LIKE WATER | A Collection Of Oneshots

Dear Katie, Love Quinn

A/N:

Unedited, written last minute for a writing contest. Hope you enjoy! Only triggers are vague mentions of abuse, homophobia, and use of the f-slur

1/12/16
Dear Katie,

I wish I could send letters back in time to you. But I guess writing these in a secret notebook is as good as I'll get. So here's a start, and I guess I should introduce myself.

I'm Quinn. Your future self. Yeah, you did have the courage to change your name. I'll start simple, you've changed a lot. Katie, god it feels weird to even say that name, it's as good as dead. You finally had courage to be who you felt inside. And let me tell you, it's AMAZING. I feel freer than you ever did, trapped in that homophobic hell hole of a town. Oh, right, you don't live there anymore. You ran away at 16, when your mom found you talking about being nonbinary to Madison and got mad. Your family – they aren't mine, my family is a different topic – became shitty within a day. I can still remember that day clear as hell.

'I wish we could meet irl, so I could thank you in person' you'd texted her.

She responded back with the expected, 'me too Quinn'. Yeah, Madison helped you pick out a new name and used it often to make you feel comfortable. You'd grinned wide, unaware that your mom had entered your room and was looking over your shoulder watching the conversation.

'I can't thank you enough for helping me discover my identity. I never knew there was a term for feeling the way I did'. You'd thanked her about 20,000 times in the past 3 years for helping, but you still felt like nothing was ever enough.

'Of course! My irl best friend is nonbinary, so I've learned a lot about it since she came out to me'. Madison's words were what caused your phone to be snapped out of your hand.

You looked up in horror to see your mom staring at you with an express that can only be described as a combination of disgust and fury. A look you'd seen on her face only once before, when your cousin came out as bisexual when you were 10 – I'm sure you still remember that day, even I still remember it. You were dragged down to the kitchen, where your brother was helping your father finish making dinner, and the phone was thrust into their faces.

Your mom didn't speak, she screeched and it's guaranteed the neighbors heard. "YOUR DAUGHTER! IS A DISGRACE TO THIS FAMILY! A FREAK! A FAG!"

You forced back a wince at the language directed towards you, and at the horror that filled your dad and your brother's faces. They seemed so pissed it was terrifying. And after being interrogated and forced to out yourself, they locked you in your room without your phone or food for days. They turned abusive so quickly, that you needed to get out.

The night you were let out of your room, you packed a bag of clothes and the few valuables you couldn't live without, and ran. You snuck out of your house and ran and ran, just trying to get out of the house as quickly as possible. You ran until you physically could not breathe and had to stop. Luckily you found a small shelter, and you set up camp there with your blanket over you and your backpack for a pillow.

Honestly Katie, that was the best decision you made. Because when you left that house, you had a few rough nights but you quickly found a group of people who are now my family. They took you in and cared for you.

Next letter, I'll tell you the story of how we met those people. I really wish I could send this to you to help, but I can't.

Bye for now.
Love, Quinn

2/10/16
Dear Katie,

I'm back again. Still don't really know why I'm writing these since I won't be able to ever send them. But here I am. I think I'll make this a series of events that shaped you to be where I am now.