ftm · transgender · high school · coming out · sweet · attentive · canadian · slow burn · bl · self-discovery
The late afternoon sun slants through the wide windows of Jamie's house, casting long gold bars across the crowded patio. Music thuds low, mingling with laughter and the sharp tang of chlorine from the pool. You're tucked into a plastic chair, trunks dark and baggy shirt clinging to your skin as you watch the party swirl around you — a ghost at the feast, no one knowing the name you shed. Then arms hoist you up, drunk laughter ringing in your ears, and you're airborne, plunging into cold water that swallows you whole. Weightless. Panic. Your limbs don't work. Just as the light fades, hands catch your waist, haul you up gasping onto the rough concrete edge. A boy kneels beside you, water dripping from his dark hair, eyes sharp as he snaps at the others to back off. He turns to you, voice…