Everything faded, all sound muffled, my sense of perception warped, and all emotions were stunned. All I can recall was the loud sounds of angry women shouting, hitting, and kicking me, a tall and strong man grabbing me and tossing me out, and a car that nearly ran me over. I somehow managed to find my car and drive home. Only now I am starting to regain my senses as I enter my apartment.

"Son," that sounds like my dad, but I don't respond.

"Elon," I presume that's my mother, "honey, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Elon!" Nola, I'm sure it's her and maybe she gave me a hug from behind but I can't tell. "Elon, what's wrong? You look dead."

How long have I been in this daze? I don't know, but eventually reality suddenly starts returning to normal. Looks like I ended up plopping on the couch or my parents laid me down. I wake up to Nola, Mom, and Dad just staring at me.

"Elon," my dad says, "are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Then my mom approaches-

AGH! What the?

"Mom, did you just kick my stomach?"

"Oh, thank goodness. He's fine."

Did she just kick me? I mean... what the-

"Elon," Nola is now talking, "what happened? Speak to me."

I grab my stomach as I sit straight. I have to look at them in the eye and tell them, don't I? Is this really what I have to do? Do I have to?

...

...

...

I have to. I really do. They're partially the ones to blame for this.

"Guys... I went into the girl's bathroom on my date." but ended up not looking at them when I said that. There was a silence for a moment. I turn around and they look at me with a blank expression. "Guys, I went inside the girl's bathroom on my date."

"So what?" asks my mom.

"Mom! I'm not allowed in the girl's bathroom."

"What are you talking about? Of course you are. Is this really what's bothering you? Oh honey."

"Why are you just brushing this off? I went into the girl's bathroom in a casual manner."

Then Nola speaks, "but you've been in the girl's bathroom before."

"When I'm with you, but this time I just strolled in there with no problem."

"Son," now my dad speaks, "I know you are shocked about this, but calm down. You know what it's like to walk into the girl's bathroom, so there's nothing wrong with entering an unfamiliar one."

I have to elaborate. Oh no, I have to tell them why I went into the bathroom. Aw jeez, why do I have to?

"I went into the bathroom and it was busy. Busy with women using it. They all saw me casually enter and I did not mind. I opened the stall that Heather was using. She was in the middle of using the toilet! I saw her relieve herself!"

*SLAP* A hard smack goes across my face.

"I KNEW IT!" Wait, Mrs. Uro? Where did she come from? "That boy of yours, he is being a corrupted dirty little boy. All those hormones are now rotting his brain. I told you to neuter him. Now he wants to peak at all the ladies! Just because we gave him a pass to the women's washroom, he now thinks he can walk in like a pimp! Nola, let's go."

"No mom, I want to-"

"No, we're going home. You are not allowed to see that boy until he- you don't have to use the toilet, do you honey?"

"No."

"-until he gets his head straight!" and they barge out.

After that little incident, me and my parents go into the kitchen as we sit on the table.

"Mom, dad, I need to see a psychiatrist."

"Not that again," my mom interjects. "Honey, nothing is wrong, I can assure you."

"No, you can't. This is what the school psychologist was talking about. The thing that is wrong with me without me noticing. This must be one of those things."

"Elon, you are beating yourself up. It's not your fault, it's your fathers!"

"Me?" my dad says understandably surprised.

"It's your fault. You kept saying something was wrong with him. Now look what happened."

"I said there was something wrong with the situation. I've been saying this since he was in elementary school. I never agreed to this bathroom business with Nola."

"Quiet you."

"Okay."

"Mom," I continue, "I'm going to seek help tomorrow."

"You are being misled, Elon. There is nothing wrong with you. You're just stressed. How about I make you some camomile tea to calm you down."

"You already gave me some, and I don't want any because this tea has caffeine. That doesn't relax you at all."

"Now son, I can understand you are mad, but don't blame the tea for your problems. The tea is innocent."

"My biggest problem is that I never once stood up for myself. I kept having to do what you adults kept telling me to do, just because you were the adults. Well, I'm putting my foot. I'm seeking help. Not just for me but perhaps as an example for Nola too. We're both messed up."

"Son, I'm telling you-"

"Son," my dad interrupts, "go to sleep. I'll drive you wherever you want tomorrow."

"Honey, what are you doing? I thought I told you to-"

"He's clearly distressed about this. I don't want him to seek professional help either, but he's now a young man entering adulthood. We got to treat him as such. If this is his decision, then we have to respect it. Go to bed, Elon."

'Honey, you realize the penalty for disobeying me, right?" I hear my mom say before I leave the kitchen.

I arrive at my room and upon opening the door, Nola was waiting for me as she sat on my bed.

"I snuck out," she said. I ignore her as I plop myself on the bed, facing away from her. I feel the bed lighten, she must have gotten up.

"Elon, are you okay? You can talk to me."

"Leave me alone, please."

I hear nothing else except for the sound of the door closing.