Non-Binary

Completed One-Shot

It was 6:30am when Alex's alarm went off, it was the one sound that they have dreaded the most for years, knowing they are going to have to get out of bed and survive yet another pain-staking day. Alex had been facing the demon of depression everyday for the last three years, and every task was harder than it physically and mentally should be.

Alex sits up and runs their fingers through their messy short brown hair, just before standing up and walking over to open their curtains.

The sun was just rising over their backyard timber fence, the sky didn't have a cloud in sight, and the warm sunlight was hitting their face just enough to make them squint, but Alex couldn't see this. The sky turned grey, the sun no longer shined, their skin was cold as ice, and they stood blankly at their window already wanting the day to be over.

With a coat hanger in their right hand, hanging on them a pair of light grey sweatpants and a black Adidas hoodie, Alex held it up next to their 5'5" structure and just stared into the mirror expressionless, their chocolate brown eyes glassed over and their posture dropped into a slouch. With a whisper they spoke the words,

"Why me?"

As the second bell rang, the class of twenty-seven year eleven students filed into Miss Barrell's mathematics class. Alex walked to the second last row in the room and sat down next to the window in an uncomfortable black chair that dug into their lower back like someone was continuously elbowing them, but they have always enjoyed window seats, it was easy for Alex escape their thoughts and the world and just focus on the nature.

Miss Barrell then started to take the register,

"Alexandra?"

Miss Barrell called out,

"Alexandra!"

She called out again a little louder.

That's when Dom turned around and wacked them gently on the arm,

"Here Miss,"

Alex called out raising their hand slightly, sinking further into their seat.

Dom was one out of only a few people that new how Alex really felt about their name and gender identity.

Dom, short for Dominique had shoulder-length wavy blonde hair and warm brown eyes that sparkled in the sunlight. She stood 5'7" tall and was an introvert like Alex, and quite frankly, Alex's only best friend.

Alex was only just starting to feel okay again, and then Miss Barrell asked,

"Is anyone able to help Alexandra out, she was away yesterday and needs assistance in finishing her assignment."

Dom's hand shot straight up,

"Thank you Dominique, now carry on,"

Dom saw the look on Alex's face, saw their eyes through the black frames that sat nicely on their small button nose and new she had to do something, or it wasn't going to end well. So she quickly stood up and walked around to sit next to them,

"Can you count how many birds you can see outside?"

Dom suggested to Alex. Even though she sounded like she was talking to a toddler, it was a way that she had learnt that could calm Alex down immediately.

Alex's mind raced with the words 'she' 'Alexandra' 'her' 'female', Alex has never felt like a female, they don't like to use the pronouns she/her either. Only a few of Alex's closest friends and a few teachers knew that Alex has felt close to the description of 'non-binary' for a while, it was a secret that they wanted everyone to know, to have the weight on their shoulders gone forever.