Nicki sat on the docks alone. She stared out at the lake, which would normally be where she would go to look for snapping turtles. But today, she was depressed.

Then, some wheels skidded against the old splintering docks. It was Ered on her skateboard. She always knew exactly how to stop just before she would have been flung into the lake.

"Hey little dude! Check out this awesome armband that dolf made me!"

Nicki made a hesitant noise, and upon hearing it, Ered quickly replied,

"Oh don't worry. It's for the band Crass."

"Oh thank god." said nicki, and then returned to looking out at the water.

"Whats up dude?" Ered corrected herself, "oh, sorry. I mean, girl. Usually I'm calling everyone dude."

"No." said nicki, still dejected, "It's actually nice."

Ered, with a concerned look asked, "Well then dude, whats up?Usually you're diving into this lake looking for the...uh...turtle kingdom?"

"No, the turtles are a parliament, and today I don't really feel like it." she didn't look at ered, "Hey, Ered? If I told you something, would you promise not to tell anyone?"

Ered sat down next to her, "Nicki. My dads are secret agents, I've been keeping secrets ever since I could talk. I know where jimmy hoffa is burried!"

"Who?" Nicki said

"I don't know. When I overheard them talking about it, they made me promise to never look him up, now the context is a mystery to me...but enough about that. You can always tell me a secret, and I'll keep it."

Nicki looked up at ered, and then back to the lake, "Ok…..sometimes…...I don't feel like i'm a girl….Like, sometimes I'm a girl, but sometimes i'm……...not?"

There was silence. Until Ered burst out into laughter. Upon hearing this, nicki looked way, saddened.

"Dude! That's completely normal!"

"Huh?" said nicki.

"Nicki, I don't hang out with straight people. The reason I started hanging out with my skater friends at home, Is because I was feeling huge gender dysphoria."

"What's that?" nicki asked,

"It's what you're going through right now, dude! It's when you feel like your body doesn't match who you are."

"Oh no! Does this mean Ill never be happy? I only have THIS body...I would have had that fox too, if a certain couple of counselors let us start a taxidermy class."

Ered, with a concerned face concurred "yeah...that fox deserved better than to be killed in space kid and preston's musical about the challenger explosion...wow that play was in poor taste, and Nerf was completely miss cast...anyway, Nicki, you are young. You have so much time to change things you don't like about yourself. But just remember, your body is just how your brain gets from place to place. It's all about listening to your own voice, and then start dressing, acting, and living however you want."

Nicki Smiled, "Hey Ered? What was it like when you went through this? How did you turn it around and become such a cool girl?"

Ered chuckled, "Well, I wasn't always both of those things."

"I don't get it."

"Dont worry about it. The point is, you always have time to be who you want to become."

"Ered? Will I ever be as cool as you?"

"No….you'll be cooler."

Ered tussled nicki's hair.

"Now come on. Let's steal one of max's hoodies and see if it suits you."