Mark

6.0

They took five, and Rory went with Jack to grab snacks. I hung by Nate and Matt. They kept looking at each other.

"You sound really good," Nate said.

"Yeah! My musical theatre technique really works well with your edgy tone, it's got a nice balance!" Matt agreed. I nodded, unsure what Matt meant by any of that.

"It sounded good," I added from my seat by the speakers. Nate and Matt looked over, as though they had forgotten I was there. "Er, I mean-"

"Thanks man. Hey, wanna check if Jack and Rory need help?" Nate cocked an eyebrow. I wasn't stupid.

I knew they were trying to get me out of the room. But what for, I had no idea.

"Yeah, whatever." I follows their plans anyway, I didn't care. I could watch Matt all I wanted during the practices.

He got a lot cuter when he sang.

"Hey, Marky!" yelled Jack's voice, which could've been heard from halfway across the neighbor hood. "Give me a hand with the lemonade, will ya?" Jack shifted the tray of cups and pitchers over so I could take a weight off him.

"So, what do you think of Mattie in there?" asked Rory, shoveling a handful of chips into his mouth. I shrugged.

"Nate won't shut up 'bout him, 'xcept when you're around," Jack added. I tried not to look to interested at this information. Nate used to be the one telling me to shut up about Matt. "He says that Matt's real good for the band."

"He's got a nice voice," I offered. Since when was Nate so interested in my dream boy crush. "I don't think he really fits in, though." Nate wasn't even interested in Matt before, why was he hogging him all to himself now?

Rory burst out into laughter. "I think someone a little jealous that they don't get to sing with Matt like Nate does," he teased, elbowing me playfully.

"What- oh, no I don't-"

"Don't try an' hide it, Marky. You're not the most subtle person in the world," Jack laughed, practically dropping the stack of cups he was carrying. "You've been staring at him the whole practice with those dopey lovestruck eyes." I felt my fave flushing with color, I must've looked as red as a tomato at this point. Luckily, I was saved from another embarrassing response by Rory's mother's coo from the kitchen.

"Marcella!" I froze, my chest tightened at the sound of my old name. Jack bit his tongue knitted his eyebrows as he stepped away, and Rory mouthed I'm sorry as he walked towards Jack. "Marcella, how are you?" Rory's mother- Mrs. O' Malley- was overbearing and talkative. Especially to me.

"Hello Mrs. O'Malley," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh my, Marcella, you look so thin. You're in high school, and you've barely filled out your shirt!" She was referring to my (thankfully) nonexistent breasts.

"I like them this way."

"You're such a pretty girl, Marcella, you must stop dressing like a boy." She smiled sweetly, but her words were anything but. She took my arm, pulling me away from the other two boys. "It's lovely that you spend time with my Rory, but you need girls as friends too, Marcella. You can't spend all your time with boys-" She laughed. "Why, then you'd practically become one."

"Mrs. O'Malley, I am one." I knew I'd regret this, she wouldn't understand what I meant. Indeed, the older woman with the dyed ginger hair sighed, her whole body slumping with it.

"Thinking like that isn't healthy for young girls," she said, almost sympathetically. "I'm here for you, honey. I know high school isn't easy-"

"Mrs. O'Malley, it's been lovely to talk to you. But I'm afraid I don't need any help." I was prepared to scream, strings of curses ran silently through my head.

"It's a mental illness, Marcella. It's not normal!" Getoutgetoutget- I didn't say anything, I didn't move. "You are who you were born as, you can't change that. You just haven't grown into your body yet, dear." She took a breath. "I'm here for you, dear. I'm going to help you through this."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream and curse and yell so many things. But I didn't do anything.

"Thank you," I managed to force through my teeth, barely holding myself up until she smiled, pulled me into a hug, and finally left us alone. Jack gave me an awkward pat on the back, and Rory looked at the ground.

"Sorry 'bout her, Mark. She doesn't know what she's talking about," he said.

"Whatever. I don't care. Let's just get back to work." I trudged back into the garage, dropping the snacks with a loud thud. Nate and Matthew had barely noticed we were gone, and definitely didn't notice what a mood I was in. They barely noticed I existed.

Nate, my best friend, didn't care at all. And this almost felt worse than my confrontation with Mrs. O'Malley, or the awkward gameplay with Matt. Now I felt even more rejected than when my old friends stopped talking to me because of my gender.

Now I was entirely all alone.

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finally i updated this! I swear, this gets better soon!