"Okay then," Luke said confidently as he looked up at his twin sister. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Lucy replied. "We do this together, right?"

"Aye, always," Luke said, giving his sister a gentle pat on the back as the two of them walked toward the imposing main gate of Durham University...

----------

Luke and Lucy Miller were born on the 22nd of March 2001 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne as the first, second and ultimately only children of their parents, both of whom worked hard to provide for their children. Growing up, the pair were almost as inseparable as they had been in the womb, always playing together at school, sharing the same friends, even sharing the same toys- even those toys that were traditionally only enjoyed by boys or girls. When they were younger, they even occasionally shared each other's clothes- such as before their first day of primary school.

"Do you think mummy and daddy will be angry at us?" Lucy asked as she fastened the grey school trousers around her waist.

"They don't get angry when we wear each other's t-shirts," Luke replied, before sharing a grin with his sister as their father knocked on their bedroom door and let himself in.

"Now then, you two!" Paul- the twins' father- said with a proud smile on his face. "All ready for your first day at school? Let's get yas downstairs, I want to take some pictures before we- oh- oh, right. Very funny you two!"

"What's funny, daddy?" Luke asked as he fiddled with the elastic waistband of the pleated skirt that covered his upper legs.

"You know what!" Paul said, before sighing. "Come on, get your trousers and your skirt off, it was a funny joke but we need to be serious now, and you'll especially need to be serious when you get to school!"

"But why can't we go to school dressed like this?" Lucy asked, her mouth curling into a pout as her father helped her remove her trousers before holding out her skirt for her to step into.

"Well, you could wear trousers if you wanted to," the twins' father replied. "But only girls can wear skirts to school- or anywhere else, for that matter."

"But that's not fair," Luke whined as he reluctantly stepped into his sister's discarded trousers. "Why can't boys wear skirts if girls can wear trousers?"

"Because that's just the way it is," Paul replied, even though he knew the answer wouldn't satisfy his children's curiosity.

"But that's not fair," Luke repeated as his father silently cursed.

"Well- maybe it is, maybe it isn't," the increasingly exasperated man said. "I know it's a bit of fun when you're at home, but if you went to school like this, the other boys might think you're a girl, and they wouldn't like you if they did."

"What's wrong with being a girl?" Luke asked.

"Nothing if that's the way you were born," Paul replied. "But you were born a boy, and you need to remember that. Now come on downstairs, you don't want to be late on your first day, and I want some pictures to put up on our wall!" Reluctantly, Luke and Lucy followed their father down to the living room, where they posed for the photographs that would remain on their parents' wall even after they started university.

However, on that first day of school, all Luke could focus on was how unfair it was that he had to change out of what he saw as his skirt, and seeing all the other girls having fun at school only made him feel worse. Unbeknownst to him, though, his sister was feeling just as uneasy while wearing her skirt and was just as envious of the other boys as Luke was of the girls. And yet, Luke and Lucy knew better than to disobey their father, and continued to wear their school uniforms without protest.

At home, however, they continued what their parents saw as their 'game'. Whenever one of the twins got a new outfit, it would inevitably be the other twin who wore it first. Whenever Lucy got a new party dress, her parents would discover Luke modelling it for her in their bedroom. When Luke got new football boots, it was Lucy who first kicked a ball in them. When Lucy was signed up for ballet class, it was Luke who would first walk downstairs wearing the uniform of pink tights and a leotard.

The twins' parents had naturally assumed that the 'game' was a phase that the twins would eventually grow out of, but even at that early age, Luke and Lucy could sense that something wasn't right in their world. However, it would be many more years before they'd be able to identify what the problem was- and there would be many more obstacles put in their way beforehand.

On the twins' eighth birthday, Luke and Lucy's paternal grandparents had showered them with gifts. Luke had received two new videogames for his Wii, several Kung Fu Panda themed toys and a brand-new smart suit, complete with his first ever grown-up tie.

Lucy, meanwhile, had received several fancy hair clips and braids, an armful of High School Musical themed merchandise and a sparkly party dress with matching shoes.

What the twins' grandparents didn't know, however, was that it was Luke who was the fan of High School Musical, while Lucy was the one who had loved Kung Fu Panda.

After the family had eaten a special birthday dinner and Luke and Lucy had blown out the candles on their cake, they returned to the living room, where the elderly couple were soon eager to see the twins in their new outfits.

"Come on then, get upstairs and get yas selves changed," Derek- the twins' grandfather- urged. "We spent good money on those new clothes, we want ta get at least one photo before we go!"

"If you don't know how to tie your tie, your grandpa can show you when you come downstairs," Eileen- the twins' grandmother- said. "Same for your shoes, Lucy, I'll help you with those if you struggle with them."

"Well- okay," Lucy said as she grabbed her new dress and shoes, while Luke followed her upstairs carrying his suit. When they reached their bedroom, however, Luke instinctively reached for his sister's dress, while she took his suit out of his hands without even thinking.

"Should we do this while grandma and grandpa are here?" Luke asked as he slipped the new dress over his head, giggling at the feel of the soft fabric against his bare skin.

"Mum and dad don't mind us doing it," Lucy replied with a shrug as she fastened the buttons of the suit's white shirt. "Grandma and grandpa will just tell us to go upstairs and change like they do."

"Well- I suppose," Luke replied, before fastening the new sparkly shoes to his feet and giggling as he swished the dress around his legs.

As the twins returned to the living room, their grandparents had wide, excited smiles on their faces. However, those smiles immediately turned into frowns when they saw the outfits their grandchildren were wearing.

"Wha- is this- is this some kind of joke?" Derek spat, his eyes immediately filling with an anger that scared the eight-year olds.

"Ugh, it's just- it's just a silly little game they play," Paul said with a tired sigh as he regarded his children with a look of utter disappointment. "They think it's funny to wear each other's clothes, it- it's nothing."

"I'll get them changed into their proper clothes," Sarah- the twins' mother- said as she tried to usher her children toward the living room door, only to be stopped by an angry outburst from her father-in-law.

"You mean they do this all the time!?" Derek yelled, making the terrified children freeze on the spot. "And ya think it's just a game to turn my grandson into a poof?"

"Dad, it's just a phase," Paul said calmly in a vain attempt to soothe his father's anger. "They're just being kids-"

"Aye, but they're not bein' a boy and a girl, they're bein' a girl and a boy!" Derek snarled.

"Derek, please, you're making them upset," Eileen whispered nervously.

"Well they're making me upset!" Derek growled, before taking a deep breath and looking his son in the eye. "You need to start teachin' that boy ta be a man."

"Dad, he's literally just turned eight," Paul retorted.

"It's never too early!" Derek insisted. "How old were you the first time I took yous to see the Toon?"

"...Eight," Paul replied.

"An ‘how old were yas when I taught you to fish, or ride a bike?" Derek asked.

"Not much older than Luke," Paul conceded. "But I did silly stuff when I was a kid, didn't I? Remember that time I fell out of a tree and broke my wrist?"

"You din' fall out of a tree wearing a bloody dress though, did you?" Derek spat. "You need to step up son and stop this- THIS before ya turn that boy into a queer! Unless you're into that sort o' thing now, are ya?"

"...I'll talk to him after you've gone," Paul sighed heavily.

"And make sure Sarah talks to that girl of yours as well," Eileen said. "It's not healthy for a girl of her age to be playing with boys' things like that."

"Luke, Lucy, let's go upstairs and change," Sarah whispered, her voice quivering with emotion as she took her children's hands and led them up to their bedroom. "Luke, you go first, change into what you were wearing before." Still trembling with fear from his grandfather's anger, Luke silently nodded and entered the bedroom, sighing sadly as he removed the dress and pulled his plain jumper and trousers back on. As he laid the dress on his sister's bed, Luke couldn't help but run his fingers over the delicate fabric, desperate for one last feel of it against his skin.

As Luke was changing, Lucy's head was hung low as her mother took her into the bathroom, where she was sat down on the edge of the bathtub.

"Lucy..." Sarah said, before sighing and giving her daughter a hug as the 8-year-old girl broke down in a flood of tears. "It's okay, it's okay, don't worry..."

"Why do grandma and grandpa hate us?" Lucy asked, earning another sigh from her mother, who struggled to hold back her own tears.

"Oh- oh, they don't hate you, Lucy," Sarah replied. "They- they're just a bit old-fashioned, that's all. I know you think it's funny to wear your brother's clothes, but when your grandma was your age, any girl who wore trousers was seen as being weird, someone no one wanted to be friends with. And you like having friends, don't you?"

"But I have boys who are friends," Lucy pleaded.

"Aye, you do," Sarah conceded. "But as you get older, that'll change. I know you're a bright girl, and you sometimes have trouble fitting in with the other girls in your school, but the more you fit in, the more friends you'll make, and the happier you'll be. And believe me, you WILL want more friends who are girls than boys."

"So that no one thinks I'm weird?" Lucy asked despondently.

"That's right," Sarah said. "I know secondary school seems like a million years away, but it'll be here before you know it, and when it is, all of this will seem like it was a million years ago."

"Okay, I guess..." Lucy said in an uncertain voice.

"Hey, trust your mam, okay?" Sarah asked with a smile. "Now come on, I think your brother's almost done, do you want to try on your new dress?"

"I hate wearing dresses," Lucy pouted.

"You might feel that way now," Sarah replied, "but in a few years' time, I guarantee you'll prefer wearing skirts and dresses to trousers."

"But you wear trousers all the time," Lucy said, flinching as an angry look started to spread over her mother's face.

"And when you're grown-up, you can choose what to wear too," Sarah said. "But while you're a kid, you wear what your mam and dad say, okay?"

"Okay..." Lucy said in a sad, defeated voice, her feelings not eased by the extra hug she received from her mother.

"And I need you to promise not to wear your brother's clothes anymore, not even for a game, okay?" Sarah asked, smiling as Lucy sadly nodded.

"Okay," Lucy replied, her heart breaking with every step she took toward her bedroom. As much as she wished that she and her brother could continue their 'game', as their parents put it, she knew how much trouble they'd be in if they continued...

As Lucy was ushered into her bedroom to get changed, Luke was led by his father into his study, where the older man let out a long, tired sigh.

"Luke," Paul said, before letting out another sigh. "This game has got to stop. You know that, right?"

"But why does it have to?" Luke asked, making his father fidget uncomfortably.

"Well for one, you saw how upset it made your grandfather," Paul replied.

"But what if Lucy and I don't do it when they're around?" Luke asked.

"Well, I'll be honest with you son," Paul said, before taking a deep breath. "It's making me upset as well."

"But why?" Luke pleaded.

"Because you're pretending to be a girl, and you aren't a girl!" Paul replied, biting his lip as he saw tears start to form in his son's eyes. "Luke, you- you're not a stupid kid, far from it. Let me ask you this- what do you think would happen if you, or any other boy, went to school in a dress?"

"...The other boys would probably laugh at me," Luke mumbled.

"Right, and you don't like being laughed at, do you?" Paul asked, smiling as his son shook his head. "And I'll be honest with you, son- you'd be lucky if all they did was laugh at you. I- I should say, before telling you this, that I'm not proud of this, okay?" Paul smiled sadly as his son nodded in agreement. "Luke, you- you know what being gay is, right?"

"It- it's where a man is in love with another man, isn't it?" Luke asked.

"Right," Paul said. "Well, when I was at school, just a bit older than you, there was this one kid who was gay. And every day at school, there used to be these other kids who'd try to beat him up."

"Just because he was gay?" Luke asked.

"Because he was DIFFERENT," Paul clarified.

"But I'm not gay," Luke protested. "I don't even like boys, I just like wearing clothes..."

"Well- well that's even worse," Paul said. "Luke, if you tell any boy at school that you like wearing your sister's clothes, you WILL get beaten up. Do you understand?" With a look of pure terror in his eyes, Luke silently nodded, bringing a smile to his father's face that did nothing to ease the young boy's fear. "Good. Now I need you to promise me that you're never gonna wear your sister's clothes again, okay?"

"Okay," Luke mumbled.

"I didn't hear that?" Paul asked.

"I promise I won't wear Lucy's clothes again," Luke said, his cheeks flushing with shame as his father smiled.

"Good lad," Paul said as he started to lead his son back downstairs.

"Dad," Luke asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" Paul replied.

"Did- did you beat up the gay kid when you were in school?" Luke asked.

"Oh- oh come on, Luke, you know I'd never hit you," Paul sighed, crouching down and giving his son a gentle pat on the arm. "...But yes, I'm ashamed to say I did."

"Did you get in trouble for it?" Luke asked.

"Oh god, loads!" Paul chuckled.

"Did you get in any trouble with grandpa?" Luke asked, making his father pause and bite his lip.

"...No," Paul replied honestly. "Now come on, let's get downstairs, don't want to keep your grandma and grandpa waiting, do you?" Paul smiled as Luke shook his head, though deep down inside, the little boy's head was reeling from the onslaught of emotions.

Why should it make his grandparents angry if he happened to like wearing his sister's clothes? How could it hurt them when it made Luke so happy? Why should he be denied the thing he loved more than any toy, especially on his birthday? All of these questions flooded Luke's mind as he and his sister were led downstairs, where their grandparents' moods immediately perked up at the sight of them wearing their 'correct' clothes.

"Now, isn't that better?" Eileen asked. "Do you love your new dress, Lucy?" Withering under the glare of her parents' stares, Lucy meekly nodded as she fiddled with her uncomfortable dress.

"And as for you," Derek said, hesitating briefly as his grandson flinched, "I got one final gift for the three of us. Two weeks from now, I'm gonna take you ta see your first Toon game against Chelsea. Just me, you and your dad."

"What do you say, Luke?" Paul asked, remaining stoic as Luke stealthily gulped.

"Thank you, grandpa," Luke said, in his mind already mentally dreading the event.

Thirteen days later, Luke, his father and his grandfather were sat in the main stand of St James's Park, watching intently as their home team ultimately lost 2-0 to the London team. Despite the defeat, Luke's father and grandfather remained in high spirits as they left the ground, and Luke couldn't help but notice that despite the loss leaving the team in danger of relegation, his grandfather was considerably less upset than he was on his birthday two weeks earlier.

"Ah, never mind, we'll win next time," Paul said confidently as the family made their way through the stadium's car park. "Chelsea was a bit of an ask for Big Al's first match back in charge."

"Aye, but that doesn't mean we just give up," Derek sighed. "Tha team need ta fight like their lives depend on it. They barely looked like they were moving out there. What d'you think, Luke?"

"Hmm?" Luke asked, having not paid attention to the conversation.

"If ya love something, ya got to be prepared to fight for it, right?" Derek asked his grandson, who meekly nodded in response. "Ugh, Luke... Look, I- I'm sorry if I scared yas on your birthday, okay?"

"...Okay," Luke said, confused by his grandfather's sudden contrition.

"Ya just- I dunno," Derek sighed, exchanging a glance with his son before speaking again. "Ya just can't go around 'playing' like ya did on your birthday, okay? I know ya might just think it's a bit of fun, but believe me when I say that if anyone other than your family finds out, you're ganna be in a lot of trouble, okay?"

"I know," Luke mumbled. "Dad already told me."

"Good," Derek said, shooting his son a brief proud smile. "So just listen to ya dad, okay? When you’re his age you'll probably look back on all this and cringe with embarrassment. Heh, if I'm still alive then, anyway!"

"Ah, you'll outlive us all, dad," Paul chuckled as the family climbed into his car and began the short drive back home.

While Luke was trying his hardest to enjoy his day out at the football, Lucy, her mother and her paternal grandmother were exploring the many shops of the vast Metrocentre- more specifically, the clothing shops. Lucy groaned internally as her mother led her into yet another store, as she immediately knew what would be coming next.

"Now, this one looks beautiful!" Eileen said with a proud grin as she picked out a silver-coloured party dress with a flared, multi-layered skirt- a dress that just so happened to be in Lucy's exact size.

"Do you want to go and try it on, Lucy?" The girl's mother asked with an enthusiastic smile that Lucy felt obliged to at least try to emulate.

"Well- okay..." Lucy said, earning a frown from her mother.

"I know you're tired," Sarah said sternly. "But we're only going to go to a couple more shops, then you can go home and show off your new dresses to the boys. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"...Yes, mam," Lucy said, while internally, she was screaming at the prospect of spending yet more time trying on what she considered to be silly-looking, impractical dresses. However, she knew that she had to play along with her mother and her grandmother, had to pretend to be interested in the clothes and shoes they were buying for her, when all she really wanted was to be able to go to the football match with her brother and her father.

A few minutes later, Lucy stepped out of the changing room clad in her new dress, which she obligingly twirled for her relatives.

"Beautiful!" Eileen said with a proud smile as Lucy tried her hardest to look enthusiastic.

"Do you want to get this one, Lucy?" Sarah asked. Internally, Lucy was screaming 'no' at the top of her lungs, but she knew that the quicker her mother ran out of money, the quicker she'd get to go home...

"Yes please!" Lucy said, forcing a smile on her face as she did another twirl.

"Well we'll put that on the 'maybe' pile," Sarah said as she produced another dress for the increasingly frustrated girl to try on. "Ooh, and we need to stop at the dancewear store on the way home too, you need a new leotard for ballet!" Lucy kept her forced smile in place as she took the new dress from her mother and returned to the changing room, praying desperately for the afternoon to end...

The twins returned back home at almost exactly the same time, and while Lucy reluctantly modelled her new dresses for her father and her grandfather, Luke tried his hardest to sound enthusiastic as he recounted his day out at the football to his mother and grandmother.

Eventually, though, the time came for the elderly couple to leave, and while their parents sat down to watch television, Luke and Lucy headed up to their bedroom, where the latter wasted no time in taking off her new dress.

"I hate this dress," Lucy moaned as she changed back into her preferred jumper and jeans. "I wish I could've gone to the football with you."

"I hated the football," Luke pouted. "It was just a load of old men yelling all the time." Lucy smiled sympathetically at her twin, and an idea quickly formed in her mind, something she knew would cheer Luke up.

"Do- do you want to wear this?" Lucy asked as she handed her brother her new dress.

"I- no, no thanks," Luke said, backing away from the dress in fear.

"Wh- what's wrong?" Lucy asked. "It's just a dress, it's not going to hurt you, and it felt wrong, you know, me wearing this before you?"

"I said no thanks!" Luke snapped.

"Oh- Luke, come on, please..." Lucy said, biting her lip as tears started to form in her eyes. "You know you love wearing my dresses..."

"Well I don't anymore!" Luke spat, turning his back so his sister couldn't see the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"Why are you saying this?" Lucy asked. "Mam and dad don't have to know about it if we don't tell them, right?"

"I said no!" Luke snarled, before grimacing as he felt his hands shake and his stomach tighten. Unwilling to listen to anything else his sister had to say, Luke ran out of his room and into the bathroom, where he sat down on the floor, quietly weeping.

Two months later, Luke forced a smile on his face as he helped his father carry his belongings into what used to be Paul's study, but was to become Luke's very own bedroom.

"You're sure you're sure about this?" Paul asked his son as he turned Luke's bed on its side and began manoeuvring it into the new room. "Because I don't mind giving up my study, it's only right that you have your own bedroom, but if you change your mind-"

"I won't," Luke said firmly. "I want to have my own bedroom, away from Lucy."

"Well- that IS your choice," Paul conceded. "I just wish I knew why you two have barely talked since your birthday." The young father sighed as his son could only reply with a shrug. "Well- okay. Where d'you want your bed, by the window or against the back wall?" Paul let out another frustrated sigh as Luke again replied with a shrug. "Okay, back wall it is." Paul manoeuvred the bed into position, and once the mattress and sheets had been replaced, he stood back with a proud smile on his face, before giving his son a firm pat on his shoulder.

"Well?" Paul asked. "What d'you think?" Luke bit his lip before replying as he surveyed his new bedroom.

The room was everything the average 8-year-old boy could dream of. The walls were all plastered with posters of Star Wars characters or football players (all wearing the black and white of Newcastle United, naturally). The shelves were filled with action figures and books about football and action and adventure novels. Luke's father had even removed his Wii from the living room and hooked it up to a spare television in the room. Luke desperately wanted to love his new room... But secretly, he hated every inch of it.

He hated that he, from his perspective, had been forced to abandon his sister. He hated that he would no longer be able to talk to her at night and no longer be able to play their own secret games- particularly the one game that had never left his mind over the previous two months.

When Lucy had offered him the dress, Luke had been desperate to take it and wear it, even if only for a few minutes. he wanted to feel the soft fabric swishing around his legs with every step. But he knew he couldn't. He knew that if he did wear the dress, his father would find out, then his grandfather would find out, and then all of his worst fears would come true. So Luke threw the dress back in his sister's face, and had hated himself for it every second since. His new room would only be a constant reminder of how he'd rejected his sister- though from Luke's perspective, the alternative would have been much, much worse. And yet, he couldn't shake the dress from his mind- or the pleated skirts and white socks his sister and the other girls at his school wore, or the leotards and tights that his sister wore to her dance class...

Lucy bit her lip to hold back tears as she watched her brother settle into his new room. When Luke had rejected her offer to wear her dress, Lucy's young heart had shattered, and not just because she felt like she'd lost her brother, but because she's lost the only person who could understand how she felt. Lucy didn't fully understand why, but every time she wore a dress, or her school skirt, or her dance uniform, she felt uncomfortable, as though the clothes weren't meant for her, or, more likely, she wasn't meant for them.

Lucy had complained to her mother several times about having to wear clothes she hated, only to be told every time that she was just 'going through a phase' or that she'd 'grow to like it'. Her father was even more dismissive- even when she expressed interest in spending time with him, like watching football, she was rebuffed, told 'it's not something girls would like' as though she was unable to make that decision for herself. The only person who seemingly understood Lucy was her brother- everything she hated, he loved, and vice versa, and that had enabled them to bond in a way few siblings, even twins ever do. But suddenly, out of nowhere, Luke had broken their bond, leaving Lucy feeling more alone than she had ever been before.

"H- hi," Lucy said as she walked into her brother's new room, where Luke and their father were busy putting the finishing touches to the room. "Can I do anything in here?"

"Ah- no, Lucy, think we're almost done!" Paul said with a chuckle. "Do you want a hand rearranging things in your room?"

"No, I'm happy with things where they are," Lucy replied.

"But you've got all that empty space now, where Luke's bed used to be," Paul retorted. "We can put a new wardrobe or a chest of drawers in there, or maybe even a make-up table for when you get older?" Lucy tried her hardest, but couldn't prevent herself from letting out a shiver at the prospect.

"I guess," Lucy mumbled, shrugging her shoulders. "Can- can I have sleepovers?"

"Well- sure, I guess," Paul replied. "I mean, I personally think you're a little young for them, but you're a smart kid, so are your friends, we can get a couple of sleeping bags in your room, and if your friends' parents are okay with it, we-"

"No, I mean-" Lucy interrupted. "Can- can I have sleepovers in here? With Luke?"

"...Well, umm, it- it's not appropriate for a boy and a girl to have a sleepover," Paul replied. "I mean, if you had a sleepover with your friends, would you want Luke barging in?" More than anything, Lucy thought to herself.

"...No," Lucy mumbled.

"Tell you what," Paul said, momentarily getting his daughter's- and, unbeknownst to Paul or Lucy his son's- hopes up, before cruelly dashing them moments afterward. "I'll talk to your mother about it, and we'll see if you can have any sleepovers."

"Really?" Lucy asked.

"With your friends only," Paul said, barely noticing as Lucy's face fell. "Girl friends only."

"Okay," Lucy mumbled, before sighing as she left the room and headed back to her bedroom, which felt emptier than ever...

Over the next few years, Luke and Lucy gradually drifted further apart. They stopped hanging out together at primary school, with Luke playing football with the other boys while Lucy forced herself to hang out with the other girls in her class. At home, they spent most of their free time in their own individual bedrooms, Luke playing on his Wii while Lucy preferred to read in her bedroom- when she wasn't having the sleepovers she'd 'asked' for. The only time the twins spoke to each other was first thing in the morning, or during mealtimes. Even during the school holidays, they preferred to stay out of each other's way- and while neither twin would admit it, they both despised the situation. Both twins wanted nothing more than to play with each other as they had done when they were younger, to swap toys, games and especially clothes- but they knew that if they did that they would be risking the wrath of their parents and grandparents, which too high a price for the 8 year old kids to pay.

The twins' 9th, 10th and 11th birthdays passed almost identically to their 8th, but with one significant difference. When the twins' grandparents bought their grandson a new pair of jeans, it was their grandson who modelled it for them. When they bought their granddaughter a dress for the summer, it was their granddaughter who modelled it for them. Luke accompanied his father and grandfather to more and more matches at St. James's Park and forced himself to take an interest in 'his club', while Lucy went on more and more shopping trips with her mother and grandmother, including the one shopping trip that made her the most anxious- the shopping trip to buy her uniform for her first day of secondary school.

"Come on then, let's have a look at the both of yous!" Eileen said to her grandchildren as they descended the stairs in their new uniform (Luke's having been bought online weeks before). The 11 year old twins forced smiles on their faces as they entered the living room, Luke dressed in his smart white shirt, school tie, grey trousers and grey blazer, while Lucy wore the same tie and blazer (albeit with her buttons on the opposite side), a soft white blouse, a knee-length grey skirt and opaque grey tights.

"Ah, don't ya two look all grown-up?" Derek said with a proud chuckle as he took picture after picture of the twins with his digital camera. "Hah, I remember ya first day at primary school like it were yesterday!" Unbeknownst to each other, Luke and Lucy both remembered that day for a completely different reason- on that first day, they'd initially dressed in each other's uniform. Luke and Lucy deliberately avoided each other's gaze as, also unbeknownst to each other, they both felt that exact same urge once again.

"Are you looking forward to your first day at your new school?" Eileen asked the two children.

"I guess," Lucy replied with a shrug.

"Huh, I'd have thought you'd be a bit more excited by it?" Eileen said, confused by her granddaughter's almost emotionless response.

"They're just a bit nervous, that's all," Sarah said.

"Oh aye, that's understandable," Derek chuckled. "I remember ya dad's first day at big school like that was yesterday too!"

"Dad..." Paul said, playfully rolling his eyes as the elderly man continued.

"It took him four goes ta tie his tie properly!" Derek joked as his grandchildren forced smiles on their faces. "Thought he was gonna hang himself at one point with it!"

"Come on, dad..." Paul chuckled, while Luke and Lucy tried their best to enjoy the situation and not think about how much they envied each other...

Despite their nerves, the twins' transition from primary to secondary school went smoothly, thanks mostly to them being able to hang out with the same friends they hung out with at primary school- though with the twins also being in separate classes for each subject, it meant that they drifted even further and further apart, barely even speaking to each other at mealtimes anymore- and certainly never at lunchtime at school, for fear of being teased by their friends.

Six months passed, and soon it was time once again for the twins' birthdays. Unlike in previous years, when the twins' presents for each other had been bought by their parents and had had their names written on the label, for their twelfth birthday, Luke and Lucy had been encouraged to pick out their own gifts to give to each other. Each twin had spent a long afternoon at the Metrocentre- Luke with his father, Lucy with her mother- and eventually, the big day came.

The twins returned from school on their twelfth birthday with eager smiles on their faces. Firstly, because it was a Friday, meaning they had their whole weekend to enjoy themselves, but secondly, because each was eager to see what they had bought the other. Each twin had secretly hoped that the other had got them something 'special', something they would truly enjoy- however, each twin was braced for disappointment, just like on their previous three birthdays.

"Come on then, you two," Paul said as he ushered the two excited twelve-year olds out of his car and back into the house. "You've had a long day at school, think you've earned yourself these presents!" Luke and Lucy both giggled in excitement as they entered the living room, where their mother was waiting with two large piles of presents- one pile wrapped mostly in dark blue paper, the other wrapped in glittery pink and silver paper. Just as they'd done for the previous three years, the twins' hearts sank as they quickly realised whose pile was whose.

"You can open one gift before you get changed," Sarah said, even though neither twin needed much incentive to get changed out of their hated uniforms. "Lucy, which gift do you want to open first?"

"I- I want to open Luke's first, if that's okay?" The twelve-year-old girl replied, earning an awkward stare from her brother.

"Of course it is!" Sarah replied with a chuckle as she dug around in the pile for the boy's present. "Luke, would you like to open your sister's present first too?"

"Umm, sure, okay!" Luke nervously replied as he was handed the small gift from his pile. The twins simultaneously tore off the wrapping paper, and each feigned delight at the gifts they received- even as inside, their hearts sank.

"Oh, cool, thanks Luke!" Lucy said with a forced smile as she studied the purple scrunchie in her hand.

"You should have seen the look on his face when he bought that!" Paul teased his son, who rolled his eyes in response. "Thought he was gonna die of embarrassment right there in the shop!"

"Dad..." Luke moaned as his father chuckled, not wanting to correct him over one thing- Luke's main emotion hadn't been embarrassment, but envy. Envy that Lucy would be able to wear the scrunchie to school, to her dance class- or even simply that she had hair long enough to tie back.

"So come on then, what did your sister get you?" Paul asked his son, who let out an involuntary sigh.

"...Football stickers," Luke said, showing his father the many packs that Lucy had wrapped up for him.

"Aye, well that's a good enough present," Paul said. "Might have enough to finish your album there, or at the very least, finish the Toon- which is all that really matters, ain't it?"

"Yeah," Luke chuckled as he placed the stickers in his blazer pocket, along with the multiple other swaps that already lived there.

"Go on then, get changed," Sarah ordered her children. "I've got your special birthday dinner in the oven so don't take too long up there!"

"Before you go," Paul said, "isn't there something you two need to say to each other?" Luke and Lucy both rolled their eyes, before turning to face each other- neither twin picking up on the look of anger and disappointment in the other's eyes.

"Thank you, Lucy," Luke said politely.

"Thanks, Luke," Lucy mumbled, before smiling as she and her brother were dismissed.

Once she was in her room, it took Lucy no time at all to discard her uniform in favour of her favourite jumper and jeans, though as she let her shoulder-length hair hang free, she remembered the new scrunchie sitting on her make-up table and let out a long, angry sigh.

How could Luke have been so insensitive as to think she would've wanted a gift that reminded her of just how feminine she was? Had he completely forgotten everything that Lucy had told him over the first eight years of their life? Or was he deliberately trying to wind her up, trying to torment her with the fact that the older she got, the more feminine she'd get, and there was nothing she could do about it?

As she stared at the scrunchie, Lucy felt her rage grow more and more, until it eventually hit boiling point...

As he entered his bedroom, Luke kicked off his shoes, took off his blazer and sighed as his new stickers fell out of his pocket. Why on Earth did Lucy think that he'd want or even like a gift like that? She surely knew that he didn't like football and only went to matches because his father and grandfather made him. She must've known how much he hated playing football at school, whether during PE lessons or at lunch. And she must've known how much it reminded him that he was undoubtedly a boy, and that's all he ever would be...

Luke opened the door to his bedroom, determined to confront his sister over the gift, only to find the girl herself stood at his door, a look of pure anger on her face.

"What the hell was that present meant to-" The twins said simultaneously, only to pause in confusion mid-sentence.

"What?" Luke and Lucy simultaneously asked, only to sigh and shake their heads.

"You know what, I'll go first," Lucy snarled.

"I'm the oldest, I should go first," Luke protested.

"Well I'm going first anyway," Lucy spat. "Why did you think I'd want a bloody scrunchie? D'you think I'd, what, love wearing it while I'm prancing around in a stupid leotard pretending to be a ballerina?"

"Well- well why did you get me football stickers?" Luke growled. "Do you think I actually enjoy going to school and swapping them with all the stupid arsehole boys there?"

"I don't see why not," Lucy snorted. "It's all you've done the last four years."

"And all you've done is girly shit," Luke spat. "Make-up, dresses, dancing?"

"And- and I've hated every bit of it," Lucy said, lowering her voice so that her parents couldn't hear. "Mum and grandma don't listen, they don't even care, but- but I hate- hate all of this." Lucy tried her hardest not to cry as she gestured to her uniform and her hair, but try as she might, she couldn't stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks.

"...I hate football too," Luke mumbled. "Dad and granddad keep telling me I should love it, that I'll grow to love it, and I try to, I really try, but- but I- I'd much rather go to your dance class instead."

"What, as- as one of the boy dancers there?" Lucy asked.

"N- no," Luke whispered. "I'd want to go wearing what you wear, as- as one of the girl dancers."

"Oh- ugh, Luke..." Lucy sighed.

"Please- please tell me you won't tell dad?" Luke asked in a scared, feeble voice.

"No, of course I won't!" Lucy said. "I- I'd really, you know, I- I wish I could join the school football team. But not, you know, the girls' team, I- I really wish I was a boy."

"Like- like you did years ago?" Luke asked.

"Exactly like that," Lucy replied. "I know, mum and dad keep saying it's a phase, that I'll grow out of it, but- but I just haven't. If anything, it's even worse now than it was all that time ago. Some days, it- it's all I can think about..."

"...Me too," Luke mumbled, before sighing. "But if we ever told mum or dad-"

"So- so we don't tell them," Lucy shrugged, before nervously biting her lip. "Do- do you want to, you know... Wear my skirt?"

"I- what?" Luke asked.

"My school skirt, the one I've got on now," Lucy said. "Do you want to wear it now, just for a bit?"

"I-" Luke said, before tears started to form in his eyes.

"Oh- oh god, Luke..." Lucy moaned, taking her brother by the hand and sitting down next to him on his bed. "I- I'm sorry if I-"

"No, it's okay," Luke moaned. "And yes, literally all I can think about is wearing your skirt, but if mum or dad find-"

"They won't," Lucy insisted. "They just- we won't tell them. Tell you what, whenever I put any of my clothes in the washing, I'll let you wear them first. Would you like that?"

"Ugh, totally," Luke sighed as he exchanged a smile with his sister, the first time both twins had genuinely smiled for a very long time. "And if you want to wear any of my clothes, well, that's okay too."

"I will, definitely," Lucy replied. "I mean, who cares what grandma and grandpa think, anyway?"

"Heh, I guess..." Luke chuckled. "So- so can I wear your skirt now? 'Cause, you know, it's Friday and it's gonna be washed tomorrow?"

"Luke! Lucy!" The twins' father's voice bellowed from downstairs. "What's taking so long? Are you arguing again?"

"...Maybe later," Lucy said with a grin that was matched by her brother. "We're coming, dad..."

That evening, before the twins went to bed, Luke snuck into his sister's room, where she was waiting with the skirt she'd worn to school that week. Even though he only wore the skirt for a few minutes, Luke felt the previous four years’ worth of anger melt away as the loose garment swished about his knees.

The twins repeated the same ritual the following Friday evening, and every Friday evening during their first year of school. To Luke and Lucy, the Friday evenings were the most special time of the week, not just because of the clothes, but because they were once again the best friends they were during childhood.

However, as they would soon discover, nothing lasts forever...