It's Ashton Not Ashley

1.

"Ashley, when I get up there, you better be dressed! You have fifteen minutes!"

I winced at the name that my dad called me. He didn't know I hated the name, nor did he know why, but it was better without him knowing. I already knew what would have happened if he knew.

I quickly jumped out of my bed and ran into the bathroom, stripping down to nothing. I tried not to look down at my chest or below my waist at the hell I was born with that identified me as a girl.

I stepped into the shower, the hot water hitting against my chest. I tried not to cry as I showered. Knowing that I still had them made showering hell. I blinked away the tears and stepped out of the shower. I wrapped an ace bandage tightly around my chest, my nipples pressing against the fabric of the bandage.

I looked in the mirror and smiled a bit at my appearance. I looked pretty believable. After I adjusted my jeans, I tossed my brown hair up in a bun and threw a beanie on top. My dad would have killed me if I cut my hair short. I grabbed my backpack and slid my vans, racing down the stairs.

"Jesus Christ, Ash-"

"Morning," I interrupted my dad's loud voice and sat down at the table and helped myself to a bowl of cereal. "Dad, I was just wondering if I was allowed to get some work done on myself." I looked at my dad's facial expression. His normal expression had turned to a frown and his eyebrows sat rested on his head.

"What type of work, Ashley?"

"Plastic surgery," I lied, "for my waist. To make me slimmer." It wasn't a full lie to be exact. Eventually, my body will redistribute my fat.

"Why? You're perfect the way you are, Ashley."

I gulped and put my now empty bowl into the sink. "Can you call me Ash? I don't like Ashley," I said quietly, "call me Ash, please."

"Why?"

"It's not gender specific and I really like to be unique. Ashley is just plain and boring. So many girls in my school share my name."

"I won't call you Ash, I don't like it," my dad said, growing more frustrated than he already was. "You already look too much like a boy and I don't want you running around and having people say that you are. You aren't and you won't ever be."

"Dad, all I asked for was for you to call me Ash. That doesn't mean I want to be a boy," I frowned to myself.
"Dad, can you please call me Ash-"

"Dammit, Ashley! I cannot call you Ash, stop asking me that!" He shouted, banging his fists on the table. His coffee glass had almost shattered. I nodded and bit my lip to prevent the tears from falling from my face. I should have just dropped the subject. I knew he didn't support the decision and it was stupid of me to push him more.

"I got to go or I'll be late, bye dad," I got up from the table and walked out the door. I made sure to slam it so he knew I was mad at him.

The sky was dark and rain was falling. I groaned and zipped up my hoodie. I walked to school as quickly as possible, but ended up falling halfway. I groaned and got up, brushing the dirt off of my pants. "Of  course! If todat already can't get worse!" I shouted. The rain was only getting harder and the bell had gone off in the distance. I ran to school, my shoes filling up with water.

----

By the time I got to school, I was soaking wet and extremely miserable. I already didn't want to be there, let alone, face the dumbasses I call my classmates. I walked into school with my head down, staring at my feet, the sound of the water squshing between my toes. No one knew my secret, yet I still felt like everyone knew what I was hiding. I went to my locker and opened it slowly.