Advice

11. retenir les larmes

~double upload cause i'm feeling silly. ALSO THIS CHAPTER WILL INCLUDE MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR TRANSPHOBIA and a little blood. WATCH OUT!!

*** = flashback~

Lightbulb's POV-

(A half hour later.)

"Are you okay with the couch? I would give you the spare bedroom but I already use that as my art room. And I also don't have enough money for another mattress." Painty shrugs, pulling a heavy blanket from their closet.

"Yea, that's cool." I reply, standing up from my seat at the dining room table. "Better than sleeping on the streets."

They whip their head around in shock. "You WHAT?!?"

"WHAT?!?"

"When I said 'homeless' earlier, I meant it as a joke! Lightbulb, what the hell happened?!"

Jeez. I didn't think I'd have to talk about this anytime soon. I don't even know if I can trust them. What if they think like the others did?

But they look so worried. I don't want to see them upset.

Okay. Brighten up, Lightbulb. Put on that smile.

"OOOOO is it time for my backstory?! My secrets are finally revealed! This is wild, guys. I'm feeling a flashback."

***

"Hey, are you awake?" I feel someone shake my arm.

I rub my eyes, looking up to see the ceiling of my dorm room. The moonlight shines through the window, illuminating my roommate's face. I lay flat on a thin cot, the tag on my pajamas scratching at my neck.

"Yea I'm up. Ugh- it's like, two in the morning...I need my beauty sleep. No one gets this gorgeous naturally." I flip my head face first into the pillow.

My roommate doesn't laugh at my banter like she normally would. Her tone was sinister. "I found something."

My thoughts freeze.

I turned to look her in the eye. She holds an orange pill bottle, shaking the chalky pills inside. "Lightbulb. What the hell are these? You know we're not supposed to have medication outside of the nurse's office."

"Oh haha yeaaa.'' I reach to grab the bottle from her, but she yanks her hand away. "My mom didn't let nurse know I took them, so I thought it wasn't really a big deal-"

"What are they for?" She moves the bottle closer to her face and squints at the lettering. "Es- Estra-"

"Estrogen."

She cocks a brow and shifts her gaze back to mine. She then moves her empty hand to her hip, shaking the bottle again. "I have no idea what that is, dumbass. Spit it out."

A nervous laugh escapes my lips. "I don't think I want to share that with you. Give it back." I sat up from my bed, looking her dead in the eye. My eyes begin to blur with water.

"I won't give them back unless you tell me. Spit it the fuck out." She rips the covers from my cot, attempting to make me spill.

I won't.

She grabs me my the collar and yanks me to the floor, standing above me like a deity.

Tears begin to spill down my face. As I fall from the cot, I hit my elbow against the wooden floor. "GIVE IT BACK [REDACTED]! PLEASE!"

She smiles as I beg.

Blood begins to spill from my arm. I cup my hand around the spot, leaning into my legs. "Please, [Redacted], give it back. I need them. I'll get sick without them."