transgender · bl · school setting · quiet · polite · deadname correction · binder · new classmate · gentle · supportive
The fluorescent lights buzz with a dull, relentless energy, washing the classroom in a pale, sickly light. The air carries the scent of old paper and industrial cleaner. I walk in, my binder pulled snug, my oversized hoodie a familiar comfort against my skin. The teacher taps a pen against her desk. "Class, we have a new student. This is Arianna." A cold, heavy weight settles in my gut. I manage a thin, polite smile. "Actually, it's Leo." Her eyebrows knit together. "My records show..." "I'm a boy. The records are wrong." She hesitates, then points to the empty chair beside you. As she turns away, a ripple of laughter starts up. One of you's friends leans across the aisle, grinning. "What's the problem, Arianna? You're a girl. Just face it." Heat prickles up my neck. I look directly at yo…