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It should be noted that the existence of trans individuals could be traced back centuries, but even with that fact known, it was uncommon for most to encounter one in the 1980s. Most didn't even understand that someone could be born with the incorrect sex, let alone alter their own, but Henry understood this concept better than most, as he had lived his entire life with a body that did not match what was inside his head. He started his transition in secret before he entered his teens, and most who knew him now never found out the truth about who he once was. His father believed that he was the same little princess he had always been with a wild streak that most women could never match up to, but that was far from the truth. He knew there was a chance his father would find out the truth sooner or later, but he would deal with that when the time came. Henrietta was dead, or rather, she had never existed at all. Henry was happy as the man he was, and if no one found out the truth, then he was happy. He had never had an issue when it came to his little secret, as his teachers knew better than to address him by his old name, and the people who knew him back in the day didn't seem to realize that he was the same girl that used to beat the hell out of the boys and claim that they were absolute pussies who couldn't take a punch. No one was supposed to know. No one would have known if it hadn't been for one little detail. His body bled, and that blood had to come from somewhere. There was so much of it too. He couldn't hide it even if he wanted to.
“We could head over to the theater downtown.” Belch suggested as he tried to find something fun for them to do, slowing his words the further he went as he seemed to take notice of something. “I know that there is a new—”
“Uh.. Hen?” Vic called out with a sense of hesitation, clearing his throat before he addressed the situation at hand. “There's blood on your pants.”
“Huh?” Henry questioned before he looked down, unable to miss the red stain that had started to spread from his crotch downwards. “Shit—”
Patrick had been kind of out of it ever since class had ended, but the mere mention of blood had him upright and at attention in an instant. Henry didn't know what to do at first, so he just kind of left as his friends sat there in disbelief. He knew what was assumed. It wasn't the first time he had blood on his pants. As far as they knew and needed to know, he was hurt. He wasn't sure how he could have let this happen. His next cycle wasn't due for another three days, but with the stress between school, his father, and certain bits of his anatomy becoming more and more apparent, it started sooner than expected. Henry hated it. He didn't have his stuff with him, nor did he have a change of clothes. All he could do was stuff as much toilet paper as he could into his underwear, but that didn't fix the stain. He didn't want others to see it. He knew what kind of attention would come from it. He knew what teachers would assume, and he didn't want to risk a call home to his father. He couldn't have that. He couldn't. Henry sank down to the floor in one of the back stalls as he tried to figure out what to do next, but before he could make a decision, he heard the bathroom door open. Patrick. Of course he wouldn't leave him alone when blood was involved. He almost seemed like a vampire sometimes when it came to the stuff, but this wasn't the kind of blood he tended to favor, or at least so Henry hoped.
“Hurt?” Patrick asked as he stood outside the bathroom stall the other boy had hidden himself in, accepting the silence he received in return as an answer within itself. “How bad is it?”
“I'm fine.” Henry muttered out as he knew the other boy wouldn't let him be without a proper response, unable to hide his panic when the stalk door was forced open. “Pat—”
“Relax.” Patrick instructed as he knelt down beside the other boy, hesitating for a brief moment before he made a two-word confession. “I know.”
Henry had never felt a sense of fear like he felt when Patrick said those two little words, but before he had a chance to confront him about it, Patrick pulled him onto his feet. Henry tensed a bit as the toilet paper shifted around in his underwear. It was an uncomfortable sensation, but the look Patrick had was even more uncomfortable. He couldn't read him, and for once that scared him. He didn't know what Patrick was about to do to him or with that information, but before he had a chance to ask, Patrick pulled off his own jacket and tied it around his waist. His actions were shifted and without care. He never said a word about it, and with that, he led Henry back out. It was awkward for the first few minutes, but as shit shifted back to normal, Henry started to relax. Patrick continued on like he had before the blood was mentioned, but his jacket remained wrapped around Henry’s waist. No one dared to comment on it. Henry wasn't sure if that was because they were afraid of him or because they were afraid of Patrick, but it worked out in his favor either way.
“Pat?” Henry called out after their other two friends had left, hesitating for a moment as he tried to decide if it was worth confronting their conversation from earlier. “You said you knew..”
“Mhm..” Patrick confirmed in a casual kind of manner, focusing on the small radio he had been trying to make work. “We don't have to talk about it. I won't tell. I know how to keep a secret.”
“Yeah..” Henry responded as he tried to force himself to relax, hesitating for another moment as he watched the other boy fiddle with the anttana on the radio. “Just.. Thanks.”
“Mhmm.” Patrick hummed once more almost in a sense of dismissal, not seemed too concerned about the situation as he finally fixed the issue he was having. “Anytime.”
There is a clear reason as to why countless individuals fear Patrick Hockstetter, and for the first time in a while, Henry understood that fear others held towards him, but at the same time, Patrick chose not to tell others about who he was. He kept those details to himself, and while Henry would never understand the reason for that, he was still thankful nonetheless. The blood issue was a whole other problem, however, but that was a conversation for another time.