Odessa

prolouge

The camera rolls silently, a black screen is in view. I shuffle around my room looking for my ponytail before I take the tape off the lens. I find it on my desk and throw my hair into a bun quickly as I slide into my chair placed in front of my set up. I peel back the tape and begin my vlog.

"Moving across the world isn't what most people would think its like. It's a long wait filled with anxiety, stress, and lots and lots of packing. I live in Sydney Australia. I'm moving to Belleville New Jersey. It's a long way from where my home but Belleville High School has a good baseball team; that's the main reason I'm moving to New Jersey. The other reason being my online friend just graduated high school and has an apartment of his own and invited me to move in with him. It took a lot of convincing my mom and a lot of reassuring my dad that no, I won't have sex and yes, i'll keep my grades up. I don't think he trust me all that much after finding out that I was talking to people online."

I huff and look down at my lap remembering when he came out to me. I had met him as 'Odessa' and after we had been talking for about a month I had asked to call him and he came out to me and explained that he was trans and hadn't transitioned yet, so he still had a feminine voice. I told him that I totally accepted him and that he should have been comfortable with me in the first place, since he was the first person I came out to. He called me and we talked all night, we laughed and cried.
 
   I looked back up at my camera and continued.
" I leave tomorrow morning and I'm almost completely packed. I still have my camera equipment and makeup to pack. It is currently," I glance down at my watch, "1:45 pm and my flight takes off at 9:15 am so I should probably finish packing and go to bed." I finish my vlog and turn the camera off. I strip myself of my clothes and lie in my bed. "I'm moving to New Jersey" I whisper to myself for about the thousand time. I'm moving in with Odessa. Tomorrow. Forever.