“We have a problem!

” I panted, reaching the car park where Delia stood, grinning madly like a
demonic Cheshire cat.
“Ehh… you call it a problem, I call it a solution.” She slipped the lighter back into her pocket as we
stood watching as crimson flames licked the walls of the empty bar. Delia’s eyes twinkled gleefully in
the firelight. I always knew she would cause trouble, but I never imagined it would involve arson,
trans rights and a dead guy. She reached out her hand for me. “We better get going, Fin, or we’re
definitely gonna get caught.” Hastily throwing my bag over my shoulder, we started running, turning
the corner as sirens wailed in the distance. It was at this point the day’s events truly started to sink
in…

The day started out like any other. I woke up tired and miserable, my head pounding and a bottle of
WKD laying empty on the faded green carpet. Pulling my blankets up to my chin, I rolled over,
knocking the blaring alarm clock off of my bedside table and onto the floor. A few minutes ticked by
as I lay in the dark just starting to drift off to sleep when suddenly:

“KEIRA?! KEIRA WAKE UP ITS 7.30 YOU’LL BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!” The name echoed in my ears. ‘Oh,
the joys of being trans,’ I thought to myself. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself out of bed, pulling on
my school trousers and my polo, raking my fingers through my hair. My bedroom door swung open
and Viv appeared, holding one shoe in her hand.
“Have you seen my-“
“No, Viv, your shoe is not in my bedroom. Check the kitchen. Maybe Max has it.” She rolled her eyes,
tossing her blonde curls over her shoulders in the most dramatic fashion. I smirked as she stormed
off, my own hair greasy and a very dark shade of purple. Delia had dared me to dye it in the summer
and somehow the teachers never noticed it. They tend to leave me alone now. Nobody wants to
deal with the angsty nonbinary kid who has ‘issues’. Since the start of year 11 most people paid very
little attention to me, what with GCSEs and all that. I rarely went to school these days anyway. Only
when Delia fancied going. Otherwise, we simply sat in the park eating pringles and smoking until we
went back to her house to watch Netflix. This was our routine and it worked for all of us. I slipped a
hoodie on over my polo and grabbed my bag off the floor. Downstairs, Viv and Max were still fighting
for Viv’s left shoe. I grabbed it out of Max’s tiny fists and quickly gave it to her, grabbing a banana off
the kitchen counter. The door slammed shut behind me as I left, rummaging in my bag for my
headphones. I pushed them into my ears as I trailed down the grimy alleyway, my feet dragging.
They say music is supposed to help with ‘low mood’, and sometimes it does but a dark cloud seemed
to be hanging over me, haunting me, shadowing every step I took. Emptiness engulfed me and Avril
Lavigne faded into the background as I stepped out of the alley and onto the main road.