Sitting down at my vanity, I’m methodically curling my hair, applying evening makeup, and adding my jewelry. Then I walk to my closet, choosing an outfit I know will seriously upset him: I begin with ce thong panties and put on the padded adhesive bra, then a ruffled off-the-shoulder minidress, add a belt, and finally, select a pair of 3-inch heeled sandals.

  I make my way downstairs and walk to the kitchen. No sooner do I saunter in than his face turns red, but he doesn’t say anything. However, Mom’s eyes widen and then narrow as she begins to ask, “Where do you think you are…”

  He interrupts her by clearing his throat loudly and giving her a pointed look. She closes her mouth and never finishes her question.

  I airily state, “Not that anyone cares, but I’m going out to dinner. After that, I’m going to find someone to fuck me senseless. I’ll be back at some point.” I offer a pleasant smile and say, “Have a good night.”

  As my heart rapidly thumps in my chest, I turn on my heel and strut towards the front door. I'm not sure if I’m more terrified or exhirated by my bold decration. Part of me hopes he’ll stop me and show some sign that he cares. However, there's only stunned silence as I reach for the doorknob.

  Just as my hand touches the cool metal, his voice booms out. “Stop right there, Jake!”

  My breath catches as I freeze in pce. Not because he commanded me to, but because he deadnamed me yet again. Slowly, I turn to face him, steeling myself for the confrontation to come.

  He’s standing in the kitchen doorway with his face purple with rage. “You are not leaving this house dressed like that, and you are certainly not going to... to...” He sputters, unable to even repeat my bold statement.

  “Why do you care?” I shoot back, injecting as much venom into my voice as I can muster. “I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. Isn’t that what you said?”

  His jaw clenches, a vein pulsing in his forehead. “That doesn’t mean you can go out and... and behave like some kind of...”

  “Some kind of what?” I ask in a challenging tone, taking a step towards him. “Go ahead. Say it. I dare you.”

  For a moment, we stand there, locked in a silent battle of wills. I can see the conflict raging behind his eyes—the anger, the disgust, but also a flicker of something else. Fear? Concern? Whatever it is, he quickly buries it.

  “Go to your room,” he finally growls. “Now.”

  I lift my chin defiantly. “No. You don’t get to order me around anymore. You made it clear that I’m not your daughter and you don’t care about me, remember?”

  His nostrils fre, and for a terrifying second, I think he might actually hit me. His hands clench into fists at his sides, and I instinctively take a step back, my bravado giving way to self-preservation. For a moment, the air between us crackles with tension.

  Then, unexpectedly, my mother’s voice cuts through the silence. “That’s enough, both of you.” Her tone is firm, showing a strength I rarely hear from her when Dad is involved. She steps between us, her eyes darting from me to my father and back again.

  “You,” she says, pointing at me, “are not going anywhere dressed like that. Go change into something appropriate.” Then she turns to my father. “And you need to calm down. This isn’t helping.”

  I gnce at her, then focus on him. “No,” I state firmly. “Just think of me as a will-o-wisp who’ll disappear soon. In the meantime, I’m going to get my cute little ass pumped so full of cum that I look 6 months pregnant.”

  I stare at him, hoping he’ll try to stop me because he actually cares about me, his daughter, and not some fictitious son. Though as soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize that I’ve gone too far. The look on my father's face shifts from anger to something darker, more dangerous. In an instant, he crosses the space between us, his fist raised. I’m barely able to duck in time, so his fist only manages to brush my hair. I back up a couple of steps with my breath coming in ragged gasps due to adrenaline and stare daggers at him.

  Mom’s scream pierces the air. “Stop it! Both of you!” She grabs my father’s arm, pulling him back with surprising strength. “This isn’t who we are!”

  I stand there shaking, the reality of what just happened sinking in. My father—the man who once carried me on his shoulders, who taught me how to ride a bike—just tried to hit me.

  “Fuck you,” I snarl as I stare balefully at him. “And fuck everything you believe in.”

  The statement hangs in the air, heavy and poisonous. He stands there for a moment, seeming shocked, but a heartbeat ter, his face contorts into an angry scowl. For a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of the man I once knew, the father who used to tuck me in at night and chase away the monsters under my bed. Though I can see he’s gone now, repced by this stranger who despises me and tried to hit me.

  My mother stands between us with her arms outstretched, acting as a human barrier. Her eyes are wide with fear and disbelief, darting between us as if she can’t quite comprehend how we’ve come to this point.

  “I'm leaving,” I announce, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound strong and composed. I turn towards the door and reach for the knob.

  “Wait,” my mother pleads, her voice cracking. “Please, let’s talk about this. We can figure something out.”

  I pause for a moment and look over my shoulder. “No,” I murmur sadly. “We can’t. This can’t be fixed. He made this mess, not me, and damn sure not you. He did it all by himself, and then he doubled down on it. He’s always been like this. Always trying to control everything and everyone around him, and woe be unto anyone who doesn’t bow down to him.” I gaze into her eyes and then state, “You deserve better, Mom.”

  The silence that follows is deafening. His face drains of color as my final statement sinks in. My mother’s hand flies to her mouth, stifling a sob.

  I grasp the doorknob, the cool metal grounding me in this surreal moment. My voice is almost a whisper as I say, “Leave him, Mom. He’s never going to change. Everything has to be on his terms, or it’s simply not allowed.” I look at her with a pleading expression. “If you ever want to be truly happy, leave him and never look back.”

  As I step outside, the cool night air gently brushes across my face and bare legs, a stark contrast to the suffocating tension inside. I take a deep breath and look up at the starry night sky and decide that where I live doesn’t matter as long as I’m true to myself.

  Behind me, I hear my mother’s muffled, distraught voice. “Look what you’ve done. You’ve destroyed our family. Is this what you wanted?”

  The wind and click of my heels on the driveway are the only sounds as I walk away, each step feeling lighter than the st. You should already know that I never had any pns to do what I said. In fact, all I’m going to do is spend the night at Kelly Anne’s again. The whole point of this was to visually and verbally sp my father, to hopefully open his eyes. Sadly, that didn’t happen.

  I honestly never wanted any of this. I hoped he’d accept me and we could carry on as a happy family. Though, as they say, if wishes were fishes, we’d all be swimming.

  I gnce back at the house that used to be my home as I make the turn at the end of the driveway to go to Kelly Anne’s. I shake my head and continue on my way and ring the doorbell when I arrive at her house.

  Kelly Anne answers, and her eyes widen in surprise when she sees me. “Jesus, girl. You’re dressed to the nines. Do you have a date or something?”

  I chuckle dryly and shake my head. “No, nothing like that. Do you mind if I spend the night?”

  She smiles and replies, “Sure. Let’s go tell my mom, and then you can expin,” she gestures to me, “this.”

  Her mom agrees without hesitation, her kind eyes filled with concern as she takes in my appearance and defeated posture. As we climb the stairs to her room, the weight of the evening's events settles on my shoulders.

  Once inside, she closes the door and turns to me, her expression a mix of curiosity and worry. “Alright, babe. Spill it. What’s going on?”

  I sit on the bed and pat the space beside me, and she comes over and sits down. “Can I have a hug first? I kind of need one badly.”

  She wraps her arms around me without hesitation, and I melt against her. We stay like that for several minutes, neither of us speaking, and only the sound of our soft breath fills the silence. Then I recount the evening’s events that led me to show up at her door dressed as I am. Her expression shifts from concern to anger and finally to sadness. Her hand finds mine, squeezing it gently as I describe my father's reaction, what was said, and my leaving.

  “Oh, girl,” she whispers when I finish, pulling me into another hug. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe he’d actually say all that. I just don’t understand people like him.”

  I nod against her shoulder, feeling the sting of tears threaten to spill over. “I hoped that he’d see how much I mean to him and change his mind, but it seems like he can’t see past his own wants and beliefs to realize he’s losing me by pushing me away.”

  She pulls back slightly, pcing her hands on my shoulders as she looks me in the eye. “Now you listen to me. You’re so brave for standing up for who you are. Your dad’s reaction?” She shrugs dismissively. “That’s all on him, not you. You be you and fuck anyone who thinks you shouldn’t.”

  I nod as I wrap my arms around her neck and pull her to me for a kiss. She pulls me tighter against her, smooshing our boobs together, and deepens the kiss. We indulge ourselves for a minute, and when we finally separate, I smile and murmur. “Thank you, I needed that… It still hurts to know he’s so willing to throw me away like that. I just... All I wanted was for him to accept me as his daughter, you know?"

  “Of course you did,” she says softly. “He’s your dad, and he should love you enough to do that.” She shrugs and then continues. “That said, some people’s mindsets are still stuck in the dark ages.”

  Mrs. Moore calls out, “Girls! Dinner’s ready!”

  She stands and offers her hand to me. I take her hand, stand up, and she continues to hold my hand as we head towards the dining room. The delicious aroma of sagna wafts through the air, making my stomach growl.

  As we enter, Mrs. Moore’s warm smile falters slightly when she sees my tear-stained face. Her eyes flick to her daughter, a silent question passing between them.

  Kelly Anne simply expins, “Jackie made one st attempt to get her dad to see reason. It didn’t work out like she hoped.”

  Mrs. Moore’s worried expression softens in sympathy. She walks over and wraps me in a motherly hug. “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. You’re always welcome here, you know that, right?”

  I nod, grateful for her kindness. As we sit down at the table, Mr. Moore joins us; his jovial demeanor slowly dampens as he senses the somber mood.

  “Is everything alright?” He asks, looking between us.

  Mrs. Moore gives him a pointed look that says, ‘Not now,’ and he nods.

  We settle into an awkward silence as Mrs. Moore serves the sagna. The rich aroma of tomato sauce and melted cheese fills the air, but I murmur happily even if I’m lost in thought.

  Mr. Moore clears his throat. “Jackie,” he says gently, “how’s school going?”

  I look up. “Uh… school… umm, no. I haven’t been to school since I came out to my parents. It’d likely be really bad, considering I’m never going to pretend to be a boy again. I’m sure you can imagine how some people would react if I showed up in a dress or skirt and told them I’m Jackie.”

  His fork taps against his pte as he says, “Mhmm, but that’s... you can’t just not go to school. Your education is important.”

  Mrs. Moore pces a hand on his arm. “Dear, Jackie knows that. There are... more important considerations right now. Like her safety.”

  I nod in agreement. “Mom got the school to allow me to take my csses virtually for now. Neither of us believes I’d be safe if I went since I was already being bullied as it stood. Add in me transitioning and stating my name is Jackie? Uh-huh… No thank you.”

  He nods, but then shrugs and asks, “Couldn’t you just say that you’re a new student?”

  I tilt my head and smile softly, then ask, “With the same st name as Jake? We’re kids, not idiots. They’d make the connection in a few seconds, and it’d be over, said, and done with.”

  “Yeah. I suppose you’re right.” His mouth quirks into a grimace for a moment. “Kids do a lot of stupid things, though.”

  I snort and bark out a sharp ugh, then my eyes widen as I cover my mouth and mutter, “Sorry.”

  “What are you sorry for, sweetheart?” Mrs. Moore asks.

  “For snorting. Mom says it’s undylike to do it.”

  Mr. Moore chuckles and then says, “Maybe, but I thought it was cute.”

  My cheeks flush due to his compliment. It’s strange to hear anyone other than Kelly Anne say anything I do is cute, so I’m definitely not prepared for it.

  Mrs. Moore smiles at me kindly. “Jackie, you don’t need to apologize for every little thing. We want you to feel at home here.”

  I nod, grateful that they accept me as I am. “Thanks,” I mumble.

  Mr. Moore clears his throat again. “So, virtual csses. How's that working out for you?”

  I shrug. “It isn’t as if I’ve ever needed the teacher’s help with my schoolwork. So, it’s fine. I’m still getting A’s on my work.”

  Mr. Moore leans forward, his expression serious. “And what about socializing? Are you keeping in touch with any friends from school?”

  Again, I tilt my head and smile wryly. “Well, considering my only friend is Kelly Anne, I’d have to say yes.”

  Everyone chuckles at my tongue-in-cheek yet truthful statement. The conversation drops off to dribs and drabs as we focus on our meal. After dinner, I offer to help clean up, which Mrs. Moore gratefully accepts. As I rinse off the ptes and hand them to her to load the dishwasher, she softly clears her throat to get my attention.

  “Jackie… Sweetheart, if things ever become too difficult at home, you are more than welcome to come stay with us. You know that, right?”

  I smile as I shake my head. “No… Well, yes, but I wasn’t totally sure. I appreciate it, but I’m not your responsibility, nor do I want to be a burden.” I pause for a moment to take a breath. “I haven’t told Kelly Anne yet, but I’ll probably be moving to Florida to live with my aunt.”

  Her hands freeze mid-motion, a pte hovering above the dishwasher rack. She turns to me, her eyes wide with surprise and concern. “Florida? Oh, Jackie... Are you certain?”

  I nod slowly and reply, “Like 99.9% sure. Dad has told me in no uncertain terms that as long as I’m Jackie, I’m not welcome there. Mom and my aunt are still working on the logistics. So, it’ll be a few days, maybe a week, but I have to leave.”

  She flushes angrily. “I guess I never really knew your parents if they’re willing to do that.”

  “It’s not Mom. This is all on Dad. He’s always been controlling and domineering, and she just can’t seem to stand up to him. I dunno. Before I left the house tonight, I told her she should leave him, but I doubt she will.”

  She sets the pte down and pulls me into a tight hug. Then, her voice thick with emotion, she murmurs, “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It’s not right, not one little bit.” I allow myself to melt into the comfort of her embrace. When we pull apart, she cups my face in her hands as her eyes search mine. “Don’t ever allow someone to tell you to be someone you’re not.”

  A wide smile spreads across my face as I nod slightly. “I won’t; I promise,” I whisper.

  She kisses my forehead and replies, “Good… Alright, go on upstairs. I’ll handle the rest of this.”

  As I head upstairs to Kelly Anne’s room, I’m relieved at having a safe pce to stay for now, grateful that at the very least I have the Moore’s in my corner, but I’m also sad because I’m going to miss Kelly Anne when I leave.