Almost Alice » l.h

2.0

I didn't blame Michael. It wasn't his fault that Ross had gone through his texts while they were out. If anything, it was my fault. I was the one who texted him about it to begin with. He said he could wait to ask questions but I encouraged him to ask about anything he didn't understand. If it wasn't for me, Ross would've never found out and never told everyone.

Most people might say it would've never happened if they slept with him, but I'd still never do that.

I stayed home the rest of that day and all of Friday. After Michael caught up with me, he called Amy and told her to come pick me up. She had to tell our parents what happened because I was still a mess. I was crying so hard I was throwing up. My mom debated on if she should take me to the hospital because half the time, I wasn't breathing right. She was just scared for me and I understood that.

On Friday, I knew Amy wanted to go to school to defend me from anyone who might be saying mean things. I insisted that I needed her at home with me way more. Plus, Calum wasn't responding to my texts and that was bringing me down even more.

"You want me to try calling him?" Amy offered around noon. I'd been trying to contact him all day but nothing was working. "He knows I'll have his ass if he ignores me."

I sighed and shook my head. "No, it'll probably just make him even more mad."

"He can't be mad at you, he doesn't have a good reason!" she huffed, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe Michael and Violet were 100% okay when they found out and Calum's all pissy just because you wouldn't tell him."

"Because he told me things he's only told Michael." I told her.

"So? Just because he told you something doesn't mean you automatically have to tell him."

"I don't wanna talk about that." I said quietly. "Have you heard from Luke? Does he know?"

"He texted me this morning and asked if we'd be in today because he needed his makeup work, so I'm assuming he's out again. But he did ask if you were sick because he doesn't want to miss your date tomorrow." she smiled a little at the end.

I shook my head and stared at the coffee table. "I can't go out with him. Everyone in town thinks I'm really a guy. If we go out together tomorrow, people will say things. He'll be like Calum but worse."

"Just because Luke has anger problems doesn't mean he's not understanding." Amy said, rubbing my arm soothingly. "He might need a little time to process but he'll hear you out in the end. So will Calum. He'll get over himself and realize he had no reason to treat you like this."

I sighed and nodded slowly. "Have you told Ashton?"

"He heard about it this morning, actually." she said with a harsh laugh. "People are still talking about it and so when he asked what was going on, Calum told him because he was pissy. Michael cleared it up for him though."

I was starting to just get more annoyed and angry with this than sad and upset. Why couldn't people understand that I was born Alice? Not Alfred, like people at school had apparently been calling me. I am and always have been Alice.

"I was born a girl!" I burst, throwing my hands in the air.

"I know Al, but-"

"Don't call me Al anymore." I snapped before taking a deep breath to calm down. "I'm sorry. It's just that's a boy's name and people at school..."

"I know." she nodded. "But like I was saying, your case is different. You were raised as a girl but there were and are things different about you."

I started to tune her out. I didn't want to start hating myself again or thinking the same things some of the people at school might think. After I was taken out of middle school, I started to be okay with myself. Now, I was starting to go back to that bad place I was in when I realized I was different.

The sound of a doorbell caught my attention. I immediately got up and went to answer it even though Amy was still talking. I opened it and saw Ashton standing there in a ripped baseball shirt and grey sweatpants. He smiled warmly down at me.

"Hey Alice." he greeted.

"Hi." I gave him a small smile before stepping out of the way. "You can come in. Amy's in the living room."

He stepped inside and looked around. "Could you...show me where that is? I've never really been here before."

I closed the door and led him to the living room. Amy's eyes brightened when she saw him.

"Hey babe. What are you doing here?" she grinned.

"Just checking up on you and Alice." he shrugged. "Calum's all pissy and Michael said it was because Alice never told him. I think he's just overreacting. I understand why she'd tell Mike out of all of us."

Amy rolled her eyes and got off the couch. "It's about lunch time, yeah? Stay here with Alice please."

"Where are you going?" I asked, following her to the front door where she put her sneakers on.

She grabbed her keys and opened the front door. "I need to have a talk with Mr Calum Hood."

-

a m y

Everyone was outside in the courtyard to eat. I went to our usual table and sat myself down on top of it right in front of Calum.

"Hey Amy." Violet smiled.

I ignored her and grabbed Calum's beanie off his head to get him to look at me. Of course it worked.

"Hey!" he frowned, standing up and reaching for it. "Give it back!"

I held it away from him. "You're just as bad as Ross is, you know that?"

He scoffed and he was probably rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. "I never outted her. She's terrible for not telling me."

"You're still on that bullshit excuse?" Michael questioned.

"She didn't owe you shit, buddy." I told him firmly. "Just because you send a girl nudes doesn't mean she's gotta send any back, does it?"

"Well...no, but-"

"It's the same fucking thing." I said, tossing his hat back in his face. "Just because you tell her a secret doesn't mean she needs to tell you her's. She was planning on telling you and everyone else when she was ready. She told Michael because she was ready. Would you force someone into sex if they weren't ready?"

He sighed, realizing I was right. "No."

I nodded once. "Exactly. Now, if you're not at my house after school to apologize to my sister, that beanie won't be the only thing I'll rip off your body."

I picked up on a conversation a couple tables over because I had heard my name.

"...Amy's a boy too?"

I clenched my jaw and stood up on the table. Were people trying to turn this and say I was a boy too? If I didn't try to put an end to this shit, who would? I had to stand up for my sister since she wouldn't do it herself.

"Listen up, jackasses!" I yelled, causing the entire courtyard to go silent and look at me. It was probably a bad thing I wasn't scared of anyone in that school but that would probably bite me in the ass later. "I know that a lot of you are cool with my sister being the way she is. However, I've noticed there's quite a few people who think it's cool to make jokes about her. So if any of you fucking ass-trolls has any bad opinions about my sister and who she is - yes, she - then you can take them up with me and my friends. We'll gladly take care of all shitty and ignorant opinions."

"Miss Ackerman, please sit down." Mr Lavoie said. I knew he was cool with me sticking up for my sister but he probably hoped I'd do it different.

"Oh, and Ross," I added before I sat down, looking around until I spotted him, "remember what happened when you tried telling everyone my sister sleeps around? Remember how you got your ass kicked? Yeah, keep that in mind because what's coming to you is a hell of a lot worse. And for the record, Alice never had a dick, but it's still somehow bigger than your's. Suck my ass buddy."

"Amy!" Mr Lavoie groaned.

I held my hands up in surrender as I jumped off the table. "Leaving. Sorry."

And I did just that. I left the campus without another word from me or anyone else.