Flagged Down

I. Lux

                  

July 20th

"Lacey, we need to go to the school and get you registered!"

"It's Lux, Mom. Please get it right," the so-called Lacey corrected, for what felt like the thousandth time that day. And it wouldn't be the last time, either. Time after time, the teenager begrudgingly corrected their mother, giving the correct name and hoping to avoid the mention of their deadname. "You know that's the wrong name."

"But, baby, I've been calling you Lacey for sixteen and a half years," their mother replied. "It's so hard to remember the switch. Just like it's hard to remember not to call you my baby girl."

"I don't want to have this conversation again," Lux sighed, now treading down the hardwood stairs of their new house and exiting into foyer. Once there, they toed at the dark hardwood floor with the white tip of their Converse shoe. "Let's just go."

"Oh, sweetheart, buck up, it's not that big of a deal." Lux's mother ruffled their hair, and they attempted to twist out from under their mother's hand.

Not that big of a deal. Right. Because misgendering and using a deadname with your child wasn't a "big deal." In fact, considering it wasn't a "big deal" that meant that the molecule of respect that Lux managed to show their mother on their nicest of days was totally not a "big deal" either, and they could now go about cursing directly at their mother or ignoring chores for either Jared or Michelle, their siblings, to do.

Smoothing chocolate brown hair into place, Lux sighed, again, and muttered, "Yeah."

Outside, the Texas heat clung to their skin, humidity sucking the sweat straight from their pores and rolling down their back. Ah, yes, the summer of the south. Horrid to most and an absolute bear to all.

"Just wait for guard to start," their mother joked, starting up their SUV and making the one mile drive to Bach that Lux would soon be walking every day. Of course, the walk was mainly uphill. To call Lux's life a cosmic joke was understatement.

"Yeah, it'll just get worse," Lux replied, thinking of the twelve hour camp days, minimal water breaks, and sweltering sunlight and sunburns. At least their tan would be fabulous for when the school year started. "Think about it."

"Stop being such glubberguss," Lux's mother ordered.

"I would if you'd get my name right," Lux snapped, feeling themself get angry for one of the first times in weeks. Hardly ever did the teen become explosive or throw temper tantrums, but the one thing sure to either make the person horribly depressed or dramatically angry.

"Grounded."

"Joy. It's not like I have anything to do anyways and all my friends live on the opposite side of town!" Sarcasm dripped from Lux's mouth just as sweat ran down their back.

Once at the school, the black-wearing teenager hopped out of the SUV's seat. Their skirt had bunched between their thighs on the car ride over, and so Lux paused for a moment, thinking, as they smoothed the fabric out over their thighs.

Maybe I should start calling Mom Maureen, Lux mused to themselves. Just until she starts calling me Lux. I mean, it's not like the pronouns are that big of a deal, but the name. Turnabout, after all, is fair play.

Lux looked up at Bach Fine Arts Academy, the multi-story brick building, with multiple stained glass windows, and large trees and greenhouses surrounding the structure. Really, with the wrought iron fence, large flower beds, and numerous benches, it was a beautiful, return-to-nature campus. Hopefully, the inside wasn't reminiscent of a jail cell, and then - and only then - would Lux be pleased with the school's design.