Chapter 5
MAUVE LILIANA SELWYN:
Mauve was sat in the hallway behind the main area, trying to find some peace and quiet. She had pulled out her string and beads to make bracelets, keychains, and earrings, and started making a neopronoun themed keychain. Someone had requested it on their shop, and who were they to deny zir? They had managed to get most of the keychain done, with only a few beads to go when Finn arrived.
Finn plonked down next to them, and Mauve smiled when vi noticed he was wearing the bracelet they’d made for him. Mauve quickly finished up the keychain and put it inside of a small bag to protect it from the other contents of their bag.
”So, I saw a boy on my way here, and he was so flipping cute,” Finn said.
”What kind of cute?” Mauve asked, relationships weren’t really their strong suit. “Date me cute, or snog me cute?”
”I don’t know,” Finn shrugged. “Somewhere in the middle.”
Mauve nodded. “Sorry, I’m the wrong person to talk to about this kind of stuff.”
”Oh, are you aroace?” Finn asked.
Mauve nodded. “Figured it out back when I thought I was non-binary. Told people to call me Ten, because it was gender neutral and came from my birth given name.”
”What kind of name did your parents give you if it involves ten?” Finn looked confused.
”A horrible one. And it sucks because it’s still my legal name so people ask about it.”
”Wouldn’t that be better? So you can tell them to call you Mauve?”
”Not really, because even after I tell them that they still ask questions. Like, I give you what a want to be addressed as and all you can talk about is what I don’t want to be called?”
”Sounds rude. How do you not just shout at them?”
Mauve shrugged, finishing off the keychain. “Well I mean, I get it. My deadname is weird and terrible. Who in their right mind would name their kid Hortensia anyway?”
Finn blinked. “Yeah no, even if you were cis I wouldn’t be shocked you wanted to change the name. I would change your name for you.”
“Thanks Finn, appreciated.”
”Hey gays,” Nora plonked down next to Finn. “Just a warning, there are some evil looking straights in the main room.”
”Ew, straight,” Mauve shook their head.
”Mean looking in what way?” Finn asked.
”They were snickering at an awesome looking kid,” Nora explained. “They had a skull sweater on, and I can tell you they were not straight, but these guys were snickering at the person.”
”I’m gonna go talk to the kid,” Mauve said, getting up.
”Mauve, you do realise how gay you look right?” Finn asked. “They’re gonna hate crime you.”
”What do you mean?” Mauve asked.
”You’re wearing a puzzle themed sweater vest and plaid trousers,” Nora deadpanned. “Forgive is for thinking that doesn’t look straight or cis.”
Mauve waved them off and went into the main area to find the person Nora was talking about. Vi found them sitting in the corner with a book, and had to agree with Nora. They looked awesome. Mauve wanted to ask where they shopped, because their skull sweater and jewellery looked cool. Mauve went up to them.
”Hi, I’m Mauve,” they introduced themselves. “She/they/vi. What’s your name and pronouns?”
”Nik,” he replied. “He/him.”
”I like your sweater,” Mauve complimented.
”Thanks,” Nik shrugged. “Found it at a shop in the city. I like yours.”
“Yeah, I’m not rich, so I can’t shop in the city,” Mauve said.
”The stuff in the city isn’t actually that expensive,” Nik explained. “I’m not rich, I just only own five outfits besides my school uniform.”
”Oh, I might have to check out the shops sometime then.”
”Yeah, they have some nice stuff.”
”Faggots,” Mauve heard someone whisper as they walked past. She turned around and saw it was some adidas wearing straggot with a backwards cap.
Nik dropped his book and looked slightly panicked when he heard the word being used. Mauve knew from experience with Nora that this was likely the beginnings of a panic attack, so she thought quickly.
”Hey, are you okay with being touched?” When he nodded she grabbed his arm and led him to the corridor where Finn and Nora were chatting away. “These are my friends, they’re cool. You don’t have to worry.”
Nik nodded before sinking to the ground against the wall. Finn and Nora looked at him in shock, not expecting something like this to happen. Mauve sat down beside him, gently resting their arm on his elbow.
“Hey it’s okay,” Nora said in a gentle voice. “You’re safe here. No ones gonna hurt you.”
Nik nodded and after a few minutes calmed down considerably. Mauve wasn’t sure what had triggered him, or if it was the slur and something had happened when he came out, or if he even knew the kid, so vi pulled out vis water bottle and offered it to Nik. Drinking water often helped ground and calm down Nora when she had panic attacks or flashbacks.
”You feeling better?” Mauve asked.
Nik nodded. “Sorry for causing a hassle.”
”You don’t need to apologise,” Finn said. “You couldn’t help it.”
“Do you want to talk about it or…?” Mauve asked.
Nik shook his head. “Not really, I just wasn’t expecting to be called a slur in a so called ‘safe space’.”
“Do you want me to beat the kid up that called you a slur?” Nora offered. “I have a switchblade for emergencies.”
”Nora, we’re not dismembering anyone,” Mauve said.
”Why not?” Nora whined. “The straggots deserve it.”
”I don’t know the kid,” Nik said. “He doesn’t go to my school. And hopefully no one from my school is here.”
”School sucks man,” Finn groaned. “Fifty percent want to beat you for being gay, the other fifty percent want to adopt you or prove you aren’t gay. Then there’s maybe a few other gays sprinkled in.”
”Not at my school,” Nik said. “I’m the only one in my year that’s out as gay. All the girls at school keep trying to turn me into a gay accessory, and all the boys think I’m gonna assault them.”
”I hate straight guys,” Nora said. “I don’t plan to ever date one. They just, they suck. And very few straight guys are feminine anyway.”
Nik raised an eyebrow at that.
”Gynesexual,” Nora explained. “I only experience attraction towards feminine people, regardless of gender.”
”Oh, that makes sense,” Nik nodded.
“So, you’re a year nine right?” Finn asked. “Like Nora and Mauve?”
Nik went wide eyed. “I’m a year twelve.”
”I’m sorry what?” Finn blinked. “But I’m taller than you. And I’m only a year ten.”
Nik shrugged. “Could be worse, my sisters a year eleven and someone thought she was a year seven.”
Mauve saw in their peripheral vision that the straggots were in the hallway, and laughing about something. They were all dressed like basic straight people, clad in mismatched adidas clothing with minimal effort put into their appearances. Honestly, they understood why straight girls constantly wanted gay boys opinions on clothing if they dressed that terribly. Unfortunately not much could be said for straight guys. They either had a mullet that didn’t suit them, or a super short undercut that didn’t suit them.
“Hey ladies,” mullet man straggot said when he walked up to them.
It made Mauve’s skin crawl. The only girl was Nora, and even then, Nora hated being referred to as a lady.
“Didn’t expect to see so many trannies and fags out tonight,” an Ariana Grande wannabe said. “Oh sorry, did you understand that?” She then did an offensive imitation of an Indian speaking Hindi, addressing it to Mauve.
Great, Mauve thought, why just be homophobic and transphobic when you can also be racist. Vi rolled vis eyes.
”Hey, faggot,” one of the other boys exclaimed, “you left your book behind!”
Nik winced when the hardcover book hit his head. Mauve didn’t understand that in particular. Nik was older than these kids, yet didn’t seem to be able to stand up for himself. Maybe it had something to do with why the f slur was so triggering.
The mullet man knelt down next to Nora and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, causing her to visibly tense up and clench her fists. Mauve wanted to slap this guy for daring to touch their best friend.
”Why is a pretty girl like yourself hanging out with these twirps?” He asked. “I bet I could turn you straight.”
”Get off me!” Nora shoved him to the side and moved next to Mauve. “You’re a prat.”
”Hey!” A girl with French braids glared at Nora. “There are kids starving Africa and you’re gonna complain about a guy asking you out?”
”There are children starving everywhere dipshit,” Finn said. “Do you know anything about the African economy, is that an excuse you use so that people don’t call you out for being a bitch?”
”You’re right,” she nodded. “There are children starving everywhere. Here, take some water.” She then poured her drink on top of Finn.
“Why don’t you come up with something more original?” Nora stood up. “Instead of calling us slurs we’ve heard a million times already.”
”Maybe you should start listening,” mullet straggot said, “see a therapist to fix your issues.”
Before Mauve could vis own anger, Nora swung at him. Mauve, Finn and Nik watched on in shock as the mullet straggot stumbled back, clutching his bloodied nose. The other three straggots were startled, and the Ariana Grande wannabe looked enraged.
”How dare you!” She grabbed the mullet straggots arm. “Come on Bradley, let’s go.”
The four straggots stalked off, and Nora turned with a shit-eating grin on her face.
”That was badass,” Mauve said.
“I know,” Nora sat down next to Finn and lent back on her arms.
”Those guys suck,” Finn glared in their general direction. “Why are straggots like that allowed to exist?”
”Because who else would run government?” Nik shrugged. “The gays?”
”We would make a brilliant government system,” Mauve proclaimed. “We can murder all straggots, and use rapists to test makeup and stuff on instead of animals. It’s not cruelty free, but they deserve it.”
”We also educate bigots so that they aren’t just gonna hate-crime over and over again,” Nora decided.
”Honestly, why don’t schools talk more about this kind of stuff?” Finn said. “They briefly explain what LGBTQ+ stands for and the discrimination we face, but go into no further detail. They don’t talk about intersexuality or neurodivergency, they just expect us to know.”
”I remember when they talked about transgender for one lesson,” Mauve sighed. “And the video they showed us wasn’t even accurate, because it was written by cis people.”
”And it sucks when your family tries to blame your knowledge on school,” Nik groaned. “No Dad, school didn’t teach me shit. I had to do my own fucking research, and take many quizzes.”
“Why don’t we force cishets to do research?” Nora asked. “Like, the world would be a much better place if people were just properly educated about this stuff.”
”Because think about the children,” Mauve gasped. “The children are already going through puberty, and therefore starting to experience these emotions, which means they’ll think something is horribly wrong with them for not fitting the norm, but we can’t corrupt them and force them into this community.”
”When two boys hold hands and your parents scream at them for being inappropriate in public,” Finn said. “Sir, they were holding hands. That is not homoerotic, that is them being affectionate. You didn’t react like this when a straight couple started kissing in public.”
”Exactly, everyone always thinks that LGBTQ automatically means sex,” Nik nodded. “I mean, I’m not a virgin, but that’s not because I’m gay. Just because I held this guys hand, doesn’t mean I’m gonna fuck his brains out right in front of your salad.”
”Thank you!” Mauve said. “Every time I complain about the over sexualisation of queer people in told ‘you’re just biased because you’re aroace’. No! I’m just an example of how excluded one can feel because of said sexualisation.”
“And a surprising amount of queer people are victims of SA,” Nora shrugged. “They act like we’re going to molest them, but it’s more common for a straight person to assault a queer person. So, that just adds to the damage sexualisation causes.”
”Especially for queer girls,” Finn sighed. “There was a trend going around for a while where straight guys would dance shirtless to a song about liking girls that like other girls. It was disgusting.”
“I also like girls who like girls,” Nora said. “Only difference is I’ll actually manage to score a date with one.”
”True,” Nik nodded. “And what is with straight girls treating gay guys like accessories? So, many girls have been bothering me since I came out.”
”It’s a stereotype,” Mauve said. “They think gay guys love fashion and act super girly. There are gay man like that, but they really expect a guy in a skull sweater to give them girly fashion advice?”
”Unfortunately,” Finn wrung water out of his jacket. “Funny enough, the vast majority of gays dress emo, punk, grunge, or gothic.”
”The only thing we all do is dress vintage,” Nora pointed to her corduroys. “But vintage is a vibe.”
”True that,” Nik nodded his head.
”What happened?” The group turned to see Pavarti standing next to them. “Nik has a bruise on his forehead and Finn is soaking wet.”
”Some straggots over there we’re picking on us,” Mauve explained. “I think one of them was named Bradley.”
Pavarti sighed. “Well, this is meant to be a safe space. I can kick them out if you’d like?”
“No it’s fine,” Mauve said. “I don’t want to make it into a big deal.”
They were also acutely aware that Nora had punched Bradley and may also get kicked out. Not something she wanted to see.
“Okay,” Pavarti said. “But if they bother you again you let me know.”
“Will do,” Finn nodded, and turned back to the group once Pavarti was gone. “We’re not doing that are we?”
”Obviously,” Nik said. “Better not to let them know they got under your skin. If you don’t react they tend to get bored.”
Mauve quickly got out a peace of paper, and started writing something on it.
”Give me your favourite colour,” Mauve said. “Hand them over.”
”Pink,” Nora said.
“Not what I was expecting,” Finn said. “I figured your favourite colour would be black, since I’ve never seen you wear pink.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Black is cool, but pink.”
”Well, my favourite colour is black,” Nik shrugged. “Although that was probably obvious.”
”I like red,” Finn said. “I’m assuming your favourite colour is purple?”
”Haha,” Mauve deadpanned. “I mean, you’re right, but I don’t have to like that.”
”Why do you want our favourite colours?” Nik asked.
”Reasons. You’ll all be here next week right?”
”Yep,” Nora said. “Any excuse to leave the house.”
”Agreed,” Finn and Nik said in unison.
Mauve finished writing everything down and folded up the paper, putting it back inside vis bag. They spent the rest of Youth in the corridor talking, and getting to know each other a bit better. Nik didn’t go to their school unfortunately, he instead went to a school called Craigfield Senior High School.
When it was time to leave, Mauve grabbed Nora’s hand and brought her home. It was better if Nora just went home with vim instead of having a panic attack or flashback on the walk home.