1 FlowerBloom

I pace back and forth in my room. I listened to the sound of my parents bickering downstairs, they were fighting about my uncle Tom, who died because of someone on my father's side. My dad's relative had it out for Tom and killed him promptly.

I already knew the events that would follow shortly after this argument, my mother sat me down last night after my father had gone to sleep and told me about the divorce she wanted to file.

These events take place just after my 17th birthday, in a way it's very messed up for this to happen, but nobody is promised anything so I have to deal with it. I've never had a very close relationship with my mother anyways, she lacks to capabilities to understand that I am outside of the gender binary, which I revealed once I got home from work on my birthday.

My dad was fine with it, of course, he was. He wants nothing more them my love, I am his last hope at a family anyways.

I paced into my bathroom absentmindedly and gaze at myself in the mirror. My black curly textured hair fell over my face like a mess, my eyes a dull brown from the feeling of dread this morning. I brushed my fingers along the mark that ran across my nose in a horizontal line. It scarred my brown-colored skin, the tissues attempt at fusing back together, a very interesting phenomenon.

My body wasn't in the best shape, I was tall but lanky. I possessed a thinner build than most others, making me a fast runner but lacking in things that required strength.

I wasn't perfect, nobody was, but I may be among the few farthest away from it. Since my parents have been going at it my mental health declined, so much more so than it already was. I've been neglecting my hygiene, my gums black and irredeemable.

Finally, I am dressed in a black sweatshirt with the words "Plain" printed across the front, I wore black joggers and dark grey gym shoes to top it off. Not the brightest color scheme, but the darkest are usually the brightest among us.

I could hear the door slam from downstairs. My father sighs loudly, his footsteps growing louder as he made his way upstairs.

He opens my room door and offers a weak smile which I returned.

"Pack your things, we're getting out of here," he told me pulling out his phone.

I nodded watching him close my door and listening to his conversation on the other side. I walk to my closet grabbing a black suitcase with my name on the tag. I'll pack light just in case something goes wrong.

I grab basic necessities like underwear and socks. I take more sweatshirts and sweatpants, as well as a few pairs of jeans.

I got to my bathroom grabbing my brush and putting it into the pocket of my suitcase. I turned off my bathroom light and headed out of my room. descending the staircase hearing my father's voice on the phone again. I overheard his conversation.

"Thank you so much for understanding Jess, and again I'm sorry for complicating things at such a vital moment for you guys."

From the phone's speaker, I barely heard the whisper of a voice reassuring my father that it's ok.

"Nonsense Joseph" the voice chimed, "it's about time you came back over here and introduced us to your son, my nephew" they finished.

"my nephew?" Does this mean that she is my aunt? Then she must know my uncle, we're going back to where that killer resides? The thought of my uncle makes me uneasy. He's a big beefy man, standing at 6'8 where I was 6'1 and my father was 5'9. I'd only met him a year ago, even then he seemed to have this dangerous aura around him.

The clicking of my father's phone indicating that the call has ended brought me out of my thoughts. He turned towards me and his eyebrows stitched upwards, surprised I was standing behind him.

"We're going to stay where my uncle stays?" I asked. "Yes, FlowerBloom City," He said.

An hour past and my Dad and I were in my moms car on our way to the airport. We made small talk, it felt nice to be able to talk to at least one person who understood what I was going through.

"Are you excited? I'm enrolling you back into high school there so you can at least finish the senior year and get a diploma."

"Do I have to? I really don't feel like explaining to people that I'm Nonbinary" I whined. He pats my back, "I know son, I mean shit sorry. I didn't mean to say son, I promise I'm trying to get this thing down but it's all so new to me" he rushed to apologize.

I shook my head, a feeling of joy running over my body knowing my dad was trying. "Dad, just knowing that you're trying is enough for me. You'll get there, it'll take some time. I love you."

He smiled giving my shoulder a tight squeeze, returning my words of affection before focusing on the road.

I went on my phone and typed "FlowerBloom City," into the search bar. What came up was a beautiful humongous and lit-up city filled with neon lights ranging from purple to pink, to a little bit of blue. It reminded me of the vaporwave aesthetic. The pictures of it were mostly taken at night, so I'm guessing it's way more active during that time too.

"Woah, this place looks crazy." I outstretched my hand to show my father the pictures, his lips parted and he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"If you think that's crazy, you should of seen it back before I left there with your mother. It was so much more lively than now, it's dulled down a bit due to..." he stopped trailing off.

"Do to?" I questioned. "Sorry, forget about it I just lost my train of thought" he lied, but I didn't question him any further. I just nodded and turned my head back towards the window to look at the figures that blew by.