Cottagecore Dreaming

𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚙.

I wish I could just leave this hellhole. Everyone is too caught up in their own lives that they have no idea what's happening around them. Nobody seems to notice me.

I don't even think my own boyfriend actually cares about me.

At least I have a friend.

——-///——-///——-///——-

I snap awake after dozing off in math class.

"Miss LeBlanc? Are you still with us?" Mrs. Pintre asks, pointing to the board with a ruler.

"It's Mister." I mumble.

"Excuse me?"

"It's Mister. Mister LeBlanc." I repeat again, louder. I honestly don't care if I get sent out, I want to leave anyways.

"Enough of this. Either sit back down and be a good girl and answer or go to the office." She shouts, pointing at the door with a pale bony finger.

"Good, I didn't want to be here in the first place!" I snap, quickly gathering my belongings and leaving the room. I hear a few smart remarks and snickers as I leave. I roll my eyes and head down the maze of a hall to the front, hearing only the sound of my dress shoes clacking against the tile echo off the empty walls. I push open the heavy metals doors and am greeted with the sight of dumping rain.

"Fuck." I say, putting up my hood and getting ready to walk home in the pouring rain and thick smog.

"Hey, Milo!" I hear from behind me. I turn, seeing my only friend of nine years come outside.

"Oh, hey Alex." I greet him.

"Want to share my umbrella? I saw you leave and didn't want you getting wet." He holds up a black umbrella and smiles. His smile is so goofy, he looks like a little kid when he does. It makes me smile too.

"Sure, thank you." I take my hood down and step under the umbrella. Smaller than I thought, but oh well. "School isn't out yet, why are you here?" I ask as we begin walking.

"I heard you yell from the class behind yours, and I know you got sent out again. I knew it was raining so I didn't want you to have to walk home in the rain. I mean, that's what friends do right?" He grins even bigger.

His smile is contagious. I can't help but smile more. "Yeah.. Thanks again, don't know what I'd do without you. Stupid Mrs. Pintre still won't come to terms that I'm trans." I frown, stepping off the curb to cross the street.

"Yikes. Yeah, she sucks. I don't think anyone's ever liked her. She's so mean. One time, my pants weren't rolled and she sent me to the office and called my parents. I mean, she could've just reminded me and I would've complied." He shakes his head, chuckling. "I guess not everybody in the world is nice."

"You can say that again." I snort. "Did you hear about Goose-" I get cut off by my phone ringing. "One second."

It's Jason. "Hello?"

"Hey sexy. Where are you? You're not here, but I saw you earlier." He asks, but without any worry in his voice.

"I went home. Mrs. Pintre sent me out because I corrected her when she called me miss." I say. "Also, I told you to stop calling me that." I say quietly so Alex doesn't hear.

Jason scoffs. "We were going to meet in the back, remember? Today's Tuesday."

"I'm sorry. I'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

"Fine. But you're getting an extra ten minutes because of that."

"Okay, okay." I hang up before he can say anything else.

Alex looks worried. "Was that Jason?"

I nod. "He was wondering where I am. We were supposed to-" Shit, can't blow my cover. "Go get lunch together today."

Alex frowns. "I've been telling you, he's bad news since the beginning. He's always nagging you about being with him at lunch."

"I know. I just can't break up with him because he'll tell everyone I'm gay." I sigh. We've arrived at my house. "Want to come in?"

"I'd love to. Also, I've been seeing Jason shagging some girl behind the bleachers during my gym period. He's just using you."

I flop down on the couch, closing my eyes. "I know. I just can't leave him. He's all I have."

"I'm right here?" Alex chuckles.

I roll my eyes and smile. "I know, dumbo. I'm just saying he's my only boyfriend. And you're just my friend."

Alex has a devilish grin on his face as he picks up a pillow and throws it at me.

"Hey! Not fair!" I laugh, jumping up and throwing a pillow back at Alex.

We continue our pillow fight until I start getting tired, so Alex makes a fort out of all the pillows and blankets from the couch. Alex ends up falling asleep in it so I lie down next to him. I turn on my side, looking at my friend. Small moles dot his face, and I can see a little mustache growing. I feel the small bump on the bridge of his button nose, letting my hand fall to his chest as I fall asleep.

——-///——-///——-///——-

Everything comes to an end. Books, songs, even life. My life, however, was about to change. It wouldn't end for a long, long time.