Mental Breakthrough (Part 1)


Hector felt so uncomfortable attending class as a girl. As required by swap class, he had to follow his partner's schedule diligently and live as though he was actually her. But the tests and homework assignments weren't the difficult part; it was living as Violet. Their school had gendered uniforms for boys and girls, and being forced to put on a girl's uniform every day was demeaning. On top of that, expectations of hair and makeup were not making life any easier. He didn't even want to think about the difference in anatomy. As the teacher did roll call, he sat up in his chair and contemplated his life choices. Why did I sign up for this stupid class? he thought.


The class went about as expected. Sitting near the back, Hector hoped to avoid notice. The students around him certainly weren't paying attention to him, nor the teacher for that matter. If he was lucky and stayed quiet, maybe he wouldn't be asked to answer a question and have to hear his own feminine voice.

Suddenly a whispered shout called from the across the room. "Pssst. Hey, Violet." Hector lifted his head to see a boy looking right at him. "Is it true?" the boy continued. "Are you actually someone else right now?" Before Hector could even process his thoughts, the teacher stepped right in front of his desk.

"How about you, Violet?" the teacher asked. "Would you like to venture a guess?" Just my luck, Hector thought.


"Oh, I know. Can I answer?" Hector turned to see that same boy from before raising his hand. He seemed to understand his desire not to speak.

"Alright, Logan. Please tell the class your solution." The teacher walked back to the front of the room. Hector's heart fluttered. For the first time since he became a girl, he had some semblance of hope that he wasn't alone in this, that things would be okay. When the boy made eye contact with him again, he silently mouthed the words "thank you." That little bit of kindness went a long way. For the rest of the day, he didn't have any recurring thoughts of body dysmorphia.

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