Misalignment | ✔

pronouns

My mother is
overjoyed
to see Matty again
when I bring her home
with me
the next afternoon.
Banking on their
last conversation
and the promise
it had included,
she ropes Matty into
baking cookies with her,
something that she
usually does alone
considering my
uncanny knack
for burning almost anything
I try to prepare
food-wise,
especially baked goods.

Matty doesn't appear
to mind it
terribly much,
though.
She seems a lot
happier today
than she has been
in some time -
and for that,
I'm very glad.

After their little
baking adventure
has concluded,
my mother discovers
some task that she
has to complete
by tomorrow for her job,
allowing Matty and I
to escape up
to my room.
Once there,
I lounge on my bed,
idly watching whatever program
my TV decides to display
upon powering on;
Matty sits at my desk
across the room,
working on homework
and commenting on the show
whenever someone does something
particularly stupid.

"Wipeout is
my favorite show
for when I need
something to laugh at,"
she tells me
as yet another contestant
bounces off of
the 'big balls'
and into the murky water
below.

I find myself
watching her instead,
though:
pencil flying across
her English worksheet,
absently tucking a strand
of flyaway hair
behind her ear as
she glances up at
the TV screen,
grinning at the
continued failure
of the show's participants.
I missed her
and all her little nuances;
I guess it's only now
that I realize that.
As well as that,
I can't help but remember
the events of
yesterday
as I watch her -
and despite the
bad things
that had occurred then,
there were enough
good things
as well
to make me smile again
now.

"I'm agender,"
I had told her -
and after a moment
of silent contemplation,
she had only shrugged
and said,
"So?
He has
no right
to treat you
so badly,
even so.
No one does."

I think I might
love her all the more
for how little
my proclamation
had fazed her.
She didn't ask
about it
after that,
or even say anything
that would clue me in
on the fact that
she thought my gender
to be any different
from one that is
more traditional
and popularly deemed
'normal.'

In a way,
that is almost enough
to make me forget
that these past few weeks
had ever happened.

"Hey, Cam,"
she says now,
laying down her pencil
to look at me.
"About yesterday -
I have a question.
You, um...
It's about
your gender..."

For a moment,
I almost wonder
if she had read
my mind.
"What about it?"
I ask, surprised.

"I...hm,"
she sighs,
flashing me a
sheepish smile.
"I don't want to be
rude
or anything,
but what...uh,
what pronouns
do you prefer?"
Mistaking my
following silence
for offense,
she hurriedly adds:
"I mean,
I've sort of wondered
for a while,
because you've never seemed
like a 'he'
or a 'she'
to me,
and I don't want
to be rude
and call you
the wrong thing..."

How I'm lucky enough
to be friends with
such a sweet,
considerate girl,
I'll never know.
"They and them,"
I tell her at last,
mirroring her
confused and awkward grin
with one of my own.
"Sorry -
it's just that
no one has really
asked my opinion
on what I'd like
to be called
before...
So thanks."

Her lips stretch
into a wider smile
a second later.
"I guess I'm
the first, then,"
she laughs.
"Does this mean
I get an award?"

Somehow,
this feels so natural -
being here with her,
talking about important issues
with such ease
like we used to,
as if we've been friends
for years,
rather than months
with a tragedy
stuck in between.
Somehow,
I can't imagine
life without this girl -
my best friend,
the only one
besides my mother
who is completely
on my side.
It's so liberating
to be so open
with her,
to be able to talk to her
without fear of
what she might think
'if she knew the truth.'

Just as I
make to say as much
to her,
her expression clouds over
rather abruptly,
and she says,
"You know,
there's actually
something
I need to tell you..."

"What's that?"
I prompt her
when she
lapses back
into silence.
It's a nervous
kind of silence,
one that belies her
apprehension -
and in all honesty,
just confuses me.

"It's about
what happened...
before,"
she says at last,
frowning as she
twists a strand
of her hair
between her fingers.
"It's about
why I was
avoiding you
for the past few weeks."

×

CLIFFHANGER, HAHA--

But this chapter makes me love Matty so much more, I was smiling so much writing it. She is precious and needs to be protected at all costs. I've probably said that before, but it's still true.

Anyway - this story is nearly at 3K reads, and it's probably going to make me scream once it actually hits that. I can't express how thankful I am for everyone's support for this little story. It means so much to me that you guys would take the time to read this c: I'm not the best with words for this kind of thing, but thank you all from the very bottom of my heart!!!

If y'all liked this chapter, I would love if you would vote and leave me feedback! I'll love you forever if you do ;)

That's not supposed to be creepy at all, I swear;;;;