Fuck It! #4: Things Will Be Alright

Prologue

"You're so different, Nika."

"Nick," he reminded her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, that, for one! You hate being called Nick. You talk so much louder, and you never say anything important. You talk but you don't have anything to say. You're exactly who you hated when we were in middle school. You look uncomfortable in your own skin. Your hair's so short, you keep messing with it."

Nick slowly moved his hand back down from where it had been messing with his hair. "I'm not that different."

"Yes, you are. You wear a tie every day, you hate ties."

"It's part of the uniform."

"Alright, and when there's a fancy event, what do you wear?"

"A suit," he answered automatically. "I'm a boy, what else would I wear?"

Elsie's eyes began to water. "But you aren't! I miss my soft-spoken, long-haired, everything-they-say-is-important, nonbinary Nika! I'd be fine with this change, but you're so unhappy."

"I..." He sighed, looking down.

Jeff wrinkled his nose at the screen. 'What the hell is he wearing?'

Thad laughed. 'I know you're gay, but you should know what lingerie looks like, Jeff.'

'But why? It's... ugh.'

'It's pretty much the point of the movie. He's a transvestite.'

'Ew. I swear, if my boyfriend ever tried to cross-dress...'

'Will you be quiet so we can watch the movie?' Wes asked irritatedly.

"It's not that simple."

"If this has anything to do with your new school–"

"It doesn't. Not really. It's my boyfriend. He'd hate me."

"Then break up with him! If he'd hate you for being yourself, then he's never loved you!"

"It's not that simple," he said again.

But why wasn't it?