"Hey, guys!"

Six heads turned to face Brent who was carrying a medium sized package through the front door, "Any of you expecting something from Amazon?"

"Not me!"

"Me neither!"

"Nope!"

"No...," came Manny's rather hesitant response, and Brent noted that his facial expression was... wary? Perhaps even fearful?

"Wh- who's it for, Brent?"

"Well... it was delivered to the right address, but I personally don't know a-"

His words then faded into static for both Manny and Sam, and the cameraman quickly turned ashen and clammy.

"Shit! SHIT! Manny! Hey! Come on, man! Look at me," Earl immediately sprang into action by putting him in the Trendelenburg position and covering him with a heavy blanket.

"Earl. I'm fine. Really..."

Manny made a feeble attempt to shoo the police sergeant away from him, and grunted when a flashlight was shined into his eyes.

"You just went into psychogenic shock, dude... I wouldn't consider that to be 'fine'."

"Okay! Okay! Just... get me a glass of lukewarm water, or something..."

Earl gave a thumbs up, and turned his back for the kitchen- returning less than ten seconds later, "I added an electrolyte solution to it, so sorry in advance that it'll taste like mangoes and passion fruit."

Manny gratefully took the glass from Earl, and started to take teeny sips from it.

"... S- sorry, Manny...," Brent muttered, and rubbed the back of his neck ashamedly.

"For what?"

"For- erm- deadnaming you..."

Manny sighed, "It's not your fault, Brent. You didn't know. I mean... how were you supposed to know? It's... just frustrating that my own parents somehow 'forget' that I'm trans masc as well as under the non-binary umbrella, and I constantly have to correct them when they call me by my deadname as well as use the incorrect pronouns... My older siblings are a little better with it, but even they slip up every now and then. I get that it's not like I started my transition when I was in my teen years and, instead, eight years ago so they may not be entirely used to it, but it shouldn't be that difficult for anyone to ask, 'What are your pronouns?'- not just assume. It's gotten to the point where I've considered wearing a pin on my hat or a sticker on my shirt... Something to tell people I meet that I go by he/him, they/them, and neopronouns like fae, synth, and spark. Anything but she/her..."

"Is that part of the reason why you moved to the United States? To cut contact from your family?"

"Yeah, but I guess that doesn't even matter anymore!," Manny gave a bitter laugh, and hot tears began to well up and stream down his face. "Someone- and I have no idea who the Hell it could possibly be- leaked my whereabouts to them! I can just barely tolerate talking to them over the phone or texting them, but I never want to see them in person ever again! I HATE them!"

THUMP

"Manny..."

"You should cut contact with them entirely, dude. Your parents. Your siblings. Your aunts and uncles... Every one of them."

"Yeah. If your biological family is going to be homophobic and transphobic, we're your family now."

"Don't do it, Flint! Save the island!"

"But... you are my island."

"Ew! First of all- shut up!"

"You're more than my friends! You're my family!"

"Haha! How sweet! Note to self- put that on their tombstones."

Manny closed his eyes, and allowed his newfound family to embrace him- silently sobbing.

Hey, readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I am planning on making it a multi chapter fic :DD

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Love ya!!!