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Melvin knocked nervously on the office door, before being assured again by the secretary that he was allowed to go in. He stepped inside, tugging at the bowtie around his neck. Krupp looked up from his work, seeming confused.
“Um, excuse me- Mr. Krupp?” Melvin spoke, staring at the spot just above his eyes.
“Yes? Do you need help with something?”
“Yes. Um- you’ve seen my student file? Right?” Melvin asked. Krupp’s eyes bounced back and forth before he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
“Pssh. Of course. Yeah, that’s my job, of course I have.” He glanced away, tapping his fingers on his arm. “Why?”
“W-well I’ve- I’ve transitioned, recently.” Again Melvin tugged at his bowtie as Krupp stared at him. “I'm… a boy now? A-and… my mom is fine with it, but she’s busy, and I was hoping… if I could get my name and gender marker changed? In my file?”
Krupp’s mouth fell into a small “o” for a moment in shock before he sat up. “Uh- yeah, of course. That- we can do that, yes. Sit down, I’ll find your file.”
Melvin climbed into the seat in front of the desk, watching as Krupp dug through a file cabinet. He pulled out one of the files and flipped through it a bit as he sat back down. “Rebecca Sneedly” shone from the front cover like a knife, making Melvin wincs. Setting the file down on the desk, Krupp grabbed a pen and looked over at Melvin.
“What’s your new name?” He asked.
He… actually hadn’t said it to anyone yet, besides his mother. This made it feel… real.
“Melvin,” he said, grinning at the fluttering feeling in his chest. “M-E-L-V-I-N.”
Krupp wrote it out on the page. “Alright. We’ll get that fixed. Now this isn’t a legal name change, ok? This is just for the school and teachers.”
“R-right.” Melvin nodded. “Thank you, sir.” He jumped down from the chair and made his way to the door. Krupp glanced at a picture in his hand before looking up.
“Melvin.”
A bright feeling swelled in the boy’s chest at the name. He grinned, before turning back to face the principal. He waved him over, and Melvin came over to the side of his chair curiously.
Krupp took a deep breath before holding the picture out so Melvin could see. “This is a picture of me with my family, when I was a little older than you. That’s my brother, and my sister was just a year old. And… that one’s me.”
“…but that’s a little girl,” Melvin said. Did he mean to point at one of the other kids?
“Yeah.” Krupp nodded. “It is.”
After a moment, Melvin gasped, his eyes wide. He looked between the photo and his principal, almost in disbelief. He started bouncing on his toes, and he bit down on his bowtie to keep from squealing.
“You’re like me!”
“I am.” Krupp smiled and ruffled Melvin’s hair before setting a hand on his shoulder. “And you listen to me. If anyone gives you any trouble, ever, you tell me.”
“Yes sir!” Melvin squeaked and hugged Krupp’s arm.
“Uh- now get back to class.” Krupp nudged him towards the door, and Melvin excitedly hopped out of the office, leaving Krupp alone inside.