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The bell rang, signaling the end of another mundane school day.
The D-Tent boys shuffled out of their respective classrooms and gathered in the hallway, exchanging stories of their day.
As per the usual, X-ray had gotten into an argument with a teacher, Pit got called to the office for his odor and Zigzag got detention.
Among the boys were Squid and Stanley, who coincidentally found themselves sharing an English class this semester.
Although Stanley wouldn’t admit it, he didn’t think Squid should be in that class. Perhaps an applied English class would suit him better…
Squid wasn’t a bad person or anything, but sitting next to him was always an experience. He would talk the whole time, then panic at the last minute about whether or not they had homework.
When the class had a Lord of the Flies test, Squid freaked. Why? Because he never even opened the book before.
From Squid’s perspective, he had always admired Stanley's intelligence and writing skills, even if he seemed to not care about English.
As the two walked side by side, Squid gathered the courage to ask Stanley about something that had been bothering him.
"Hey, Stanley," Squid began hesitantly, adjusting his backpack strap. "You know how.. I'm shit at English, right?"
Stanley nodded, in complete agreement. "Yeah, I know. It's not your…” He hesitated, “Strongest subject. What’s up, man? Is today’s essay bugging you?”
Squid's eyes lit up. "Yeah, yeah! Well, uh, could I maybe... you know, look at yours? Just to get an idea of what I should write?"
Stanley sighed, knowing the other boy might be lying a little. "Alright, Squid, but promise me you'll change a few things. I don't want you copying me word for word."
Squid grinned, giving Stanley a playful pat on the back. "You got it, buddy. I won't let you down.”
Days passed, and Squid submitted his English essay, feeling quite satisfied with himself.
“I did it, Caveman. My essay is great.”
“Good job, dude. I’m proud of you.”
Unbeknownst to Stanley, he had copied his essay word for word, not altering a single sentence. The topic? Stanley's experiences as a trans man.
When Stanley received his graded essay, he was livid. How the hell did he get a 50%?? This is the worst grade he’s ever gotten in years.
He stormed up to Squid during lunchtime, his face flushed with anger. "Squid, what the hell? I told you to change a few things, not copy everything! We’re gonna fail English."
Squid's eyes widened, “What do you mean? I got a good grade.”
Stanley crossed his arms, frustration evident in his voice. "This essay is personal to me, Squid. It's about my journey, my struggles- Wait what do you mean, you got a good grade?"
Zigzag, who was sitting next to Squid smiled with his too-wide smile. “Yeah, he got a 94%.” He handed Stanley the essay.
“The teacher even wrote ‘You’re so brave, Alan. Thank you for sharing your story with me.’” Zigzag cackled.
Stanley's anger subsided momentarily, replaced by confusion. He took the essay from Zigzag's hand and scanned through it. Sure enough, his words were there, his story laid bare on the paper. But the name at the top was Squid's, not his.
“The fuck?”
“Hey, man, I guess I got that transgender look about me.”
Stanley stormed off to their English teacher’s classroom.
After lunch, Squid felt uncharacteristically guilty. He sat in history, pondering how he could make things better until he felt a rap on his shoulder.
It was X-Ray, who sat right beside him. “You’re thinking. That’s not a good sign. What’s goin’ on, Squid?”
“Man, I fucked up.”
“I know. Zero’s pissed off. He might beat your ass just like he did your boyfriend’s.”
“Oh, shut it. What do I do?”
“Apologize, dumbass.” X-Ray rolled his eyes. “Or tell the teacher, I dunno.”
Squid left the classroom, his mind consumed with thoughts of how to make amends with Stanley. He knew he needed to apologize directly and sincerely for betraying his trust. He made his way to find Stanley.
Finally, Squid spotted Stanley sitting alone on a bench near the school courtyard, talking animatedly with Zero, who, as always, listened with the most interest. He took a deep breath, approached him cautiously, and spoke up, "Stanley, can we talk alone?"
Stanley stood up, his expression a mix of surprise and lingering anger. "What do you want, Squid?"
"I need to apologize, Caveman. I messed up big time by copying your essay. I didn't really give two shits ‘bout it, so I didn’t even bother to read it.l
Stanley remained silent, his gaze fixed on the other boy. Squid continued, his voice filled with sincerity, "I'm really sorry. You’re probably pissed and I get that.”
Stanley's eyes softened slightly as he turned to face Squid. "You're damn right I'm angry, Squid. That essay was deeply personal to me, and you took that away… Thanks for that apology though. It takes guts to own up to your mistakes, I guess."
Squid nodded, a lump forming in his throat. "I don't expect you to forgive me right away, but I want you to know that I'm committed to making things right. I'll talk to the teacher, whatever you want.”
“I trusted you, and you fucking let me down. But maybe, just maybe, we can work through this. I already talked to the teacher and sorted this all out.”
Stanley extended a hand. Squid shook it firmly, a weight lifting off his shoulders.
“Let’s write you a new essay.”
As the two boys sat on the bench, they began discussing the essay's topic, sharing their perspectives, and brainstorming ideas.
“One last thing, Caveman…”
“What?”
“You’re trans… so… how do you scratch your balls?”