All the work I post here is in its first draft format. I do this so that you can still read what I'm writing and so you have a reason to buy my books when they are edited and published, alongside supporting me as a person of course.

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Authors Note: I apologize for how short this one is.

Rairy Contrary - Chapter 3 - Prejudice

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I didn’t know when I did it but I was standing up with my pack on my shoulder and I was halfway across the room ready to beat the fuck out of him when Mr. B jumped in front of me.

I darted from side to side trying to get past him but I was too slow and in too much pain.

Howard slowly walked to one of the desks at the back of the room and sat down.

“Fuck this shit!” I spat, pushed Mr. B out of the way and made my way out of his classroom.

---

I ran toward the front door unlocking it and without missing a beat flew through it.

“RAYMOND!!!!” I heard my mom scream behind me. *Crap!* I thought.

She caught me in another dress of hers and I decided to try a new tactic. Running.

Slap-slap, slap-slap, I heard my bare feet pound on the concrete as I came to the corner of my block. I chanced a glance behind me and I didn’t see her following me so I slowed down.

I don’t know how far I walked from there but I was tired. I saw a house ahead with really tall bushes so I squeezed my way behind them and sat down.

I felt safe until I realized I was in nothing but a too-large-to-fit-me dress and that’s it.

---

“He’s in a meeting right now.”

“I don’t care!” I said as I pushed past the lady at the front desk.

I grabbed the door handle and it was locked so I started banging on the door.

***

It didn’t take long for the principal of the school to open the door and for a security guard to show up.

“What the fu--” I said as I pushed past him into his office. Becks and her parents were in the room which caused me to stop mid-sentence.

“What are you doi--”

“Ms Clark, what is the meaning of this?” Mr. Kendrick interrupted and I turned around to look at him.

My mouth sort of stayed open to reply but nothing came out. I looked between the three adults I was standing between and suddenly felt trapped. I backed up a few steps and ran into a small table with a plant on it.

Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, Becks parents, stood up.

“I didn’t mea--”

“You most certainly did mean to interrupt us.” Mr. Kendrick angrily shouted.

“James!” Mrs. Stevens said with a scowl on her face. “If this is how you run your scho--”

Mr. Stevens touched his wife's shoulder and she stopped talking.

Mrs. Stevens shot her husband a look and grabbed Becks hand and pulled her to her feet.

Becks and I made eye contact briefly and I saw it all over her face, she was in trouble for something.

“We’re going.” Mrs. Stevens tugged on her daughter's hand causing her whole body to jerk forward.

“The meetings not ove--”

“Yes it is!” she yelled at her husband and drug her daughter out of the room.

Mr. Kendrick turned and yelled after her, “Your daughter is still suspended!”

I heard a scream and a door slam.

Mr. Stevens' eyes were as wide as a fish’s when he threw up his hands and chased after them.

***

“I think she should stay,” I said to Mr. Kendrick. The female security guard was the only thing making me feel safe in this room after what I had just witnessed.

I looked at the security guard and sent her pleading thoughts. It must have worked because she defied Mr. Kendrick and stood her ground.

“Malinda!” He shouted.

I looked between him and Melinda. Melinda backed up a step.

“I don’t feel safe!” I yelled.

---

“Raymond!” I heard faintly in the distance. I peeked through the bushes just to make sure she wasn’t there when I didn’t see anyon--

“Hello?”

I jumped and screamed, “Don’t hit me!” I cowered away from the voice. After about a minute and realizing I didn’t get hit by anyone I looked past my arms and saw a girl my age standing there.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

---

Mr. Kendrick gave up on Melinda crossed his arms, turned to me and asked, “What do you want?”

I glanced at Melinda then back at Mr. Kendrick and said, “Why isn’t Howard expelled?”

“Why isn’t Howard expelled?!” he spat. “The Real question is why aren’t you expelled!”

“Wha-”

“Boys, don’t belong in the girl's restroom!”

“Becks brought me in there!”

“That’s why she is suspended!”

I didn’t know what to say, so I started crying instead.

*Fuck!* I thought.

---

I nodded and looked up at the girl in the bushes with me. I recognized her from school, her name was Becky. I pretended to be her sometimes.

“I’m okay,” I responded.

*At least until mom catches me.*

“What are you doing in my bushes?”

I peeked through a crack and turned back to her, “Hiding from my Mom.”

“I’m Becky by the way.”

“I’m Ray.”

She stuck out a hand and I shook it.

“Why is your dress so big?”

“It’s my mom’s. She doesn’t like me wearing her dresses.”

“Don’t you have your own dresses?”

I wondered if she knew I was a boy under here, my hair was really short and I thought it was obvious.

“I don’t have any dresses.”

Her face scrunched up and she said, “I have an idea, turn around.”

She seemed nice enough so I did what she asked. The dress hiked up a bit so that it was really close to my neck and then the waist of it pulled in really close to my hips.

“There!” she beamed.

I turned trying to see what she did and when that didn’t work, I pulled the dress around so I could see. It was knotted at the top and at my waist. I smiled at her in appreciation.

“Wanna see my room?” Her voice peaked.

---

The hiccups had started. I only got this bad when I couldn’t stop crying. Mr. Kendrick didn’t know what to do with me so I was in the nurse's office curled up on one of the beds there.

Time passed slowly but I eventually calmed down enough that I could sit up. I checked my phone, Mr. B’s class was almost over and lunch was starting soon. At least the nurse had a gender-neutral bathroom I could fix myself up in.

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