All mistakes are my own and I do not own grey's anatomy (unfortunately)
Chapter 1
"What's the meaning of this?" At the bottom of the stairs stands Carlos Torres, a proud, wealthy owner of the multinational chain of hotels, Torres Hotels. In his hand, he holds a diary; heavily used, almost every page filled with a large, rounded scribble in a variety of different coloured ink. Each page filled with private thoughts and feelings, not meant to be read by anyone, especially parents.
"Calliope Iphegenia Torres! Don't you dare close that door and go back outside." His voice elevated with rage and his reddened, the veins on his face throbbing.
As the front door shuts, in walks the owner of the notebook, heart and eyes dropping at the sight of it in Carlos' tight fist. "Look at me, not the floor" Eyes look up, not quite meeting his and heart pounding. "Explain this to me" he says, waving the diary in the air, the pages rustling as they are thrust around.
"W-w-what" a scared voice stutters.
"Don't you play dumb with me young lady" Carlos' voice booms through the halls of the mansion.
After wincing at his words, comes a meek reply "I'm n- I'm non binary"
"And what on earth does that mean? What made up teenager thing is this?"
"It's n-n-not made up. It means identifying as neither male or female, falling outside of the gender binary. There's a long history of third genders and gender neutrality in all parts of the world so you can't just dismiss my feelings "as being a teenager" papi"
Raising his hands to the ceiling, he cries out exasperated "Oh Dios mío! Where are you getting this nonsense from Calliope? You've clearly been mislead and brainwashed. You're far too sensible to be tricked by the devil and lead astray. Thankfully you've graduated so we can get this all sorted out at church before you go to university. I'll ring Father Kevin in the morning and I'm sure he can help you fix this."
"I'm not in need of fixing papi. I'm not broken. This is who I am and I'm finally ok with this. I've felt like this for so long and I can finally be myself. I'm now okay with myself and happy with who I am and I really hope you can be too."
"I can't accept this Calliope. It goes against god. He created man and woman and that's it. You will not live in this house and believe this nonsense. We'll get this sorted Calliope; don't you worry."
"But I don't need fixing!" Comes a cry "And please stop calling me Calliope, it makes my skin physically crawl, as does the use of female words and pronouns…"
"Pronouns? Now what on earth would you use?" He mocks.
"This isn't mean to be funny… I'd want people to use neutral pronouns, so they and them, instead of gendered pronouns."
"Very funny Calliope, they is plural. What are you, more than one person?"
Clenching their fist, the blood boils beneath their skin, feeling as though it would bubble and burst out of them. "If I said that I went out with my friend Charlie, you would have no clue if that friend was male or female so you could ask "Where did you go with them?" so that's proof that you can say them as a singular pronoun." The more they speak, the braver they become, their voice stopping quivering.
Both of them being stubborn in nature, neither says anything after that. Eyes locked, almost staring the each other down as if daring the other to speak first.
"What's going on in here" Lucia Torres, Carlos' wife and prominent layer in Miami, calls coming out from the front room.
"Just Calliope getting stupid ideas in her head. Please remind me to call Father Kevin in the morning"
"Why does she need Father Kevin need to be involved?"
"Calliope seems to think she isn't a woman"
"So she thinks she's a man?" Lucia asks confused.
"It's worse than that, she thinks she isn't a man or a woman, as if that sort of thing exists." He scoffs "She's just confused but Father Kevin will set her straight"
Lucia says nothing, the blood draining from her face, her skin now ashy and without warning, she collapses onto the floor, her head miraculously missing the corner of the table as she falls. Carlos rushes to catch her, cradling her in his arms as he tries to wake her up. "Look at what your nonsense has done Calliope, it's caused your mother to faint. You know that you can't surprise her like that"
"I'm not the one who told her" They mutter under their breath.
Carlos' head snaps up "What did you say?"
"Nothing" comes their response and Carlos decides not to press things further and instead tends to his wife.
He picks her up, holding her close to his chest and carries her through to the front room. "Wait here." He says "Don't even think about moving from that spot".
Standing there, they wait, knowing that if they were to move that things would get even worse than they are already. It feels like hours pass before Carlos returns, though in reality it had only been ten minutes at most. Time had felt as if it wasn't moving as their head was filled with so many emotions about the situation they were now in. "He wasn't supposed to be able to even find my diary… I knew he'd never understand… He must have been snooping through my room again…" They think to themselves.
As Carlos comes back into the hall, the rage still clear on his face. Grabbing them by the arm way too tightly, opens the door and practically throws them out of the front door. With the motion from his actions, they trip and stumble, grazing both arms and knees in the process as well as drawing blood.
"Get out of my house" He roars, throwing their bag and diary out after them.
"Why papi?" Tears streaming down their face and blood dripping down their limbs. "I know you don't understand how I feel but I'm still your child. Why can't you accept this is how I feel? You don't even have to accept it right away, I just want you to try—"
"Stop talking Calliope. This is your fault. You were tempted by the devil and your mother wants you gone. She doesn't want you bringing even more shame on this family."
"Shame? What shame?" They cry out "I get good grades, I sing at church, I play two instruments and do everything you've ever asked of me. How can this one thing about who I am change all of that?"
"Enough" his voice echoes around the porch "Get out of my sight. I was willing to let Father Kevin talk sense into you and let him make you see the error of your ways but your mother knows how stubborn you are and you know she won't be able to cope with this rubbish being shoved down her throat every day. Each time she'd see you, she'd be reminded of the shame you're bringing on this family."
"But—"
Yet again, he cuts them off "All she wants is to see her daughter in heaven, what's so hard to understand about that, Calliope?" Before they have a chance to say anything else, Carlos turns around and shuts the door, leaving them outside with only the clothes on their back, a phone, a rucksack with their wallet, a bottle of water, a cereal bar and a notebook filled with song lyrics, melody ideas as well as the diary that changed their life.
Putting the notebook in their bag, they take one last look at the house they'd grown up in before turning around and walking down through the garden, wondering what they'll do now as tears silently stream down their face.
They leave the neighbourhood, not wanting to run into anyone and have to explain why they're wondering around with tear stained cheeks, and eyes red and raw. "What am I going to do now? Where am I going to go?" They think, their thoughts racing through their mind like a train, though the tears have stopped.
Reaching a secluded spot on the beach after a good half an hour of meandering along the beach, they sit down in the sand, ever thankful for the heat of the Miami sun keeping the sand dry. As soon as they are sat, it's as if the flood gates to their eyes open and the tears instantly start to fall from their eyes in big drops, splashing on their off black jeans, leaving a series of swet puddles on their thighs.
Putting their bag in the sand behind them, they lie down and close their eyes, focusing on the sound of the sea hitting the sand as it comes to shore. Usually, they'd plug in their headphones and turn their music up really loud as if to blast the negative thoughts out of their mind but without knowing where they'll next have a moment to charge their phone, they decide against it. As they listen to the sound of the ocean as well as the sound of sea gulls in the distance, their focus falls onto their breathing; deep breaths in and out, in and out which has a calming effect, their racing heart rate slows and the tears slowly stop falling.
Hearing in the distance the church clock strike midnight, they realise just how long they've been outside just listening to nature to re-centre themselves and know that they have to put a plan in action as they can't just hide out on the beach for the rest of time.
Almost everyone they know is in Miami but without any close friends, the one person who springs to mind who might be able to help them out is Mark, one of their best friends and an honorary big brother, who lived next door until he moved to New York for university. Although they don't talk regularly anymore, when they do it's as if no time has passed between them, so he is most likely the best option. With one last deep breath, they ring Mark's number "Please pick up… please pick up…" they mutter under their breath as the phone rings.
"Callie?" Mark says as he answers, though happy he's answered, the use of 'Callie' cuts through them like a knife but he isn't to know that. "Are you ok?" He asks when they don't say anything after a few seconds.
"Not really" They reply honestly.
"Who do I need to kill?" He jokes, getting a chuckle in response.
"Don't you go killing anyone Mark Sloan, especially for me"
"You know I'd do anything for you little T" The use of his nickname, especially the neutral aspect of it, creates a smile on their face for the first time since entering the family home before all hell broke loose.
"Anyway, what's up?"
"I need somewhere to stay" They blurt out.
"What's happened? What do you need?"
"Well…" They take a deep breath "Mami and papi kicked me out—"
Before they can get anything else out, Mark loses his cool "Why the hell would they do something like that. What on earth are they thinking. What do you need? Let me know how I can help you."
"That means so much Mark. I didn't know what to do." They pause, building up the confidence to ask him "I was wondering if I could come and stay with you… You're the only person I know who doesn't live in Miami and I don't think I could stay here…"
"Are you safe?"
"I think so... I just need to get out of here"
"You're not pregnant, are you? Cause I'll come to you and kick ass if I have to and help raise the baby if needed. Or I'll come all the way back to Miami and I can help you hide a body if need it, no questions asked. Just say the word and I'll hop on the first plane out to you."
They chuckle at the ridiculousness of Mark's words, relief washing over their body. "Don't worry, I'm not pregnant you goon and I definitely haven't killed anyone and if I were to have a child would I really want you helping me to raise it? I don't think so buddy" A sense of seriousness falls over them and the slight smile disappears from their lips. "I don't want to get into it now… Especially over the phone… I'd rather talk about this face to face…"
"All I care about is that you're safe Little T. So, how are you going to get here? Since I, you know, don't have to come and kick some ass or bury an ass" He snickers to himself.
"Very funny Mark. I have my bank cards on me but I wouldn't put it past my parents to have cancelled them somehow, even though they're mine and in my name…"
"Well there's a flight to LaGuardia from Miami International that's around 150 dollars at 7:23 in the morning so if you can get there I'll buy your ticket for you and then if you want to you can pay me back but there will be no need for you to. Can you get yourself to the airport?"
"If you're sure… I've got enough cash to get a taxi to the airport and I can just camp out there until the flight, see if I can get something to eat and try to charge my phone."
"Right, I've booked the tickets for you and forwarded you the email from them so you can use the ticket. Anything else, just let me know ok?"
"Is this alright with Lexie? I know you two have just moved in together… I wouldn't want to impose myself on you guys or get in your way…"
"She's working overnight right now but she knows you're like a little sister to me so I know she'll be fine with it. She's recently got in touch with her half-sister after not knowing that she even existed, so she knows how important family is." Yet another cringe at Mark's words sends a shiver down their spine and their eyes close tightly in response but are thankful that there shouldn't be any problems when they get to New York. Only just over seven hours until they were going to be on a plane out of Miami and away from all the negativity of their parents and towards someone who will most likely love them no matter what they say. Heck, Mark was even willing to come to Miami and hide a body for them.
"I've gotta go now, I've just come back from work and I'm falling asleep here, but I promise I'll come and meet you at the airport."
"I can walk or get an Uber or Lyft if need be, you sleep."
"No arguing with me alright? I'm coming to pick you up and that's final. I can always nap later on in the day if I need to."
"Ugh fine then you stubborn bastard" They say, accepting defeat "I'll text you as soon as I get off the plane but if my phone dies before then, just stalk me and track the flight and I'll meet you there."
"Sounds good to me. I'll go get some shut eye but I love you Little T, you know that right?"
"Of course I do Mark, I love you too. So much. I can't thank you enough for helping me; it means so much to me"
They both say their goodbyes and call ends, picking up all of their remaining possessions and throw the rucksack over their shoulder and head to the road, ready to call for a taxi to take them away from the nightmare that is their parents.
The plane journey went without a hitch, so they get off the plane as well rested as they can be, all circumstances considered, but they managed to get some food and rest at the airport. Before they even have a chance to start worrying about seeing Mark for the first time in a few years, they spot him; holding a sign which reads "Little T" in one hand and in the other, he holds a bouquet of flowers.
He calls their name, getting their attention but in the process making feel shy which doesn't last long as Mark opens his arms and engulfs them into an almost bone crushing hug. But it feels good, feeling his arms wrapped protectively around their body, they feel safe and loved.
The journey back to Mark's apartment is filled with catching up, both of them avoiding the elephant in the room, but more than happy to ignore the slight awkwardness to know what has been happening in each other's lives since they last saw each other. However, they pick at the skin around their nails as they talk and Mark drives, to try to keep them distracted enough to calm their anxieties about the conversation they will have with Mark when they arrive at his. They know that realistically, Mark will be accepting and won't have an issue with their identity but after the reaction of their parents, they can't be too sure, although Mark is a lot more open minded than their super Catholic, homophobic, transphobic parents.
Arriving at Mark's apartment, they look around and take it in. From their view by the front door they can see some well-worn blue sofas, covered with a hotchpotch of blankets and cushions facing towards a television. Off the living room, behind the sofas is the kitchen with a small round table with two chairs. Coming off the living room, opposite the kitchen, is two closed doors which they can only assume are the bedrooms with a bathroom at the end, opposite the front door. Pictures of Mark and Lexie with various friends are framed on the walls, including a couple of photos that include them and Aria.
Oh god, they think, Aria. She hadn't crossed their mind since the altercation with their parents since she wasn't in the house when it happened as she's moved out and is working Torres Hotels in England as their dad expands his hotel empire even further than it already is.
"It's not much" Mark says, breaking the silence "But it's home"
"It's great. I really can't thank you enough for letting me stay"
"Say no more, Little T" He says, a sparkle in his eyes "But stop thanking me before you get on my nerves" he jokes.
"I thought I was already on your nerves" They joke back, enjoying the laughter that has broken the slightly uncomfortable silence.
"How about we get your stuff in the spare room and then we can have a drink and a chat. That's if it's alright with you. I don't want to push you."
"Trust me Mark, if you tried to get me to do anything I didn't want to, you know I'd let you know!"
Sat on a sofa each, belongings away in the spare room, each with a drink. "I don't know where to begin" they say, unsure of how to tell him. "I'm scared, and I shouldn't be."
"You're right. You've got nothing to be scared of. Here is a safe space, besides, it's only me! I'm about as scary as a kitten. Ok not quite that not scary as a kitten but you know what I mean. Why don't you start by telling me what happened with your parents?"
"I got home from sitting in the park writing song lyrics and just enjoying graduating by myself when I got home and papi had obviously gone through my room and found my journal and read it. There were so many private thoughts and feelings in there and he read them. It makes me so uncomfortable knowing he's read my thoughts…"
"That's awful" Is all Mark can say.
"One of the things he found in my journal was me writing about me being non binary…" They can't look Mark in the eye so hide their face behind their knees.
"That means you don't identify as female or male right? I'm not completely though…"
"Yeah that's what it means" They slowly reveal their face to Mark.
"So what does that mean in regards to pronouns and stuff like that?"
"I want people to use they/them pronouns as that fits with me not being female or male and it just feels right. Like how it's supposed to be. And if possible try not to use gendered words like sister and use the word sibling as sister has that as that has the same gut wrenching feeling I get when people use female pronouns when talking about me…"
"Well I can do that" He smiles "Does this mean that you're like a little sibling to me? However, I can't promise that I won't miss up, but I'll do the best I can. Is there anything else?"
"You could also say sib if you wanted to." Their mouth is fully smiling now, Mark couldn't have reacted any better. "Ideally I'd love my hair to be shorter and more neutral and I really want to get some more neutral clothes. But I know I'll have to wait for those as getting clothes takes time when you're starting from scratch. I often compress my chest to make it appear smaller and flatter which makes me feel more confident in my skin."
"Can I give you a hug, sib?" And with that word, they jump off the sofa and into Mark's arms, squeezing him tightly. That word meant that everything was going to be ok. That they were going to be ok. "I know you know this already but this doesn't change a thing, I still love you and you're still one of my best friends"
"I love you too Mark, thank you so much for being so accepting and understanding."
"Is it alright if I tell Lexie?"
"How do you think she'll react? Cause I know I'm in her home but I'm scared… I've never met her…"
"If she has a problem with it then she really isn't the woman I know. I'm sure she'll accept you with open arms, just like I hope it seems I did to you."
"Then tell her. I really can't wait to meet her Mark, she seems to have been good for you."
"She's one of the best things that has ever happened to me" He says, a huge grin across his face.
A weight lifted off their shoulders, they remain in Mark's embrace, just listening to the ticking of the clock on the wall until they both start yawning. "Did you want to have a nap?" They nod "Good cause I could use one too! If you need anything, I'll be in the room next door"
"Thanks again Mark" They're just about to close the bedroom door when Mark's head pops round the corner.
"One last question, what should I call you? Or is Callie still ok?"
"My name is Cal". That's the first time they've said that out loud and it feels so good. As soon as their name passes their lips, their lips form the world's biggest smile.
"Alright then Cal, I'll see you after our naps and we'll go out for lunch and get you some new clothes and a haircut. No arguing. I'm your big brother, kind of, and it's my job to do things like this."
And with that he disappears into his room, leaving Cal to get into bed and fall asleep, their huge smile still on their face as things are looking up for them.
So, what do you guys think?
Also, if anyone would like to be a beta for this story or just help me bounce ideas around and can cope with my irregular upload schedule then please PM me:D
I have posted another chapter of another story (After The Tiger) at the same time as this, and I want to know which one you guys would prefer I spend more time writing first. I'm going to write both of them, I would like to know what you'd be interested in reading more.