TWs: major trust issues, misgendering, derogatory terms (it's the 80s here, what'd you expect), people don't accept that a seven-year-old can be trans. Stay safe :)

Bing walked into the classroom, his feet dragging across the floor as he strolled to the desk closest to the window. His eyes blinked lazily at a black figurine sitting on the surface.

"What's this...?" He muttered, picking it up to inspect it.

"I didn't know you liked to play chess." Someone spoke, stepping up beside him.

Bing quirked an eyebrow, "I don't... do I know you?"

"Ah, we're in English and Science together." The girl spoke, "I sit behind you? My name is Madeline..."

Bing was barely paying attention, his eyes scanning around his desk for anything else.

"Oi, Caroline,"

"It's Madeline..."

"Whatever. Do you know what this chess piece represents?" Bing held up the Black piece.

"The Pawn; it represents the common people, the sacrifices, and the frontline defenses." Madeline smiled, happily answering him.

Bing raised an eyebrow, "Did you see who put this here?"

"I don't... oh, now I remember! It was an adult, with blonde curly hair, and circle glasses. He tried being sneaky about it by climbing in through the window."

The brunette whipped his head to the glass, "The third-floor window!?"

"Yep." The ravenette nodded, "Weirdo, if you ask me... anyway, I was wondering..."

'He takes a page of my father's notebook, and now he mocks me?' Chris puffed his cheeks out, crossing his arms as he placed the chess piece down, 'I'll show him I'm not a pawn!'

"So, what do you think?"

"Huh?" Bing blinked, turning to look at the other who had been standing there that entire time, "Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out at the park with me after school?" Madeline smiled, a finger curling through her hair.

Bing was silent, his emerald eyes unblinkingly staring through the girl, making her shift on her feet from the gaze. The brunette averted his eyes to the window, peering out at the sky as he felt his hands clam up.

"...Can you excuse me for a moment?" Bing brushed past her.

"B-But class is about to-"

He was out of the room before she could finish.

'I'm not a pawn to anyone...'

"...And as for team assignments, whoever you're matched up with will be your teammate for the rest of the year." The teacher droned, "Yadda yadda, you all get the point. Allow me a moment to write them down on the board."

Arthur wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings as he doodled a new world evolutionary invention in his notebook.

That was the hope, anyway.

He bit his tongue in thought, the eraser on his pencil rising to meet the corner of his lips.

As the teacher finished writing the names down, a few voices cheered while some cried out, one of them being louder than the rest.

"What- those two are together!?"

"Is there a problem, Jay?"

"...No, sir."

Arthur hummed as he crossed out a few areas, scratching the ideas.

"For this class, you may talk with your partner to get to know each other." The teacher spoke, "While working on this worksheet together."

Groans erupted throughout the class.

Arthur barely spared a glance when a piece of paper was placed on his desk, "Mr. Kendrick, I know you have the highest score in the class, but it would mean so much if you would pay attention."

The ginger huffed, yet nodded as he took the worksheet, glancing it over, 'How much do you know...? Work together... ugh, it's one of these.'

"Um, excuse me?" A whimsical voice spoke up within the crowded classroom.

Sky blue eyes glanced up into a sea of emeralds.

The voices around them seemed to fade away.

It was just the two of them and nothing seemed to matter.

Until it did.

"Miss Hathaway, hurry and take your seat next to Kendrick." The teacher said, "We don't have all day."

The standing ginger snapped out of her daze, smiling sheepishly as she sat beside the other, "Oh, r-right..."

There was a small pause in conversation within the classroom, all eyes seemed to be on the duo. Cynthia cleared her throat as she glanced around, but everyone appeared to go back to the way it was before, talking amongst themselves.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, curious as to how much power the rich teen had over the school.

"So... my name's Cynthia." The girl spoke, her fingers fiddling with the buttons on her uniform.

"Arthur." The redhead put a hand out to shake her hand. Cynthia initially seemed hesitant, her eyes glancing around before eventually taking his hand.

Cynthia's eyes widened as she inhaled, feeling a tingling sensation as soon as their hands touched.

Arthur felt himself frown when the other took her hand away so soon.

"A-Anyway, about the worksheet..." Cynthia turned away, brushing strands of ginger hair behind her ear.

Arthur hummed, keeping his eyes on her as they got to work.

Lucinda was a good kid; kind, brave, and honest, to a fault. She was smarter, observing before acting. She knew how the world worked at the 'ripe' age of seven, yet she also knew too much of it.

Lucinda had died a long time ago, and in her place was a completely different kid.

His name was Lawrence. He was a fine kid; independent, responsible, and pessimistic. He still held his sense of honesty as Lucinda did, only he was more blunt.

Lawrence could do what Lucinda couldn't. Sure, he had the same physique as Lucinda, but that didn't slow him down. He didn't care if girls thought he was weird or if boys laughed at him. Lucinda was dead, never to be seen or heard from again, and with Lawrence taking her place.

He was happier, and his mother, despite calling him by his new name, thought it was all in her 'daughter's head, waving it off as 'kids and their wild imaginations.'

Yet, it was real.

Lawrence did the research, read the newspaper, listened to the radio, and watched the TV; he had seen it all.

Although, from what Larry had seen on the TV, his experience was different. He wasn't beaten up or 'discriminated' against- he had to look that word up in the dictionary.

He wasn't until he was.

Lawrence had seen a boy- an upperclassman- blocking his path home from school. He shrugged it off, moving to get around the rude kid.

Without warning, the kid pushed him to the side. The sandy blonde fumbled into the street, items from his bookbag scattering over the concrete.

"Agh, hey-!" Larry started before realizing a car came rumbling towards him. He gasped, pushing himself up and moving out of the way just in time, his feet stopping on the sidewalk. He took a deep breath, turning to glare at the boy who shoved him, "What was that for!?"

"Wasn't it obvious?" The boy spoke, crossing his arms, "Everyone knows you can't be someone you're not."

"What?" Lawrence balled his fists, raising an eyebrow.

"What's the point of pretending to be a boy when you were born as a girl?"

"It's not pretend- I am a boy."

The boy was silent, "Schizo..."

And like that, the upperclassman walked away. Larry opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. His shoulders dropped as he looked at the ground.

'What does that mean...?' He questioned himself as if his consciousness would answer him. His bronze eyes peered over to the street where his school supplies were still scattered, his papers had tire marks over them and his pencils were snapped to pieces.

Lawrence sighed, waiting until a red light to grab his stuff. He sat on the sidewalk, gazing at the sky as he let out a sigh, 'I'm not... am I?'

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧NOTE✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

I haven't published anything in 9 days, I feel so out of touch... nothing's been happening with me, except that I met ANOTHER EDDSWORLD FAN (on Discord), and made 2 more friends :)

Anyway-

*Transifies your Larry*

Comments are appreciated 3