Alexander

An original short story

"Disgusting!"

"Horrible!"

"Abomination to society!"

Alex felt a rough shove from behind as he continued walking down the school hallway, trying to ignore the hateful people that targeted him daily. He was used to it. Ever since he made the switch from female to male, his life had gone downhill.

His homophobic parents couldn't stand to have "A daughter who refused to live up to the ideals of a proper woman" and swiftly kicked him out of their house. Being a senior in high school, he had a low wage job and a decent car that helped him out a lot during those next few months.

Having no friends to move in with, Alexander rented out a small ruddy apartment using the money he earned from his minimum pay. He could feel the debt slowly weighing him down along with the stress and tension that had been building up.

Now he sat, at the edge of a cliff, thinking about all of this. The sun was beginning to set, creating a whirlwind of colors that surrounded his small existence. He pulled out a small pocket mirror, sighing and gazing into it, trying to remember when his life didn't lack serotonin.

Instead of seeing his reflected image, he saw a young woman with dark hair and brown eyes. Alexandra was a bright girl, respected for her brains, talent, and overpowering self confidence. She lived a fine life with a family that loved her and took pride in her achievements. For some reason though, she could not find happiness in any of this.

She had tried to explain to her parents, tried to tell them what she was going through. She hadn't been born in the right body. She just needed to go by a different label. They wouldn't even need to pay for surgery. She would take care of it all. They would t listen. A heated argument led to Alex grabbing her phone, keys, and wallet and racing out of there.

When she became a boy, everything he did was no longer impressive. He was considered "strange" for not liking his own gender. An "attention whore" seeking fame through a sad story. Alex was passive through the whole thing. He spent months suffering through harrassment after switching. No friends or family to console him, he couldn't even afford to keep a pet for comfort.

His legs now dangled dangerously over the edge of the cliff.

He wasn't happy as a girl, so he switched. But was this really happy? Was this everything he had hoped for?

Was it worth it, Alex?

Are you satisfied?

Are you having fun now?

You got what you wanted, this is what you deserve.

His intrusive thoughts began to take over. Alex recalled the way people murmured behind his back, as if he couldn't hear them. Standing behind someone doesn't take away their ability to hear you. He thought of the way that the bolder ones would insult him to his face. It's not like he could've done anything about it. It's not like he would have.

"Go away!" They'd shout.

"Nobody wants to see that mess around here!"

"Why don't you just do the world a favor and kill yourself!"

Alexander's voice was cool and emotionless, as he stood up abruptly.

"Maybe I will."