After The Dinner Horn and Off-screen: a CotC oneshot collection

You Don't Have to Like Dresses

Originally posted: sometime in 2022
A/N Hey! This is centered around a headcanon about a character being trans, and I'm cis. I asked a few trans friends I have about how to word this and phrase things, but let me know if I got anything wrong or did anything wrong!

It was the quietest day that the daycare had seen in a while, so of course something had to happen and make it eventful.

Angel was in the process of putting the kids down for naps when a kid on a bike stopped at the entrance to the daycare.

"Um... Angel?" The kid took off their helmet and stood at the daycare entrance, obviously uncomfortable and out of their element. One of the Ten Speeds if Angel had to guess, not like the bike gear gave anything away. They had the number four on their shirt, for some reason, but that was about as notable as they got.

"Yes? You have a kid to drop off?"

"No, I uh, have a question to ask." Of course they did.

"Which is...?"

"I- how did you know you weren't a boy or a girl?" God, not another one of these kids. Always asking questions.

"Look, I don't owe you an explanation, it's none of your business, and I'm busy." They turned to leave.

"Wait! No, not like that. Crap, I'm sorry I just, I don't know who else to ask and I thought that you might know something but yeah you're right this is super insensitive, but— I just—" The kids' voice grew quiet, and they clutched the hem of their T-shirt tightly. "I think... I think I'm a girl."

Oh. Okay, that makes more sense.

"Alright, let me get the kids down for their naps, then we'll talk.

"Y-yeah. Cool."

Lil' Chris finally went down, and Angel sat near the entrance next to the kid.

"Alright, first off, what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Handelbarb!"

"Right. So, you think you're a girl."

"Yeah. I think, at least. I'm not sure, but I thought you might know something about this."

"Mhmm. So, why do you think you're a girl?"

"I don't like being a boy. I-I really don't like it." Handelbarb took a shaky breath, and Angel prepared for a story.

"We had an actor come to school a few weeks ago and she brought in a bunch of costumes. Like pirates and princesses and astronauts and everything! And I tried on a dress because, y'know.

"But, when I put it on, I hated it. I hated how it looked and felt and just, everything. But girls like dresses, right? Girls like dresses and pink and dolls and things like that but I don't. But I don't want to be a boy either." Handelbarb looked close to tears.

"Hey, remember to breathe." She took a large, shaky breath. "Good. Okay, you do know that girls don't have to like dresses, right?" Her eyes widened.

"They don't?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. You can be a guy and like to wear dresses, or you can be a girl and hate to wear dresses. Who cares how you feel about dresses? That doesn't determine your gender." Handelbarb stared intently at a rock, taking in all the new information.

"Then... yeah. I'm a girl." A huge grin spread across her face. "I'm a girl." She wrapped Angel in a tight hug before jumping on her bike and rushing off, shouting a quick 'thank you' over her shoulder.

Well, at least she didn't wake up any of the kids.

"Lil' Chris hungry!" They grimaced. Never mind.

Handelbarb swore that she was almost entering Canon Space with how fast she was going. (She!) It was getting close to dinner time, and she wanted to tell the rest of the Ten Speeds about her news before they all went home.

As she came up on Ramp City, she could see Warpspeed finish a Nollie 180.

"That was so sick!" She yelled.

"Thanks!" He yelled back. Handelbarb biked over to where the rest of the Ten Speeds were waiting.

"Did Angel answer your question?" Todd asked. She told them where she was going, but not why. Suddenly her stomach wormed with anxiety.

"Yep, they sure did. Actually, can I talk to you guys?"

"Yeah,"

"Sure,"

"Of course!"

"Okay." Handelbarb hopped off her bike and sat on the ground, everyone else following suit. She took a deep breath. "I'm a girl." She couldn't move her eyes from the ground.

"Congrats, HB." She looked up and Canonball gave her a smile.

"Yeah! That's awesome duuuu—" Warpspeed's eyes widened. "—uuuudette. Dudette! Sorry, sorry."

"It's chill. You can still call me dude and bro and stuff, I'm just not a boy." The dinner horn filled the Creek.

The Ten Speeds rode home and Handelbarb had enough energy to do five more laps around the neighborhood, but her parents had promised pizza that night.