Blackmail

Chapter 6

I pause at the door, afraid to knock. I dig my keys out of my pocket and unlock the door. I open it slowly and try not to make any sound.
The door creaks loudly and I freeze. The yelling coming from the other room stops. Footsteps come my way and I stand frozen to the spot.
"Mia? Is that you?" My mother asks. I flinch slightly at my deadname but then breath out a sigh of relief. She comes around the corner and stands in front of me, her hair in a messy bun and a cup of coffee in her hand. 
"Hey mom," I say. She waves and walks back to the living room. I set my stuff down in the kitchen and grab a bagel. I pop it in the toaster and lean on the counter waiting.
"Hey Mia! Come to the living room for a minute!" My stepfather yells. I walk out of the kitchen and into the living room. Everyone else is sitting there patiently waiting.
I sit down on the couch in the middle of Antonio and Dan. Mike sits on the ground at Dan's feet. I look over at my stepfather. He sits on the recliner next to the couch my mother and the girls are sitting on.
"Okay, so what I wanted to talk about is, someone in this family is transgender and I will not have it! It's disgusting and wrong! So whoever the hell it is better own up now or so help me I will-"  he stops to catch his breath. I grab on to Antonio's hand, which is hidden by Mike's back.
"Or so help me I will kick you out of this house after making sure you won't see the daylight again," he finishes. My mother nods in agreement and I mentally grimace.
Antonio squeezes my hand reassuringly. My stepfather looks over at my mother. She nods. I look over at Dan confused but he just shrugs.
"Okay then. Fine. Have it your way. But if we ever find out who it is we are not afraid to beat you," he says storming out of the room with my mother trailing after him like a lost puppy.
I walk into my brothers' room, ignoring the fact that my bagel is probably long done. I sit on Mike's bed and look out the window. I hear my mother banging around in the kitchen starting to make dinner.
Small footsteps come up the stairs and go into my shared room. I hear the girls play with dolls and go through the closet. They talk about all the pretty clothes that they're going to wear and the cute makeup they'll do.
I grimace and lay down on Mike's bed. I turn off the overhead lights with a remote and shut the blinds. The glow in the dark starts twinkle on the black ceiling.
I hear the door opening and I bolt up and off the bed. My brothers walk in looking worried. I flash them a fake smile and sit back down on Mike's bed. 
They sit down on the bed, all of us taking up a corner. I jump when my stepfather curses at the top of his lungs from his office. I hear my mother running up the stairs.
The door opens and slams. my mother comforts him as he curses out his boss and everything else in the world. Mike holds me as they yell about every little inconvenience in their lives.
Finally they leave the room and go to eat dinner. My mother calls us all for dinner but I send the boys down to tell her I'm not hungry. They come back a little later with a container filled with leftovers of what looks like spaghetti.
"They are going to kick him out if they find out," Mike says. I freeze in the middle of eating my spaghetti. Dan nods and Antonio sighs quietly.
"I know but if they make him leave, we're leaving too," Antonio states. Mike smiles and pats him on the back. I finish my food and put my dishes on the nightstand.
"Then it's final. If they make him leave, then we leave too," Dan says. I start to panic slightly.
"But all your dreams of going to college and being in the football team and making the debate team! And what if you had to leave your friends. You shouldn't have to do this for me, " I ramble. 
"It's fine. You're our brother and we aren't going anywhere without you," Mike says. I nod and hug them. My mother comes up the stairs yelling lights out.
I go to walk out of their room but Antonio grabs my hand. He walks over to his dresser and rummages through it. He throws me some pajamas.
"Stay in here tonight. It'll be like old times. Plus, it's better to be together," Antonio says. I nod and walk into the bathroom to change. I brush my teeth and walk out.
I grab an extra pillow and blanket from the closet and walk back into their room, quietly shutting the door behind me. I go up to the extra bunk and put my blankets up there.
I climb back down and sit with my brothers on the rug in the middle of their room. I play with the strings on the sides as they talk about a movie.
"So how is Alex?" Mike asks me worriedly. I break out into a grin.
" He's awesome. He doesn't care that I'm transgender and he accepts it. We agreed to just be fake dating so then the others don't suspect anything, " I reply. As he sighs a weight visibly lifts off his shoulders.
"So do you like him?" Antonio asks. I shake my head no. We are just friends because that's what we agreed on. He doesn't like me that way anyways, I think as we go up to our bunks.