A Name

The Queen Falls

Lena's POV

It's been a few weeks since Kara had come out. Andrea and Victoria still misgender and deadname her endlessly. I can't exactly stand up for her. If I did I would surely become a social outcast. I'd have no friends! I mean unless I took Nia up on her offer... there's no way that'll happen though. I would get bullied just as much as they do. And my mother would be incredibly upset. I shutter at the thought.

"Kamden looks so dumb with his stupid pin." Andrea comments during lunch, "Someone should really take it from him. It's just feeding the delusion."

"It's Kara, not Kamden." I mutter very quietly under my breath. It's how I justify dealing with it. I correct them, they just don't hear.

"What was that Lena?" Victoria asks.

"Oh uh..." this is usually where I say I'm agreeing with them. So why aren't I saying that now?

It's cause I'm like her myself. Or I guess we used to be more alike when she was closeted. And now she is a cute blond girl that would look absolutely stunning in something feminine.

"It's Kara, not Kamden. You should respect her identity." I find myself saying. What's even happening?

"You're joking right?" Andrea seems baffled, "We've been making fun of him for years about anything and everything. And you're gonna take his side now just cause he wants to play make believe that he's a girl?"

"I'm just saying we shouldn't poke at something so fragile. We want to make her life hell, but we don't want to permanently traumatize her!"

"Fragile? That kinda thing isn't fragile Lena.  It's unnatural. Next thing you know a lesbian is gonna come out and so is a gay boy. Soon the whole school is gonna be taken over by those fags.

That was it. That was my final straw. I stand up abruptly, moving the whole table, "You do NOT have the right to use that word Andrea. Take it back."

"What are you doing to do if I don't?" She replies standing across the table from me, "Im just saying what HE is. A fat old tranny."

I walk around the table till I'm standing directly in front of her, "Say something about her like that one more time... I dare you." I'm suddenly glad I went against my mothers wishes this morning and opted for pants and sneakers rather than the dress and heels.

"Is this your way of saying you're one of them too? Are you a fag? Do you have some massive lesbian crush on me?"

She's doing it on purpose. Up until this point I've never really shown anything has bothered me. Here I am getting upset over pronouns and slurs so she's using it. My brain doesn't fully catch up with my body until I feel my fist make contact with her face.

"What the hell Lena!" She shrieks causing the people nearby to look over.

"I said take it back! All of it!" I yell back getting ready to throw another punch.

"Make. Me." She stands up taller. I see where I hit her in the face already begin to bruise.

And just like that I tackled her to the ground and started punching her senseless. Mother always said I had a temper. More like since I had beaten Alex up when he used one of my Barbies for parts for some inventions. I don't really remember it. 9 year old me blacked out and came to standing over her passed out older brother. That's when Lillian's punishment method had changed. However, much like 9 year old me had, I blacked out. When I came to my senses, Alex Danvers was dragging me away from a bloodied Andrea? What makes it worse was everyone whispering. Oh how the mighty have fallen I suppose.

***

Kara's POV

"What the hell Lena!" We hear what sounds like Andrea scream.