Like one of those stereotypical movies about the sick kid who touches the hearts of everyone around them before they died. It was totally like that, except Maxwell was healthy enough that it was highly unlikely that his condition would reach a fatal degree. 

Highly unlikely.