I'm Not A Girl, I Swear [Discontinued]

XXI

Nick's mother came sooner than he liked. He silently got into the car, practically feeling her rage.

Neither of them said anything on the way home. When they got there, however, it was a completely different story.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! That- I've never been more disappointed in you!"

He was crying. She never yelled at him. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"You didn't what?! Realize the basic rules of society?! Know that you looked like a trashy hooker?! You are a boy, Nick! Boys don't wear that!"

"Mom, what's going on?" Clara and Daniel had appeared at the top of the stairs, looking worried. Nick turned away so they wouldn't see him cry.

"Go to your rooms," she snapped. "This is a matter between your brother and I."

They did so, looking frightened.

She turned back to Nick, voice a hissing fury to not be heard. "I thought I had raised you better! Why did you do this?!"

"It's a movie character, mom. My friends and I-"

"You don't have friends, Nicholas."

The full name. He knew he was in trouble.

"I thought it would be fun."

"Fun? Fun?! You think looking like some faggy cross-dressing freak is fun?!"

"No! Mom, I'm sorry, I know it was a bad idea now!"

"Don't take that tone with me, mister. If I could stomach having a freak around me that much, I'd pull you out of that school of yours."

"I'm not a freak!"

She slapped him- not an uncommon occurrence. "Don't talk back to me!"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"You need to learn a lesson, Nicholas. I named you Nicholas and not Nicole because you're a boy, something you need to learn!"

"I-"

"I've clearly been too soft on you. You need to be punished when you do things wrong."

"Wh-"

She kicked him in the shin and he fell down, instinctively covering his face and head. It's what he did with people he couldn't fight, and he certainly couldn't fight his mother.

She kicked him while he was down, mainly on his torso. He was gasping for breath.

"Do you get it?! Are you learning your lesson?!"

"Y-yes," he wheezed.

"What is it?!"

"I'm a bo-oy a-and I ne-eed to act a-as su-uch!" He couldn't catch his breath, but he managed to get it out.

She stopped. "Good. Let's see if you can remember that, hm? Go clean yourself up."

He got up, limping his way upstairs with his bruised calf.

As soon as he got into the hall, Clara's door blew open. "Nick, what happened?"

Nick shook his head. "Ever seen Rocky Horror?"

"I've heard of it."

"My friends and I did a group costume of it. Mom saw my costume and got pissed."

She gasped slightly. "You weren't...?"

He nodded, answering the unspoken question. Yes, he had been Frank N. Furter. Yes, he was an idiot and clearly had a death wish.

Heading to the bathroom, he took a cold shower since it was the next best thing to a full-body ice pack.

He laid down on his bed, glancing at his phone.

I should call Jeff.

As soon as be thought it, he fell asleep.