I'm in a good mood :) Yesterday I finished school! It was sports day and my team won the relay!! (I ran by the way) people were saying that I ran really fast which is hilarious since it's exercise and well.. It's exercise XD Oh and I'm Skyping one of my internet friends :D
TW: Verbal abuse mainly but slight mentions of physical abuse and a sentence or two of transphobia (the transphobia isn't major. It's literally just a sentence or two where Dan's mum is saying something rude)
"Mum, can I have that?" Young Dan asked, tugging on his mother's sleeve. He was pointing at a pink jumper which was obviously in the girls' section of the shop.
"Dan, that's in the girls' section of the shop. You need to shop over here." Dan's mum muttered, gesturing to the boys' section which was lined with graphic t-shirts of all sorts and other clothing.
"But I want to wear that colour. It's pretty!" Dan whined, letting go of his mum's hand to wander over to the jumper he liked.
"Daniel, come back."
"But, mum-" Dan stopped in his steps and looked at his mum with wide, pleading eyes.
"Daniel." When Dan heard the tone of his mum's voice, he sighed and walked back over to the boys' section. "Now, which shirt-"
"I don't like any of them. They're too boring." Dan didn't even bother looking up: he just knew that the shirts would be black and white and the trousers plain. He wanted pink! Purple! Pastel!
"Dan, choose something or I'll choose for you." Dan folded his arms, frowning. "Fine then. Try this on." His mum grabbed a plain white shirt and handed it to Dan.
-
"Are you sure about this?" Dan mumbled, anxiety making his stomach ache.
"I'm sure! Your mum will never find out." His best friend, Phil, responded, grinning widely with excitement. "I really want to see you!" Phil was standing outside of his bedroom, waiting for Dan to call him to say that it was okay for him to go in. They had just gone on a shopping spree to buy Dan new clothes (the ones he actually wanted) and Phil was waiting to see how Dan looked.
"Okay then.." Dan said, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "You can come in now." Phil turned the door handle in almost slow motion and walked into his bedroom before letting out a loud gasp.
"You look beautiful..." Dan could feel a blush spreading across his pale cheeks as he watched Phil's eyes scan his body.
"Do I really?" Dan sounded like he didn't believe his best friend at all. He knew he was beautiful but he didn't think others would see him in the same way.
"Give me a twirl?" Phil chuckled. Dan spun around slowly and Phil watched with a smile.
Phil wasn't lying: Dan was beautiful. He was wearing a pink jumper which mostly covered his pale hands and white jeans which were a little bit long (but otherwise looked amazing). Placed gently on top of his brown hair was a lightly coloured flower crown. Dan was smiling widely and Phil had generally never seen him so happy.
"I love it." Dan muttered. "I love it!"
"Are you ready to show your mum?"
Dan sighed, shaking his head. "Soon..." He murmured, quickly glancing at himself in the mirror. "Soon." He repeated but it was a lot more confident that time.
-
"Dan?" Dan's mum called, making Dan freeze. He didn't know his mum was going to be home so soon? He was standing in front of his mirror, trying on his new jumper (it was mint coloured) and he had his favourite flower crown on top of his head. When no one was around, he could be himself.
His mum couldn't see him as "himself"... she would make him throw out all of his favourite clothes and force him to wear more "masculine" clothes.
So, when he heard the sound of his mother bounding up the stairs, he panicked. He shot to his bedroom door, leaning against it so that his mum couldn't get in.
"Daniel?" Dan's mum said, knocking on his bedroom door.
"Don't come in!" Dan frantically yelled, biting his lip.
"Why not? What are you doing?"
"Nothing!"
Dan was beginning to hyperventilate slightly, his heart beating rapidly. He stepped back from the door to get his breath back but there was no chance that that was happening when the door opened to reveal his mum.
"What are you doing?" His mum whispered, her voice filled with utter disbelief. "What's this?" His mum reached out and grabbed the flower crown from on top of Dan's head.
"A flower crown..." Dan whispered, his breathing still completely uneven.
"Why do you look so..." Dan's mum contemplated her words for a second, glancing everywhere but her son's eyes. "Feminine?"
"I like it."
"You like it? That's ridiculous, Daniel."
"It's not ridiculous." Tears were filling Dan's eyes at the sheer thought that his mum wouldn't accept his clothing choice.
"It is. Boys aren't meant to wear pastel colours.. they're too girly. Boys cannot be girly."
"They can."
"They most definitely cannot."
"Mum, listen to me. I like to wear-"
"You can't like this." Dan's mum clenched the flower crown so harshly that it was beginning to lose its shape. It was Dan's favourite too..
"Give that back. You're bending it!" Dan reached out to take his flower crown but his mum refused to give it back.
"Change right now."
"But mum-" Tears were actually falling down Dan's pale cheeks but his mum didn't even seem to notice. That hurt. His own mother didn't care that he was crying.
"Change."
Dan didn't bother trying to refuse: he just watched his mum leave before grabbing his "masculine" clothes. It was a grey shirt and skinny jeans- the complete opposite to what he liked.
When his mum came back into the room, she seemed content with the fact that Dan looked like the boy he was again.
She walked over to wear the mint jumper was now neatly folded and roughly picked it up. She picked up the flower crown too. "Is there any more?"
"No." Dan mumbled, hoping his mum couldn't see through his lie.
"Okay but if I see you in anything pastel or even remotely feminine again, there will be a punishment. Do you understand?"
"Yes, mum.." Dan's mum smiled a satisfactory smile before leaving Dan alone in his bedroom.
He broke down almost straight away.
I was going to make this a one part one shot but it was almost 3,000 words so I spilt it in two. Part two should be up tomorrow or the day after :)
Are you on your summer holidays?
YES!! I FINISHED SCHOOL YESTERDAY!!