Chapter 1
Mary Bonnet had locked herself in the bathroom. It was six o'clock in the morning, and her father and sister were fighting... again. She did her best to shut them out as she got ready for school. Mary smeared cover-up over the bags under her eyes and wished her mother was- Mary stopped that dirty thought. She shook her head like it was an Etch A Sketch; she wanted to erase any image that remained of her mother. Don’t think about her; not her purple eyes, not her long black hair, not the coldness. The yelling between her father and older sibling became louder, derailing Mary’s train of thought. She hated it when they fought. Mary added mascara and eyeliner. Her goal was to make herself look nothing like herself.
“This is not the time for your bullshit! I have to get Mary to school!” she heard Drusilla screech.
“You sound just like your mother, you filthy faggot!” their father roared.
“Oh yeah that's nice. You're dad of the fucking year!”
“Well, maybe if you weren't such a freak she'd – I wouldn't have to do this alone!”
Smack! Mary wasn't sure if Drusilla had slapped her father, or the other way around, but she could make her guesses.
“Shut your fucking mouth. Mary can hear you, Dumbass.” Drusilla's voice was angry, but hushed. Mary could still hear.
Tears mingled with Mary’s makeup and streaked down her face. Taking a powder puff, Mary patted over her tears with setting powder. It only worked if she looked perfect. Then, Mary covered everything around her eyes with setting spray. There, that should-
A sharp knock against the door startled Mary into a jump. “Mary, we have to go,” came Drusilla's husky voice. “You almost done?”
Mary opened the door to the bathroom. Drusilla looked wild. Her violet eyes were bloodshot, rimmed in heavy black eyeliner and shadow, and the pale concealer she used to cover up her stubble was thick like pancake batter. Mary didn't understand why Drusilla wanted to be a girl, but then shoot herself in the foot by hacking off all of her hair and wearing frumpy black clothes. Back when Drusilla was still Mary's brother, she had long, thick black hair like... that wasn’t important. What was important was that Drusilla get out of that black hoodie and weird ass legging-miniskirt combo. She needed to let that hair grow to help soften that jawline. It was almost absurd how easy she would be to fix.
“I’m not being seen in public with you like that. Go put on a nice dress,” Mary said.
“Mary, you have five minutes to get in Tank, or you can walk to school,” Drusilla growled, and then stomped off.
Drusilla’s van was just as frumpy and just as black as Drusilla. There were no back windows so everyone at school thought Drusilla kept missing kids in the back. Like she was snacking on them, or something. Mary and Drusilla loved the van. Tank, they named her. Mary decided a long time ago that if Tank were a person, she would be the biggest, butchest, most sexiest lesbian on the block. Drusilla went along with it, but she drew the line when Mary wanted to add chubby mud-flap maidens to Tank's back tires.
Mary darted out of the bathroom like a cat and followed. Her father – a chunky man with a crooked back, balding scalp, bristly mustache, and thick-ass glasses – sat in his beat-up comfy chair in the corner of a grubby living room. Mary gave a quick wave and darted out to the van. Drusilla probably wouldn't have really left her, but being late for the first day of school was not going to happen.
*
Thank you for reading the first chapter of my up coming debut novella, Fairywing. If you have enjoyed this sample Fairywing will be out 3.23.2021. Reviews are appreciated. thanks again. I will see you again in part 2.
D. H. Torkavian
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