Facing Her Demons (Lesbian, Transgender)

Chapter Seven - Who the Hell Came Up With These Names?

"What took you so long?" are the first words Michelle uses in greeting when I arrive at the club building. She's leaning against it, posing casually. If there is such a thing. "I've been waiting for a half hour!" 

     "Wha--? Are you for real?" I ask, doing some math in my head, trying to figure out how long Michelle's been there before I sent her the first text.

     She laughs. "No, more like fifteen minutes." She stands up and starts walking the opposite. When she realizes I'm not walking with her, Michelle turns around and whistles. "Come on, girl!"

     "I'm not a dog," I mutter before I catch up to her.

     "You just came to my side, so that would make you a dog."

     I roll my eyes. "If that's what you believe, whatever."

     Michelle smiles at me. "Hey, you're learning the rules. I'm impressed."

     As we're crossing the street, I ask, "What rules?"

     "Rule number one," she answers, "'always let Michelle believe whatever the hell she wants'." I use my best "what the fuck?" facial expression on her; she ignores it. "And rule number two, 'if you don't let Michelle believe whatever the hell she wants, you have signed away your rights to protect your ass'."

     There's some winds that are picking up speed, and my hair is whipped around. Annoyed, I grab the most of it and pull it back. I pull a hair tie from my wrist and put my hair in a ponytail. I make sure Michelle isn't looking at me as I adjust the headband. "Why would I need to protect my ass?" I ask finally.

     She lifts up her foot and points at it. "Because I'd kick it," she answers, simple as that.

     We spend the rest of the walk in silence, me because I'm thinking, and Michelle because . . . I don't know. I can't read minds, which is one of the superpowers I wish I have at times. One of the times is now.

     Michelle suddenly stops at the beginning of a new block. "There it is," she says, pointing out the Coffeeholics Anonymous place at the very end of the block. I expected the place to be one of those small house-like buildings, where there's just enough for the kitchen area and fifteen or so tables. I was right, but the structure is really odd. "Wanna go in?"

     "Depends," I admit. "Why is the place in the shape of an upside-down coffee cup?"

     "I'm sorry, did you miss the point of coffee?" Michelle keeps on walking, with me trailing behind her. She opens the door, and lets me in. "Doesn't this place look amazing?"

     Sure, for a place in the shape of an upside-down coffee cup, I think. At least the cafe looks clean. And since the majority of the Triglas citizens get their coffee in the mornings, there are few people in the cafe. And one of the customers is eyeing my headband while muttering to himself about the next generation being worse than the others. A barista looks bored, or tired.

     "Do me a favor and get us a table," Michelle instructs. "I'll get the coffee." She walks over and immediately starts talking to the barista while I'm taking a seat by one of the windows.

     Tapping my fingers on the table, I patiently wait for Michelle to come to the table with the orders. She hands me one of the coffees. "Don't ask me what's in it, just try it," she says.

     "I wasn't going to ask," I respond. Consuming the first sip of my coffee that somehow exploded on my tongue, I then try to look inside through the tiny hole. I then look at all sides of the cup, hoping to see any indication of what could be in it. Unfortunately, Michelle's taken out the cup holder the barista wrote on (there's a reason the cups have the handy little checklist), so I can't know.