Trapped (egobang trans)

Chapter 6 - Stupid Existence

< Danny's POV > Earlier

Brian said that he'd meet Danny outside his class after third period so they could go to lunch together. Usually Danny would say no to anyone trying to get close to him like this, but Brian seemed genuinely friendly. He didn't seem to care that Danny was, from his perspective, a girl, or that he was constantly grumpy about everything. He was just... okay with it. That wasn't an attitude Danny was used to.

His third lesson was uneventful for the most part. He sat next to a girl who didn't seem interested in conversation, and Danny was perfectly okay with that.

No, it was the end of the lesson that something happened. As he was packing up his stuff he felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning his head he was met with a guy he didn't recognise, dark hair and rounded features. Danny raised an eyebrow, wondering what he wanted.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Surprise flickered across his face as he heard Danny's voice, obviously expecting something higher and more female. But then his expression shifted, and Danny's stomach dropped. He knew that look. He didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Nice hair. Is that natural or what?" the guy complimented, his eyes scanning over Danny's face.

"Yeah, it's natural," he replied flatly to show he wasn't interested.

"Really? I was sure that was some kind of product. Natural beauty, I guess?"

Danny clenched his jaw as the guy winked. He turned away, closing his bag finally and picking it up, ready to leave. But the guy wasn't done yet. He grabbed Danny's wrist as he tried to walk away, not getting the hint.

"Don't touch me," Danny hissed, yanking his hand away.

"Whoa, kitten's got a bite," the guy mused, grinning stupidly, "I like a girl that puts up a good fight."

Danny lunged forward, grabbing the guy's collar and pinning him against his desk.

"Fight? You wanna fight?" Danny challenged, his anger skyrocketing at being objectified like this.

At that moment someone poked their head into the classroom. It was another guy, small and skinny. His eyes landed on the guy Danny was holding and he looked confused.

"Jon, all the good food in the cafeteria's gonna be gone soon, come on!" he called, Danny noticed in an Australian accent.

The guy, apparently called Jon, looked over at his friend, then back at Danny.

"I'd love to continue this, but I gotta go," he said, pulling his collar from Danny's grasp and walking across the classroom, "See ya around, Danielle. Cute name, by the way."

Danny suddenly saw red. That was the last straw, and before he knew what was happening he was running out of the classroom, tackling Jon to the floor. His fists flailed blindly in his haze, though at some point he hit flesh and knew he'd hit his mark. He made the mistake of pausing, and soon he was the one getting punched, which only made him angrier. Like a wild animal he went all out, biting and screaming. He felt his prey squirming away at some point and lunged, but he didn't get a chance to continue.

"Stop it!"

A shrill, terrified scream snapped Danny from his frenzy, his vision coming back and his mind finally working again.

Looking around as if in a dream he saw a crowd, everyone staring at him warily. Standing up his legs felt like jelly, and he tasted blood. He lifted a hand and wiped his lip, looking at the red smear that came away on his fingers.

In front of him he saw Jon still on the floor, nose bleeding. A pair of delicate, shaking hands were holding his shoulders from behind, holding him back. Peering around slightly Danny saw the boy from earlier - the one with a blonde streak in his hair. He looked about to cry and was looking up at Danny fearfully.

Damn it. I couldn't even get through one day.

"Who's responsible for this?"

Danny looked up to see a teacher, signature disapproving frown as she looked down at Jon's bloody nose. All at once all eyes landed on Danny, along with a few pointed fingers.

"It was her! She tackled him to the ground!"

Danny felt his blood boil hearing that. He wasn't in the wrong here. They didn't understand. Turning on his heels he walked away, pushing through the crowd of watching kids. Frustrated tears built at the corners of his eyes as he barely heard the teacher calling after him. The boy's bathroom came into view and for once Danny didn't feel conflicted about going in. He stepped inside, not bothered if anyone else was in there or not. His clenched fists finally found salvation in the side of the cubicle and the tears he'd been holding back started flowing. So much for lunch with Brian.

"D-Danielle?"

That name again.

"Don't call me that."

"Why n-not?"

They didn't understand. No one ever did. But still he found himself trying to make them.

"BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY NAME!"

He pounded his fist once more on the cubicle. A bit too hard this time. Danny winced in pain, lowering his hand and turning around finally. It was him again. Why was he following him? What did he want now?

"You... What're you doing in here? Let me guess, you're here to tell me off for hitting your friend? Well just get it over and done with," Danny spat, trying but failing to make his voice intimidating.

God, he was a mess.

"W-What? No, I just wanted to check that you were o-okay," replied the boy, whining slightly in defence.

Danny snorted, folding his arms. He glared at the boy; he wasn't falling for that. They didn't know each other, why should he care?

"Yeah right. You might look all soft and innocent, but you're just like everyone else. You don't understand..." he retorted bitterly.

He looked down at himself. Horrible. He pulled at his shirt, trying in vain to hide the stupid bumps on his chest. Even with this shirt he could see them. Everyone else could too.

"W-Why're you in the b-boys bathroom?" asked the boy out of nowhere.

Danny's eyes snapped to him. He stood up more and stepped forward slightly. It was an innocent enough question, he supposed. But nothing was ever so simple for Danny. Everything had some kind of connection to him, his body and his stupid existence - everything anyone said to him had a double meaning. One the surface they were nice, but that was never the case. Everything was a facade. Even this coward in his ugly pink sweater was hiding something.

He shoved past the boy, hoping to find some other place to be alone.

"Must've walked in by mistake," he lied, maybe that would make him leave him alone finally.