Then Do It

Chapter 2

Halfway through a video, someone knocks on the door, causing me to pause the video and get up. "Who is it?" I call through the door as I walk over to it.

    "Your one and only best friend," Brady calls back. I open the door and he comes in, locking it as he goes to the fridge to get a drink. "What's this?" he motions to the video on the TV as he plops onto the couch.

    "A channel I found. It's really cool." I sit next to him and press play on the video.

    We watch a few more videos before Brady pauses. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, why?"

    "You've been off lately. Not the same as you used to be," he shrugs.

    "Is that a bad thing?" I question.

    "No, it's just that I'm worried. You used to go out all the time. Just walk around with me. Now you don't even want to leave this couch."

    "Sorry," I sigh. "I just feel weird. Not myself."

    "Maybe it has to do with these videos?" he suggests.

    "What do you mean?" 

    "Well, these are all about being trans. Maybe you relate to them?" he shrugs.

    "Are you suggesting that I'm trans?" He might have a point here.

    "Well, there's no way I could know. But, maybe. I'm just trying to help." He gives me a sincere look as we talk.

    "I don't know," I sigh again. "It's so confusing."

    "I can understand that. But, no matter what you are. I'm here for you," he smiles sweetly. Brady is awesome.

    "Thanks," I return his gesture and we sit, watching TV for a while. Am I trans? It would sort of make sense. I've never liked much of the "girl" stuff and I'm not comfortable with myself. 

    If I was trans, would that make me technically straight? What would my name even be? Is there a masculine nickname for Amelia? What am I thinking? I can't be trans. It's just not going to happen.

    After Brady goes home I sit on the couch to wait for Mom. As the episode ends the front door clicks as it unlocks and opens. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" Mom asks as she comes in.

    "It's not that late," I shrug as she sets her bag down.

    "Well, scoot over. If you're out here, you're sharing the TV," she grabs a Root Beer before joining me on the couch and takes the controller, changing the show to what we normally watch together.

    "How was work?" I ask.

    "The same as always. Some crazy customers and boring conversations," she answers with a smile. "How was school?"

    "Boring," I shrug. 

    "When are those parties you asked about earlier?" She eyes me suspiciously as I play with my hair.

    "One's on Friday and the other is on Saturday. I told Brady I would go to the first one."

    "Not the second?"

    "I might. It depends on the first one," I shrug.

    "Well, I'm working until ten on those days. If you need a ride just call and I'll come get you." I nod and we watch the show. After a while, Mom starts snoring so I turn the TV off and cover her with a blanket before smiling as I head to my room. I change into some shorts and a tank top before brushing my teeth and going to bed.

    The next two days go by painfully slow. Victoria gets mad at everything as usual and the classes are boring. Brady comes over after school on Thursday and we talk about random stuff as we always do. After school on Friday, I go home and practice my guitar for a while. When a car honks outside I jump and nearly drop the instrument. Out the window, Victoria is waiting in her car.

    I rush to put my guitar away before getting in. "Practicing again?" she asks as she starts driving.

    "Yeah, I almost dropped the thing when you honked," I chuckle lightly.

    "Sorry. We need to get to my house and out quickly. The party starts in an hour. I nod and we talk a bit until we pull into Victoria's driveway. Holy shit! Her house is huge!

    "Holy fuck," I comment as she stops the car. 

    "What?" she looks at me with a slightly confused smile.

    "Your house is huge."

    "It's not that big," she shrugs. "There are only three bathrooms."

    "Three?" I look at her, astonished.

    "And five bedrooms," she nods.

    "Why do you need five bedrooms?"

    "One for me, Chloe, and our parents then two guest rooms," we get out of the car.

    "Damn," I mutter as I follow her inside. The walls on the inside are as white as the outside and it's so much bigger as we go in. The living room is perfectly clean and so is the kitchen. Everything is so tidy. There's another living room! This one has two gaming consoles and instead of a fireplace, it has a big, flat-screen TV.

    "Can I live here?" I question only half joking. 

    "I don't think so," Vic chuckles as she pulls me by the hand. When we get to her room the walls are light purple and covered in posters from the weird stuff she likes. It's a big room considering it's for one person. There's a couch next to the window and all of her shelves are covered in make-up, trinkets, and some clothing.

    "Are we suddenly in Texas?"

    "No, my parents are just good at their jobs," she chuckles as she goes to her closet and walks in. I look around awkwardly as she does whatever she's doing in her closet. Jesus Christ this place is big. A walk-in closet in her room and everything.

    "Victoria, did-" A girl with brown, pixie cut hair that has a lime green highlight on one side stops in her tracks when she sees me. Her eyes are amethyst. That's something I've never seen before. She's in jean shorts that look like she cut them herself with a black and white t-shirt that looks like it's some band's merch. There's also a red flannel around her waist and pink, high-top Converse covering her feet.

    "What do you want Chloe?" Victoria pops out of the closet wearing nothing but ripped skinny jeans and a pink bra. 

    "I was going to ask if you already got Amelia so you could get me some chips for the party but I don't need to ask anymore," Chloe shrugs with a smirk. Why is she smirking?

    "Buy your own chips," Victoria goes back into the closet as Chloe flips her off, making me hold back a chuckle as she steps out of the room. She leaves the door open and I go back to standing awkwardly in Victoria's room. This feels kind of wierd.

    When she comes back from her closet, Victoria is in the same skinny jeans as a few seconds ago but with a light pink crop top hoodie and some black Converse. "Want to borrow anything?" she asks as she looks at my outfit.

    "What's wrong with this?" I look at myself in baggy, ripped jeans and my dark blue hoodie with the only shoes I own. Black and worn-down sneakers.

    "Nothing, just figured I'd offer," she shrugs and grabs my hand to pull me through the house again. 

    "Can I ride with you? My car's busted," Chloe jumps off the last stair.

    "Fine, but I'm not letting you get in my car if you get drunk," Chloe shrugs as we all leave the house.

    "I don't get drunk, remember? I prefer getting high," Chloe smirks. She likes doing that.

    "Whatever," Victoria rolls her eyes and we get in the car. Chloe sits in the back seat while Victoria starts the car and plays some of her music. I don't really love her kind of music but it's not terrible. It's better than nothing.