X-Why-Me…Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Emily woke with Angie’s arms around her? She was being held and shaken and her face hurt…she tasted blood.

She flailed wildly for a few minutes before she realized she was still in her bedroom and then did a wild scramble for the bedside garbage can and started to “Hamlet.” into it.

To “Hamlet” was a local thing that came off of a teenaged drunk from someone a few grades higher that stuck in the school. Due to the “Yorrick” sound.

Angie was sniffling and rubbing her back, she might have even held her hair if Emily’s hair hadn’t been so short. As it was the compassion was kind of surprising really her and Angie had seldom been getting along since Angie had her growth spurt and they had seemed to have switched ages.

“What…why…what… (Cough)… (Sniffle)…OW!!!”

“You were having a nightmare, and thrashing and stuff and when I went to wake you up you flung yourself out of bed Em…ya kinda did a face plant…”

“Oh fuck…I think I broke my nose.”

“Yeah looks like. It’ll match my black eye.”

“Black eye?”

“Yeah you socked me one.”

“Sorry…” Emily hunched.

“Yeah…Okay what gives Em you usually don’t flip out.”

“Mom never told you?”

“Uhm…no…but what’s the deal there too Dad said that mom got tanked?”

“You know I had to go and see our doctor right?”

“Yeah ‘cause you’re like not getting your sludge days.”

“Eeew…Angie…”

“Well what happened?”

Emily looked at her sister. Oh she had popped her a good one and the eye was really good and puffy. This was the first time they’d been this close in a long time. She really wasn’t sure that she could trust her with this…they’d been just so at odds and stuff lately and the dream…nightmare was still really fresh in her mind.

But she was her sister.

And their mom was out of it, and she really, really just needed someone. And that had her getting teary again.

“Hey, hey, hey…it’s okay…” Angie schooched over to her and hugged her.

“Why…(Sniffle.)…Why are you being so nice to me…(Sniffle.)?”

“Em…you’re my sister I don’t like you all the time an I don’t get you but I do love you.”

(Sniffle.) “You do?”

“Yeah I do’s” Angie said it like she used to talk when she was little and they were closer.

“Okay…(Sniffle.)…The doctor checked me over and stuff and they said I’ve got CAIS…”

“Huh?”

“I’ve got an X and a Y chromosome stuff.”

“Huh?”

“I’m a genetic boy…but I’ve got this thing where I don’t do the male hormone things so I developed in mom like I was a girl.”

“Whoa…so that’s why mom was freaked?”

“Yeah she was really off…I’m scared.”

“But you’re a girl?”

“Not technically…”

“Oh Bullshit Emily, I’ve seen you in the buff enough that you’re no dude.”

“Yeah but that’s the whole hormone thingy.”

“Uh-huh and the fact that you’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Had…Jack dumped me.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

“You deserved better than him anyways.”

Emily stared at her sister. She wasn’t expecting the support. “People are going to freak out.”

“Don’t tell them, I won’t.”

“You won’t?”

“Oh not about something like this, Jesus and My Little Pony Emily why the hell would I do that?”

“I thought that…”

“Don’t be a bitch Emily, I wouldn’t do that to you no more than I’d out a transgendered person.”

“A what?”

Angie sighed. “Transgendered y’know someone that’s the opposite sex in the wrong gendered body.”

“Like on Maury?”

Angie gave her a look. “That’s just way wrong on so many levels, that douche and others like him just effing exploit trans-people.”

“You know a lot about this stuff…why?”

“I had a t-girl in my cabin at camp last summer, and out of all of them she was actually one of the most awesome girls there…way, way better than some of the other bitches.”

“Oh, so you’re not going to…”

“Hell no.”

“Good…thanks sis.”

“Hey don’t thank me I’m so telling everyone that you’re such a klutz and a spazz that you whacked me in the face then took a flying face plant off the bed and busted your nose.”

“Gee thanks.”

Angie actually beamed at her. “No problem! C’mon let’s go find dad and see to your snoz.”

Emily let her sister help her to her feet and they went upstairs where their dad was up and making coffee with that bleary just woken up look and t-shirt and boxers on.

“We woke you up?”

“Yeah but it’s cool, this stuff comes with the job. Here em sit in the chair while I take a look at it.”

(Sniffle.) “Okay…”

“Well that’s a good sign, you sniffled and didn’t scream.”

“I did though.”

“But you’re not now.”

“Here…let me take a look.” That came from her mom in the doorway of the kitchen. She looked bad but sober, maybe hung over. Her eyes were very red though and it looked like it was from crying a lot.

“Mom?” Emily said quietly.

Her mother sighed and went over and hugged her. “I’m sorry honey…I lost it there and hearing that just brought up stuff.”

“Oh…” She didn’t get it and she looked over to Angie and Angie gave her this I don’t know either look. She looked back to her mother. “It’s okay…”

Her mother went to check Emily’s face. “No it’s not. I let my stuff get in the way of being your mother when life yanked the rug out from under you. I should have been there right from the get go. I’m sorry honey.” She kissed her on the forehead and smiled at her. “It’s not broken but you’ll have black eyes and a lot of red from it.”

Emily watched as her mom when to the fridge and filled two zip-lock baggies with ice and passed one to each of the girls. “Here this’ll help with the swelling.”

Her mom made herself a coffee and sat and rested her head in her hands on the table. Her dad started getting things out and looked at the girls. “I know it’s early but who’s for pancakes?”

“Okay!” Both girls said at the same time. He made the best pancakes and getting them was a treat that usually only came around when they had time for them he started to mix things together and their mother groaned when he turned the mixer on.

Emily smiled when he leaned over her mom’s shoulder and asked her. “Hung-over?”

Her mom just sort of nodded into her hands.

“Good.” He winked at the girls though when he said that.

Maybe this wasn’t going to be the end of the world after all. But she still…what was it about this that set her off like that?