Vikk's P.O.V.
I grew up as a daughter. I grew up as a girl, along with all of the expectations that came along with that gender, according to my parents at least. I had grown up with two older brothers and there were no more children after me, meaning I was the only daughter, the only one who would look after my parents in their old age. Supposedly.
The boys were cherished. They would grow up to be smart, money making doctors, marrying wonderful, obedient girls to pass on the family name. They didn't have to do the chores or the cooking or the cleaning, they did the work outside and then sat around doing nothing when that was done. I, along with my mother, did all the actual work. My education was pushed to the side in favour of learning to be a good wife.
School was my only escape. There were people like me there, ones who hated their home life and would do anything to escape, but more importantly there were those who were forced to follow the same standards but felt they didn't fit in like they should. They weren't happy like that, but it was for a specific reason.
That was where I met Lachlan. He had a better understanding of himself than I did and he even had a word for it. Transgender.
So, there we were. Two outcasts, going through very similar situations. Two daughters who didn't want to be that way. We found each other and I really couldn't express how much it helped me, but it didn't help me at home. All I could do was hold onto the memories whenever they yelled, planned my future for me, talked about my future husband and children. The knowledge that Lachlan would be waiting for me at school the next week kept me going, when all I wanted to do was give up. I couldn't give up when I knew he would do the same if I wasn't there.
"Vikk! Over here!" Lachlan called, grinning and waving his hands. I hugged him tightly, needing the physical comfort for just a bit before I tried to get through the day ahead of me. He seemed to know, because he hugged me right back. "Hey, you okay? Has it been a tough weekend?"
"Mm." I murmured, still clinging to him. "Wasn't great."
"Do you wanna skip out on the first class? It's only economics, it isn't that important." He asked, and I thought about it for a moment. I hated skipping class and I hated getting in trouble, but just this once couldn't hurt. Lachlan did it often when he got too overwhelmed and he never made a big deal of it.
"Alright." I said, sighing. "Let's go somewhere else. I might just go home, no one's there at the moment."
"If you want to. I'm just going to stay here, dad's home today. I don't want to be there until I just go to bed, at least." He grumbled.
"Oh, I'll stay with you then. Do you just wanna go into town? Grab some food and then hang out at the library or something?"
Lachlan nodded. "That'd be good."
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I wasn't sure how we ended up here, but I really didn't mind. We got some food, ate at the café and then headed to the library where I tried to work, but Lachlan fell asleep against me. His head had been nodding for a little while, answers becoming more slurred when I asked him for feedback, and he eventually drifted off in the chair beside me. I tucked his hoodie that he had taken off earlier around him, as we were sitting right under the air conditioner.
I continued to work, knowing he needed to sleep. His home life wasn't much better than mine if I was being honest. His parents weren't quite as forceful on the gender roles side of things but he suffered more in terms of neglect and... I supposed it was abuse. His dad drunk, mom brought drugs home. He couldn't come out because knew exactly what kind of reactions they would have. Even though it was bad, he had a roof over his head and food most of the time.
We both knew that without each other, we probably wouldn't be here. We had solace in knowing the other needed them but we could also rely on the other. I would always be there for Lachlan, and I had faith he would always be there for me.
About five minutes before the bus arrived, the stop was right outside, I leaned over and gently shook Lachlan's shoulder. He groaned, raising his head and rubbing his eyes.
"Wakey wakey Lachy, bus'll be here soon. We gotta get going." I said, packing my stuff away. "Did you have a good nap?"
Lachlan nodded, but he still seemed pretty blurry. Pulling his long hair out of his face he adjusted the skirt of his uniform, grimacing. It really wasn't a nice thing to wake and immediately realising how you appeared outwardly, especially when you were in a public place in school uniform. I hated it just as much.
"Yeah." He croaked, reaching down to grab his backpack.
Neither of us talked on the way back home. I could tell he was falling asleep again so I just put in my earbuds and closed my eyes too, only nudging Lachlan when it was time for him to get off. I still had another stop to go. I squeezed his hand tightly when he moved past me, giving him a smile.
"See you tomorrow?" I asked. He nodded.
"See you tomorrow." He replied.
I didn't notice until the bus pulled away from the stop that Lachlan had left his necklace, the one from his grandma that he wore everywhere, was sitting on the seat beside me. Examining it, I saw that the clasp had broken. Oh well- I could give it to him tomorrow.
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Tomorrow came and went. Lachlan didn't reply to any of my calls or texts, which got more frantic throughout the day. He rarely ever stayed off school because it meant staying at home and if he was home, sick enough that he physically couldn't get to school, he always told me what was up.
I tried to work through the day, his necklace in my pocket, but I couldn't do it. At the end of the fourth period I just left school, got the bus and headed in the direction of his house.
"La-" I cut myself off- his dad could be home. I hated it, but I called out his deadname. "Are you home?! You aren't replying to my texts!"
There was no reply and there were no cars in the driveway, so I let myself in. The house stank of alcohol, making me wrinkle my nose, but I was more concerned with Lachlan's safety. I practically sprinted up the stairs, pushing open his bedroom door.
I let out a huge sigh of relief. Lachlan was there, he was just sleeping. His curtains were drawn and the room was stuffy but from the medication strewn about the room, the bucket beside his bed and his sweaty face, I knew he was sick. His phone was just inside the doorway and on silent, so he had probably never realised I was texting.
"Hey Lachy." I whispered, sitting down on my bed. "Are you sick babe? You don't look very well."
He grunted, hair splayed on the pillow. It took him a moment to open his eyes.
"Oh." He croaked. "Hey Vikk."
"You weren't feeling very well yesterday either, were you?" He shook his head. "Oh Lachy. Tell you what, I'll go grab you some cold water and then we'll cool off the room a bit."
He nodded listlessly. I didn't want to leave him alone so I hurried through the tasks, getting him water, opening the windows but keeping the curtains closed so it wasn't too bright and giving Lachlan's hair a quick brush to stop it getting too tangled. He just let me. Normally he'd be whining and complaining, refusing to let me touch his hair, but he sort of just leaned against me and closed his eyes.
I pressed his necklace back into his hand as more of a comfort thing.
"It broke yesterday, you left it on the bus." I said. "I'll see if I can get another clasp to fix it."
"Thanks Vikky." He murmured.
Tucking him back into bed I lay on the covers beside him. I wanted to let him sleep peacefully without worrying about the arrival of either of his parents, so I assured him that I would look out for him. He was asleep within a couple of minutes.
"We'll be okay Lachy." I mumbled. "One day, we won't be daughters anymore. I hope it'll be soon."
