Nancy Boy (Frerard)

Chapter 2: Invalid Insignificance

Gee and I had agreed to meet up the next day, same place. I, being far too ecstatic to even pass it off as because 'I'm meeting up with a friend,' arrived earlier than I probably should have, practically bounding across the forgotten terrain to the point we first met.

My journey ended at the very tree I saw them on, and I sat on the very same branch. In their absence, however, it didn't feel quite the same as it had done.

A part of me feels inclined to title it 'Our Branch' or something equally as cheesy, but I save myself the trouble and simply accept that nature belongs to nobody. It rules over us.

I grow weary after a while and decide to make better use of my time, climbing the tree and perching as high as possible without the branches snapping beneath me. There's a view of the city I've never seen before, one I've never cared to pay such attention to.

The rest of the world spreads beneath me as if I exist only solitary, free from the ropes knotted around our necks. I am a puppet broken free, my strings cut out of sympathy leaving me to roam as I please.

The city is bustling and grand, buildings blurring into a vast dull carpet decorated by the occasional black ribbons that are roads. Green areas are sparse yet evident, small clusters of natural life surrounded by our materialistic designs.

Nothing in the area appears larger than my fingernail, and I conclude that everything in this world is rather insignificant.

Human life is the least significant, or at least, we should be. We are the lowest creatures, selfish and hateful. We are the world's worst enemy, and we are the only creature that consumes without producing. Deforestation and detonation occurs in light of our own desires, humans care not for anything but themselves.

And yet we are one of the weakest creatures.

It feels as if I've spent a lifetime here, contemplating existence, and whilst I feel as if I could spend another, the distant snapping of twigs deters me from these emotions.

Gee.

And for another moment in my life, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

Immediately I clamber down the tree to prepare for our greeting, but when my feet touch the ground, I look up only to see a tear-stained face.

Gee is crying.

Instinctively, I run over to Gee and pull them into a hug, pulling them impossibly closer and making every fragment of space between us disappear. They reciprocate the action and curl their arms around my neck, squeezing my close to them.

I rub small circles on their back with my palm as I wait for them to calm down enough to explain their tearful outburst, because of everything in the world this is what is killing me the most. After several seconds of silence, silence that feels like an eternity, they pull away, and suddenly I feel a thousand times emptier than I ever had before.

"What happened, Gee?" Concern fills my voice to the brim, spilling out through the cracks in my words.

They look up at me, teary eyed remains still residing and shattering my heart. "My parents."

I feel like I'm expected to know what happened, and whilst I could probably take a few wild guesses, I feel it is not in my right to do so. So, rather than making false guesses or accusations, I offer Gee my hand.

They look at my hand and then my face quizzically before finally taking it, and I lead them out of the forest. We walk for around 5 minutes in complete silence before we arrive at our destination, yet Gee evidently has no idea where we are.

We travel for only a few moments more before we are stood before a pond. It's nothing special, not really, but I come here often when I'm looking for peace or comfort. I find something kindhearted in the ripples of the water I suppose, and I wanted to share it with Gee.

Sitting on the bank, I gesture for them to take a seat beside me with my free hand. My anomaly.

They do so, whether it's out of politeness or their own will, and I smile lightly, tracing small patterns on the back of their hand with my thumb. We are excellent.

I wait until I personally feel the air has cleared and my question is phrased appropriately before speaking, "So, Gee, care to elaborate on what happened with your parents, sweetheart?" My words are barely a gently whisper, yet they seem to have struck a nerve as Gee breaks down in tears once more.

"Breathe, sweetheart, just go at your own pace, or not at all if that would make you uncomfortable."

Gee nods and takes a few deep breaths before carefully explaining what happened, "It's because of who I am. They've never liked it, not at all. I even sort of knew when I was a kid, but once I discovered that I'm not the only one and there's actual names for it, I knew at once that it was and is who I am.

"It doesn't matter what I tell them, though. They say my gender is invalid and that I'll always be a boy," Gee looks up at me as if to ask for reassurance, and I nod, pulling them into a hug.

"It doesn't matter what they tell you, Gee. You're you, their words aren't going to change you, please don't let it get to you, sweetheart. You're too beautiful to cry."

Gee shakes their head, denying every word I've spoken. I don't know what to do, what is there? Whilst I as a whole remain in a confused state, my lips continue to move in sync with my brain."You're perfectly valid, you'll always be valid."

"You don't even know what I'm talking about though, Frank. You have no idea. Sure, I wear typically 'female' clothes, but you have no goddamn clue what's going on inside my head now, do you?" Gee snaps, and I'm rather taken aback by their words.

I know it's true though, I have no idea.

"Then let me in, please?"