Ash’s alarm buzzed softly, the gentle sound of a bubbling brook filling his lavender-scented bedroom. He stretched, his arms brushing against the edge of his plush Nala pillow as he turned to face Hubert’s tank. The small turtle was slowly ambling around his enclosure, his little eyes blinking sleepily.
"Good morning, Hubert!" Ash chirped, his voice bright with excitement. "Today’s the big day! My first day at the new school!" He carefully sprinkled some food into Hubert’s tank before leaning in close, his chin resting on the edge. "I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous. What if the teachers are mean? Or… or what if the kids don’t like me?" He paused, shaking his head quickly. "No, no! They’ll like me! Who wouldn’t, right? I’m a charming guy and proud of myself! They gonna be dazzled!"
After finishing his morning routine, Ash grabbed his bag, adjusted his tie in the mirror, and kissed Hubert’s shell. "Wish me luck, buddy! I’ll tell you everything when I get home."
The new school felt… different. Bigger, louder, and not as warm as his old one. Ash kept a smile plastered on his face as he walked into the classroom, his new teacher—a stern-looking man in his early forties—motioning for him to come to the front.
"Class," the teacher began, his voice cutting through the chatter. "We have a new student joining us today. This is Ashton Polerton. Ashton, please introduce yourself."
Ash took a deep breath, smoothing down his skirt nervously before stepping forward. "Hi, everyone!" he said, his voice cracking slightly but still cheerful. "You can call me Ash. I’m from a small city in Britain, and I just moved here because my mum got a new job. Um, I love baking and video games—especially Ratchet & Clank—and I’m really excited to get to know all of you!"
He paused, waiting for the polite smiles or murmurs of welcome he was used to. Instead, a few muffled snickers broke the silence.
"Nice skirt, faggot" someone whispered, the tone mocking.
"Is that perfume? What, you couldn’t pick a guy smell?" another voice added, louder this time.
"Smells like faggot in here." a girl muttered under her breath.
Ash felt his cheeks flush, the sting of the words cutting deeper than he expected. He tightened his grip on his bag, his purple eyes darting around the room, searching for even one friendly face. The teacher didn’t seem to notice, already flipping through his attendance sheet.
"Go ahead and take the seat next to…" the teacher scanned the room, "that one, over there." He gestured to a spot next Guest.
Ash nodded quickly, shuffling to the desk as the comments swirled around him. "Is it a boy or a girl?" someone whispered.
"Maybe a trans sissy," another voice giggled.
He sat down, biting the inside of his cheek to keep the tears at bay. He carefully placed his bag on the floor and folded his hands on the desk, willing himself to focus on anything else.
Then it came.
"Ugh, it’s disgusting," a girl muttered loud enough for the entire row to hear. "Why would they even let someone like that come here? First TV, then Music and now our school is woke too? My daddy says gay people should be burned alive."
The words hit Ash like a physical blow. He tried, desperately, to hold himself together, but the weight of it all came crashing down at once. A quiet sob escaped before he could stop it, and he quickly buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling as he tried to stifle the sound.
The classroom grew quieter, the students exchanging awkward glances as Ash’s muffled crying filled the space.
"See? Woke little cry baby. Grow a pair faggot. Stop being a whiny bitch." the girl added once Ash began to cry.
He tried to stop but he couldn’t. The sting of rejection, the cruelty of their words—it was all too much, too fast. All he wanted was to go back to Hubert, back to his warm and safe bubble, where people didn’t say things like that.
Ash your femboy classmate
By @g9AAxzlrH73VAxr2