Pencil Shavings (a Genderfluid story) - COMPLETED

Chapter Six: Kate

I walked along the road, hands in my pockets. It had decided to rain again, and knowing that I didn't have any rain jackets or an umbrella, I had to take cover before I got too wet. I certainly didn't want to catch a cold.

But why did she kick me out? Why? Why?

I thought she loved me. I kind of already knew that she didn't support the LGBT community, but being me, I pushed that knowledge aside in the hopes that she would still accept me for who I was.

But no. Apparently that wasn't going to happen.

I sighed and brushed a tear away before running to the one place I knew I could go: Marcus's house.

I knocked on the door, and his mom opened the door. "Anna? What are you doing out here in the rain? Get inside!"

I gave her a small smile and followed her inside. Marcus was sitting on his couch, reading a book. When he saw me, he jumped up and ran over to me.

"Are you okay?" he demanded. "Why are you wet? And why are you here?"

I shrugged in response. I heard his mother excuse herself before she left, and I knew then that I could tell him.

"Anna?"

I looked at him. "Mom kicked me out."

He covered his mouth. "Oh my god. I'll kill her. I'll kill her."

I smiled through the tears that were beginning to fall again, and let myself fall onto the couch. Marcus sat down beside me. He put his arms around me, and I did the same. I let all the tears that I kept in half an hour ago out. I didn't care that Marcus was the one with me. I didn't care that his mom walked in and sat down beside me and patted my back comfortingly. I didn't care that Marcus's little sister came in and hugged Marcus instead of me. I didn't care. All I cared about was that I was safe in Marcus's arms.

After about an hour, I was still in Marcus's arms, but his mother and sister went back to their business. He fell asleep on the couch, and eventually, I fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

"Out! Out! Get out!"

"Nobody likes you Anna."

"Stupid."

"Get out!"

I shook my head. "Just a bad dream."

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

I shook my head again. "No, thanks." I stood up and stretched; Marcus did the same.

He smiled at me. "You okay?" he asked.

I nodded and gave him another hug. "Thanks. Do you know of a place where I can stay until...I don't know, until I'm eighteen so I can officially be an adult?"

Marcus grinned. "Mom said you could stay here."

I raised my eyebrows. I was not expecting that. "Really? When?"

He shrugged. "I woke up while you were asleep and she was sitting on the chair with a book and asked her and she said yes. Want to stay in my room or Emily's room?"

"I don't know," I said. "Can I see both?"

"Of course." He led me down a hallway, then opened the door. Emily jumped off her bed and raced over to the door, her braids flying about.

"Hi Anna!" she said. "I am gwad you're here. I want to show ya some-fing."

I smiled at the five-year-old. "Show me, sweetheart." She led me over to her bed, where papers were strewn all over the place, with crayons on the floor and blankets. She picked up a piece of paper and handed it to me. On it was a picture of me, I assumed, holding hands with her and Marcus, and then a big frowny-face over a picture of a woman, who I guessed was Mom. I grinned at her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," I said.

"Uh huh!" she replied, then went to the doorway to grab Marcus. He walked behind her, smiling as well. "I dwew something for you too Marki!"

"Marki?" I asked him. All he did was shrug in reply.

"Sorry," I replied guiltily. "Something kind of bad happened and I never heard it ring."

Her tone changed from playful to serious in half a second. "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked.

I smiled. "I'm fine," I replied. "Well, I am now. Mom...well, she figured out that I was genderfluid and kicked me out because I'm not 'right in the head.' But I'm okay; I'm staying at Marcus's house at the moment."

"Give me his address so I can come over, but expect me in an hour, because I have to find my knives and then head over to your house to murder your mother."

I laughed before giving her the address. Instead of an hour, she arrived in about seven minutes.

"Did you get the job done?" I asked, and winked at her.

She smiled. "Yup! Cut her...um, about forty-seven times before shooting her in the head."

"That's a bit much, isn't it?"

"Nope!" She grinned at me before grabbing my hand. "Introduce me to Marcus."

"What, you haven't met him?"

"Not officially, no," she replied.

I nodded and dragged her into the living room where Marcus was again sitting on the couch, reading, but instead of a novel, he was reading a short story to Emily.

Taylor walked over to her. "Hey! What's your name?"

"I Emily," Emily replied.

"I'm Taylor," Taylor replied. "Nice to meet you." She looked at Marcus. "You must be Marcus."

Marcus nodded. "Anna's told me about you."

"Same here."

I left them to get to know each other to get a drink of water from the kitchen. Marcus's mother and father had left to go on a date, leaving us alone.

I rested my head against the fridge, breathing heavily. This day was insane. It went from an up to a down to several ups. And now I'm expecting a down.

Another tear ran down my face. What had Kate done when she found out I was gone? She didn't have a phone because she broke her first one and Mom refused to get her a second one, so I couldn't call her. She didn't know where I was and I didn't know where she was, even though she was most likely in her room doing homework at that moment.

I need Kate.

I started breathing heavily. I couldn't ever go back home. I knew that. I could never see Kate again.

I need Kate. I need her now.

Or Taylor. Or Marcus.

I need someone.

I tried to slow my breathing, but it just got faster. My body began to shake, and then I locked down. I couldn't do this. I needed Kate, and she wasn't there.

I vaguely remembered falling to the floor before everything disappeared and went black.