Little Miss Different [in editing]

6: Playing Princesses

Content note: contains depictions of ableism

The next morning feels uneventful. It is a Sunday, and Lucie is lining her purple teddies up then messes them up again, then repeats. It's therapeutic, it's repetitive, and her mum doesn't mind this sort of thing. For once.

Right on cue, Rin Himura enters Lucie's bedroom, anger radiating from her. Lucie grabs her phone from the side and opens the text-to-speech app.

"Hi, mum!" types Lucie cheerfully, forcing back memories of yesterday's dinnertime.

"What are you doing up here?" says Mrs. Himura tightly, anger weaved into her voice.

"I'm playing with my teddies," types Lucie.

Mrs. Himura rolls her eyes. "Lucinda, you're thirteen, and you're playing with teddies?" She shakes her head. "Good Lord, it's like you're regressing."

Lucie grits her teeth angrily. That's not fair! I'm not regressing, I just like playing with teddy bears. What's wrong with that?

"Anyway, we're going out today, so make sure to put these on." Rin Himura throws a bright blue top emblazoned with the words 'I SUPPORT THE CURE - I SUPPORT AUTISM SAVIOUR' written across it in white and a bright blue skirt. 

[Image coming soon]

Mrs. Himura leaves the room and Lucie reluctantly puts on the clothes she's been given. I really hate wearing any colour other than purple she thinks. Mum says it's silly and not normal, but it's what I want to wear!

In Katie's room

Katie is dressed in an outfit identical to Lucie's. Mrs. Himura is brushing through knots in Katie's hair with undeniable force, but whenever Katie shrieks from the pain caused by the sensation of having her hair brushed her mother yells about why can't Katie not be so difficult and can't she just BE QUIET because she does this every time!

It's just not fair, and Katie knows it.

After an age of hair brushing, Mrs. Himura is finally done. "Now, Katherine, we're all going to your father's debate on telly today, so you have to be all smart like this. We can't have you looking scruffy like you normally do. Your autism is such a nightmare - coming with scruffiness, untidiness, laziness, and sooner or later violence - I just hope Autism Saviour find a cure for such a tragedy soon and you can finally be normal!"

Mrs. Himura leaves the room, leaving Katie feeling shattered.

At the debate

There's a lot of people at the debate.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen - and non-binaries, if you are!" greets the host in a loud, amplified voice. Katie tries to cover her ears with her hands but Mrs. Himura forces them away from her head. "Today on TIME FOR DEBATE, we have Superstars representative Elaina Porter and Autism Saviour supporter and T.V. presenter Desmond Himura!" A loud round of applause bombards Katie's hypersensitive senses and she rocks nervously in her seat.

"Stop it, Katherine," hisses her mother. "You're making a scene!"

Nobody is looking at Katie rocking.

The host continues with the introduction. "Tonight's debate is on the topic of autism. Elaina Porter is going to be against Autism Saviour and its research on a cure and Desmond Himura is going to be for Autism Saviour and its research!"

As audience members clap, Katie hears some people whisper around her.

"Who'd be against a cure for such a tragic illness?"

"I heard that Desmond's got a daughter with autism and a mute daughter with Down's Syndrome - he and his wife are such inspirations, being able to survive having children like that."

"Seriously? It's people like Autism Saviour who lower the self-esteem of autistic people! Why do we need to debate this?"

"Well, it's people like you who clearly don't care about the welfare of children by disregarding Autism Saviour's selfless attempts at a cure!"

"Don't be so horrible! Have you seen how crushed the Himura children always look whenever their parents describe them as burdens?"

Soon the clapping dies down, and the debate begins.

Thank you so much for reading 6: Playing Princesses! Every time I see a vote, comment or go on Wattpad and see that people are reading the story and enjoying it, it makes me smile and stim happily and excitedly! Remember that ableism is never okay. Tell a trusted and safe person.