Applause [Kitty Wilde Glee]

VI

I haven't found my transition journal, my dad knows not to touch it, I can't find it anywhere, my room, my car, the hang out cave, I don't know where else it could be. I pull up at school, I can feel eyes on me, people are whispering to each other and laughing. I slide out of the car and light up a smoke. Marley comes rushing over followed by Unique.
"Oh my god, you're okay." Marley hugs me tight.
I have to stumble with my hand so I don't burn her.
"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?" I frown.
"You haven't been inside yet?" Unique sighs.
"No?"
"Okay, finish that and we'll walk you in." Unique looks at Marley nervously.
I frown more, what are they talking about? I finish my cigarette and grab my bag. Marley and Unique take a side as we walk into the building.

I freeze, looking at every locker. Everywhere has pages of my journal.
"I'm going to puke." I mumble.
"Its okay, we've got you." Marley holds onto me tight as we walk to my locker.
"Tranny!" I hear that from almost everyone.
I try to ignore it until my face slams into my locker, causing me to fall. I hold my aching nose as I look up at the jock.
"That's what you get for trying to trick girls." He sneers. "Dyke."
"I didn't trick anyone!" I groan.
"Yout tricked Bree." Another jock laughs, kicking me onto my back.
I try to hold back the tears as another shoe meets my ribs, this is worse than the last school. I close my eyes and just hope they get bored if I stop reacting to them. It stops quicker than I thought, I take a chance and open one of my eyes to see Ryder and Sam holding them against the lockers.
"Dude, you okay?" Joseph helps me up.
"I'm fine." I lie through gritted teeth.
"Lets get you to the nurse." He lifts my arm over his shoulders and helps me walk.
"No." I grumble.
"We have to do something."
"My mom can help." Marley holds onto my other arm.

Millie turns to us slowly, probably thinking we wanted food for breakfast. As soon as she sees us she gasps, almost dropping the tray of food ready for cooking.
"Tucker, what happened?"
"Mom, some guys beat him up." Marley sighs. "He didn't want to go to the nurse."
"I'll get some ice, what reason did they have?"
"You haven't seen it?" I groan.
She shakes her head, gently placing an ice pack and some tissues over my nose.
"They did it because the girl I thought liked me outed me as a trans man."
"A what?"
"I was born female and being born into this body...with everything didn't feel right, puberty almost killed me with how awful I felt and then I realised I wasn't a girl, I was a boy so my parents got me on hormones and I've had top surgery which means I don't have a chest...well, I have a chest just not the female one?" I try to explain.
"I see, well if that's who you are then that's who you are." She leans down to help me clean up. "You're still Tucker to me, the boy that's been a sweetheart to my Marley."
"Thanks." I try to smile.
"I have to tell your dad though."
I sigh heavily and nod in agreement, there's no escaping it.

As you can guess, my dad is pissed. He's demanding the cops come and charge these guys with a hate crime.
"Listen, Charles...we'll suspend the boys."
"No, I want them charged!"
"We don't need the police coming in and out of the school." The principal frowns.
The jock assholes and their parents arrive, taking one look at me.
"You both did this?" One of their mom's frowns.
"She's a tranny."
One of the dads looks me over, frowning.
"Looks like a guy to me."
"That's not the point." My dad grumbles. "My son might be trans, yes but this is a hate crime and both your boys can be charged."
"We raised you better!" I watch both guys get their asses handed to them. "Your aunt is trans!"
"I am so sorry about this, Mr..."
"Schuester." My dad crosses his arms.
"Right, I'm pulling my kid out and he's going to military school."
"Great idea, let's do that."
"Look, we'll pay for any damage done."
My dad looks at me for an answer.
"My nose isn't broken, my ribs are just bruised...I'd really just like to move on from this." I sigh, no point in dragging this out.

I can't do this, I can't go on that stage after everything that's happened. I sit in the car, smoking another cigarette, I think I've had three already. I chainsmoke when I'm stressed and right now I can't handle life. I hear the passenger door open then close. I turn, expecting Marley or Joseph but to my surprise its Kitty.
"What do you want?"
"You to come on stage."
"I'm not doing that." I scoff. "Everyone's going to laugh at me."
"How do you know?" She frowns.
"I'm the tranny that tricked the cheerleader remember?"
"I'm sorry...I was harsh to Unique and I shouldn't have been." She sighs. "If it means anything I think what Bree did was disgusting."
I frown, tossing my cigarette out the window.
"Really?" I turn slightly to face her.
"I'm a bitch, I know I am." She chuckles softly. "And I've been horrible to a lot of people, but that's a new low...plus, you're a cute guy."
"Right." I scoff.
"I mean it, Tucker." She frowns. "I think you're adorable...and kinda hot."
"How can I trust you?"
"I get it, I wouldn't trust me either." She looks into my eyes. "If you maybe give me a chance to show you that I'm not kidding I'm sure it'll be worth it."
"One thing."
"Sure."
"You leave Marley alone."
She nods slowly, our gazes locking.
"Okay, I will."

I'm so glad the show went well, I can't believe I went on that stage and did it and now my uncle is leaving us with Finn and honestly...I don't know if he can cope with this. I stand up and start heading to my car when someone catches up to me.
"You're fast." Kitty smiles.
"I am a runner." I laugh.
"I'm gonna call you Sonic...or Flash!"
We both laugh loudly, maybe Kitty isn't so bad after all.
"Hey, thanks for earlier." I stop outside my car. "I needed that."
"I didn't just say it to get you inside, I do think you're hot."
"Well, thanks." I rub the back of my neck. "You're...well, gorgeous."
"Oh stop." She shoves me playfully.
"I mean it, the first time I saw you it was like whiplash...then you were mean so." I shrug.
"First impressions aren't my thing."
"I can tell." I tease.
"Stop." She shoves me again. "I like your car."
"Its from the movie Christine."
"The killer car movie?"
"How did you know?" I feel my smile growing.
"I have a secret love of horror movies."
"I have a huge collection." I grin.
"Maybe you could show me sometime...as friends at first?"
"Sure."
"I better go, I'll see you later Sonic." She winks, leaning up and kissing my cheek.
Can I really trust this girl after everything that's just happened?