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It was another playtime at Glasshouse Primary School. All of the kids were in their own little groups playing their own games. One of these groups consisted of Bluey; the Blue Heeler, Chloe; the Dalmatian, Honey; the Beagle, and… Mackenzie… the Border Collie.
Despite Mackenzie being a boy playing with a group of girls, he still got along with them really well!
The four of them were in the grass with a skipping rope. Chloe and Mackenzie held each of the ends and were swinging it around a jumping Honey. She had a wide smile on her face as she jumped over the rope. But eventually, she tripped her foot on the rope, and her streak was broken. Accepting it with a smile on her face, she cheered.
“Did you guys see that?” Honey smiled.
“I did!” Mackenzie cheered on. “That was your longest streak yet!!”
As Honey and Mackenzie exchanged their pleasantries, Bluey spoke up.
“Ya know, I’m glad you’re playing with us, Mackenzie! You’re always so nice!”
The border collie smiled… but what she said next wiped it clean off his face.
“You’re like… one of the girls!”
Mackenzie stood there in shock, even subconsciously dropping his end of the rope. He knew Bluey didn’t mean any harm by it, but something about that comment really struck a nerve.
Me? One of the girls?? Oh gosh… I… what??? Mackenzie thought to himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that Bluey was snapping her fingers in front of his eyes.
“Hello? Mackenzie? You alright?” the Heeler tried to snap him out of his trance.
But it didn’t work. Mackenzie just… walked away. The girls looked at him with confusion. Meanwhile, Mackenzie walked all the way through the grass until he found his favorite spot: A slightly raised patch of grass which he hid behind whenever he needed his alone time.
I don’t wanna be a girl… I’m a boy… Am I? He continued to let his thoughts race. I don’t like being called a girl when I’m a boy…
It was now the end of the day. Mackenzie sat in the back of his mum’s car as he drove him home. The larger, reddish-brown border collie looked back at him through the rear-view mirror.
“How was school today, bud?” his mum smiled.
“Good…” Mackenzie sulked in the back seat.
“Huh? What’s wrong, ‘Kenz?” his mum now had a worried expression on her face.
“Well… M-mum? Am I a boy?”
The larger collie seemed a bit dumbfounded by this question. “Why, of course you are! What makes you say that?”
“I-it’s nothing…” Mackenzie snapped out of his sadness.
“Huh… Well, alright then!”
The next day at school, instead of playing with his group of girls, Mackenzie decided to play with Jack; the Jack Russel Terrier, and Rusty; the Red Kelpie. After all, they were his friends too–and better yet–they were both boys like him! Maybe they could help him feel better about himself.
So at playtime, Mackenzie found himself standing next to Jack and giving a salute to Rusty, who was playing the role of a drill sergeant.
“Alright recruits, today’s mission is not going to be easy.” Rusty began. “I’m going to need somebody to run over to the treehouse to collect vital information! Any vol-”
Before the Kelpie could even finish, Mackenzie’s hand shot up. “I’ll go!”
“Really, Mackenzie?” Rusty raised an eyebrow. “Alright, good luck, recruit!”
As if on cue, Mackenzie began sprinting all across the grass field and up the small hill to the treehouse. There, he climbed the rope ladder and found… Snickers, who was sleeping with his yellow cap below his head as a pillow.
“Uh… Sn-Snickers?” Mackenzie gently tapped the sleepy Dachshund.
“H-Huh…?” Snickers yawned. “Oh, hey, Mackenzie!”
“Uh… Rusty told me that there was information here?” Mackenzie looked confused.
“Ummm…” Snickers thought for a bit, trying to come up with something on the spot. “Oh! Uh, yeah, there’s information! The information is that there's gonna be… an attack in… a couple days!”
“Perfect! Thanks, Snickers!” Mackenzie gave a thumbs-up. “And sorry for waking you!”
“No problem!” As Mackenzie climbed down, Snickers rested his head back on his hat and returned to his nap.
Mackenzie again sprinted valiantly across the green grass field. As he got closer to Jack and Rusty, he began yelling. “Rusty!! Jack!! I got the information!! There’s gonna be an attack in a couple days!”
“Really? I suppose we better start getting ready!” Rusty put a hand on Mackenzie’s shoulder. “Excellent job, Recruit Mackenzie!”
The border collie smiled… but what she said next wiped it clean off his face.
“You’re the manliest dog I’ve ever seen!”
Mackenzie stood there in shock, even subconsciously moving away from his friend. He knew Rusty didn’t mean any harm by it, but something about that comment really struck a nerve.
Wait, what??? No! I don’t like that either! That feels… weird…! Mackenzie thought to himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that Jack was lightly shaking him a bit.
“Mackenzie? You alright?” the Terrier tried to snap him out of his trance.
But it didn’t work. Mackenzie just… walked away. The boys looked at him with confusion. Meanwhile, Mackenzie walked all the way back through the grass until he found his favorite spot: the slightly raised patch of grass which he hid behind whenever he needed his alone time.
Being overly-called a boy also doesn’t feel right… b-but yesterday, I didn’t like being called a girl… and I’d’ve rather been called a boy…
Then, the reality of the situation set onto the young collie, and he began to curl up into a ball and cry.
If I’m not happy being called a boy… and I’m not happy being called a girl… am I just not meant to be happy… at all???
Mackenzie’s weeping drew the attention of Calypso, the kindy Australian Shepherd. The teacher approached Mackenzie and kelt down in front of him.
“Mackenzie… Are you alright? What’s the matter?”
“I… I… I…!” Mackenzie blubbered through tears as he tried to explain. “I… I felt weird when Bluey called me a girl… b-but I also felt weird when Rusty called me a boy!! I dunno what to do!” Mackenzie sobbed, while Calypso gently rubbed his back.
“Here… follow me. I have something to show you!” Calypso helped the young border collie up, and the two walked hand-in-hand back to the school. Inside, Calypso sat Mackenzie down in a chair, and she pulled up one in front of him.
“So tell me, Mackenzie… You didn’t like being called a girl because… you’re a boy, correct?”
Mackenzie sniffled. “Y-yes…”
“And you also didn’t like being called a boy, correct?”
“Y-yeah…”
“Let me ask you this: Do you feel like you’re neither a boy or a girl?”
The border collie thought about it for a good moment. “N-no…”
“No? Why’s that?” Calypso asked kindly.
“Because… well… on the day I was called a girl, I wanted to be seen as a boy… But on the day I was called a boy… I wanted to be seen as… n-not a boy… maybe a girl…”
“I see…” Calypso stands up and walks over to the little bookshelf. She bends over and picks up a book with rainbow stripes on it. Then, she returns to her chair and flips through the pages until she finds what she’s looking for. She turns the book to face Mackenzie, revealing a rectangle with pink, white, purple, black, and blue stripes.
“There is a thing called Genderfluid! It’s where some days you feel like a boy, others you feel like a girl, and others neither or both!”
Mackenzie analyzed both the pages and her words carefully. “Y-you can do that??” a smile grew on his face.
“You sure can! Do you believe you’re genderfluid?” Calypso asked.
“Y-yeah! I think so!!” the border collie excitedly stood up and hugged his teacher. “Thank you, Calypso!!”
“No problem, Mackenzie! I’m glad you found yourself!”
The hug lasted for a while. Then, suddenly, Mackenzie released himself from the hug, and got his signature sullen look on his face.
“Huh? What’s wrong now?” Calypso asked, understanding.
“I… I’ve got to tell my mum ‘n dad this… don’t I…?” Mackenzie winced.
“Yeah…”
“Oh no… I dunno what they’re gonna say! I’ve been their son for… seven years! I dunno if they even know what this… g-... g-something is!” as the young border collie spiraled into a panic, Calypso grounded him by placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Mackenzie, listen to me. Make sure you’re comfortable when you do it, okay? Do it on your own terms. I believe in you!”
Those words of encouragement were just enough to return the smile to Mackenzie’s face. “Thanks, Calypso!”
It was evening in the Border Collie house. Mackenzie’s mum sat up in her bed reading a book when suddenly, her door creaked open. Walking into her room was her young son, clad in matching space-themed pyjamas and glassy eyes.
“Hi, ‘Kenzie! What’s up?” she asked, oblivious.
But before he could answer, he hopped onto her bed and sat next to her. This, alongside her noticing his glassy eyes changed her tone. “Is everything alright, bud?”
“Mum… I have something to tell you… p-promise you won’t be mad?”
“Depends… what is it?” she asked, in a bit of a sterner tone.
The young border collie wiped his tears on his pyjama sleeve. He took a deep breath, and with all of his might in his fluffy chest, he confessed.
“I’m… I’m genderfluid… S-somedays I feel like a boy… and others… not…”
As her son revealed this to her, Mackenzie’s mum gasped a little. Noticing this, Mackenzie began to cry. “A-are you mad, m-mum?”
“Goodness no!!” The older border collie swept up her crying child in a hug. “I’m sorry you felt so scared to tell me! Thank you for letting me know!”
The younger collie sniffled. “So… you’re not mad?”
“Of course not!” she smiled.
“Thanks, mum…!” Tears continued to stream down Mackenzie’s face. But this time, they were tears of joy.
Mackenzie’s mum walked him back to his own bedroom. The young collie hopped into his bed and pulled the covers up. “G’night, mum!”
“Good night, sweetheart! I love you, and I’ll always love you no matter who you are!” Mackenzie’s mum kissed him gently on his forehead before turning off his light and closing the door.
The next morning, she opened his bedroom door. “Mackenzie! Time to get up! You’ve got school today!”
After a couple seconds, the younger border collie sat up in his bed. “G’morning, mum!”
“Good morning, sweetheart!” she smiled at him. “What do you feel like today?”
Mackenzie thought for a bit.
“I feel like… Mackenzie!"