Mailboxes and Park Benches ~A Ftm story~

Chapter 24

"Ready?" Luke asked, walking in to his room. Ryan had just put on his binder and grabbed his shirt as Luke walked in.
"Yea." He glanced at Luke and smiled, pulling on his shirt. It had been about a week sense his mom had talked to him and nothing had really happened. Ryan had slowly gotten more comfortable with being around his parents and lessened the time he spent in his room. His parents were calling him Ryan now, which was nice. They were obviously careful around him, though. He kind of got the impression that they saw him as a time bomb, about to blow up any second. He ignored this fact, it didn't need to affect him.
"Awesome. Let's go, we're gonna be late." Luke left the room, sprinting down the stairs. Ryan arrived just as he had picked up his backpack, a weird look on his face.
"You ok?"
"I don't know." Ryan shook his head and picked up his own backpack.
"It's just... do you ever think it'll go back to normal with my parents? I mean ever sense I came out everything just kind of changed. I just never talk to them and they act like I shouldn't be gone near, like one movement and I'll erupt at them or something."
"I think that's normal." Luke made his way to the door, Ryan following him.
"Things like this take time. I'm sure everything will come to be normal again eventually you just have to give them time to adjust and except reality. They just have to get used to it, that's all." Ryan nodded, a doubtful expression on his face.
"My mom said she's trying to understand but I just don't feel convinced."
"Well Hey at least she's trying. It's hard to understand things you don't feel yourself. And honestly she may never understand but what really matters is that she excepts you and respects and supports your decisions. She'll get used to it, it just takes time." Luke opened the door and called a goodbye to his mom.
"After a while it will just be normal to them. You'll see. It might take a while. It's not gonna happen overnight. But it will happen. Trust me it'll get better."
"I sure hope so." Ryan said uncertainly as they walked down the sidewalk. Ryan and Luke were once again greeted by Matt on the bus. The day went pretty normally; Luke left Ryan at his class and went to his own classes, where he got bored and drew as usual. However it was  when Luke met back up with Ryan that things got a bit weird.
"Hey." Luke greeted  him as he got to Ryan's classroom. He was standing outside his classroom, as usual, but a strange expression lingered on his face.
"What's up?" Luke asked, stopping by Ryan.
"Something kind of weird happened." He said, starting to walk.
"What happened?" Luke asked, following Ryan down the crowded halls.
"Well when I walked into class... um... short story, the teachers called Ryan instead of Sophia during roll call.  At first I thought that it might've been someone else. Maybe a new student or something. Or maybe some other kid I somehow magically didn't notice the whole year. But when they got to my name they all said Ryan. In first period I was really confused and looked around a bit but nobody was batting an eye. And then she said it again. She was like Ryan? Ryan here? So I hesitantly said ... here? And she just continued down the list. I was like 'how the?' Did one of the kids tell her? Also why were none of the kids surprised. I mean by now I was out to basically all of them but I would think at least SOMEone would notice. I mean none of them knew that the teacher knew unless they told the teacher or the teacher told them. Also who would go around to each one of the teachers telling them "Hey this one kid is trans! Make sure to call them Ryan! And even if they did, I don't think they would do that without telling me. I think they would confirm it with me first. And honestly I'm not even mad I'm just confused. Kind of impressed really. Man I don't know." Ryan sighed. Luke thought for a minute.
"That is a bit weird. Maybe it wasn't one of the students in your class?" Ryan whipped around to face him.
"Did you?!"
"Wh... no! I... no I didn't! I promise! That's.. that's not what I was... meant... I... no!" Luke stammered quickly.
"I was just..." Luke took a deep breath.
"I meant maybe it was someone else. Not a student. And not me." He added quickly. Ryan nodded.
"Good to know." He mumbled.
"But then who was it?"
"How would I know?"
"Well you can help me figure it out." Ryan grumbled.
"Ok. Well think about everyone that knows." Ryan thought for a moment.
"Basically everyone except the teachers." Ryan shook his head.
"How are we supposed to figure this out?"
"Well just be patient." Their table began to come into view.
"Ok look. Think about everyone that knows."
"Everyone knows!"
"Ok I know. But think about everyone individually." Ryan thought again, rubbing his eyes.
"Well there's you guys and Hunter, the kids in my class, basically every kid here. And then my parents." Ryan glanced out at their friends already at the table.
"Do you think they'll know anything about it?"
"Maybe. Do you want to tell them about it?"
"Yea I think that's a good idea." The two walked up to the crowded table.
"Hey." Ashley said flatly.
"Hi."
"Hey." Luke turned to Ryan, asking him with his eyes whether or not he should tell them. Ryan turned away.
"Hey guys I have a question." Ryan said. They all turned to him.
"So basically, without any context really, the teachers just called out my real name instead of my birth name during roll call. And I have no idea how they found out." The whole group paused to think about it, then shook their heads.
"I know nothing about it." Was the sum of what they all said.
"Nothing?" Ryan asked desperately, then shook his head.
"Well I guess I can cross you guys off the list."
"Well that's something." Luke told him encouragingly. He looked up.
"Look here come Matt and his boyfriend. Why don't you ask them?"
"Hey guys." Matt said as he sat down, Hunter next to him.
"Hey guys I have something to ask you." Hunter and Matt didn't know anything about it either. That meant that the only people Ryan had left to ask here were the other students.
"I'll ask them later." Ryan mumbled and just went on with a normal lunch but Luke knew he really couldn't get his mind off of it. When the bell rang Luke caught up to an already leaving Ryan.
"Hey are you ok?"
"Yea I just really want to know how my teachers found out. Honestly getting a bit paranoid."
"Ok well. Think about all the people who are still 'suspects.' Has anyone been acting weirdly?" Luke asked. Ryan was silent as they continued walking, deep in thought. Soon they were at his classroom. And then, right as he was about to walk in, he froze.
"OH."

Ryan was in deep thought on the bus ride from school. When they had gotten to his classroom, he had just bolted in with an "ill text you later." Luke was a bit bewildered but reluctantly went back to class. He couldn't help but wonder what Ryan had realized. And now he simply wouldn't talk. His earbuds were in and he was staring blankly out of the window. When they got to their stop, Luke and Ryan got off the bus and Ryan turned in the direction to his house.
"I might come over later. See ya!" Was all he said before walking hurriedly down the sidewalk toward his house. Luke stared after him for a second, then shook his head to clear his thoughts, and went home himself. When he was home all he could do was wait because doing literally anything else proved to be impossible. Finally Luke's phone buzzed. He picked it up, unsurprised when he saw the text was from Ryan.
"OMGGG"
"What? What" he responded, his thumbs darting rapidly across his keyboard when he typed.
"A thing"
"Kind of just"
"Happened and"
"AHHHHHHHHHH" texts from Ryan popped up one after the other.
"Dude just tell me!" Luke was getting a bit anxious.
"Is it bad???" He asked, worriedly.
"No! Not at all!"
"I can't tell if your being sarcastic"
"Just- I'm coming over, ok?"
"Ok?" Ryan was over in the blink of an eye, breathing heavily. Luke greeted him at the door.
"What's up with you? Did you run all the way over here?" Ryan pushed past Luke without answering. Luke was getting really worried. Luke followed Ryan into the kitchen to find him getting a glass of water.
"Ryan. Are you going to tell me? Like your stressing me out."
"Just- just sit down." Ryan commanded in between gulps of water. Luke reluctantly obeyed, sitting at the table and staring, concerned, at Ryan. He didn't say anything until Ryan finished the whole glass and sat down.
"So... are you going to tell me or no?"
"I don't even know how to say what just happened."
"Just tell me everything that happened."
"Ok. Well when I got home, my parents were sitting on the couch. When I came in they saw me and told me to sit down. First, I immediately asked them if they had told the teachers anything. When I asked that, all they did was pat the couch for me to sit. So I figured I wasn't going to get any answers if I didn't so I sat down and my parents told me that they told the teachers that I was a boy and basically just everything and the teachers said they would tell the students. I felt like I should be mad about them telling the teachers without my permission but I just couldn't seem to be angry and I knew they meant well anyway. And then they were all awkward about it but they told me..." Ryan tried to hide a smile.
"What did they tell you?" Luke asked gently. Ryan couldn't help it. His whole face lit up.
"I'm just going to put it blatantly. Is that ok?"
"Yes."

"Luke... I'm going on T."