two pens from reception

                                    

                                          
Taylor pov: 
                          
"Can you stop that?" 
                          
"Stop what?" I say looking up from the magazine I was reading. 
                          
Beth twisted their head to face me. We were both sitting in the ward reading magazines I stole from the lobby. 
                          
"Grinding your teeth like that. It's really annoying" 
                          
"Oh" I said closing my magazine and placing it on my lap "sorry" 
                          
I was a little nervous after I called Frank. It had been just over an hour and my anxiety still hadn't settled. I felt a tad guilty giving him the news so bluntly but it was one of those situations where if I hadnt done it then, I probably wouldn't have done it at all
                          
"Its okay" they replied, pulling me back into the ward, "but it was loud and obnoxious"
                          
We were the only ones up in the ward. Even though the breakfast trolly had come through. Usually everyone was up by now so I had to relish these little moments of peace.
                          
"I just didn't want anyone else to wake up, some of these kids get real annoying" They said vaguely gesturing to the ward
                          
"Bold of you to assume you aren't one of them" I said smiling. 
                          
"I turn thirteen in six months" they said crossing their arms defensively "I am not a kid" 
                          
I raised my eyebrows at them. Beth was two years younger then me but we seemed to get a long well enough. 
                          
"Thirteen year olds are just twelve year olds trying to be tough. sorry, I don't make the rules" I said matter of factly. 
                          
They blinked twice and then glared at me.
                          
"Fucken rude" they muttered 
                          
"Aren't you a little young to be swearing?" I asked, I didnt really care but then again, we shared a room with younger kids
                          
"Aren't I a little young to have lung cancer?" They shot back 
                          
My eyes widened at the painfully blunt statement. They were right though. 
                          
"Fair enough"
                          
They nodded their head as if to say they made their point and opened their magazine back up. They had a copy of Teen Star magazine and seemed to be flipping through an article about the Jonas Brothers. 
                          
We sat in silence for a while, skimming through different articles and photos. My issue of Kerrang! Had Foo Fighters on the cover and was filled with paragraphs on what different bands were doing
                          
I read one short article on Patrick Stump and closed issue again. Nothing was really grabbing my attention. 
                          
"Hey Beth?" I said, suddenly thinking of something I've been meaning to ask 
                          
They hummed in response, not looking up from their magazine 
                          
"Can I ask you something?" 
                          
They closed the magazine to look at me "depends" they said apprehensively "what is it?" 
                          
"I was just wondering, you don't have to answer by the way" I added "but, why do you still use your given name, wouldn't it be easier to use something more neutral?" 
                          
They bit their lip "I guess I never really thought of it as given name, I've always liked Beth but it never suited me growing up. I've just never gotten round to picking a new one, my parents also still see me as a girl and I don't want to give them another thing to stress about on top of y'know-" 
                          
They pointed to the breathing tube stuck in their nose. 
                          
"-But yeah, I wouldn't mind going by something more neutral, just haven't given it much thought"  they finished