°*𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 ℂ𝕃𝔸𝕊𝕊 // S𝑀G𝟦 𝐻𝐼G𝐻 SC𝐻00𝐿 AU *.☆

Chapter 2: Home Life

("Meet the Characters" has been updated with the new characters in this chapter.)

~

"MARIA! DISHES!"

Mario groaned. "Coming, mama." He murmured, throwing himself off of the bed and setting his phone down. He straightened the collar of his letterman jacket and sighed, walking out the door of his small bedroom and straight into the kitchen.

"Maria, do you leave tonight?" His mother asked, flipping the tortilla on the stove.

"Sí," Mario said, not looking at her and turning on the warm water. "I need to be there in an hour."

His mother hummed and reached into the cabinet to grab something. "Why aren't you playing Cinderella? You'd make a beautiful princess!" She squished Mario's cheeks after grabbing a spatula, and he backed away, grabbing the first dish and putting soap on it.

"Meggy is playing Cinderella. I'm playing the coachman." He rolled his eyes, but his mother didn't see. "I'm happy with the role of him."

"Ay, Maria..." She shook her head. "You've only ever played men in these productions. You're being intoxicated by today's world. Play a woman for once, Maria. Your nonna is always so disappointed to see you acting as a man."

Mario threw the dish down in the sink. "What I do with my life in my free time shouldn't effect grandma in any way, and Mama, I've told you so many times." He already threw a dish, so he didn't raise his voice. "I am a boy. So I play boy roles."

She shook her head. "No, no, no." She set her utensil and spices down and put her hands on her hips. "First, you cut your hair without me knowing. Your hair was so long and beautiful! Then, you throw out all your nice dresses and skirts which I bought for you!" She shook her head and made a clicking noise with her tongue. Then, her brow furrowed, showing the deep wrinkles on her forehead. "It's Meggy and her mothers, isn't it? She's forcing her gay agenda on you! Why don't you ever think about how I feel? Do you just not love me, Maria? I loved you when you were a girl!"

Mario stayed still, his eyes stinging and his rage bubbling up in him. He didn't know what to say but finally spoke up after a moment. "I'll love you when you accept me for who I am." He said quietly.

His mother gasped, and her facial features widened before falling into anger. "Are you serious, Maria?!" She shouted.

"You don't love me!" Mario shouted back, pointing a finger at her.

"You are my DAUGHTER, Maria. I love you for who you are, which is a woman! You are ILL!" She looked taken aback at the index finger in her face.

A door flew open in the house and out ran Luigi from the bathroom. "What the hell is happening out here?" He asked, throwing his hands down at his sides.

"Luigi, tell your sister she's a girl!" Their mother turned to face Luigi.

Luigi made eye contact with Mario and saw his cry for help. "He is a boy. His name is Mario, mom." He said calmly.

Their mother stared for a moment before returning to the stove to continue cooking. "Luigi, take your sister to rehearsal early. I'm done talking."

"What?" Mario shouted. "NO! You can't just cast me away when I'm trying to talk to you! Please, Mama, just LOVE ME!" Mario burst into tears. "Just help me out here!" Although he was used to his mother shutting him down and not listening, it didn't mean that he ENJOYED it.

"No, Maria! You're delusional! When you were six years old and we found out you had that horrible disease, I was devastated. This is 'I am a boy' stuff is just a result of that illness that has effected your body!" She continued to shout, rage plastered all across her face and shown in her body language.