She shivered with cold even though the room was warm.

Everything about it was warm. Heat was blowing. Blankets covered her. Fresh, hot tears spilled. Yet she shivered.

It seemed so easy. This was a familiar place. She slept here so much in the past. Why was this any different?

That’s ridiculous. This was completely different. She had never felt like this before. Before, she was loved. Everything was great. Her friends loved her. Her parents…

Her parents.

She heard the scampering of Garfield, their cat. He was always chasing something invisible. She shook her head as she thought about the name Garfield. Definitely not one of her favorites. She always liked the name Charlie for a girl, but not so much for a boy. Marissa, Paige, Katelyn, Cara. No matter what she thought, though, she was always partial to the name Ellie. Everything about it was perfect.

She wiped the tears from her face pulled the blanket up over her shoulder. Why was she so cold? She had just come home for summer break. It was 75 degrees outside. She wondered if she would ever stop shivering. Would her life ever be normal?

She knew that was absurd. She had gotten stares any time she tried to be a normal girl. Her shaved head and wide frame contributed to that. It was so hard for her to find clothes that fit properly. She had one dress that she found at Goodwill for $6 and looked like it belonged to somebody’s grandmother. She hated the dress, but she wore it as much as she possibly could.

She heard steps coming down the stairs followed by rustling in the kitchen. Had she really been up the whole night again? She kind of missed having her own room and a door. She knew this was for the best.

She heard coffee bubbling. It smelled like the kind she used to have at home. She smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever.

She glanced over at her phone. Garfield’s eyes were just beyond, but she ignored him. He meowed angrily. The clock read 5:24. She knew she couldn’t pretend to be asleep for much longer. Soon, she was going to have to get up.

The light flipped on. She blinked rapidly and looked down to see tear marks and mascara on the pillow. She hadn’t considered that she needed to wash it off the night before.

Wes walked into the living room with a cup of coffee in each hand. His hair was a mess, and he was wearing pajama bottoms that had eggs and bacon all over them. “Good morning sunshine.”

“Hi Wes.”

He handed her the coffee. They both sipped it in silence. Wes always knew how she liked her coffee: just a splash of half and half so it was bitter to the taste yet not too hot. This was the same brand her mom used to buy. It brought back memories. She smirked. He was such a good friend.

She sighed. “I guess I have to get going soon.”

He shrugged. “Probably. My parents can’t know you’re here. Your parents have told them everything. The couch is always yours though.” She smiled.

Wes took another sip. “Have you picked a new name yet?”

She thought for a moment. “I guess part of me is going to miss ‘Eddie.’ I really like Ellie.”

40% of homeless teens are LGBTQ+. Remember to always be kind.