My parents are very... err average. My dad has a dad body, wears Hawaiian shirts on the weekends, and talks about sports all the time. His favorite sport is tennis which he used to play in college. He always makes sure to point it out when the subject comes up.

My mom isn’t much better. She tries way too hard to look younger than she is. Always saying cringy things to sound “hip”. She wears tracks suits to the grocery store. Her favorite pass time is watching game shows on tv. She’s part of the homeowner’s association in our neighborhood.

How I was spawned from these two is beyond me.

They normally just let me do whatever so long as I stay out of trouble.

Well… I’m in trouble so…

Also, in case you were wondering, their names are Katrina and Kurt, they thought it would be cute if everyone in our family had K names. I swear I was abducted as a child, no way I am part of the KKK family.

“I don’t understand, Kathleen would never do something like that.” My mom says to the principal as I sit through this torture.

Carson went off to class when my parents got here.

My mom has her own real estate company, my dad works with her. My family is pretty well off and my parents can basically take off work whenever they want. Which is why they were able to drive up to the school. Unfortunately.

“See for yourself,” The principal set the picture of me kissing Josie down in front of my parents. He made the student newspaper send it to him.

According to this slimebag, I started a riot at the school and incited school violence. When he dies, I hope the first thing that happens to him when he gets to hell is that he’s surrounded by gay demons.

My mom and dad actually gasp out loud, like we are in some soap opera or something. I have to resist the urge to facepalm.  

“It was a peaceful protest, not a riot.” I point out.

“I have had several students tell me they felt threatened and unsafe.” He says.

“Where? The only one who’s been in your office all morning is me and Ms. Lebowski when she reminded you to take your pills.”

“I have had it up to here with your attitude young lady.” He scolds me.

“You’re so full of it,” I call him out.

“Kathleen Ricki Hanson, we did not raise you like this. How dare you talk to your principal like that.” Dad says.

I roll my eyes.

Why do they have to be so extra? And embarrassing. Ugh!

“We apologize for this appalling behavior,” Dad says.

“Because of these actions, we are suspending Kathleen for 7 days.”

“Can we go now?” I ask.

“Kathleen apologize,” mom says.

“No! I’m not going to apologize when I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Now! Or we are taking your car away.”

“Fine! I’m sorry you think being gay is a problem but maybe if you weren’t such an evil bastard the rainbow wouldn’t burn your soul!” I get up and kick the chair over before walking out and slamming the door.

Fuck him.

I don’t care if I do get expelled for that.

I grab my car keys and leave school, driving home.

My parents meet me there shortly after.

“What has gotten into you?” Mom asks.

“Are you gay now?” dad asks.

“I’m not gay, I have a boyfriend. And what he did isn’t right! How can you be on his side!?”

“Kathleen—”

“It’s Kat!”

“Whatever you are calling yourself these days, you’re grounded. Give me your car keys.” Dad says.

I throw them at him.

“Young lady—”

“Fuck you!” I spat before running upstairs to my room and slamming the door.

They are so stupid. What if I was gay? Would they just let me get discriminated against? Tell me to not be proud of who I am? What assholes.

I text Carson and my friends what happened.

Sage and Sophie gush about how badass I was and say that everyone is talking about it. Josie says she’ll come over later to give me back the rainbow flag which she retrieved out of the trash.

Carson tries to make me feel better. We text throughout the day. He changes the subject to get me to cheer up and laugh. Bad boy makeover or not, he’s still the same Carson I know and love.

Josie comes over when my parents go out for dinner.

Luckily my parents left me alone for the rest of the day.

When I see her I’m a bit surprised. She’s changed her hair, again. But this is the most drastic change yet. She’s shaved most of her hair close to her scalp, only leaving the top part a couple of inches long.  The hairstyle reminds me of the singer pink. Her hair is platinum on the sides but still pink on the top.

“You are such a badass,” Josie hands me the flag.

“I did it for you,” I tease, shoving the flag in the ground right by the front door.

“Look at us, we made the front page.” She hands me the school paper.

The headline reads, clicks ban together to end LGBTQ oppression. In the picture, you can see lots of clicks represented. Band geeks, dorks like Carson, art freaks, jocks, nerds, even the emo kids. Of course, Josie and I are front and center mid make out city.

“I’m totally going to frame this and put it on my wall.” She says.

I chuckle and hand it back to her.

“Like the hair?”

“What hair, it’s gone,” I playfully run my fingers through her short hair.

“I wanted to try something new, you inspired me.” She follows me up to my room.

“Me?”

“Hell yes, the way you weren’t afraid to put yourself out there like that. It just made me realize I should stop pretending to be something I’m not. I should be my true self. So tada, here she is.” She spins around for me.

“So are you like Bi-sexual?” I sit on the bed.

“Nope, I’m a lesbian.”

“But you dated Ian for like a whole year.”

“Funny story, Ian’s gay.” She lays down on the bed next to me.

“What!?”

“It’s actually a whole ass thing. He was tired of getting picked on and asked if he was straight, I was tired of seeing all you guys have boyfriends. Sage was already suspecting so to throw her off my trail I dated Ian. We had the same art class together. We made the plan in there. He figured out I was gay. I figured out he was gay. So we just you know, decided to date so that people would leave us alone. His parents are such assholes. They would never approve of him being gay.”

“Why’d you break up then?” I lay down next to her.

“Well, he got tired of hiding, he met this guy and wanted to break up and tell everyone he was gay. I said no, that I wasn’t ready, but he wouldn’t hear it. So he broke up with me. I was so freaked out, I knew if he came out everyone would know I was full of it. So I went to Sage and told her everything. She was so supportive and convinced me to tell my parents. But before I could Ian told me he wasn’t going to do it anymore. That, that guy was also too scared to come out of the closet. So I didn’t do it either. Sage was the only one who knew.”

“You could have told me.” I frown at her.

“No, I couldn’t. You know why I couldn’t.”

“How did Sophie figure it out?”

“Well, she recently found out. A few days ago actually. When you told me you wanted to get with Carson I went to Sage and had a breakdown. Confessed everything to her, little did I know Sophie was in the next room and heard everything. Luckily she was supportive too.”

“Wait so everyone but me knew you liked me?”

“Yep.”

“Seriously,” I frown and stare up at the ceiling.

“Well, now you know too. And I couldn’t be prouder of you for doing what you did earlier. I think it’s safe to say I successfully corrupted you.”

“Shut the hell up,” I laugh and playfully hit her in the stomach.

“Make me,” she rolls over and gets on top of me.

I stare up into her eyes.

“Josie… I’m really sorry for what I said. I was just scared. I didn’t mean to say it.”

“You already said that,” she points out.

“I just feel like shit because of it. I’m so sorry, I never meant to make you feel less than. That was a fucked up thing to say.”

“Then why’d you say it?”

“I was scared and confused, you were pressuring me. All I could think about was what people would say about me. How they would see me. I freaked out. Don’t hate me forever, please.”

“Why were you confused?” she leans down closer to me.

I feel my breath get caught in my throat and stare up at her, unable to form words.

“Why do I confuse you if you’re straight?” she leans in more, her words nothing but whispers on my lips.

“What about this is so confusing?” she presses her forehead into mine.

I feel her hand slide up my chest and pause just above my heart. I know she can feel how fast it’s beating.

“Ever since you kissed me… nothing feels right anymore.” I whisper against her lips.

“Then make it right.”

I lean up and kiss her.

She sighs into the kiss and deepens it.

Until she kissed me, I didn’t know kissing could feel like this. My insides feel all tingly and I can’t tell if I want to laugh or throw up. I just feel so, alive. I feel electric.

Her knees wedges between my legs and the hand that was above my heart slides down lower to feel my chest. She uses her free hand to hold herself up. I run my hands up her shoulders to her neck then to her hair where I run my fingers through and grab tight handfuls before pulling her even closer.

Her tongue slips into my mouth and I let my tongue twist around hers.

After a minute or two of us being tongue-tied, I slowly push her away to catch my breath.

She tries to lean in again, but I hold her back by her hair.

“Josie… this, we shouldn’t be doing this. I have a boyfriend.”

“You’re too good for him,” she tries to lean in again, but I hold her at bay.

“Josie, I… I don’t even know if I’m gay. This is all so new to me. I don’t want to give you false hope. This is just experimental to me. I don’t feel the same way about you as you feel about me.”

“That’s okay, no one said we had to get serious so soon. We can just mess around if you want. It will be our secret.”

“Josie I know this means more to you.”

“You know you want to,” she tries to lean in again.

“If we do this, what are you going to do when I blow you off for Carson?”

“I can take it.”

“Josie, Carson… I really like him.”

“No one has to know. It stays between us. Whenever you want to stop, you can.”

I sigh and look into her eyes. She silently pleads with me. I glance down at her lips and she looks down at mine. She leans again and this time, I don’t stop her.