Uniform

England

"The plane is landing wake up." A soft voice says waking me. I sleepily stumble onto my feet and get my carry-on bag. I loop my arm into Bailey's to make sure I don't get lost. This is my first time on an airplane and I've flown to a country I've never thought to go. My whole life I thought I would live in California, maybe move to different cities but still live in California. Now I'm in England. I have no idea what it's going to be like California is all I've ever known; I haven't even been to any other state.

"Sage watch for your bag you don't want to lose it," Aaron says bringing me out of my deep frantic thinking.

"Sorry I was lost in thought," I say while grabbing my luggage from the baggage carousel.

"It's gonna take some getting used to but I'm sure you'll warm up to England," Bailey says trying to cheer me up. "We'll have to call a hackney, the car is at home."

"What is a hackney?"

"It's what Americans call a taxi."

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I set my bags down in my new room. It's a lot smaller than my old room but I'll manage. "Sage, can you come downstairs please?" Aaron calls. I quickly clamber down the stairs turn left into the living room and plop myself on the grey couch between Bailey and Aaron.

"We need to sign you up for school and we've already decided the school you'll be attending," Aaron says authoritatively. Aaron has never spoken to me that way. I was shocked by his tone of voice it made me feel as if I was in some sort of trouble.

"Sage you'll be going to Brighton Academy, and this is your uniform." He said this while handing me a navy blue suit with a yellow tie.

"Do I have to wear this? Is there a dress or skirt option, it just feels a little too formal?" I said while looking at the slacks and jacket Aaron just handed me.

"That's another thing we need to talk about actually. It is an all-boys school, it's the best school in the district and we want nothing but the best for you because that's what your parents would've wanted." Aaron says authoritatively but I could hear nervousness in his voice as well. "Why are they making an exception for me to go there?"

"They aren't making an exception for you, love," Bailey said putting a hand on my shoulder; giving me a nervous smile. "I'm so confused. What do you mean they aren't making an exception how would I be able to attend the school then?" Bailey then pulled bandages out of her pocket. "You're gonna bind your chest with these for school and you can't tell anyone you're a girl." She says gently as she hands me the bandages. "Are you guys asking me to pretend to be a boy? Isn't that illegal and transphobic?" I say shocked getting up from the couch.

"None of that nonsense about trans-whatever matters we want you to have a good education and if we all have to tell a little white lie for you to get it that's what you're going to do," Aaron shouts at me. "This is extremely wrong, how can you guys not care about trans rights and also morally be okay with this?" I say as tears begin to well up in my eyes. "Don't you want to make your parents in heaven proud of you? This is what they would've wanted for you. We're not gonna sit here and talk about the morality of this or trans rights or whatever the bloody hell it's called. You're already enrolled you start on Monday and if you won't cooperate we will throw you out onto the street." He screams at me his accent getting so thick I almost don't understand the words he is saying to me. He looks at me angrily waiting for me to talk back or accept the situation. I have no choice but to accept the situation, I don't wanna be homeless, especially in a completely different country. "Okay, I understand. May I go unpack my things?" I say as I slump my head knowing how wrong all of this is. Aaron nods his head and I walk up the stairs toward my room.

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I wake up to my alarm blaring, I check my phone and it's 7 am. I groan as I roll on my back staring at the ceiling. The first day of lying for the next 3 years of my life. This is wrong on so many levels but what choice do I have, I'm just a kid with dead parents in an unfamiliar country it would be the worst to be homeless on top of all the bullshit in my life. I get out of bed and see the roll of badges on my nightstand and my school uniform laid out on a chair in the corner of my room. There's a knock on my door that startles me. "Come in," I say groggily hearing the door open. I don't turn to see if it's Bailey or Aaron not caring, both of them are fucked up forcing me to do this. "Good morning Sage! I wanted to help you with your bandages for the first day." Bailey says brightly walking towards my bed she's a morning person. "Ummm, I guess that's okay?"

"Also I got these for you because you should have a little privacy if you need help with the bandages more than just today." She says as she hands me a stack of pasties. You've got to be fucking kidding me, I guess they aren't joking and I need to do this. Bailey turns around expecting me to put on a pair right now. Fuck it, at this point. I take off my band tee and put the pasties on. "I'm ready, I guess," I say awkwardly.

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I look at myself in the mirror feeling weird about wearing a suit and having my chest bound. I turn sideways seeing that my chest is indeed flat. I guess I should be lucky that they didn't make me cut my hair to look even more like a boy.

"SAGE WE'RE LEAVING," Aaron yells from downstairs. I roll my eyes and become anxious about whether or not people will even believe that I'm a boy in the first place.