Water Worlds

Chapter 1

My name is Dylan, and I'm allergic to water. Not in the way that I can't drink it. If I were, I wouldn't be alive. I have a really bad skin reaction to water, though. I can't shower for longer than five minutes, or it starts to hurt me, and my parents basically keep me from touching water any other time. Apparently, they have some paranoia about it because the first time they tried to give me a bath, I almost died and had to be in the ER for a while. They won't even let me step in puddles.
The funny part of all this is that we live so close to the ocean, me and my friends hang out at the beach sometimes and I watch them swimming from the sand, but that's our little secret. They won't even let me wash my hands at someone else's house because they worry I'll hurt myself.
Something I think is even more ironic is my own name. Of course my name was chosen before I was born, although the doctors did say I would be a boy so when I came out a girl they were surprised. I guess I'm just full of surprises. My name, funny enough, means "great tide" or "son of the wave." I'm named for something I can't even touch.
Even though I can't go swimming and I can't walk along the waters edge, I happen to love the sea. I enjoy watching as the waves clash with the shore. It's perfectly beautiful chaos. As I sit here watching the sun set over the ocean, I wonder what it might be like to hold that chaos in my hands someday. - Dylan, signing out.

I close my notebook and set what I hope to someday be my autobiography down in the sand and watch the sun going down over the horizon. I eventually decided to pack up and go home for the night. If I'm out too late, my parents might start to worry about me. I put on my light sweater and flip flops and brush the sand off my shorts as I stand up.
When I get back to my house I give my mother some lame excuse about studying late with a friend and I go up to my room. I put on some headphones to listen to music and type up the page I have written in my notebook before going online to chat with friends for a while. I mainly listen to Hamilton songs. My friends always called me a nerd for liking musicals, not to mention my love of art and writing. Speaking of my name-calling friends...
LukeTheDunce: so, how's that self biography coming along? Did you even start yet?
ChillinDylan: actually, yes. I was working on it not long ago at the beach, I just typed it up before coming to talk to you guys.
Ashley404: Wait, you went to the beach? Without us?
ChillinDylan: yeah, why?
BoyToyTroy: uh, cause it dangerous? Bro, you allergic to water, you can't be going out and doin shit by the ocean alone bro.
Ashley404: Grammar Troy.
ChillinDylan: I'm fine! Seriously guys, since when are you my parents? You don't need to worry about me. I'm a big boy, lmao.
SamMiles: we know you can take care of yourself, but we're your friends and we worry about you too. Just try not to get yourself killed, okay?
ChillinDylan: whatever you say amigo.
ChillinDylan: shit, was that rude? Other languages are usually gendered so sorry if I just accidentally said something stupid.
SamMiles: I think amigos is a gender neutral thing? Whatever, just cause I'm nonbinary doesn't mean I'm gonna be that person who gets pissy with people who call me the wrong thing once in a while, especially since that was an accident.
ChillinDylan: alright, well, I'm off to bed. Ttyl.
Once I send my last message, I log off and shut my laptop. I turn the fan on to keep me from boiling alive in this attic room and go to bed.