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

What's in a Name?

Originally posted: May 30th, 2023
Warning for unintentional dead naming. It's all completely out of ignorance, but keep yourself safe!

It probably would have been easier to just find Handlebarb at the Creek later that day, but Mariah was too far in to turn back. She had skipped Saturday morning cartoons, gotten Handlebarb's address from Craig, and everything. Now she was just stuck wandering the neighborhood because they didn't label the houses properly. (Why were houses 106 and 112 skipped? Where on earth were half the odd numbers?) Nevertheless, with her sick navigational skills (and a quick text to Razor, the resident Herkleton Oaks expert on account of her cousin living there) Mariah found Handlebarb's house.

After a quick double check of the house number and Mariah scampered up to the front porch. Two knocks at the door, and Mariah sat back to wait, checking her pockets for her face paint. A few seconds later and a woman answerd the door. She had light brown hait thrown up into a bun and a shimmering golden hairclip that Mariah had seen in a fashion magazine once.

"Yes?" The woman asked.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Mariah and I'm looking for Handlebarb." It was only after the woman gave her a confused look that Mariah realized she had never gotten Handlebarbs real name.

"Oh, you're one of Jake's creek friends." The woman was relieved, but it left Mariah in confusion. Did Handlebarb have a brother? "Jake! One of your friends is here!" The woman called out.

Footsteps raced through the house and Handlebarb appeared at the door. "Warpspeed?" Her face fell immediately when she realized it was Mariah instead. She looked almost scared that she was there instead of the biker.

"It's a little early, but I suppose you could head out to play now." The woman said. "Provided you finish cleaning your room later this evening. You hear me Jake?"

"Yes mom." Jake(?) mumbled, quickly tugging her(?) shoes on. As soon as that was done, Mariah was dragged away from the house, Handlebarb(?) grabbing her hand tightly.

Barely a moment after picking up her bike, Handlebars turned to Mariah. "Don't tell anyone my name. I hate it."

"No problem. Handlebarb is way cooler anyways." Mariah hesitated a moment. "And... I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Well... I thought you were a girl. I shouldn't have assumed, that's on me..." Moriah trailed off, Handlebarb had stopped walking. Her eyes were shining, face flushed.

"You thought I was a girl?"

"Yes, I'm--" Handlebarb cut her off with a hug, bike abandoned on the sidewalk.

"Don't apologize!" Handlebarb exclaimed. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"You're welcome?" Mariah was back to being confused.

Handlebarb pulled away. "I am a girl, really, I just..." She dug the toe of her shoe into the pavement. "...haven't told my mom yet."

The puzzle peices clicked into place. "Oh! You're like my big brother! He's trans too."

Handlebarb took a moment to process before grinning. "Wicked!"

"So why haven't you told your mom? Would she not be chill?" Mariah asked, slightly concerned.

"No, my parents would be super supportive." Handlebarb picked up her bike. "I'm just not ready yet. I don't even know what my name should be."

"Does Handlebarb not work?"

"I don't think so, not as a real name anyways. I love it, it's the sickest nickname at the Creek, but can you imagine a teacher calling me that?" The two girls continued walking to the Creek.

"Nah, that'd be a little weird. But hey, no rush right?"

"Nah, not really." Handlebarb smiled. "Besides, Warpspeed and the gang are helping me try some out. We'll find one that fits sooner or later."

A/N : You ever drive around a neighborhood for thirty minutes because their street signs and house numbers are an absolute wreak (or you're just a little dumb that day)? Yeah that's happened more times than I can count lol
Anyways!! Craig of the Campus fundamentally broke something in me so I'm coping by writing the first hurt/comfort (kinda) I could think of while listening to old an RTGame playthough and then the CotC livestream on the CN yt channel <3