Boys Don't Cry

Part 1

Everybody is at Richies house for a sleepover. They're all in the living room watching Clueless, and Eddie, Ben, and Bev are making bracelets. Stan's phone vibrates and some of them look for the source of the iPhone ringtone. Stan pulls his phone out his pocket. "Mom's calling me, be right back." Eddie and Mike nod and everyone goes back to watching the movie. Stan walks to the other room down the hall and answers the phone. "Hey mom." Stan says. "Hey Soph! Are you having fun at Richie's?" Stan immediately goes blank, all the color drained from his face. "It's Stan." He says, coldly. "Hmph. Whatever. I just don't want my little girl taken away. Do you really hate me that much?" His mom says, teary. "No! I don't hate you! And it's not like i'm leaving you. I'm just being who i really am." Stan says back. "You aren't being who you really are. Stop being fake and making stuff up. You're a girl, from your birth until your death." His mom says coldly. Stan stays silent. "Goodnight Sophia-" Stan cuts her off at the end. "Goodnight Mom." He hangs up. Stan walks into the bathroom, and takes his shirt off. He stares at himself in the mirror in his binder. He slowly takes off his binder, tears streaming down his face. He stares at the mirror, at his body. He sobs loudly, he doesn't even care who hears. He falls to the floor and sits against the wall with his head in his hands. After what it feels like hours of hysterical crying, someone knocks on the door.

"St-Stan? It's me, B-b-bill." The voice outside the door says. "C-Can I c-come in?" Bill asks. "One second." Stan chokes out. He quickly puts his shirt back on, and a sports bra he kept in his backpack, not bothering to put on his binder. He knows Bill won't judge, and Stan just doesn't care about anything right now. Stan unlocks the door from where he's sitting, and says, "You can come in now." very quietly. Bill slowly opens the door to see Stan sitting on the bathroom floor, sobbing so hard his eyes are red, and his binder and phone on the floor next to him. Bill crouches down infront of Stan. "S-Stan! What happened? A-are you okay?" Bill frantically asks the smaller boy. Stan cries. "My mom.., she's just," Bills face softens and looks empathetic because he knows what Stans mom is like. "She keeps forcing me to be 'her little princess'. She deadnames me whenever she can, she pretends that I never came out to her and my Dad. My Dad always genders me correctly and uses the right name and stuff, but it's just- my mom is such a bitch." Stan sobs. Bill sits down next to Stan, and Stan leans his head onto Bill's shoulder. "I'm s-so sorry, St-Stanley." Bill says, putting Stans hand in his and squeezing it. Stan squeezes back. "I'm alright, just sometimes I wish i was a real boy... Maybe not sometimes, more like a lot." Stan smiles sadly. "What are y-you talking about?! Y-you ARE a ruh-real boy. You're a-as much of a boy as me, and ruh-richie, and eddie, and any boy at scuh-school, and any boy a-anywhere." Bill almost yells. "I guess. I just hate my body.,." Stan sighs. Bill looks down for a very very quick second, and realizes Stan doesn't have his binder on. Stan blushes. "Sorry. I guess I should have told you- or I can put it back on-" Bill interrupts. "N-No! If you don't want to p-put it back on you don't have t-to. Plus, when you d-don't have it on i d-don't really mind. You are you ei-either way." Stan smiles. "I love you,.," Stan blurts, he quickly covers his mouth with his hand. Bill laughs softly. "I l-love you t-too, Stanley." Bill says. "Is it okay if I... kiss you?" Stan asks. Bill nods. They lean in for a kiss and Stan puts his hand on Bills neck. After a while of kissing the bathroom door opens.

"Hey, you weirdos oka- OH MY GOD!" Stan and Bill let go of eachother. Stan looks the other way as Bill stands up quickly to face Richie standing in the bathroom doorway. "HOLY SHIT. WERE YOU GUYS MAKING BABIES?!" Richie yells as loud as he can. "NO!! NO WE WERENT!" Stan squeaks. "W-we were just k-kissing.." Bill smiles and looks down to Stan. Stan covers his face in his hands with embarrassment. Richie smirks at them. "Who in the hell is making babies?!" Eddie runs into the bathroom doorway. "What?" Eddie says blankly. Stan and Bill start laughing. "Let's just go back to the living room guys." Stan smiles. Stan waits for everyone to leave the bathroom. Bill notices he isn't coming with them, and turns around. "You coming?" "I don't know. Do you think I should put my binder on?" Stan asks. "It d-depends. How l-long have you been w-wearing it?" "Oh, since about 7 this morning..." Stan says quietly. "H-holy shit. Thats 13 h-hours. If you want to get top s-surgery when you're older you sh-shouldn't wear it that long." Stan sighs. "I know, I know. I'll keep it off." Bill nods. "Th-thanks." They both leave the bathroom. Not one of the losers says anything about stan not wearing his binder, and he's very grateful about that. Stan feels like everyone is looking at him though, even though they aren't. Stan's phone keeps buzzing after the movie ends. Stan pulls his phone out of his pocket. "It's my dad, i guess i better answer him... uhm, is it okay if you stay in the guest bedroom with me while i call him?" Stan asks Bill. "Yea, s-sure. i won't s-say anything if y-you don't want me t-to." Bill says. Stan grabs Bill's hand and they walk to the guest bedroom.

"Hey Dad." Stan says. "Hey, son. How's my boy doing?" Stan smiles at the extra gender euphoria. Bill's so happy for Stan. Atleast one of Stan's parents isn't an asshole. "Good. We just finished watching a movie." Stan says. They chit-chat for a while until Stan's dad finally says, "Sorry about what your Mom said earlier. You know how she is about... that." "Yea. It's okay, don't apologize, it's not your fault. I just wish she understood!" Stan replies. "Yea, so do I... well i have to go to sleep now because I am an old man, goodnight." Stan laughs. "Night, dad." The call ends, and Bill and Stan stand up from where they were sitting on the bed. "That went well, i'm glad your dad's so supportive." Bill smiles, holding Stan's hand as they walk back to the living room. "Me too."