Lil bro Nel

Glancing over at the clock seeing it’s past 8 pm I groan wondering how my life came to be of this “Marcus! You up” I hear my mother yell up the stairs “Yeah I’m up ma!” I yell back I let out a sigh and get out of bed I send a quick text to my best friend Peter saying “Hay just woke up and had another one of those weird dreams” They text back almost instantly “ You okay???” I text saying I’m fine tossing my phone onto the bed. Putting on a shirt and changing my boxers as I walk out of my room into the bathroom. Washing my face I hear my sister Nelly bang on the door “Marcus are you in there again? Hurry up I need to use the bathroom” My sister is only ten years old so I quickly dry my face and unlock the door she runs in and pushes me out saying “Hurt up! Get out! I have to go” I can’t help but smile at her walking out and down the hall passing her room, I stopped looking in seeing she had put more posters and drawings up on her wall I chuckled as I grabbed the railing and quickly went down the stairs. I pass Dad and wave him a good morning as I reach the kitchen I see Ma has made me and Nelly pancakes I reach out for one but get a smack on the hand “Hay don’t eat without your sister and go get your phone your not leaving it here again” I sigh “okay ma” I rush back up the stairs seeing my dad leave for work like he usually does I hear ma yell as I’m halfway up the stairs “hay hon I’m leaving early so make sure to take Nelly to school on time” I let out a “ okay ma!” And quickly rush to my room just to see Nelly hiding in the corner “Hay Ma and Dad left already but they put me in charge so don’t think your getting out of going to school today” I say walking over to my bed seeing I got a text from Peter saying “that’s good” I start to hear Nelly cry and I realize something is wrong I rush over to her and get down to eye level with her and ask “what’s wrong Nel is something wrong talk to me” she looks up at me and I see that she is shaking I start to panic “Marcus I can’t do it anymore I can’t I can’t I can’t” I get confused on what she is talking about “what do you mean Nel what’s wrong?” She starts to stand up and I follow her movements I look at the floor and see the smallest stain of blood a wave of anger guilt and worry wash through me all at once I grab her shoulders and ask “What happened did someone hurt you!” She shook her head at me and looked down then almost whispered “I started my period” I sigh of relief crossed over me and then I stood up fully and told her to wait here then walked into the bathroom and dug under the sink till I found what I wanted I came back into my room and handed her the pads she walked into the bathroom and came out looking at the floor I smile “ see it isn’t that bad, that just means you’re becoming a woman” Nelly begins to cry I jolt back in confusion and then get down so I’m eye level with her again she looks up at me and wipes away her tears “Marcus can I tell you something” I nod and she continues “ Marcus I don’t want to be a girl anymore… I want to be a boy” I look at her surprised but looking back now I should’ve expected this, the love for boy sports, trucks, and the fact all her friends were boys. “Okay, so do you want me to still call you Nelly or do you prefer a different name?” She looks up at me and says “Can you call me Nel? And can I be your little brother?” I look at him and smile “Always lil bro now how about we skip school today and go get some Nachos” Nel smiles and I get up “But first would you like some of my old clothes?” Nel smiles even brighter and I tell him to go get ready that my old clothes are in my closet and that I’ll be downstairs. As I’m waiting I put the pancakes away and clean the counters as Nel walks into the room I can’t help but smile and I see that he smiles too. “Ready lil bro?” I say as we walk out the door “Ready big bro” he says as we turn to each other and laugh.