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

Chapter 3: Run the Show!

Mario stared himself in the bathroom mirror, trying to get a grasp of reality. He was lucky that the costume room had its own bathrooms, so he was secluded off well. He stared from his eyes to his hair, then to his bandaged hand, which tingled with the feel of the healing burn. He twitched his fingers and felt the sensation grow into something more painful. Would he be able to go on that night? Yes. He had to. More importantly, where would he go after the show was over?

He left his phone at his house with the unexpected leave, so he couldn't text his mom to tell her where he was, nor could she text him to come home. He had a feeling that she wouldn't be there for the performance. Maybe he could ask Meggy to have a sleepover, then go to school together the next morning? Or maybe he should just go home and act like nothing happened. That's what usually went down anyway when situations like this happened. 

A small knock was heard on the bathroom door. "Mario?" A voice called. It was Meggy. "Are you in there?"

Mario stayed silent. He wasn't ready to interact with people yet. He looked behind him at the door and watched the knob jiggle. 

"Just come out when you're ready. I'll be here to talk if you want to." Although Mario couldn't see Meggy, he felt her warm smile through the door. Her footsteps disappeared, and Mario turned back around, staring himself in the mirror again. He started to remember how he looked on his first day of high school almost 3 years ago. His long curly hair was pulled up into two ponytails with bows in each of them, and he was wearing a big poofy red dress with matching boots. He was uncomfortable all day, and the only teacher that had actually noticed was Trevor.

"Hey," Trevor had pulled him aside after class that first week. "What's your name?"

"Maria." Mario had answered, not looking Trevor in the eye.

Trevor had smiled comfortingly, making Mario feel a sense of home. Not the horrible, mistreating home, but a soft and welcoming one. "No," He shook his head but still kept that same wonderful smile. "What is your real name?"

And Mario had broken down into tears right then and there. He knew. Trevor knew from the moment that he saw Mario that something wasn't right. Since then, Trevor and the Principle had teamed up to provide t-shirts and baggy jeans for Mario to wear once he got to school. It was only this year when Mario had started dressing how he wanted, but leaned into it gradually so his mother wouldn't notice too much.

When Mario finally came out to his mom, she called him delusional and that it wasn't possible for somebody to be born in the wrong body. She couldn't wrap her head around the concept. She completely ignored it and refused to get Mario help, and continued to treat him exactly the same. Deep down, Mario knew she could never change.

However, Mario could trust his theatre class. Everyone understood and supported him, and they were like a family. His spirits lifted as he thought about all of the wonderful people who were on his side. Everyone in the cast that night would be helping him and making him comfortable. This was his home.

Mario stared at his lizard-like makeup, to which he had applied himself in the bathroom as an attempt to get his mind off of the situation. He knew he wasn't the best at doing makeup, but he didn't want anyone touching his face besides himself. Especially not now. He was still high strung and sensitive, and all he wanted to do was put on his headphones and watch memes in the bathroom. However, he knew that wasn't an option right now. He could do that when the play was over, but not now. He couldn't give up now. The world could never play by his rules, and he needed to accept that.

With a sigh and a forced smile, he opened the bathroom door and out into the costume room. "Hey, hey, everyone!" He gave finger guns to Four and Meggy, and Melody (who was sitting on the counter doing her makeup) waved back at him.