The Sound Of Your Heart

THIRTY-EIGHT

EMILY

As we all sat down at the dinner table, I couldn't help but notice how grumpy Dad's expression was. His brows met, and there was anger and frustration in his eyes. He must be having a bad day today.

"How was your day?" my mom asked as she handed the mashed potatoes to Dad.

Dad took a deep breath before answering, his voice low and gruff. "It was a long day," he said, his jaw clenched. "I had to deal with a lot of stuff at work, and then I lost 3-star players off my team."

I could feel my eyes rolling in my head before he even finished the sentence. Meredith caught my reaction and let out a chuckle. She must have gotten my humor because she knew exactly what was coming.

As we began eating our dinner, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust listening to Dad's empathetic way of sharing about his day. He was talking about how difficult it was to lose his three best players, how it was going to affect our chances in the tournament, and how he was struggling to find new players to fill the void.

But what he didn't mention was why Tyler, Klaus, and Clark were gone. He had kicked Tyler off the team because he was dating Miles, and he didn't approve of their relationship and the twins just decided to quit for their friend. It was unfair and hurtful, and it made me feel disgusted that he was pretending to be so understanding and caring when he was just a hypocrite.

"Emily, we need to talk to you about your friends," Dad said, his voice stern and serious.

"What about them?" I asked, feeling a sense of dread wash over me.

"Well, I've been noticing that you've been spending a lot of time with those kids at school who aren't exactly the best influence," Dad said, his voice firm.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling defensive.

"Emily, I've been telling you for years now to be careful about the company you keep, those kids you're hanging out with are not good influences. But you never listen," Dad interjected.

I clenched my fist, feeling a surge of anger and frustration. I had heard this same lecture countless times before, and I am sick of it. I knew that my Dad just wanted the best for me, but I felt like he was constantly judging me and my friends.

"I can make my own decisions, you know," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "I don't need you to tell me who I should and shouldn't be friends with. I can figure that out for myself."

"We're worried about you, Emily. We don't want you to end up like those kids." Dad yelled as he slammed his hand on the dinner table.

"End up what exactly Dad?" I yelled back, I could tell that he was taken aback by my question but it only made him worse.

"Those people," he spat out, jabbing his finger in one direction. "They're a bunch of homosexuals, Emily. I don't want you to end up like them."

I smirked, not even surprised by his nonsense reason. "What exactly do you mean by Homosexuals, Dad?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Are they not human enough for you?"

Dad's face turned even redder, and he slammed his fist on the table again. "Don't be smart with me, young lady," he growled. "I'm only trying to protect you."

I rolled my eyes. Protect me from what? From who? From my friends? I knew that Dad's outbursts were not about protecting me but about his fears, prejudices, and homophobia. And I knew that I would never let his bigotry define me.

"Dad," I said, my voice laced with pride and confidence. "What if I told you that I am one of them?"

My father's brow furrowed in confusion and disbelief. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice skeptical.