One of the Boys.

I’m Ezmerelda Lucia Graziella.
Long ass name, huh?
Call me Em. It’s a hell of a lot easier and what I’ve always been known as, except to my parents, who insist on calling me Ezmerelda. My name is Italian, but my mother and father speak French. They moved to Las Vegas just before I was born because the village where I lived had been destroyed by bombings. I have relatives in Vegas, so they moved here to try and rebuild their lives.
I wish we’d stayed in Italy. Have you seen how beautiful Italians are? And how hot their accent is? I’m a Vegas child. A tom boy, who isn’t beautiful in any way, shape or form. Not that I want to be a ‘girly girl’; don’t make me sick. I like my band shirts, baggy jeans and baseball caps. Not so much the braces, but they come off soon.
Most people reckon I’m a guy. I have next to no curves, which are hidden by my clothes anyway. I’m the most under-developed sixteen year old girl you’ll ever meet. Then again, boobs would mean that it hurt way more when I fell over from skate-boarding.
Skate-boarding is my life. My parents hate it, why can’t I be a model like my sisters? But I don’t care, modeling seems like the most tedious activity anyone could take part in. I can’t even fathom how bored it would make me.
Back to the skate-boarding, I spend eighty percent of my time down the skate park. I compete frequently and do this volunteer program where I teach orphans how to skate. See, I’m not completely heartless. Surely it’s much better to physically help out, rather than wish for ‘world peace and unity’ at fashion shows. Don’t get me started.
People also assume I’m a lesbian, because any girl that is slightly more manly than usual is immediately a lesbian, right?
No, completely and utterly wrong. I’m not a lesbian, I’m not even bisexual. I’m straight, but I’m not all that interested in guys yet. Maybe I just haven’t met someone who’s caught my eye like that, maybe I’m picky, I don’t know.
They also assume this because I surround myself with boys, who happen to be my best friends. Weird that the people I spend my time with are my best friends, huh? Yeah, fucking abnormal.
My best friends consist of Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, Brent Wilson and Spencer Smith. I don’t have a specific best friend, they’re all equally as cool.
Cool. Hah, cool. I think they’re amazing, but in the high school popularity chain, we’re right at the bottom. We’re the algae and they’re the panthers. We’re nothing in their eyes, the ones to pick on for not conforming, the ones to beat up behind the lockers.
Most of the football team follow the misogynistic rule of ‘don’t hit girls’. But obviously, I’m not a girl, so I get hit. By my sister’s boyfriend. She laughs about it, because I’m not like her, as I should be. A modeling, plastic, idiotic, fake, whore, pathetic excuse of a human being? Sure, I’d love to be like her. Ahem.

“Maman? Je vais le parc!”
“Parce que?”
I held up my skate board. She sighed and cursed in french.
“Je t’aime aussi!” I shouted sarcastically.
She refused to speak to me in English. My father was a little more lenient, but when mom was around, he spoke in french.
I grabbed my keys, cell and baseball cap, putting it on my head backwards. Yeah, I was a skater chick, deal with it.
I slammed the door and jumped on the board, skating down the road, the familiar sound of the wheels running over the uneven tarmac filling my ears. I flicked open my cell and pressed 1, then green.
“Salut, je-”
“Whoa, Em, hold up. S’me, go back into normal speak.”
I laughed. “Pardon, Brendon. Anyways, get your loser ass to the park, yeah?”
“Sure, you on your way?”
“Skating as we speak. Anyone else at your pad?”
“All the guys, actually. We’re leaving the house right now, see you later.”
“S’later!”
“Or rather, au revoir.” he said, in the worst french accent I’ve heard in a while.
I laughed. “You fucker.” I smirked and hung up, tucking my cell into my pocket.
I only had to stop once for cars, but arrived at the park in good time, only seven minutes. It can sometimes take up to twenty if I fall over a lot or I’m skating with Spencer, who’s new to it all.
I did a few ollys, then sat at the top of the ramp, letting my legs swing down, waiting for the guys.
“YO, HOE!” I heard someone shout. I turned around and saw Brendon on his board.
“YO, BASTARD!” I smiled. He skated up to the top and tipped his board, balancing his weight out so he could sit down with me too.
We knuckle touched.
Ryan was a good skate boarder, but he preferred his BMX, so was sat on that on the ground. Spencer had his board, as did Brent. Brendon and I also did roller blading, but mainly stunts and shit, nothing like twirls and ‘girl’s’ blading.
“What’s up you guys?” I smiled down at them.
“Nothing much.” nodded Ryan. “As per usual. How are the jack asses?”
“Le ass holes.”
He laughed. “Once again, as per usual.”
Brent had an odd look on his face. “Brent, what’s biting your balls?” asked Brendon.
“Just thinking.”
“Oh no, quick, save him!” said Spencer, pouncing on him. “Get the fuck off me you douche!” said Brent.
Spencer rolled off and laughed.
“I’m just thinking of Isla.”
We all exchanged looks. “Oooh!”
“Shut up.” he blushed. “Hey Em, do you know if she’s single?”
They all turned to look at me. I put my hands up. “Why the hell would I know?”
“You’re a girl!”
“Barely!”
“True that.” nodded Brendon. I punched his arm and he faked a death, so I pushed him off the ramp. When he stood up he looked like he was about to cry.
“Shit, B, did I actually hurt you?”
He pulled up his shirt and there was a big cut along his back. My eyes widened and I skated down.
“Fuck, I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t worry about it.” he mumbled, trying to blink back the tears. I touched the cut and he groaned.
“I’ll sort it, hang on. It’ll sting though.”
“Mmm kay.” he nodded, sitting down.
I flipped my board over, which had a tiny first aid kit on the bottom. I’d fitted it because we always fell over.
I ripped open the antiseptic wipe with my teeth and wiped down his cut.
“Fuck, Em!”
“I’m sorry!”
I wiped it down quickly then stuck down a piece of bandage, then pulled down his shirt.
“Better?”
“No, but it’ll heal better, so thanks, but fuck you for doing it in the first place.”
Ryan looked at me, biting his lip. “You guys, I have to go, mom wants me for something, probably concerning homework. See you tomorrow at school.”
“See ya, Ryan.” we all said and he left on his bike.
“Spence, you done that history essay?” I asked.
His and Brent’s face whitened. “What essay.”
“That two thousand word essay on dictators of the nineteenth century.”
“Holy balls, no! Well I guess we gotta go too! See you hoes tomorrow!” he shouted and they skated away.
And then there was two.
Brendon was looking really pissed off.
“B, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Will you judge me if I cry?”
“No, ‘course not.”
“Don’t you dare tell the guys.”
“I won’t.” I said, linking pinky fingers with him.
He hugged his knees and cried silently. The cut was pretty damn deep, he’d fallen on the side which had the the razor like edge on, so I don’t blame him for crying. Most people would be sobbing hysterically right now.
I sat down next to him. It was supremely awkward, I had no idea what to do. Do I pat his back and say ‘There, there’, do I laugh at him? I’ve never been in this kinda situation before.
“You… you want a hug?” I asked, scratching the back of my neck.
He looked up with blotchy eyes. “What?”
“I’m not sure what to do, so I offered to hug you.”
He chuckled. “Sure, why not, you bitch.”
I wrapped my arms around him loosely as he did to me. This was most definitely awkward, we’d never hugged before. I’d never hugged anyone other than my family.
I eased into the hug and I let go of him after a few seconds. “Better?”
He smiled. “I guess so? That was weird, huh?”
I sighed with relief. “Glad it wasn’t just me. I’m not much of a hug person.”
“Nor am I a cry person.”
“So none of this happened.”
“None of what happened?”
“Precisely.” I smiled and stood up, getting on my board. Brendon stood up and yelped in pain, the cut was right across his back. There was no way he’d be able to skate back.
“Come on you fool, grab your board and get on mine.”
“Nah, it’s fine, you live in the other direction.”
“You think I want to go home?”
He smirked. “Then sure, I’ll board share.”
He grabbed his board, put his under his arm, then stepped on.
“You gonna put your arms round or what?”
“Oh right, yeah, sure.” he chuckled and put his arms around my waist. I normally had to this with Spencer, he was always hurting something.
I pushed with my feet and we set off, gliding down the hill towards his house.
“You gotta hold tighter, B, or you’ll fall.”
He did as I said and we kept going. I bent my knees to gain more speed.
“What’s wrong? You’re super tense.” I said, concentrating on the road.
“I… I’ve never board shared before and I keep on thinking I’m gonna fall. And if I fall, then you fall, and I don’t want to break your bones.”
I laughed. “I’ve broken too many bones to count, don’t worry. And we won’t fall. Stop being a pussy.”
He laughed too and we soon arrived at his house. As soon as I stopped he let go of me like I was a disease and quickly scarpered to his front door. “See you tomorrow, you hoe.”
“Likewise, you bastard.” I nodded.