Dancing In The Thunder

7-None Of Us Wanted This

Layla POV

"Dad," I say.

"That's right," he says, "Want to explain?"

"I don't have to," I say, "I'm dating someone. You knew that."

"I never knew you were a faggot, Layla," he says.

"You can't say that," I say.

"I don't care," he says, "This society should have never changed. People shouldn't accept people like you."

"But they do," Glowy says, "And there's nothing in your power you can do about it."

"Excuse me," he says, "Nobody says that to me."

"Because you're the king of this land," I say, "But you're the king of nowhere else. You're only the king of some old farm. That's nowhere. You're nobody. To me, and to the rest of the world.

"You don't say that to your father," my dad says.

I laugh and say, "Good thing I'm not your daughter then, right? Mom cheated."

Dad says, "What?"

"Want me to say it slower," I say, "Mom cheated. You. Are. Not. My. Real. Dad."

It's a lie, but so what? In that moment, I realized I hated him. I hated how he had pretend authority. I hated how he disrespected everyone. I hated his dumb punishments for dumb things. I hated my father. And I know it's not right to hate your father, but that man is not my father. He is a dumb excuse for one.

"Layla, you know I know you're lying." He says, "This is unacceptable behavior."

"Mom supports me. Can't you just go away and leave us in peace?"

"Well honey, I love you both very much-"

"You don't act like it," I say, breaking his words.

"And how so?"

"You've never cared! You didn't even know I was dating someone. You didn't even know I was friends with redheads."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah. And I'm not taking your orders anymore."

When I look back at the others, well, all but Clove scattered. Clove's shocked and also angry.

"Let's go, Layla," she finally says, leading me off from him.

Eli POV

I actually stayed there, and when Layla's dad called her mom into the backyard, I gulped.

"This is going too far. We need to get those fronts over here.. a war against those treehugging redhead lovers," her dad says.

I hold everything in, though I wanted to scream at her dad so badly. I wanted to gasp, and warn the others. But I'd be caught for spying and then it's back to square one for Em.

They start agreeing and talking about the war, and then they go inside. Coast is clear. I should leave. Now.

God, I never should've escaped jail. It's not like I changed or learned anything, either. I just was confined. But then.. maybe I would've died. This is really confusing. I'm hurt, but I know I have to tell someone about my discoveries.