Earth Day

"I mean, transgender people have been using whatever bathroom they want since forever. Why is everyone so mad about it now?" Alex looked tired. He was tired. He hadn't slept the night before, and John wasn't sure why he hadn't. He wasn't manic or dying to write, and he wasn't depressed either. He was just Alexander, but sleep-deprived and ragged. He hadn't even bothered to really pick his clothes out. He was wearing one of John's oversized sweatshirts and it fit him worse than it fit John. The pants were skinny jeans and they were probably unwashed, and, surprisingly, there wasn't a sock stuffed half-hazardly into his underpants to create a bulge. He was wearing his binder and John hoped that he hadn't worn it to bed last night. His rat peeked out from the sweatshirt pocket and he gently pushed it back in. His name was Eggbert and he liked belly rubs and nesting in John's hair.

"God, Alex, it's obviously an elaborate government cover-up. The steps that they take to cover-up aliens is ridiculous," he picked up a wrapper off of the ground and Alex giggled. Alexander's laugh was nice and pure, John couldn't live without it.

"I've been using the boy's bathroom since I was 10, and nobody is gonna stop me from using it."

"You're very handsome and you are a wonderful boyfriend," he said those words whenever Alexander said anything about being transgender. It was compulsive almost, but Alexander blushed and smiled whenever he said it, so he said it as often as he could.

"I'm a shit boyfriend."

"Shut up and actually pick up trash."

They came across vodka bottles and used condoms, both of which were picked up with gloves. The trash bag was growing in size, but John had another in his back pocket. He had been born prepared-after all this was New York and there was more trash than there was vicious, overfed rats. Alexander groaned when he bent over, but John was patient and let him move as slowly as he wanted.

John reached for Alex's hand and he took it. Their shoulders brushed against each other because Alexander had pulled John down to his height so that he didn't feel short. There was literally probably an inch or two difference, and John put up with everything his reckless boyfriend did. Alex had started shaving a year ago, at the age of 20, and he now sported a five o'clock shadow that made him look less baby-faced, but he still looked too small and too young to be even 16. He looked like a 14 year old that got facial hair early, but John still thought he looked manly enough to beat up anyone. People still misgendered him with the small amount of facial hair he had, and John saw that it hurt him, no matter how casually he corrected them and shot back a sarcastic pick-up line. During his depressed phases he didn't have the energy to put his binder on, whether he left the house or not, and John had found him crying about his thick thighs so many times. The past week had been tough, with what happened in North Carolina and all, so being transgender seemed to be on his mind more than it normally was.

"Faggots." It was said quietly and followed with a snicker. It has come from a fuckboy that had passed them. He looked to be around 15 and he had very short hair. John nearly fell when Alexander whirled around and put his fists up, his eyes crinkled with anger and his body shook with anxiety.

"Fucking fight me!" Alex yelled and shrugged John off when he grabbed him. John remembered Alex's foster mother telling him that he should try to get him to start getting medicated for his ADHD as well as his Bipolar Disorder. She had said that his surplus of energy made him irritable and that he was more sensitive and cried at the drop of a coin. John knew this and he was reminded of it whenever a street fight like this happened.

Alexander took Eggbert out of his pocket and handed him to John as gently as he could despite his anger.

"Yeah, I'll fight you, you fucking tranny. Look at you! You don't even have a dick between your legs!" Alex's whole body winced at that and John shoved Eggbert at Alex, who immediately pet him and nuzzled him to make up for John's unintentional roughness.