5.

Hiding my truth felt suffocating, like living in a constant nightmare. Every day, I put on a mask, pretending to be someone I wasn't. The stress of keeping my secret buried was crushing me. My heart raced whenever I thought about being discovered.That's when Alex became my lifeline. My best friend since childhood, he had always been there for me. I knew he was different from the others. One day, we were hanging out at his house, just the two of us. I took a deep breath, my hands trembling. "Alex, can I tell you something?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper."Of course, Elsie," he replied. Little did he know that soon I would be telling him to call me Alfie instead."I think I'm trans," I said, my voice cracking. The words hung in the air, and for a moment, there was silence. My heart sank."I'm here for you Elsie, I'll support you." He said. "Maybe can you call me Alfie? I've been thinking about it and I think it fits me"Then, Alex's face lit up with a warm smile. "Then, I'm here for you, Alfie," he said. My new name rolled off his tongue effortlessly.Tears of relief streamed down my face. His acceptance was the oxygen I needed to breathe. But the fear of rejection still lingered, especially when it came to my parents. Their opinions mattered too much. Would they understand, or would they think it was just a phase?Anxiety gripped me. My mind was flooded with questions. What if they didn't support me? What if they disowned me? These thoughts haunted me every day.The weight of secrecy threatened to crush me. Living with dual identities was overwhelming. Elsie, the facade, and Alfie, my true self, clashed daily. I knew I couldn't hide forever.