Fame//Grayson Hawthorne

Chapter Thirteen

Avery left, going back to her wing.

I don't think she realizes that he's not our dad, that he was just there for her birth.

I find myself walking through the halls, toward the pool.

It's late now, darkness swarms the outside grounds.

As I gently push the doors open I quietly walk closer to the pool, sitting atop a bench as Grayson does laps.

As he gets out his eyes meet mine.

There's a smile on his lips before he looks up.

I can't see what or who he's looking at but he looks away quickly, looking to the side before his eyes land on mine again.

He smiles a small smile toward me before he grabs the towel from next to him, drying himself off quickly.

"Hey" I whisper, the cold air nipping at my skin.

"Hey" he smiles as he steps closer.

"Are you feeling better after this morning?" He asks, concern lacing his voice as he does so.

"Yeah a bit better" I let a breath of air leave my lips.

Grayson finally finishes drying himself off as he steps closer, getting rid of all the empty space between us.

"I'm here for you through all of this Ash. I'll be here for you through everything" he smiles as he pulls me into a quick hug.

"Most of the comments didn't hurt me at all, most of them had no affect on me whatsoever" I quickly say.

"But there were some, only a few that I saw, they weren't even that bad, they were just words on paper and yet they made me have a panic attack. It was only a few of them though" I speak quickly.

Grayson slowly pulls away from the hug, holding my hands as he takes a small step backward.

A look of concern, maybe confusion flashes over his face.

"What did those ones say?" He asks, his voice a whisper.

"They just said I was a girl and that people have noticed you guys using more gender neutral pronouns for me and you shouldn't because it's obvious I'm a girl" I feel myself squeezing my eyes shut as the words leave my mouth.

I know that it shouldn't matter because I am a girl but it still makes me feel like shit and I don't want it to.

"Ash. We will all use gender neutral pronouns for you unless you express you don't want us to. Because no matter if you end up identifying as female, nonbinary,  guy, or anything else we'll still accept you because that's who you are" Grayson speaks quietly, almost a whisper.

"Those people that commented those things don't know you or who you are, whenever you're ready or whenever you'd like to, we can make a statement about who you are but that doesn't mean we have to or ever need to. It's all up to you. Everything that you want or don't want as public information we can make sure it stays that way" Grayson quickly says.

I feel my lips curve into a smile at his words.

[Small Ash and Gray chapter before a bit of a longer one 

And again, please please remember that you are loved, I am proud of you and you are beyond vaild.]