24. Heart of Glass; Mind of Stone

-Kaeden pov-

"This was not some senseless tragedy and as your prime minister, I refuse to treat it as such. I do not affiliate with these people and I do not know who they are, but I do believe they did this country a favor by weaving out the sickening mentally ill people we had out at that festival that day. Being transgender is a choice and those who make that choice are sick and need help. We will provide that help, which is why today, in the wake of the ashes, I'm enacting into law the transgender umbrella act. This country has strayed so far from its conservative roots, we need to ge-"

The television shatters into hundreds of glass shards when a large metal chair from the kitchen goes sailing into the air and hits the screen. After throwing the chair, Vahn goes back to sitting in his chair with one arm placed in a sling after last night. I watch the panic settle in each and every one of my friends.

Noell stares out the window, laying sitting perfectly still in his seat, not moving a single millimeter except for the contracting of his chest.

Cassie crosses her chest and holds the cross on her neck before beginning a long prayer in Spanish, begging God to strike Damien Giani dead.

Sonya shakes her head, with her sweet brown eyes filled to the brim with tears as she asks the rhetorical question of why this was happening in the 22nd century.

Vahn takes in a breath and watches Noell, a grimace set on his patchy scratched up face.

Maisie twirls her hair around her finger in small circles as she paces the room at mediocre speeds.

Finley sits on the arm of the couch with his arms crossed, through the commotion going on about the room he had his attention focused on a single person.

And that single person just so happened to be me. He watches my every move to see my reaction.

And my first reaction...was to run.

I make it to the door and stop to open it as Fin crashes into me.

"No, Kaeden, we'll figure this out," He pleas but the knock on the door stops everyone in their tracks.

Out of a burst of anger, I rip the door open only to regret the fact I did. Two police drones were at my door, they had stern grimaces on their faces and looked cold from the rain but they were still at the door to my flat.

"Hello, we're looking for Esther Tremblay." One of the drones says in a calm tone. I suddenly burst out laughing before slamming the door in their robotic faces.

Turning on my heels to see Fin had turned a ghostly pale, I quickly reach out and take him into my arms, holding him close as the AI continues to speak.

"We are here to inform you that since the enactment of the Transgender Umbrella Act otherwise known as the TUA, Esther Tremblay will be marked as transgender. This makes her mentally impaired and a threat to the general public. Her electronic transmitter in her wrist will alert those within three feet of her that she is transgender. A woman, trying to pose as male, until you prove you are willing to conform to your assigned sex."

The drones finish their speech from the other side of the hardwood door and I feel Finley shaking in my arms. I calmly run my fingers through his silky black hair as he squeezes the air from my lungs by holding me so tight, hiding his face in my shoulder.

The drones leave and I can feel his wrist vibrate against my neck, letting him know that I am a danger. His scream into my shoulder says it all and I slowly bend down, picking up my boyfriend during his current mental meltdown in front of everyone else who's wrist were also vibrating. With one swift motion, I scoop him up in my arms and walk down the hall with him.

"I just don't understand," Finley cries into my pillow as I gently rub his back.

He holds his wrist implant as it continues to vibrate every six seconds before smashing it against the bedside table. The poor Ikea table wasn't meant for the sheer force of his anger as it falls over, knocking down a lamp in the process. The sound of shattered glass mimics the sound of our hearts breaking. Finley quickly reaches down and grabs a piece of glass so fast that I nearly miss my chance of stopping him as he goes to stab his own wrist. I grab hold of his hand just before it pierces his untouched skin and I try to take it from him but he refuses to let go.

"NO! Fin, baby please don't hurt yourself over me. I'll move. Just let me know when it stops okay?" I plead and he sits up, watching me with heartache in his eyes as I move to the very corner of the room.

It finally stops buzzing and he chokes on his own tears. His weeping forces him to drop the glass as he covers his face and cowers in the bed we once shared.

I wish I could hold him in my arms, to embrace him and kiss all every last tear away, but for his sanity, I couldn't touch him.

"This hurts even more,"

He sniffles out a cry and seeing his face caused me to slide down the wall in pain. First the transgender act, then I was dead named, and now I can't comfort the love of my life. He gets off the bed and sits in from of my footboard on the floor so we could see eye to eye.

The tears continue to fall down his face but not once does he break our eye contact.

"I'm sorry I had to do this to you. I'm sorry you learned to like someone who's transgender. I guess my scar is right, I really am unlovable." I say in one long sigh before my own tears start to register from the shock of it all. I wipe them with my sleeve just as a bright orange pillow is thrown at my face.

"Shut the fuck up Kaeden! I never want to hear that-" he grabs another pillow and throws it, hitting me again, "bullshit come out of your mother fucking mouth again, son of a bitch!"

He throws another one in anger and I catch it before he collapses back to the floor in pain.

"I love you Kaeden...I love you, I don't give a damn if your transgender! And I am the only person it should matter too! But it doesn't! I don't give a shit! I love you!" He screams and kicks over one of my lamps with such anger it falls to the ground and shatters into pieces like the television.

"I love you," He shouts into the palms of his hands as he covers his tear-filled face.

Even when he was broken-hearted and crying, he was still the most beautiful man in the entire world.

"I love you too," I choke out through the tears that had become a symbol of my oppression.

"I love you too," I repeat and he looks through his hands, but his choking tears only fall harder.

"I love you," he whispers once more before scrunching up into a ball, holding himself tight in order to comfort the searing pain that had taken over both of our souls.

"We'll figure it out. We'll figure this whole thing out just stay with me," I beg and he shakes his head vigorously.

"I'm not going anywhere, not without you,"