when I'm with you [ fierrochase ]

Chapter 02

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ALEX

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Alex didn't even know why she bothered anymore. She had tried so many times to make her family like her, and each time she ended up in some deeper shit than the last. Apparently, throwing pottery at that blondie yesterday was not an okay move, especially since they were visitors. Unfortunately for the other Fierros, Alex didn't care.

Unfortunately for Alex, her father decided that on the way to school was a great time to lecture her about throwing things. She ended up being late because of him keeping her there for at least ten minutes after the bell, at which point she decided to just get out of the car and enter the building.

She spent all of homeroom being shown around the school by one of the office ladies before being given her schedule and locker and being sent to the first period, which happened to be art. Alex didn't mind being the center of attention, but standing at the front of the class while waiting for the students to flood in wasn't really what she had in mind when she came to this school. At last, the warning bell rang, and the talking died down as the teacher entered the room.

"Alright, we have a new student, why don't you introduce yourself?" the teacher, Miss Freya, asked. Alex grinned, and turned to face her peers.

"I'm Alex Fierro, I'm transgender and genderfluid, my pronouns are she/her, and you will refer to be by that unless and until I tell you otherwise," Alex told them. She noticed a few kids scoff or roll their eyes, but she didn't really care about what people thought about her.

"Uh, alright, why don't you take a seat next to Magnus?" Miss Freya told Alex. "Magnus, honey, raise your hand for Alex, please." In the back, a boy raised his hand shyly, and Alex inwardly groaned, because it was the blondie from yesterday. Alex shouldered her bag, walking down the aisle to sit next to him. The two sat in silence for most of the class, until they were required to work together to complete a charcoal drawing.

Finally, Alex decided to break the tension.

"Sorry for throwing pottery at you yesterday, or whatever," she muttered. "I was pissed at my family."

"Kay," Blondie-Magnus replied. Alex took that as a gee, Alex, thanks for the apology! and decided to go back to working on the drawing. For the most part, she didn't know what they were doing, but they worked together well, anyway. The bell rang, signalling the end of class, and all of the students got up, rushing to the door. The teacher yelled something after them, but there was too much commotion that nobody heard what she said. Magnus grabbed the paper they had drawn on, and having been the only two that completed the assignment already, turned it in before leaving.

"Have a good day," Alex called to Miss Freya as she walked out the door. Even after the first lesson, Alex was still far beyond nervous. She'd started a couple different schools the past few years, ever since fourteen, when she had come out to her family as gender fluid. That year had been the worst of them all, especially since her dad had sent her off to a Catholic boarding school, as if spending time around homophobic assholes would "fix" her. There was no fixing when there was no problem to begin with. Luckily, that hadn't lasted too long, since Alex had gotten into so many fights that inevitably ended up in expulsion. That was a fun conversation to have with her dad.

And then, Alex was thrust into Valhalla High with no friends, and it would probably remain that way for most of her time. Somehow, the Fierros managed to find the most homophobic schools in the city and send her there. Just the neighborhood they lived in had at least ten churches, all varying in religion, but all of them nearly half the size of their apartment complex, which was seventeen floors. She didn't even want to think about how many other churches were in the surrounding area. Add that to the glares and snickers Alex got earlier, and the school was already a living hell. There was no way she could survive Valhalla High until the end of the school year.