TW!! VIOLENCE!! BE SAFE!!
Inter-High preliminaries were starting soon, and the whole team was working their asses off to prepare for it.
We also had Seijou in our block, meaning we had to beat them and Date tech in order to pass the Preliminaries. It wasn't looking good for us, but I was confident in our abilities! We had Tokonami to focus on first though.
We even had new battle plans for the game. Ukai was working hard to make sure we were prepared, and we were getting better each day!
I even decided to practice outside of school, with the guy from the Neighborhood Association club, the one that did a jump float during our match. I wanted to learn how to do it, so I could help my team more. I think maybe if I learn how to serve a Jump Float I could win us more points and the coach will let me play more!
I practiced with Shimada-san every day after practice. It was a rocky start, to say the least, but I was slowly getting better. Shimada-san was a good teacher, and he went slow with me, making sure I understood and did everything perfectly.
My counselor was nice, though, she asked some really personal questions that were hard to answer. Tsukki was always waiting for me at the end of all my counselor meetings, knowing I wasn't going to be in the best of moods afterward.
I stayed with Tsukki for a week, but then my mother wanted me home. I was going home today after school, and I was nervous about what was going to happen. The Principal said that he wouldn't tell my mother anything about me snitching her out. I knew she would be livid if she found out I was calling her abusive to my principal.
School was pretty boring, but Tsukki was waiting for me outside my classroom so we could walk to lunch together. The whole team was already there, chatting and eating like usual. I sat down next to Kageyama and pulled out my food, Tsukki sitting down on the other side of me.
"How are you guys feeling about the Preliminaries?" Daichi asked the group.
"We're going to kick their asses!" Tanaka and Noya shouted in unison.
"What about you two?" Suga asked, pointing to me and Tsukki.
"I think we're going to do great! We've all been practicing hard lately!" I said, smiling at Suga and the rest of the team.
"Yeah, whatever," Tsukki added on.
"Oh come on, Saltyshima! Can't you be a little excited for us?" Hinata asked, his face pouty as he looked at Tsukki. I smirked and nudged Tsukki's side. He glanced at me before rolling his eyes.
"Go team, or whatever," He said with fake enthusiasm, but it was enough for Hinata.
"Yamaguchi to the front office, Yamaguchi to the front office please!" An announcement rang over the cafeteria. I glanced nervously at Tsukki, who just looked back at me.
"What's that for?" Kageyama asked from beside me. I shrugged my shoulders but got up anyway.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Tsukki asked quietly, but I smiled and shook my head.
"I'm sure it's just the Principal wanting an update, I'll be back soon," I said, then slowly made my way to the office.
I pushed open the door and took in my mom standing in front of the main desk, her arms resting on the counter while she spoke to the attendance lady.
"Mom?" I asked carefully. I felt a wave of dread fill my body as my chest tightened.
"Ah, Kimiko, finally! I wanted you to be here when I tell the principal to change your name and pronouns. I'm tired of you lying to yourself for attention and decided I'll fix it for you!" My mother said happily. All I could do was stare at her wide-eyed. I felt frozen, paralyzed while my world spun.
"Come on! The principal is waiting, you ungrateful girl," My mother muttered the last part so the receptionist wouldn't hear. She grabbed my arm, her fingers digging into my wrist painfully as she dragged me along.
My mother threw the door open and pulled me inside. The principal looked up at us, his eyes catching me, then shifting over to the woman that had me by the arm.
"I'm assuming you're Yamaguchi-san?" He asked politely. My mother smiled as she shoved me into one of the office chairs, taking the other one for herself. I slumped down, panic slowly creeping its way up my throat. I know the Principal said he wouldn't allow anything to happen, but my mother can make quite the mess if she doesn't get what she wants.
"I would like to change my daughter's files, please," My mother's sickly sweet voice spoke. The principal raised an eyebrow, looking at me for a second, before meeting my mother's eyes again.
"I'm sorry, but I was unaware you had a daughter," He said respectfully. My mother fumed at this.
"Kimiko Yamaguchi! She's right there!" My mother yelled, her once smiling face twisting into rage.
"My apologies, but I believe that is Tadashi Yamaguchi, your son," He smiled.
"She's delusional! She's a girl!" My mother shouted, her anger only growing.
"I'm sorry, but even if your son wanted to change his file, I cannot fix anything. I apologize for the inconvenience," The principal smiled softly, almost like he was actually sorry. I, of course, knew this was bullshit considering I already changed my name and pronouns once before my mother found out.
"Then how did she change her file before?!" My mother screeched.
"Please, Yamaguchi-san, calm down. I am unaware of how he changed it before, but what's done is done and there is nothing I can do about it now," The Principal smiled.
"Stop feeding into her stupid phase! She is not a boy, do not call her a boy! She was born a girl!" My mother yelled, her face turning red.
"Miss, I think you should leave. I cannot help you and you're being really hostile," The principal said, his face still calm. My mother sat there for a minute, her breath shallow and her fists clenching and unclenching in her lap.
"Fine, Kimiko, let's go," She said finally, grabbing me by the wrist again and yanking me out of the office. I turned to the Principal before my mother pulled me all the way out the door and gave him an apologetic look, silently telling him I was sorry.
My mother didn't let go of me until I was off of campus and in her car. I didn't dare attempt to text Tsukki yet, instead, we sat in silence while we drove home.
My mother parked the car and leaned back, her face just as angry as it had been in the Principal's office. In one quick motion, my mother leaned over, her palm hitting my face as hard as she could.
My cheek burned from where her hand hit me. Tears welled in my eyes but I blinked them away as I held my face in my hands.
"You worthless piece of shit! Why couldn't you be normal! Why couldn't you be a normal fucking person! I didn't raise an attention-seeking whore!" My mother screamed while silent tears slowly ran down my bright red cheek. My voice didn't work, but I wouldn't have said anything even if I could.
My mother swings the door to the car open and stomped out. She walked around to my side and yanked me out of the car by my hair. I cried in pain as I stumbled after her, my head pounding from her nails digging into my scalp.
She threw me to the floor once we were inside the house, my body banged against the wood. My mom stood over me, her body practically shaking. I heard footsteps and my father appearing behind me. He took one look at the situation and quickly stepped in front of me.
"Sweetie, take a deep breath," My father attempted.
"Get the fuck out of my way, that little shit will realize how fucked up in the mind she is!" My mother yelled, making me flinch back involuntarily.
"Honey, you're being irrational, take calm down a little. Kimiko, go to your room," My dad said, using my deadname in front of my mom as to not make her angrier. I got up and quickly ran to my room, shutting my door and sitting down on my bed. I just sat there as I listened to my parents yell from the living room, but I could tell my mother was slowly wearing herself down.
My hands were shaking. This was the first time she ever got physical, and I didn't know what to do. I knew Tsukki would go feral, and I didn't know if I could deal with that right now.
I placed my elbows on my knees and slowly cried into my hands. My body still ached from where my mom dumped me onto the ground, but my mind was too jumbled to really care about that right now.
It soon got quiet in the living room, I figured my dad successfully calmed my mom down, but I wasn't about to test it.
I fell asleep with tear streaks running down my face and my chest heavy.