Chapter Text
The call connects and I hear a voice I haven’t heard in years ask hello.
“Hey Mrs. C.”
“Cole?” she asks, and it’s that name, that fucking name ringing in my ears like nails on a chalkboard. “Cole Price?”
“Y-yeah, that’s me,” I say. A lie by omission, but she’s not the one I need acceptance from.
“Oh honey, I haven’t heard from you in years.”
“Yeah it’s…it’s been a minute. Is Max around? I wanted to talk.”
“Just a minute dear,” she says, and then fainter – “Max! Max! Cole Price is on the line-” and it’s all I can do to not start screaming that that’s not my name-
“Cole?” A new voice answers, different than I remember, and That Name is even worse from Max’s voice. “Is it really you?”
“Yeah,” I respond. “It’s me Max.”
“Oh God Cole, I missed your voice,” Max says, and I feel a flash of irritation.
“Well, you could have heard it any time…” I say, while inside I’m screaming at myself to shut up before Max decides not to deal with my bullshit and hangs up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, it’s true. I abandoned you. You’ve got to hate me so much…”
“I could never hate you Max. You were my best friend. Are my best friend.”
“Are? You never…replaced me?”
“There…was a girl. For a while. But she…” and it’s still too painful to talk about. “How about you?”
“There are a couple of kids who are nice to me but…but none of them are you.” And I feel a flush of warmth at the words, followed by guilt. We both needed the other, it would seem. “Um, why are you calling? If it’s ok to ask.”
“It’s fine. I just…I really needed someone to talk to. Things are real shit down here right now.”
“Oh God Cole I’m so sorry,” echoes down the line, and it’s the last straw.
“Don’t. Don’t call me that.”
“What?”
“I-” I bite the bullet and say it. “My name. It’s not Cole. It’s Chloe. I’m a girl. I’m trans.”
Silence. Then-
“…Is this a joke?”
What
“What?”
“I get it. Call up the old best friend that abandoned you for some bullying. How did you even find out? Are you cyberstalking me?!?”
“Maxwell, I don’t-”
“Maxine!” The voice on the other end of the line screams at me, and suddenly with horror I understand why the voice is different. “My name is Maxine!”
“Wait-”
The call disconnects.