A Chance to Shine

Dove's Outing

ARIANA

Cass had made her amazing macaroni and cheese that night. That could only mean one thing.

"GIRLS NIGHT!" Squealed Cat as she saw our special meal. Whenever we were given macaroni and cheese it meant that Cassandra was going to do one of her special Girls' Nights with us. It was a tradition that had started when she first made the dish. Dove had originally refused to eat it, because she was afraid of the bow tie noodles as the edges had "spikes" on them. Conrad had said that NONE of us triplets could leave until Dove had finished her macaroni. We ended up sitting and talking and playing games with Cass at the table. We had so much fun, that we made it a regular thing! We had a Girls' Night every month or so, and they never got old.

I was pulled back to the present when Cassandra said, "I think you deserve a Girls' Night after your first day of school ever! And since it's a Friday it worked out just perfectly! Now, after dinner you girls go shower and I'll plan our agenda!"

I ran upstairs and into my bathroom. Each of my sisters and I had our own bathroom, so we could all get ready for any event at the same time. My bathroom had yellow floor tiles I took my shower with my custom made hair and bath products, and made sure to scrub off all my makeup. After I was done, I put on my flannel orange, pink, and yellow PJ pants on with a yellow lacy cropped camisole. I wore thick orange wool socks to keep my feet warm on the cold floor of the house. Air conditioning could get chilly! I sprayed my hair with leave in conditioners and various oils, and threw it up into a messy bun. As I left my bathroom I saw a note from Cass on the floor outside the door. It said to go to Cat's room, so I did just that. When I opened the door, Cat was sitting on her bed in her sleep shorts that were covered in prints of rainbow candies. She also wore some snuggly looking slipper boots that were purple, and matched her tank top perfectly. Her shockingly vibrant hair was in a ponytail, still mostly wet.

"Hi, Toulouse," I said as Cat's small yellow pup greeted me. We weren't sure what breed the dog was, but he was adorable! He sniffed at my feet, and after he had given me the all clear to enter his master's room, I did so.

Cat's room was so cute! The walls were painted bubblegum pink, but her furniture was mostly medium colored wood. Her bed was wood, her closet doors were wood, her desk was wood, and the whole room was decorated with bright colored posters, plush animals, and plants. Cat loves flowers and succulents. The room was always cluttered but yet always managed to look neat and tidy.

"Cat, your room always makes me smile," I said as I sat down next to her on her bed.

"Thanks, Ari!" She said, clutching a plush smiling flower. She seemed troubled.

"Cat, what's wrong?" I asked her. She looked up at me.

"I'm worried about Dove. She's been acting weird ever since the twins were here. She was really quiet, and I caught her staring at Talia a couple of times, but she would always look down after a while. And she barely touched her macaroni! It's like her fave dinner now!"

I thought about this for a while and realized that Cat was completely right.

"Okay," I said. "When did she start acting really weird? Like not the staring or being quiet, but like, REALLY started."

We thought about it for a second and realized at the same time.

"It was whenever Talia said she was lesbian," Cat said quietly. I knew she was thinking the same thing as I was: "is our sister a homophobe?"

"She couldn't be," I said, trying to reassure Cat and myself.

"I know, I thought we had been taught better but is there any other explanation?" Cat said, obviously just as worried as I was. Our parents were avid feminists, and we had been taught that everyone deserves equality, no matter who they love, what they look like, or anything. Cat and I still believed that through and through, and until this moment we thought Dove did too. Suddenly, our thoughts were interrupted.

"I'm not a homophobe," said Dove. I jumped at the spins of her voice.

"Ummmmm......how much exactly have you heard?" Cat asked.

"All of it," answered Dove. "And you deserve to know the truth now. I think......I think I'm ready."

Dove sat down on the bed next to us, took a deep breath, and said it.

"I'm pansexual," she said. "And I think I have a crush on Talia."

"But what about that guy, Alex?" I asked.

"Honestly......no........maybe.......I just don't know. I mean, I know Alex likes me, and obviously trying anything with Talia could wreck our friendship, but I just can't stop thinking about her," Dove explained.

"You'll figure it out," Cat said. "I know you will. And you always have us!"

Dove smiled. I knew it meant a lot to her to have us, just like it meant a lot to us to have her.