“I’m… Trans,” Elisa revealed, a bit fearfully.

“Oh. Let me guess, he’s racist and transphobic?” the orphan asked, turning his attention back to Daniel.

“And xenophobic too.” He started walking, and the two teens followed him.

“Goddamnit…” Max sighed. It’s not like he hadn’t developed a thick skin against racist professors over the years, but he still could do without them ignoring him, side-eyeing him, or patronizing him. 

“Wait, you’re not…”

“Come on, Elisa, do you think I would bring a transphobe into our group?” Daniel seemed offended.

“I don’t know, my ex said he wasn’t a transphobe, but we all know how that turned out, don’t we?!”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about me, I won’t… What exactly did your ex do to you?” Max asked.

“My ex said he was fine with me being trans and all of that, but then he started getting really cold and stuff when I told him I wasn’t planning on getting a bottom surgery.” She looked pissed.

“Why would you need a bottom surgery? I think your ass looks fine... Not in a sexual way or anything, I’m just being honest!” Max had just realized that she could interpret him as a pervert and wished to take back what he just said. “I’m sorry... I’m just saying that you’re fine as you are... and stuff.”

“It’s fine, I understand what you were trying to say.” she said while blushing and adjusting her purple dress “But actually I’m talking about a surgery to replace… What I have… You know.” She gestured vaguely towards her lower area.

“Oh!”

“Yeah, Gonçalo said that I couldn’t be a real girl without it and stuff, and sometimes would deny me kisses and stuff because ‘he wasn’t gay’. But honestly, one of his stupidest arguments as to why it was stupid of me to want to keep my stuff was that I wasn’t going to use it. Like, so what!? I just don’t feel the need to take it, you know?”

“I think so... Like, I don’t really give any use to my nipples, but I still don’t feel the need to cut them out.”

“Yeah, it’s basically that. I ended up breaking up with him after 11 months of dating, and he didn’t take it well at all. I had to block that idiot and everything because he wouldn’t stop messaging me, insulting me, and begging me to come back.”

“What the fuck...” 

“Yeah, I almost had to get a restraining order on him because he kept coming to my house, but I left it pretty clear to him that I wasn’t going to tolerate any of his tantrums, and my sisters weren’t going to tolerate them either.” She said proudly, her head held high and her chest puffed. 

“I see, but anyway, you don’t have to worry about me doing that shit.”

“Cool.” She felt a little relieved.

“But you have sisters?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

The teens went up the stairs to the 1st floor.

“Yeah. I have three older sisters. Tânia, Carolina, and Maria, in that order.”

“So Tânia is the oldest, Carolina the middle one, and Maria is the youngest, right?” he said while counting by his fingers.

“Exactly.”

“I see, and what about your parents? How are they?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation rolling. 

“Oh... My father has been out of the picture for a while now, and we don’t really visit him in prison. And my mother emigrated to Canada not long after my father was arrested. She still talks with us, and even sends us money whenever she can to help Tânia with the bills, she’s nice...”

“I see...” he said, looking at the floor.

“It’s fine, Max. She knows that you didn’t mean any harm,” Daniel reassured.

“Huh?” Elisa looked at Daniel.

“I...” Max opened his mouth, but the words weren’t coming out.

“Max realized that he made you talk about something sensitive, so he’s feeling guilty,” Daniel explained.

“Oh. Well, don’t worry about it; talking about my parents and stuff is actually quite therapeutic to me. It gets rid of some pressure, you know?” She reassured with a smile.

“Oh, ok.” He felt relieved “Well if you ever feel like venting.” He pointed at himself with his thumb “I’m all ears.”

“Thank you.”