Pink Girl's Dress Code

i

  "She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. 'Time' for her isn't something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water."
― Roman Payne

I was tired. Tired of the painful longing that had been scorching the very fabric of my soul for the last four and a half years. I desperately desired nothing more than to find my own identity. The truth to who and what I was. My searches always lead me to the depths of darkness before blocking my way with an irremovable wall. To become the person I wanted to be had become impossible, due to two large and heavy chains that I called "Mom" and "Dad."

I was a girl of fifteen years, though not many people actually knew that I was a member of the female gender. I credited most of that to my parents who had so desperately wanted a son, they had raised me as though I were of the male species. Not only had they given me a boys name, but they also enrolled me in school as a boy so I was forced to change in the boys' locker room for gym, though I always changed in a stall. My parents were also the reason I had no friends. I was forbidden to befriend a female. Members of the female gender were deemed too "dangerous" to my "way of life". The members of the male gender thought I was too different and kept their distance. So I was left to wander the halls of my high school alone.

It was the first official day of the summer vacation that would forever change my life. I woke up to the sound of loud noises in my parents' bedroom room. I threw off my covers in agitation and walked down the hall, rubbing the icky green sleep off of my eyelashes. I was surprised to see open suitcases on their bed and both my parents rushing around like crazy people. I admit I was slightly amused as I stood in their doorway and watched.

"Where is my bathing suit?"

"You already packed it."

"Really?"

"Check, if you don't believe me."

"Umm, guys?" My parents stopped and looked at me. "Where are you guys going?"

"We didn't tell you?" said my mom.

"We're going to travel Europe," said my dad.

"And you're leaving me here? By myself? How am I supposed to eat?"

"We have a card for you to buy food and we got you a bus pass." Mom didn't seem to care that she was leaving a teenager home alone. I came to the sensible conclusion that she had lost what little was left of her mind.

"And what if I decided I wanted to throw a huge party for all my friends and we destroy the house?" I inquired skeptically.

"There's no worry of that, son," said my father, rubbing my head. "You don't have any friends to invite over."

I folded my arms, trying to pretend to be angry. My father's words stung deep, but I wasn't allowed to be emotional. It wasn't manly. What a stupid rule.

"How long are you going to be gone?"

"Just two months," said Mom as she closed her suitcase and zipped it. From outside, the sound of a honking horn pushed my parents into overdrive. "The taxi is here!"

"Now, the card and the bus pass are in the kitchen on the counter by the fridge. We'll be back in two months, son."

"Bye!"