The Restaurant

Chapter 20 - Kat

I didn't want to live anymore. My best friend, the girl I love, now hated me. All because I was too afraid to tell my parents the truth. Christy was right, I was afraid of what everyone thought when I should only care about what she thinks. I'm such an idiot. My family, my real family was falling apart. I had to do something, but what? I didn't know. Jimmy had to get up to get ready for work and just like that, I had lost my anchor. I was alone now with my self-destructive thoughts. He had been there with me at the beginning all the way to the end. I had to get up, I had to get ready for my parents to come over, it was Thursday and they had already sent an itinerary of when their plane would land and what time I would have to get them on Friday.

I looked around our place, it was clean enough. I jumped in the shower and washed up. As I got out, I thought I heard the door open and close. I ran out from the bathroom in my towel hoping it was her, but there was no one there. I threw on some jeans and a shirt and wrote an apology for Christy. I slid it under her door and left. My parents were not particularly healthy, but healthy, they didn't like sweets or carbs, so I had to hide my junk food when they came over. They preferred vegetables and fish. I don't mind the fish, but the smell takes forever to vanish. I wondered if Jimmy knew any recipes for fish, I'd have to ask him when he got home. But first, I had to get a dress. My parents didn't like it if I wasn't dressed like a girl.

As I walked through the mall, I ran into Aubrey and Jen. 'Of all the times.'

"Kat! Hey!" Aubrey ran up to me pulling Jen along. Jen was developing into a pretty girl. When I first met her, she kept her hair in her face and was skittish. Now she had her hair done up, makeup on, and was smiling.

"Hey, wow Jen you look fantastic." Jen blushed and her face turned red.

"Umm... I'm standing right here," Aubrey said, her hands on her hips.

"Aubrey, you know I think you're beautiful," I said.

She giggled, "Oh stop it you. Where's Christy? I thought she would be here helping you shop."

My face went somber, and it took all I had to stop from crying. They both froze in their tracks and reached for me.

"Kat, what happened?"

"It's a long story," I said.

Jen chimed in, "Do you think we can get some food while you tell it?" Aubrey looked at her with a 'you know better' look. Jen felt bad and apologized.

"No that's ok, some food would be nice right now."

We all walked over to the food court and got slices of pepperoni pizza and garlic cheese knots with marinara on the side. I told them about my parents, about how they didn't know I was lesbian, how I had to tell Christy, how I didn't know what to do, and why I was at the mall in the first place. I unloaded so much on them I think I saw their shoulders slump.

"That was a lot to take in," Aubrey said.

Jen was eating the last of the garlic knots. "Why not just tell your parents the truth?" she asked between bites. Aubrey pinched Jen under the table, "Ouch! What?" Jen wasn't sure what she did wrong. She's still learning how to live with a family like Christy's. It's so amazing what her family did for Jen. Her act of kindness and selflessness toward Jen was a reason why I loved Christy so much.

I speak up about the problem I am facing, "My parents wouldn't understand, they would think I was confused or tricked into thinking I'm a lesbian."

"Then why not introduce them to Christy, you two are so good together." Aubrey started to reach for me arm, then paused halfway and took her hand back.

"That's actually a good idea. Why don't you do that, Kat?" Jen asked.

"Christy is still mad at me, I don't think she would go for that," I replied.

"Are you kidding? Christy would do anything for you, especially something as big as this."

"And maybe have Jimmy make some sweets to soften the blow," Jen added. I laughed, she may not have been related to them, but that's Christy's little sister.

"Alright, I'll see if Christy will do this for me," I looked at Jen. "And I'll see if Jimmy will make sweets to soften the blow with my parents. He'll probably make extra." Jen bounced in her chair.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, "You're just like Christy."

After spending the day with Aubrey and Jen, I was a little tired. I skipped the search for a dress because that wasn't me and my parents were going to meet the real me this weekend. But I still had to talk to Christy, so I went and knocked on her door. There was no answer.