Sixteen the Hard Way - 15.1 - Soggy (Patreon)

I sat silently for a bit, thinking about everything that had happened. Less than 24 hours before I had come home from school, planning to go out later to my babysitting job.

Everything had changed. Especially, me. I wasn’t even using the same name anymore. I glanced down. They were still there, the evidence of my “growth spurt.” I sighed. Was there even a chance that I could go back to being Jonny?

Probably not without surgery. And there was the possibility that maybe I’ve been a girl all along, and just didn’t know it because of bad medical advice when I was a baby.

I squirmed a bit, thinking of that. I certainly hadn’t been very successful at being a typical boy. And I’d lost at least one friend because of it. Rod Pick had said some hurtful things, but he claimed to be trying to be honest. He just didn’t want me to embarrass him with my girlish squeals and giggles.

I felt my face go red. How could I have been so oblivious to how I acted? Had all those kids, mostly boys, going back to early grade school been right when they called me names?

I didn’t want to start crying again, so I stood up.

Mom and Donna were discussing some look for me they had found in a magazine, a look Donna described as ‘cute’, and Mom thought it ‘sweet.’ I had to get away from them or have a meltdown. I started toward the door.

Mom immediately asked where I was going. Since I didn’t have an answer, I didn’t try to give one.

“They’re going to call you in just a few more minutes, Joni. You can’t leave now,” Donna said, speaking as the voice of reason.

I stopped. “Okay,” I said. “Then you two have to leave. I need to be able to think.”

Donna stared at me, then stood and tugged on Mom’s hand. “C’mon,” she told our mother. “She’s serious. If there were a bowl of cereal nearby, we’d both be in trouble.”

I sighed. “You dump one bowl of soggy Cheerios on someone’s head when you’re eight, and it goes on your permanent record,” I complained.

But Mom stood, gave me a smile and a pat on the arm and followed my sister out.

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