⚠️CW: Dead-naming, misgendering and transphobia⚠️

-Notes for this oneshot: None-

-Title from "Dysphoria" by Saint Wellesley-

Link to oneshot on Ao3 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/44697727)

･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Lizzie watched as Joel stumbled into the English classroom, taking his usual place in the middle of the classroom, right next to her. She could immediately tell that something was wrong with her boyfriend. She gently touched her hand to his and smiled at him.

"Is it that kind of day today?" She questioned. Joel nodded at her and laid his head on top of the desk. Lizzie frowned at him, wishing there was some way she could take away all his pain. Knowing there was nothing she could do at this very moment, she sighed and rested her right hand on top of his left, leaving it there.

The bell soon rang but their usual English teacher was nowhere to be seen. She turned her head to her left. "Mia, did Mr. Williams say he would be absent today?" She asked the girl who sat on the left side of her.

The dark haired girl shook her head. "We got nothing from him. I wonder if something came up that he had to take off immediately for." She replied.

Lizzie hummed and nodded at her. "Thanks." She said and laid her head next to Joel's, sitting and waiting if anyone showed up. The door soon opened and in popped someone who Lizzie had never seen before. She gave the person a puzzled look.

"Good morning class. As I'm sure you know, your teacher is not here today. Well I'll be taking over for him today. My name is Mrs. Flores." She exclaimed, going over and sitting down at the teacher's desk.

She put her bag down and pulled out a sheet of paper. "I will start by taking attendance so I know who's here and who's not. Please raise your hand and say here when I call your name." She announced. "Juliet Beans?"

Lizzie physically winced and gripped Joel's hand tighter. He wrapped his pinkie finger around hers in thanks. "Juliet Beans? Are you here?" The sub called again.

Joel blinked and shakily raised his free hand. "H-Here." He answered, lowering his raised hand to tug at his brown hair, which was getting longer.

"Thank you Ms. Beans!" The teacher smiled and wrote something down on the sheet. Lizzie's eyes narrowed and she raised her hand. Joel shook his head at her, but she squeezed his hand in reassurance again.

The teacher glared at her, "Yes, lady with the pink hair?" She looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression.

"His name is Joel." Lizzie said harshly.

"So? It says on the attendance sheet that her name is Juliet, and Juliet is a girl's name." The teacher answered back, tapping her pen against the desk angrily.

Lizzie so wanted to punch that woman square in the face. She looked over at Joel who was trying to cover up the tears falling down his face. "I'm sorry love." She whispered before turning back to the sub.

"Well Joel can't legally change his name yet so his name is still in the school's system as Juliet. He's a he though and his name is Joel! If you can't respect that, I don't think you should be teaching at all." She retorted.

Lizzie felt Joel jerk his hand away from hers, grabbing his stuff and running out of the classroom and making a right, continuing down the hall. The class went dead silent and kept staring from Lizzie to the sub.

"How dare you young lady! Sit down in your seat and behave or I'll send you to the principal's office!" She threatened. "I'll go send someone to fetch Juliet."

Lizzie slammed her hands down on the desk which shocked the class and the substitute. She shook her head. "No, I will." She replied, grabbing her things and walking out of the class. Now what was left was to find Joel. If she knew her boyfriend well, he would probably be in the bathroom.

She ran down the hall and saw Joel's stuff outside the girl's bathroom door. Lizzie sighed and put her stuff next to his, heading into the bathroom. When she walked in, she heard sniffling and she frowned.

"Joel?" She called out into the almost empty bathroom, her voice echoing off of the walls. The crying came to a sudden stop and Lizzie paused. "Joel? Where are you?"

She heard a stall door unlock and a head peak out of it. She smiled and headed over to it, kneeling down to get down to Joel's level as he was sitting down inside the stall. She gently scooted him over, going inside the stall and locked the door again, settling down next to him.

Joel looked up at her, tears welling up in his eyes and he collapsed onto her lap. Lizzie gave him a small smile and slowly worked her fingers through his hair. He continued to sob and Lizzie soothed him all the way. "It's alright, let your feelings out, it's perfectly natural."

When his crying had dimmed down to just sniffling, he lifted his head and buried it in Lizzie's shoulder. "What else has got you so upset, my dear?" She asked.

"What else?" Joel repeated back at her, switching to lean his head on her shoulder instead. "Well my name for one. My hair as well, it's way too long for me and I can't get it cut until the weekend and it's only Wednesday."

Lizzie thought for a moment before pulling a hair tie off her wrist. "I got an idea!" She grinned. "Sit in front of me please."

Joel gave her a questioning look but did as he was told, moving his body so that his back was facing her. She ran her fingers through his hair once again before grabbing it gently. In a couple shift movements, Joel's hair was tied up in a nice man bun.

Lizzie pulled out her phone and took a picture, then handed the phone to him so he could have a look at his new hairdo. "How do you like it?" She asked him.

Joel handed her back her phone and turned around, kissing her on the cheek. "I love it. Thank you Lizzie." He replied, giving her a big hug.

"Glad you do. Now I'm sure you don't wanna go back to class." She chuckled. "So we can just stay here until the lunch bell rings, does that sound good?"

He blinked at her but shrugged. "I guess. Won't we get in trouble though? I mean we're skipping class!"

Lizzie shook her head. "We won't. I'll make some excuse if anyone asks. Always works."

"If you're sure." He smiled again, turning back around and leaned against her.

"Oh I'm sure."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Joel."

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[Word Count: 1,121]