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An Unexpected Romance [Xanatos and Sigr]

Mike distracted himself having everything clean, rubbing over each plate, glass and cutlery piece over and over. Austin brought him the dirty mugs and he didn't even look at him, just cleaning and cleaning.

"Holy shit, the bike" Alex echoed, the last thing that went through her mind, even if it had made her so happy that same morning. "It feels like you told me about it in a previous life, it's so weird..." she admitted, as many things had happened since then. "It's probably a good idea, the sooner you two are back, more time to properly explain things, I guess" she nodded. "Delaying it won't help" added, glad that Sarah seemed to have quite the reservoir of courage, as such a thing couldn't be easy to explain. Speaking of whom, she just returned down the stairs dressed with her clothes, so to speak. Alex noticed that she had the eyes red, like Mike she thought, maybe she had been letting go a little bit when no one was looking.

When Sarah approached Mike, he was just there, his hands cold under the sink faucet, looking at the water just flow between his fingers. Only her touch seemed to make him realize that he didn't have anything else to wash. "Ah, I guess not, not now" he was honest once more, turning the water off. "But as you say, it will be" Mike looked at her. "And if not, we'll make it good" his voice faltered, but he was tired of feeling like shit, and now was almost eager to just face his father head on. "Mulling about it just makes it worse, I want to get over it" he looked at Sarah. "No matter how our parents feel, no matter what they think. We can't be no one else but who we are, even if reaching them, reaching us, is going to take time" he blurted, embracing Sarah.

"Whoa" Alex blurted in awe. "And I was worried about you two? Between your courage" she looked at Sarah, "and your honesty" turned her eyes to Mike, "you are going to be fine. And if anything happens, we'll be there" she turned to Austin. That was Alex, no doubt, and even if she still felt that she had to talk something with Mike, she understood that it was Mike the one who had to make the first step. "Now I'm just going to sit on the couch and do nothing, like a proper teenager. You are free to join while your ride comes" she smiled, letting herself fall on her seat.
 
Sarah happily returned Mike's embrace, resting her head against his chest. Hearing Alex speak, she looked over at her. She blushed brightly when she called her courageous. She certainly didn't feel courageous or brave. She was terrified. She was content to remain in his arms, knowing what separating from him would mean. Honestly, his words were exactly what she needed to hear. They would make it good. It wouldn't be good for either of them to just stew in their misery. She drew in a deep breath feeling a little better about everything. She looked up at him with a small smile. She brought her hands up to cup each side his face, pulling him down into a gentle kiss.

In the meantime, Austin had followed Alex back to the living room, plopping back onto the couch. He breathed out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his brow. His day already felt long and he wasn't the one going through a massive existential crisis. Still, the four of them had come to a consensus on tackling this thing together and helping one another out. Fortunately, they only lived a few blocks away. If it wasn't raining, it would have been an easy walk home. Soon enough, his phone buzzed in his lap, signifying that their mother was there. He stood up slowly, looking back to Alex. "Alright, I guess it's time for us to hit the road."

Hearing Austin's voice from the other room made Sarah sigh sadly. She finally separated from Mike. Looking up at him again. "Okay. So, I'll text you tonight after everything. Then I'll see you in the morning." She picked up her bag, walking back into the living room, looking over at Austin. "Okay, I'm ready. I guess." Austin approached her, hugging her gently.

"Come on. We're going to be fine. I'll be right there the whole time." He guided his sister to the door, turning to face Mike and Alex. "Alright you two. Have a good night. Good luck, man." He said, looking over to Mike. "Shoot us a text after you talk to your old man." He opened the door, guiding Sarah out the front. Both turned to look at them. "See you in the morning." He said with a cheery wave.

Sarah stepped inside briefly, hugging Mike close again, albeit briefly. "Promise me you'll talk to Alex about everything, okay?" She whispered, holding him close. As she pulled away, she looked at both of them. "Thank you both. For everything. I'll see you in the morning." With that the twins headed out to their mother's car.
 
Mike felt Sarah breathe deeply in his arms and knew he had to let her go, even if he didn't want to. Sarah caressing his face and tenderly kissing him made it easier to cope, and luckily Austin had gone to the living room so Mike didn't feel as embarrassed about it. Having Austin around was good for her, but it also would take some accustoming for Mike. Having Alex close he didn't mind, as they were accustomed to each others presence at almost every moment of their lives.

Alex rested on the couch, the hectic day leaving her wordless. Feeling that she couldn't add much more than empty words, Alex knew that her presence was enough as Austin rested by her side. Until new developments happened after the parental talking, there wasn't much she could offer as counsel, as advice. When the phone hummed and Austin announced that it was the time to go, Alex just nodded and got up escorting him.

"Me too" Mike nodded as Sarah promised to text him, to see him the next morning. It was strange feeling so anxious, so reluctant to let her go when they were going to see each other the next morning. Mike wasn't able to say much more as Austin and Sarah went out, just managing to rise his hand as a greeting, gladly surprised when Sarah took hold of him briefly, whispering yet another brave advice. "Ah..." Mike doubted, but he had too and couldn't avoid it. "I promise" he whispered back as Sarah pulled away and Alex waved them goodbye. "See you..." Mike softly said.

The two of them just stood there looking at the closed door for a while, processing not only the day behind them, but also the night ahead. Mike was way busier with his thoughts, so Alex, who had been waiting for them two to be alone, was the one who talked first. "Come here" she grabbed Mike from the arm and dragged him to the couch. It wasn't nowhere near the first time it happened, as Alex occupied her spot on the couch and let Mike lie down with his head resting on her lap as she caressed his hair. "You know that I'm both crazy worried and crazy happy for you, right?" Alex said as Mike just nodded. "So, are you going to tell me what made you cry?" Alex just asked in her usual straightforward style.

Mike looked to a side, but resting on her lap as he was, there was no place to hide. He owed her that, and if that wasn't enough, that it was, he had promised it to Sarah. "I confessed her that I was afraid of something" he blurted, the first sentence of many to come. "I like her, but I don't know what kind of body I can get attracted to. I mean, I find her cute now, but... but..." Mike blushed. "When the time comes, I don't know if I... having a male body..." he sighed. "And if I do feel attracted to her like that, what will if mean when her body is female? Will I..." Mike wasn't going to cry, but his eyes were teary.

Alex sighed. "So it was that" she said. "You are afraid of not feeling attracted to the body of the girl you like, or even worse, feeling attracted to the body she has now and how that will affect as she changes it" Alex caressed his hair. "Maybe I'm just simple like that, but I think it will be fine. If you like her... you'll probably react when you are intimate, whatever she may look like" she shrugged. "After all, my body is gorgeous, and you never react to it since we are just friends" she said with a small smile, trying to ease his pain.

"Or because I'm gay" Mike said, his voice wavering. "And if I am... Being with Sarah would be dishonest" he said, more worried about hurting her with lies than about his own self.

"Have you ever thought of a man like that?" Alex asked. "I mean, you have been with plenty of hunks to choose from in the swimming club before, and believe me, at least a couple of them looked way into you while none of them made a move" she said, making Mike look surprised. "Yeah, you are a bit oblivious for things like those" she sighed. "Look, I'm not saying that you aren't, maybe you are bi, only you can answer that. I'm just saying that I don't think so, and that I'd be a surprise. You have my support either way" she bent down, kissing his forehead. "Now I should get going. As much as I want to be here, I'd just make you look weaker in front of your father and he'll be back soon" she squirreled away, making Mike sit up straight.

"Thank you. You are awesome" Mike said, slightly more upbeat, almost eager to face his father and be done with it.

"I know" Alex smiled. "I noticed that it doesn't matter if you swim or not, or who you date, you always are my Mike" she was now calmer and happier, knowing that her childhood friend was still who she knew, who was close to her. Alex borrowed an umbrella and headed home, feeling better and ready to be strong and supportive for her friends, old and new.

Mike distracted himself prepping dinner for his father, something that would help him replenish his strength but not to greasy that would make sleeping difficult. The time seemed to pass quickly, as he soon heard the keys chime outside, the door opening to his trial.
 
The ride home felt like it took an eternity for the Mayes twins. Riding in the back seat of their Mom's car. Austin idly chatted with her about making new friends and Seth starting to open up. He was careful to refer to Sarah as his brother and as Seth until he had the opportunity to come out on his own. He held Sarah's hand the entire way home, trying to help her maintain her courage. For her part, she was nauseous from fear and nerves. Her stomach felt like it was tied in knots and her heart was beating a thousand miles per hour. Despite that, she was determined. She wouldn't back down. Not now.

Arriving home, Austin and his sister walked into the living room where their father was sitting. Their mom had moved to join him on the couch, watching the TV. Sarah cleared her throat into her fist as she looked to her brother, who gave her one last nod of support. "Mom, Dad... I need to talk to you both about something." Both immediately silenced the TV, looking up at their previously silent son. Sarah took in a deep breath before finally opening her mouth to speak.


That night, Sarah texted Mike. "I'm not sure how things went really, but I'll try to tell you about it tomorrow."

The next morning, Austin woke much earlier than usual. His face ached, raising his hand to gently caress a bruise. Despite how emotional the night before had been for everyone, he was determined to make Sarah's first day as a girl special. He burst into her room excitedly. "Sarah! Wake up!"

She sprung up in her bed, looking around in surprise before finally settling her eyes on Austin. "Austin... We don't have to leave for school for another two hours. What is it?"

Austin produced a large bag from behind his back, beaming at his sister. "We have to get you ready."


The two walked to school, Austin pushing Alex's new bike beside him. Sarah couldn't possibly be more nervous, and who could blame her? Thanks to Austin's guiding hand she had jumped right off the deep end. As of today, she would be very publically out. As they arrived at the school, the two took a stop by the office. Austin explained Sarah's circumstances to the principal and other staff members present. Thankfully, Oregon was a much more liberal state. Things wouldn't change immediately, but the staff was at least willing to try to accommodate her.

Soon after, the two were approaching the school gym. Sarah stood in a simple button down white tee - shirt, clearly a feminine cut and a red plaid pleated skirt. Her legs and arms having clearly been shaved off any hair that had grown at all. Her hair had been curled lightly into bouncy waves, the part having been moved to once side of her head. With the exception of lacking breasts, she appeared the perfect picture of a girl. They stood, waiting for Mike and Alex to arrive outside the front doors, Sarah's eyes were wide and staring at the floor in fear, while Austin mingled with other students as if it were normal. In truth, unless someone said something, they probably wouldn't be able to tell that Sarah was physically male.
 
Despite not having as much sleep time as usual, Mike woke up on a more positive note than he had expected. He was still eager to hear from Sarah, since the text she sent didn't clarify much. Well, the one that Mike sent wasn't of much help either, since the "Things moved in an unexpected direction. Not bad, but weird" didn't qualify as a real answer. His father would be already gone by that time in the morning, so he tried to awake in the shower. Under the warm water he couldn't help but think of Sarah, about how she had been in there, but the thoughts soon took a more anxious tone. Would she be fine? What did her parents say? What were they going to do in PE today? Mike sighed, got his things ready and went downstairs, finding Alex trespassing in his kitchen. "Oh no... a breakfast thief..." Mike joked monotone.

"Mff!" Alex tried to greet with the mouth full of flakes, gulped, and went to hug him. "Come on, spill it, let me know how things went" she grabbed him by the arms, eager to know the news. Mike sat down with her, serving himself some breakfast to see if eating something would unknot his stomach and make him feel better. "It was sort of fine, but..." he told her about the talk with his father, what kind of compromise they had reached. In the end, Mike had told her everything, and managed to finish the whole breakfast, feeling better now that he had shared it with Alex. But it showed that he was eager to reach the school, eager to not only know about Sarah, but also tell her.


A few minutes later and packing the gear needed for class, both of them arrived to the nearby school, busy with conversation, they didn't notice Austin and Sarah until they were a few feet away. It was unusual of the soft spoken boy, but he just couldn't help himself, and covered those few feet in a heartbeat, hugging Sarah close. It didn't matter that the entrance of the school maybe wasn't the best place for public displays of affection, he just needed to support her, needed her support. Breaking the hug, Mike looked at her while still holding her hands, unavoidable eyeing her outfit. "You look amazing" he just blurted honestly. The hair, the clothes, all helping to bring out what was already there, helping Sarah to be the girl she was.

Alex was baffled, herself dressed with pirate denim shorts and a green jersey of the Portland Timbers Soccer club, her outfit was more boyish than Sarah's. She smiled, happy that her courage took her that far on the first day, but as Sarah was busy with Mike, her attention turned to Austin. "Is that a bruise?" she asked, looking worried at his face. "What happened?" she inched close to him, examining him, awaiting for answers.

"Seeing you I thought it went better than expected" Mike confessed to Sarah, "but after that..." he turned to Austin, eyeing that bruise. "It's my fault, isn't it?" he asked, suspecting that he had a part on Austin sporting that hit on his face. Did their parents blame him from not protecting his sister? It was precisely what he had been doing since they met them. Before doing more guesswork, Mike just awaited for answers, unable to let Sarah's hands go, his worried eyes wandering from one sibling to another.
 
The twins saw the other two only a moment or two before they approached. Sarah returned Mike's hug as soon as he embraced her. She already felt better with him nearby. Much of her nerves fading away in his arms. As he pulled away, complimenting her appearance she blushed madly. "Thank you..." She said quietly. "Austin helped." She admitted, glancing to her brother. When Alex brought up Austin's bruise, Sarah's gaze fell as guilt knotted in her stomach. Even if it wasn't her fault, she blamed herself. "Well, you see... I told my parents last night... And well... Dad wasn't very happy. He was upset with me and um..."

Austin interjected shaking his head. "Don't defend him, Sarah." He insisted, crossing his arms. He looked back to Mike. "It wasn't you. Well, Sarah dating a guy didn't help Dad's attitude, but it wasn't you specifically." He looked back at Sarah, frowning lightly. "And it was nothing you did either. Stop blaming yourself." He sighed quietly. "Sarah and Dad got in a fight about it. Mom was crying, Dad was yelling. Sarah was yelling. I was trying to keep the peace."

"No son of mine is gonna be a tranny." Sarah mumbled under her breath, repeating her father.

"Anyway, Dad tried to strike Sarah and I stopped him. So, he hit me instead." Austin sighed softly, running a hand through his hair.

"Mom and Dad fought for most of the night. Then Dad left. He wasn't there in the morning." Sarah whispered. "But, after he left, Mom came in and told me that she would do some research and see about starting me on hormones." She looked up at Mike, forcing a small smile. "So, you know, every cloud has a silver lining I guess." She looked back to her feet when her false smile fell away. "So, how did your talk go?" She asked, more worried about Mike's night than her own.
 
As soon as Austin said that it wasn't his fault, Mike knew that it wasn't entirely true. As he kept talking his rational side thought that sure, it had been their father the one that smacked Austin, his prejudices were the ones that lead to that action, but maybe if Mike wasn't dating Sarah, it wouldn't have reached that far. Mike was about to say he was sorry, to apologize, to offer himself for a visit to talk to their father, anything that lowered the tension, and then Sarah repeated his words.

"No fucking way" Alex said. Mike was silent, but Alex had less self control. "How did he dare? Holy shit" her words were ones of surprise and indignation. He refused one daughter's very being, and hit his son for defending her. Alex felt miserable, what her friends had to endure and they were there, still moving forward, making the steps to a better place. Austin even remembered the bike. Her eyes were wet so in a fit she decided to hide them on Austin's chest, hugging him close. "That was terrible, I'm sorry you two had to go through that" she muttered, her voice muffled by Austin's close presence, then backed off.

If the news made Alex sad, Mike was angry. No, furious. His hands were balled into shaky fists, his shoulders trembling. "You can..." Mike mumbled, unsure of what to say next, hating on their father. "Anything even remotely similar to that happens again, you call me" he looked decided to beat the shit out of their father if he had to, a tense look on him that was a first, even for Alex. His breath was agitated and wanted to punch something, anything. Then he managed to recover a bit of control, Sarah's small smile reminding him that adding more drama or violence to their lives would fix nothing at all. He wanted to berate, to insult their father, to throw futile words of vengeance to the air, but it was all so recent and it was still their father, so he preferred to not keep feeding his own anger.

"Seriously, anything happens and you can stay with me or Mike" Alex nodded, back to an act of her usual self. When Sarah asked about Mike's night she just stood there, listening.

"Way better than yours" Mike confessed, feeling a bit guilty. "My father is old fashioned, so he has trouble understanding such a thing, he works a lot and it's not... up to date" he explained how his father seemed anchored in the past. "He talked to me about..." Mike paused, gulping. "Him and mom. How they met, her family's rejection..." he muttered, his face a mixture of fond memories and quiet sadness every time his mom was a topic of discussion. "He said that liking someone wasn't to be explained or analyzed, only treasured and defended" Mike blushed, liking wasn't the word his father used but it was entirely too soon for that. "So we kind of have his blessing? As antiquated as that may sound. He wants to meet you too" Mike sighed.

"As for the other thing..." Mike sounded tired. "I couldn't think of anything to do, anything to replace swimming, so I'm trapped doing that until I find a calling. He didn't wanted me to be idle, to squander the effort of years past for nothing tangible. He was completely adamant on this" he briefly told them.
 
Austin was surprised by Alex's hug but didn't refuse it. He returned the embrace, smiling a little as she spoke. When she pulled way, he looked back to Mike, a little startled by his obvious anger. At the same time, any worries he had regarding Mike's intentions for Sarah washed away. If he got that angry when someone insulted her, Austin was quite sure he could trust Mike with his sister's safety. He glanced over to Sarah, seeing that she was staring mesmerized at Mike as he spoke. Austin's heart swelled knowing how supportive both of them were. "I hate to admit it, but we might have to take you up on that at some point." Austin said in response to Alex's offer for her to stay with either her or Mike. Austin wasn't terribly worried about himself, but he would rather that Sarah not have to be around their father until he came around.

Sarah had already moved on in the conversation, eagerly listening to Mike speak about talking with his father. Her heart sank when he spoke about his mother. She could see that it hurt him. She stepped close again, hugging him tightly, even if only for a moment. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she heard that his father approved of her, even if she had lingering doubts. "I would love to meet him! But... D-does your Dad know? You know... That I'm trans? It doesn't bother him?" She asked nervously. She couldn't quite glean the information from his words. She thought more about what he said before looking up again. "In your room, you had an awful lot of cookbooks. You also seemed really happy making lunch yesterday. Very proud of your cooking. Is it possible for you to do that instead of swimming? You know... Maybe culinary classes or something?"

It wouldn't be long before they would have to find their way into the gym, but Austin was clearly in no rush. Not only because he didn't take gym particularly seriously, but because he worried about what the locker room situation would be like for his sister. He rubbed the back of his head as he turned to Alex again. "So, hey. I talked to the principal earlier about Sarah's situation. It's going to be a bit before we can get her into the girl's locker room, if at all. But so long as she has a female escort she's cleared to use the girl's room around the school. You're the only girl we know, so... You know..."

Sarah spoke up, seeing that it was awkward for Austin. "He wants to know if you'll be my escort when I need the bathroom." Even she was a little weirded out by the fact that the request was even necessary for her in the first place. Still, rules were rules.
 
"Well, he knows because I told him, that he fully understands it's another thing entirely" Mike admitted, still feeling that brief hug Sarah gave him. "I don't know what precise idea he has on his mind. And he sure knows nothing of what are you going to start now with the hormones and all. Hell, even I don't know as much as I'd like about it" he looked at Sarah, there was a lot he had to learn so he could lend his support, but it was all happening so fast that he didn't have much time to inform himself. "So I don't think he would be able to make his mind around until he speaks with you. But the core idea won't budge, I saw his eyes. I never thought about it, not after..." Mike sighed. "But he may be a hopeless romantic" a small smile appeared on his face, dissolving most of the tension.

But Sarah was far from done talking, her next words leaving Mike and Alex baffled when she just said that Mike could cook instead of swimming. "I... Ah..." he blushed, his eyes looking at her wide.

"Of course!" Alex broke the awkward silence. "Why didn't I think of it? You are always watching those shows and things..." she mumbled, aware that he used a lot of his free time to do cooking things, but it was something so usual of him, almost a routine, that passed unaware in front of their faces.

Mike was still frozen there, it was weird for someone you had just met to have that insight about you, to reach an answer you weren't able to see. Once voiced by Sarah it felt so obvious, that it seemed impossible he hadn't see it. But did he had the courage? Could he cook seriously? Professionally? Even competitively? As strange as it could be, he didn't reject the idea immediately, even if competition was what drove him off from swimming. In cooking, at least in that brief moment of recollection, it seemed that everything was a learning opportunity. Noticing that he had been silent for long, just staring at Sarah's eyes, Mike shook his head. "You are wonderful" he blurted. "Yes. I think I could do that..." Mike nodded, talking slowly. "But I have to get information first, see what's what around here..." he was visibly excited, but those things would have to wait, as there were more immediate and pressing matters.

"They won't let you use our locker room?" Alex wasn't as surprised as she was disappointed. She had hoped for things to be easier than that, but they seemed to have no good news, as it felt that every little concession was a battle. She managed to smile when Austin fumbled his words, as forward and courageous he was, it was sort of cute seeing him falter when it came to talking about that, Sarah having to step in and explain what it was obvious. "Breath Austin, you are going to choke yourself" she said, holding a giggle. "Of course I will, no problem" she sentenced, enjoying a bit seeing Sarah being forward when Austin couldn't.

"The locker room thing is messed up, but the both of us will be there" Mike said, ready to do whatever it took to ease Sarah into the daily life, although there was still something that irked him, something he didn't dare to bring out since it was a family issue. "And yeah, you can stay at my home in case of need..." his words lingered a bit, bringing back the issue but not knowing if he should meddle. He couldn't just butt in such a private matter, but he didn't want to risk seeing violence and not doing anything about it. While he doubted about it, Alex voiced her own concerns.

"My parents are pretty chill people, so don't worry about that" Alex said, trying to reassure Austin, making him know that they would be welcome anytime, and she was sure that Mike didn't have a problem with any of them staying in. Maybe he could get all too eager or clingy, but the siblings, and maybe even their mother if needed be, would be welcome in their houses. "I'm not going to say what you have to do, but if your father hit you..." Alex doubted, how far was too far? How much could she meddle in the lives of people she met the day before? She was forward and maybe even reckless, but that much... "Maybe you should go to the police? Has he ever done anything similar before?" she finally dared, even if she poised it as a question.
 
Austin was relieved when both Mike and Alex were willing to house Sarah if need be. It was unbelievable that she might need shelter away from home to protect from their father, but it was fortunate that it was available none the less. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it." Austin said finally. He hated feeling like he couldn't defend his sister on his own. It had been his job most of his life. To have to learn to share that responsibility and rely on others would be difficult. Not so difficult as the struggles that were ahead of his sister, however. A sobering thought that kept his pride from interfering with his duty to her.

When Alex brought up the prospect of going to the police. Austin was a little surprised by the notion. In Austin's life, his dad had always seemed fine until recently. Frustrated with Sarah, then Seth, but otherwise fine. Sarah, on the other hand, was mostly astonished that it was even an option. "N-no, I don't think he has..." Austin began.

"Yes..." Sarah said softly. "He used to get frustrated with me. I wasn't Austin. He wanted to have his two boys become men like him. Sports, hunting, cars. You know, normal guy stuff. I was never into those things. I would want to do other things. So every once in a while, he would get rough. Try to bring out the boy in me. It didn't work. Obviously..." Sarah whispered.

Austin was dumbfounded as he stared at his sister. He had simply no idea that it had been happening at all. "Sarah... I'm sorry. I should have been there. I should have..."

"You didn't know." She said simply, looking back to her brother. "I'm okay. Hitting me won't bring Seth back. He's just going to have to accept that."

Austin rubbed his brow in frustration. "I'm going to call Mom after school to see if Dad's come home. If he has, I'm gonna send you with these two, okay? I don't want you to come home if he's there til we figure this out."

Sarah opened her mouth to speak but lowered her head with an obedient nod. "We should probably get to class." She wasn't looking forward to the locker room, but she knew she couldn't avoid it by delaying it either.
 
Alex nodded to their explanations, leaving the siblings to solve that themselves, as little could she do about it when even Austin didn't know that their father had been roughing Sarah before. That was more than enough to seek refuge on their houses and go to the police, but maybe she had done enough, she didn't feel comfortable going further with her meddling and it would probably do more harm than good. He was still their father, even if he... ugh, she couldn't understand how someone would do that, even with the best intentions.

Mike didn't hide his tension or anger knowing that their father had hit Sarah before, but he didn't do much about it. As Sarah simply said to Austin that he didn't know despite sharing a roof, Mike didn't even know them until yesterday, so as frustrating as it could be, there was nothing he could do about the past. He had to focus on the present, and as Sarah herself said, they had to go to class, what at that moment of that day, meant Physical Education.

Alex nodded as she and Austin chained her new bike to the rack the school had for that purpose, sharing a small moment before she had to part for the girls locker room and leave the other three by themselves. It would hopefully arrive the moment when Sarah would come with her instead of her brother and Mike, but it wasn't that time yet. "Be seeing you" she said before going on her own, unable to help any further.

Mike took a deep breath, and lead the way to the gym and the male locker room. The looks they were going to receive, specially with Sarah wearing a skirt were going to be weird but also the lesser of their problems. How were they going to explain that? And if anyone joked about it? Mike had never been a violent person, more like the opposite of it, but he was already riled up hearing about their abusive father, so even if he wasn't aware of it, something inside him wanted to punch anyone that messed up with Sarah.
 
Sarah walked silently toward the locker rooms, her hand holding Mike's. She was desperate for support, anything to ease the knotting tension in her stomach and the pounding of her terrified heart. Once they reached the point where they were expected to part, she looked to Alex. She raised a hand after when she left, hoping against hope that she could slip in unnoticed anyway. She looked enough like a girl. If she just focused on changing quickly no one would know, right? Realistically, when roll call came, she would be exposed anyway. She was still legally Seth Mayes. As little as she wanted to recognize that.

She looked back to the Men's locker room, staring at the door for a few seconds. She looked to her brother first then to Mike. There was no concealing her fear in this situation. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "I can do this... It's just getting changed..." She stepped forward, pushing the door open on her own, and leading the way into the locker room. At first, things seemed fine, despite her nerves. At least until people began to notice her. With her clothing and her hair, she looked the part of a girl. But here she was in the boy's locker room. Some nudged their friends, pointing her out. Some hushed whispering.

Austin was thankful that Mike's last name placed him close to them in the locker line up. The closer both of them were to Sarah the safer she would be. Sarah stood in front of her locker with her head bowed and her eyes clenched shut. She could feel eyes on her and hear the whispering, the snickering. Realistically, there had to be a few students in gym who were either sympathetic or didn't care. But she was worried about the few who might be motivated to violence. She opened the door to her locker without opening her eyes, starting to unbutton her shirt. She tucked it in the locker, slipping out of her skirt soon after. She spent only a half second standing in panties before pulling on her gym shorts and tugging the tee-shirt on over her head.

Austin had already changed, and sat on the bench, facing the rest of the locker room so that he could act if anyone messed with his sister.
 
As Alex changed her clothes, she wondered how would have been with Sarah there, as all around her there was a wide spectrum of girls in the locker room. A trio of friends compared underwear next to her, while another two were already changed and chatting. She could see one or two shy ones, changing quickly when they thought nobody was watching. She was anything but shy, and even if she didn't idle much as she wanted to be out when her friends came, she wasn't hurrying up or hiding either.

Mike resisted the idea of letting Sarah's hand go, but he had to if she was to change. They had endured the walk in, the pointing, the whispers. By lunch the whole school would know, and as the news spread like fire, there would be someone stupid who would open their mouth for sure. Mike didn't want to get ahead of the events, but he was absentminded as he changed, thinking more about what kind of troubles could be waiting for them than in their current predicament. He finished pretty quickly, although not as fast as Austin, always the watchdog, ready to do anything for his sister.

Mike glanced to see how Sarah was doing, but his eyes soon returned to the locker, fiddling with his things, making himself busy. The context and the situation muddled everything and he didn't think of what was he doing, but he just caught a glimpse of her girlfriend in underwear, even if it was for just a split second. The dream of every adolescent, and yet the moment was far from ideal, romantic or enticing. It felt wrong for him, so he could, even if it was just a little bit, imagine how it was for her.

Despite the whispers and hushes, the metallic noise of the lockers and rustling of clothes, the place was way more silent than a noisy boys locker room was supposed to be. It was in that half muted silence, where the word echoed between the walls, barely above a whisper, but in that loaded atmosphere it resounded like a thunder, and the whole room heard it.

"Fag"

Mike turned to see an ocean of gazes avoiding his eyes, a bunch of fellow students who just were there, not taking part on the abuse but doing nothing to stop it. Would he be one of them if he wasn't personally involved? He wanted to think that no, that he would do something, but he had no way of knowing it. Mike sided with Sarah, getting close, and looked at Austin, maybe he had seen who was it.
 
As soon as that awful slur was uttered, Sarah visibly tensed. It was the first of what she was certain would be many like it in the months to come. In time, people would either grow bored of tormenting her or the hormones would have done their job and she would be able to pass much easier. Either way, she just had to endure. She felt Mike step closer to her. She opened her eyes finally, glancing in his direction. She didn't turn around yet, not until she heard Austin stand up.

Mike's suspicion that maybe Austin had seen the culprit was dead on. Austin was on his feet, staring down the other student from across the locker room. To be on the receiving end of that glare could have made anyone feel small. He began to step forward towards the guy, gritting his teeth angrily as his hands tightened into white-knuckled fists. He was still seething with rage from learning he had failed to protect Sarah from their father growing up. This poor bastard was about to be the recipient of his aggression. At least, he would have been. If it weren't for Sarah's intervention. Her hand came to rest on Austin's arm causing him to stop dead in his tracks. "Austin... Let it go... Come on... We're gonna be late." She pleaded softly.

Austin closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He turned to look at Sarah and Mike, giving her a small nod. "You're right." He placed his hand on her shoulder, glancing to Mike. "Let's just... Get her out of the locker room for now. Alex is going to be waiting for us." He knew that reacting violently to teasing would make them the bad guys. If someone actually tried something, nothing would stop him from laying them out. But to act now would mean letting them win. For now, he just had to keep his head on straight. For Sarah's sake. She was scared enough without him causing additional chaos and stress.
 
Even if Mike felt the need to punch whoever it had been, he didn't know who it was and also didn't feel the same pent up rage that seemed to consume Austin. He understood that it had been too much in the last twenty four hours, and that learning about their father must have been a hard blow even if Austin tried to swallow it down for Sarah. One part of him wanted to join him in that basic release, another part wanted to stop Austin, knowing that nothing good would come from it, but Mike just stood by Sarah's side, unable to decide. It was her, it was always her the courageous one, the person who stopped Austin and asked for him to just letting it pass. Mike could be loving, Austin could be selfless, but it was precisely Sarah, the recipient of those feelings, the one bold enough to endure and keep going.

The tension and silence were palpable, even some of the classmates had gotten out of Austin's way or squirreled out of the locker room entirely. "Lets go to class, tire ourselves with whatever the teacher asks of us" Mike said, trying to be positive. A little bit of exercise could do them good, allow them to get their head elsewhere and physical effort always helped Mike to clear his mind. Sure, it wasn't as good as losing himself in cooking, and maybe didn't work with Sarah and Austin, but if anything, he had to be positive. He knew he was just pushing back what was going to happen once the class was over and they were back in that locker room, having to shower before the next class.

Alex almost sprinted next to Sarah once the trio was outside, seeing in their faces that something had indeed happened but having little to no time to ask about it. She just hold her hand for a second, tightening her grip in reassurance. The sooner Sarah was allowed to use the girls locker room the better, although girls could be mean as hell at least she hoped that there would be no fights in there. Alex ached for a bit of exercise, although being the first PE class would probably be little more than stretching and running a bit most likely.
 
Sarah was relieved when Austin and Mike were willing to just let the situation pass. She followed them out of the locker room, looking around at the other students. Even in the androgynous shorts and tee-shirts given to gym students, Sarah's femme-styled hair reinforced her feminine identity. All of the male students certainly knew that she was physically male now, and it would only be a matter of time before word spread. Feeling Alex take her hand, she nearly jumped, not noticing her at first. She exhaled heavily when she saw it was her, returning the kind gesture.

Before she had time to speak or to explain the situation to Alex she heard the coach's whistle. She flinched at the noise, moving to find her position in the roll call. Thankfully her name was still close to the others so she wouldn't sit far from them. She kept her eyes on the ground, still feeling some eyes on her as she heard the coach begin calling out names. Hearing her brother's name called she flinched knowing what would be next. "Seth Mayes!" She heard the name and clenched her eyes shut.

"S-Sarah..." She said quietly in protest.

"What was that?" The coach asked, looking back to where she was sitting.

"H-here..." She said a little louder, confirming her presence.

Once the roll call ended, she stood up with the others, going through a series of stretches, before just as predicted, they were instructed to run a couple laps. She didn't mind, it would give her time to work off her anxiety.
 
Hearing the roll call was painful for sure, Mike winced at hearing it, but it was only normal that any changes the school may accept about Sarah would take a while to settle. Not making a fuss about the clothing, and letting her use the female bathroom, even if it was with an escort, was welcomed even if it happened that very morning. It was kind of sad having to think of such basic things as an achievement, but organizations always were slow to react, shy to adapt, so they would have to grasp every baby step the school made and then some. Even being next to Sarah, he didn't want to be all over her, suffocate her with his presence. It could be awkward for her and he didn't want to be part of the problem, so he was just close, at arms reach.

Twenty four hours earlier Alex would think that the PE class would be a nice moment to unwind and stretch, and yet there she was, vigilant like a hawk. She could almost see the whispers spread like the plague, even if she didn't know what happened in the locker room, boy's glances avoided Austin and were on Sarah. When the time to run came, she took it calm, keeping a reasonable pace so she wouldn't leave them behind. "What happened?" she asked while jogging.

"A stupid insult" Mike shook his head, there was no point on dwelling on it. "Nothing else" he said, tempted to add 'for now' but avoiding it narrowly. He didn't want to sound like he was anticipating more bigotry or he expected to escalate the situation, but in his mind he didn't see believable that it would stop there. It would be welcome and he would be more than thankful, but it would also be a miracle. He hoped that at least wouldn't turn to violence, even if he felt the temptation himself. The last thing Sarah's mother needed was having to worry about Austin getting into a fight in school. If things came to that, Mike could as well punch the lights out of some idiot. His father probably wouldn't mind as much, given the reasons, and it wasn't like he didn't think about it earlier.

"Even then, this is nice. Simple" Alex commented, talking to no one in particular. That was easier to do than math, more natural to learn than history, easier to parse than English. It was just running, and that she knew how to do. A welcome calm, even if temporary, pervaded the group, letting them unwind before the trials would continue when it came the time to shower.
 
Sarah did her best to focus on running the laps, trying not to think about what had transpired in the locker-room. She knew that if she couldn't learn to ignore something that simple she would never make it through the year. She could feel how tense Austin was running along side her. She could hardly blame him, in fact, she felt quite secure knowing that he was so motivated to keep her safe. She only wished he understood how his own anger was spiking her anxiety. She heard Mike and Alex's exchange near them, glancing towards them for only a moment. She forced a small smile to try to reassure both of them. She didn't want her own troubles to be a source of constant melancholy and anger for her new friends. They didn't deserve that.

As the laps finally came to a close, Sarah allowed herself to slow down, leaning over a little to support herself. Her hands planted on her knees. She was an artist and a reader, certainly no athlete. "I'm... I'm good... Just... Woah..." She panted heavily, wiping the sweat from her brow. Austin had hardly broken a sweat, between being an athlete and having so much pent up energy and adrenaline. Austin simply stretched his limbs a little after they ended, his breath only slightly more labored than it had been.

"So, what's next for you two?" Austin asked, turning to face Mike and Alex. He was trying to distract himself from what was about to come with more casual conversation.

Sarah finally stood upright, turning to face them. "I think I have art next." She could tell by the people she was surrounded by that it probably meant she would be alone in her next class. But a classroom scenario was much more peaceful and controlled than a locker-room. She could deal with it.
 
Once the running was over, Mike was just a bit winded, even if running wasn't his thing, he had plenty of stamina. It was true that he had spent the summer helping his father and not training, but even without constant cardio it wasn't as the job he had done for his father loading things here and there wasn't physical. Alex on the other hand was like fish in the water, and looked ready to run a marathon if needed be, still shifting her weight from one feet to the other, restless, unable to stay still. The eyes of both of them were set on Sarah, who was understandably tired despite the simple schedule, as the teacher hasn't been any gentler for being the first day of PE.

Austin's question came unexpected, as there was a more pressing matter in the air, something that Mike was trying with all his might to not think about. "I've art too" Alex blurted, finally aware of her own schedule instead of depending on Mike, since he had enough trouble by himself. Looking the faces of disbelief all around Alex almost pouted. "What? I though it could be interesting, don't look at me like that!" she punched Mike's shoulder. "And maybe easy to get a good enough grade?" she finally admitted, anything that didn't require studying was welcome.

"I've got FCS" Mike said referring to family and consumer sciences, a fancy modern term for home economics. He didn't have much difficulty with it, but it was welcome and relaxing, and there always was a chance for him to learn something new. "Then I think that you two girls are together while Austin and I split off" Mike commented. "Unless you surprise me and picked FCS too, but I can't picture it, sorry" he tried to lighten the mood, but even he had trouble to heighten their spirits. He couldn't easily get out of his head that they had to return to the locker room.

"I'm going ahead, I'll be waiting for you outside, I don't know where the art class is" Alex admitted, darting out to the girl's locker room.

Mike looked uneasy at Austin and Sarah, not wanting to be the one that said it. "We have to go" he finally voiced, there was no avoiding it and arriving to the next class late wouldn't help anyone.
 
Of all of them, Sarah was the most surprised to hear that Alex was also taking art. She was relieved at the very least that she wouldn't be alone. It would also be the first time she was alone with the other girl since meeting her. She was looking forward to getting to know her in a calmer environment like an art class. Sarah was a little disappointed to find that Alex was looking for a class with a higher chance of passing than an actual interest in art. It would have been nice to have a friend to share that with. "I don't know where art is either, but we'll figure it out." Sarah said with a faint smile.

Austin was visibly relieved to hear that Sarah would have Alex in her art class. The fewer classes she had to spend surrounded by strangers the better. He gave a shrug as Mike brought up his next class. "I've got metal shop next, actually." He replied. "We'll just have to regroup for lunch I guess." As Alex left for the locker room, both Sarah and Austin waved her off. At Mike's words, Austin closed his eyes for a moment. A more serious expression came over his face as he nodded his head. "Here's the plan. We put Sarah in the shower nearest the wall. The two of us will take up the showers beside her. Create something of a buffer from the rest of the class. Sound good?" He asked looking back to Mike.

In the discussion, Sarah had wordlessly started on her way back into the locker room. She hated the feeling of vulnerability and frailty. The idea that she would always need to protected made her feel like a burden. If she could show she had it under control, maybe the boys would loosen up a bit. She entered the locker room on her own at first. She was visibly shaken and nervous but tried to behave like it was natural. She pulled her towel from the locker heading over to the showers. She glanced around at the other students before sighing to herself. She pushed way her shorts, panties and tugged off her shirt. She stepped under the water, only having gotten a brief moment of respite before hearing a familiar voice behind her.

"What's up, sissy? Where are your bodyguards?" He asked with a couple chuckling friends behind him. "You gotta be careful, who knows what'll happen to your type all alone."

Sarah backed against the wall, one hand hanging in front of legs while the other was raised up against her chest defensively. "M-mike... Austin..." She whispered hopefully as she looked justifiably scared. Similar to the moment before class, others watched but none acted. She swallowed nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between her potential tormentors.
 
Alex moved though the locker room with unabashed ease, and while other girls took their time she was bare naked and under the showers in a moment. "Then it's true, that girl is really a boy..." a voice said low, close to her. As she turned around Alex could see a brunette girl, physically on the chubbier side specially compared to the leaner Alex, nervously fidgeting under the water. "That girl's name is Sarah, and she's as much of a girl like you and I, the sooner people accept it, the better" she barked, finishing her quick shower, brushing past that girl on her way out. "I just-" she mumbled, but Alex was already gone. Why was the people so stupid? Why couldn't they just go with it? Alex was frowning while she dried herself, trying to think openly. It was true that she had been informing herself a bit on the internet, looking over the steps Sarah would have to go through, and realized that she wasn't the same girl she was yesterday. If she didn't meet the siblings, maybe she would be that curious girl approaching her, wanting to know more. After all, she didn't say anything that bad, it was just ignorance. Alex shook her head, wanting to think no more about it, finished dressing and moved outside, waiting for the rest.

A few minutes ago Mike was nodding to Austin, him having metal shop somehow suited him and made him smile briefly. His plan was solid, and even if he didn't specify, he was intending to let Austin be between Sarah and him. Seeing his girlfriend naked in the locker room was something he didn't want to think about, feelings of inadequacy and temptation fighting in his mind. Her being able to see him was also terribly embarrassing, but Sarah's safety came first. While they were discussing it, Sarah was gone, and they noticed all too late.

Quickly Mike went into the locker room, maybe things were just fine, but he wanted to hurry. He quickly got naked and went to the showers, seeing that Sarah wasn't in her locker so he went there, ready to keep his eyes looking a good feet above her head at closest. What Mike found was a trio of bullies, something that made him stop right in his tracks. Why were they like that? Why did they care? Mike could feel a turmoil inside him. He was insecure himself, and meeting Sarah had made him happier, more free, but also awoke some doubts he didn't have before. That kind of feeling he could understand, the insecurity, the awkwardness. But behaving like a bully for it? Like their father did?

Thinking about Austin's bruise, imagining that it could have happened to Sarah, that it could happen to her then and there, made Mike's blood boil. Feeling something he never felt before, he grabbed one of the bullies by the shoulder, Mike's strong back and arms allowing him to send a brutal punch to his face, born of anger and strength and without a trace of technique. The bully fell down and struck his head against the wall, dizzy and unable to get up but still conscious. Mike didn't notice the blood mixing with the water or the pain in his fist, he just had eyes for the two remaining bullies.
 
Sarah looked up in clear relief when she saw Mike approaching, though that same look of relief turned to fright as he grabbed ahold of one of the bullies and punched him with enough force for him to fall to the ground and hard. She let herself slide down the wall of the shower, sitting on the floor in the gathering water as she watched the scene unfold in undisguised shock. Austin came on the scene as soon as the bully hit the ground. He didn't have context for what had transpired before the blow landed, but he was sure that Mike felt justified in throwing the punch. Without another second's hesitation, he appeared at Mike's side, his hands clenching tightly into fists.

The other two, previously confident in their chances against Mike alone, lost their nerve at the arrival of the second. Mike and Austin being athletes clearly made the idea of fighting them even less ideal. "Which one of you fuckers decided to fuck with my sister?" He growled angrily, stepping towards them. One of the two nervously pointed to the other. Recognizing him as the one who had dropped the slur earlier, Austin lost his cool. He rushed forward quickly, slamming the boy against the wall of the shower. With one arm braced against his throat, his free hand began punching his face over and over again.

"Austin..." Sarah pleaded quietly. He didn't respond at first. "Austin." She said a little louder, still nothing. "Austin!" He stopped then, the boy's face bloodied, one of his eyes already swollen and bruised.

He snarled at the boy before stepping back, letting him drop to his knees. The last of the bullies had backed off, keeping his hands raised in clear surrender as he tried to back away from the situation. Austin turned to look at the last one, glaring at him. "Do I make myself clear?" The bully nodded quickly. "No one fucks with Sarah. Period." Austin looked back at his sister, sighing softly. His body still shook with anger, his left forearm and right hand still having some of the bully's blood on them. "Mike... Get her dressed and meet up with Alex." He requested quietly. He looked back at the other boy. "I'm going to go to the office before I go to Metal Shop. I'll explain what happened. This isn't happening twice if I can help it." Austin went back to his locker to collect his things. Soon after he left the locker room, clearly on a mission.

Sarah watched Austin leave. "Austin..." As he left she lowered her gaze, sniffling softly as she pushed back the burning feeling behind her eyes. She looked back to Mike. "I'm sorry. I should have waited, I know. I just... I thought if I could show it was no big deal, you guys wouldn't worry. I'm sorry. I should have known better."
 
In his state Mike savored seeing Austin punch that bully the first time, feeling a bit off with the second, and completely uneasy after the third. He could understand that fire, he had just punched someone for the same reason, a first in his life but averting his eyes from Austin's rage had them behold Sarah's face pleading for Austin to stop, over and over. She was sitting on the ground, seemingly shocked at the show that was unfolding before her, and there was nothing Mike felt able to do, frozen at the spot until Austin stopped punching and started talking. It was dizzying, that burst of violence, how easy it had been for the both of them to resort to it. Sure, they were defending Sarah, but...

Mike was still numb, his dead eyes abandoning Sarah's face when Austin talked to him. His words were clear, his voice firm, and Mike couldn't do anything else but obey, watching Austin go. How was he so calm after what happened? After what he had done? Mike looked at his hand, flexing his sore fingers. Was Austin... accustomed to violence? Mike wanted to think that it wasn't true, that it was just the effect of seeing Sarah in danger after the events from the night before, but he was starting to feel sick. Only Sarah's voice made him able to move, able to act. "It's not your fault, in no way whatsoever is this your fault" Mike said, helping Sarah get up from the floor. They have seemingly arrived before anything happened, so she was, at least, physically fine.

Even if he didn't have eyes for anything more than Sarah's face, her bravery by coming there alone, how strong she was holding the tears back, Mike's brain finally registered that they both were still naked. Keeping his eyes on her face and nowhere else, Mike helped Sarah out of the showers, covering her with a big towel before hugging her. In that moment and place, Mike didn't care nor even think about the rest of the locker room, them both needed that hug and the rest didn't matter. It was brief, but it was unabashed and welcomed, helping each other to stop trembling, to calm down.

When the embrace was over, Mike glanced at her eyes, making her see that she wasn't alone, but soon turned around so both of them could get dressed with as much privacy as it was possible. He was calmer now, and that allowed him to worry about Austin and how clear minded he looked. It was mostly clear that not only was he going to shoulder with what happened, but also seemed focused on demanding better conditions for Sarah. Mike hoped for Austin or even him to get a severe punishment for that, even if they could deserve it. He hoped that the school sure didn't want the kind of press they could earn if they punished a couple students that were just defending Sarah from a situation the school contributed to create, but there was no way of knowing.

Finally dressed, both of them got out, Mike quietly saying "we don't want to be late, lets trust Austin" before heading out to his class, the events weighting his shoulders. "What happened? Are you okay? I was getting out when I saw Austin dart off the locker room!" Alex joined Sarah, her eyes drifting between Mike's back as he went off and Sarah's face. "I swear that I almost barged in there when I saw that he was going alone" she said, completely and utterly honest.
 
Sarah wasn't even consciously aware of how badly she needed the hug until she was wrapped in the towel and pulled into an embrace. She held onto him tightly for a few minutes, finally feeling safe and relieved in his arms. She followed him back to the lockers, changing quickly to avoid any of the remaining eyes in the locker room. She worried about Austin, and what this fight would mean for everyone. She was thankful for their intervention but would feel awful if Mike and Austin got in trouble for acting on her behalf. Even Mike's words of reassurance that none of this was her fault, did little to dissuade her from feeling guilty. Once dressed, she followed him back out of the locker room.

"Just trust Austin, right." She nodded. She offered a blatantly fake smile to try to reassure him when he spoke, hugging him briefly before he left. Hearing Alex's voice, she turned to face her. "I'm okay, but..." She crumpled almost immediately. "It... It was a disaster..." She mumbled, trying not to cry out in the open like this. "I went to the showers without Mike and Austin. I know I shouldn't have, but I did. Then there were these three guys. Mike hit one and then Austin... He wouldn't stop..." She rubbed at her eyes, sniffling a little. "Austin went to tell the office what happened. He said something about not letting it happen again. I Just hope no one gets in trouble." She wrapped her arms around herself as her gaze fell to the floor. "Is the whole year gonna be like this? Maybe I shouldn't have come out."
 
Mike dragged his feet into class, hoping to distract himself with it as he felt that leaving Sarah in that moment was a mistake. Sure, they had to go to class, as tardiness or going absent wouldn't help their cause. At least she had Alex around, while Mike was left on his own, unable to think of much else but Austin and what could happen to him, to them, for that fight in the locker room. If they were on the right side? Why did he feel so bad? Mike looked at his hand, flexing his sore fingers.

Alex received Sarah's account of what happened with a face of surprise and worry. Mike hitting someone, that was a first for sure, she still remembered when a bully wanted to mess with the soft spoken kid ages ago and it was Alex the one that defended him. "Maybe a short suspension..." Alex mumbled, letting Sarah continue, even if there was no way to know. She sure was going to fight with all her might so her friends wouldn't get punished, and given the circumstances she really hoped they didn't, but they would have to wait. "What? Nonono..." Alex hugged Sarah close against her, trapping her thin arms between them. "You are who you are, this may look bad but it's going to get only better" Alex said, truly believing it. "Austin is strong and can handle things, you are brave enough to go trough anything, Mike is going to be by your side whatever happens..." she kept talking, reaching the point where she had to talk about herself. "And I... look, I may not be the girliest girl around, you got me beaten in that department" Alex admitted, wearing shorts and a sport shirt to Sarah's skirt and blouse, "but I'll be there to help with whatever you need, I promise" she let the hug go, so Sarah could see her eyes while she promised.

"This is just the first day, nobody is born without pain" Alex nodded. "But you did good, you are the boldest of us all, and we'll go through this, right?" she asked, wanting Sarah to speak for herself, to keep moving on the path she bravely set for her. After giving her a moment, Alex sighed. "I guess that we should move to the art class, we should try to avoid getting late" she said, maybe art would help Sarah relax and feel safer.
 
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