Anyone But Me #girlxgirl

C13: All About Olwen

Brae

I really wish I was a boy right now.

I don't even know who the hell Jay is. I don't even know who the hell any of them are. I barely even know Ole. She's only been my best friend for a year now.

I guess this might all be made worse by the fact that I never trust anyone. Nobody. I don't even trust my own family.

"Well, I'm off to Mitzi's house," Noah mutters. I hate all of this family drama stuff, but to be honest, Mitzi is the craziest girl he's ever dated. She owns a junk yard and lives with her dad. It's common knowledge that she has three other boyfriends. She's practically a model.

"Oh no you're not," Emma says, walking out into the hallway, swinging her purse. "Yesterday you said you'd take me to the mall."

"Emma, not now. How about tonight?"

"Tonight?? You really think I'll settle for tonight??" she scoffs. "Whatever, I don't want to argue with you. If you want those photos of Mitzi and you to get out, then by all means-"

"No, thank you. Jesus, fine. I'll drive you to the dumb mall."

Noah stomps upstairs, Emma sassily following him.

Right. That was strange.

Anyways, I don't know what's going on. Maybe I should list everything I know about all of them. Maybe that could help.

ZYANA-

-clever
-lesbian
-slightly messed up
-in love with Jay

SKY-

-in love with Zyana
-Zyana's best friend
-smart
-straight

JAY-

-kinda controlling
-smart
-talented

-beautiful
-uses people for no reason

-Zyana's crush

-has a crush on me

MARY-

-bi

-Jay's ex

-loves Jay and Sky at the same time
-kinda plain looking, nothing special about her

OLWEN-

-straight

-crush on Sky
-kinda boy crazy

-my best friend

ME-

I stop there. I don't really know what to write. I'm smart, talented, pretty... but I'm... not very likable, I guess. And I have a crush on Zyana. I'm trans, and I'm... well, I don't exactly know my sexuality. All I know is that I really love Zyana, and I don't know what to do.

My phone rings loudly, almost buzzing off of my bed. Olwen's face flashes on the screen above the phone number calling me before I automatically click accept.

"Hey Ole," I say.

"Braelynn, listen to me now. I just got a text from Skylar. He says Zyana isn't feeling well, and he wants us to come over!" she says, excitement ringing in her voice.

"Wha..." I start. Why is she happy that Zyana is feeling bad because she just broke up?

"Don't you get it, Brae?" She scoffs a bit. "Sky... asked me over. Zyana... is there... with him. We both... get to be... at Sky's house... with our crushes. We both got... invited over... to hang out... by the loves of our lives," she mocks me slowly.

"Sorry, Ole," I say. "I just don't really agree that that's a good thing. Maybe we should come over, but you shouldn't be excited about all of this."

"What are you talking about?" She scoffs again. "Look, Brae, I don't actually care if you come. I just want someone to be there with and for me when Sky asks me out."

"What are YOU talking about??" I say, slapping my forehead. "Ole, he's not about to ask you out! You two just met, and he's totally in love with Zyana!"

"Fine then, I'll go by myself," she snaps sassily, hanging up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The doorbell rings at an unexpected pitch as I step onto the porch and push the button in. Sky answers the door.

"Hey, Braelynn," he says. I wince at that name.

"Please, call me Brae," I say, coming in when he pulls the door aside.

He pauses. "You're a guy, right? Or... demi-guy."

"Kinda," I say. "Apparently there's this thing called genderfluid. I think I'm actually that. It means that you go in-between genders, like..."

"Switching. Yeah, my aunt... or... uncle is that."

I glance up the stairs slightly awkwardly. "I assume Ole is up there. Can I go up to see them?"

"Yeah, but I have to warn you, Ole is really mad at you for some reason. Oh, and, of course, Zyana is really upset at and about Jay, so try not to mention her. I'll come up with you."

"Okay," I say, slightly nervously.

The floor boards creak slightly under my weight as I step up them, advancing towards the room.

The door swings open, and I see Zyana laying on her bed, her face buried in a pile of pillows. "Oh, it's you," Ole says, snickering through a mouth full of ramen. I ignore her. We all have our bad days. She sets the steaming bowl of soup down, turning on the TV as Sky sits down next to her.

"So you sing?" he asks Ole.

"Yeah," she says, twisting a loop of her hair around her finger like a goody-two-shoes. "I'm okay," she lies. She's never sang a word in her life.

"Care to give me a sample?"

"If you'll go out with me," she says, instantly blushing. God, she is so... alright, I'm really mad right now. This is about Zyana.

"C'mon, Olwen," I mutter. I'm really not in the mood for her making everything about herself.

"What?" she asks defensively. "None of this is any of your business."

I sigh. "This isn't really about you."

"What, I can't ask someone out?"

"No, this. We aren't here for you to flirt with Skylar."

"Well then what are we here for?? To hear you complain about how little stuff is about you?? Look, Brae, please just let something be about me once."

"It's not about me, you, or Sky. This is about Zyana, alright?"

"Can everyone shut up?" Zyana asks. We all look up. She sits up, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "If you're really gonna ask him out, just do it. Please. I honestly don't care. I don't need this to be about me. I just want to forget about Jayda, alright? But if you're gonna have a date or argue, please do it somewhere else."

"Maybe Brae is right," Sky says to Ole, holding her hand a bit and completely ignoring Zyana. Ole blushes.

I roll my eyes. "Sky, Ole, please go," I say.

"You don't have to be so rude. It's not your house," Ole says sassily, flipping her hair as she leaves hand-in-hand with Sky. Sky doesn't even look back at Zyana.

The door closes as they leave the house.

"You alright?" I ask Zyana.

"My girlfriend just told me she's never actually loved me, and now my best friend is going out with some power-crazy girl, just like the last one. The last one ended up making him out me. No, Brae, I am not alright. My entire life is working against me."

I don't know what to say to that.

"Well," I say, pausing. "I can't speak for Jay, but I can say that I've always loved you." I feel a tingle go down my spine as I reach for her hand. "I love you, Zyana."