Pencil Shavings (a Genderfluid story) - COMPLETED

Chapter Seven: Clothes

I don't remember much of what happened next. I heard footsteps and voices, but then I completely blacked out. 

When I woke up, I was in a bed. But it wasn't my bed. 

All of a sudden I remembered. I was at Marcus's house, Mom kicked me out, Taylor arrived. 

And I had a small panic attack. 

I screamed Taylor's name. I needed her. 

She burst into the room, tears running down her face. "Are you okay, babe?" she asked. 

I looked at her. "What happened?" 

"You somehow fell. Marcus's mom said that you would be fine and that you should just be in bed but I tried to get you to the hospital, I promise, baby, I promise." 

I squeezed her hand. "Thank you."  

"No problem." 

I sighed. "Why is today such a crappy day?" I asked. 

"I don't know, hun. It's been a roller coaster for you and I'm sorry." 

"I'm so tired though," I said. "I got an hour of sleep earlier, though, so I don't know why." 

"You didn't hit your head that hard," Taylor replied, "so I don't know why." 

"Can you get in bed with me?" 

She glared at me. It took me a second to realize why. 

"Oh. No, Taylor, no sex." 

"Okay." 

She climbed into bed with me. "Big spoon or little spoon?" she asked. 

I grinned. "Can I be big? I need to hold onto something right now." 

She smiled in reply and turned over. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face into her hair. This was nice. 

For the third time that day, I fell asleep. 

* * * 

"Get out!" 

"Stupid!" 

"Ugly!" 

"Everybody hates you, Anna. You know it too." 

"Get out! Get out now!" 

I woke up in a cold sweat. Taylor sat up with me. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

"Not really," I replied. 

"Bad dream?" she asked. 

I nodded. 

"Want to tell me about it?" 

"It's...it's just screams. Screams of insults and then Mother's voice on top of them all screaming 'Get out! Get out!' over and over again." I pulled the blanket over my shoulders and stared at the dark ceiling. "It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since she kicked me out. How am I getting these dreams already?" I ran my hands through my hair, not knowing what to say next. 

Taylor took her phone out and looked at the time. "It's actually been about a day," she said. "We fell asleep last night at about seven p.m. and it's seven a.m.. What time did you get here?" 

I shrugged. "About five o'clock p.m.. I got home from school, then went to that ledge thing with you, then came back home just to leave again and come here." Another tear ran down my cheek. I brushed it away angrily. I've had my share of crying. 

I rested my head against Taylor's shoulder. She put her arm around me, and we sat like that for a while before getting up to go get breakfast. 

In the kitchen, Marcus's parents were at the table, along with Marcus and Emily. They all four smiled when they saw us.