You are not alone

Ari

Aria's P.O.V.

I sat in my room, on my bed as I looked out the window. I wasn't sure if I would ever see that view again. I finished putting my things in a duffle bag just incase I wouldn't be able to come back for them. I opened the window, and tossed the bag into he bushes at the side of the house.

I reconsidered before going downstairs, but this was something I had to do. I took one last look at my still full room, and all the stuff I might leave behind. I wanted to take it, but I could only take the duffle bag. I walked out of my room, and to the top of the stairs. I took one big shaky breath before going down. My steps were wobbly and unbalanced with every step I took. when I reached the bottom, I peeked around to see that my parents were in the living room. I gathered anything that was left of me, and walked into the entranceway of the room.

I was nervous, but I had rehearsed this a thousand times before. All my confidence left me as I stepped towards my parents on the couch. I had that heavy feeling in my chest from being nervous, but I had to tell them the truth. I walked over to them and stood in front of them.

"Mom? Dad?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"Yes Aria?" They asked in unison.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Yes? You can tell us anything." My mom said, which reassured me a little.

"Thank you." I said, and stopped.

"Is everything ok?" My mom asked.

"It will be, hopefully. I need to tell you that I'm-" I paused taking a deep breath, realizing that once this word was said, it could never go back. "I'm asexual." I finally said.

"You're what?" They asked, confused.

"A-asexual." I stuttered and mumbled quietly.

"What is that?" They asked.

"It's where you aren't sexually attracted to someone." I mummbled, almost inaudible. "Basically I'm not going to have sex with anyone." I said a little more audible.

"Oh honey, that's celibacy, that's great!"

"No, it's different, it's a sexual orientation."

"You mean like being gay? We do not accept gays in our household!"

"It's like gay, but it's not."

"Is this just some way to get attention?" My mom asked.

"Asexual doesn't even exist." My dad said.

"Yes is does!"

"Honey, this is getting out of hand. if you don't want to have sex with someone that's ok. There's plenty of other ways for you and a man to have children, you could adopt too." My mom said.

"See, that was the other thing. I'm also Aromantic."

"What?"

"I don't like guys."

"So you're a lesbian?" My mom asked.

"No."

"Then you're straight." Dad said.

"No, I don't like guys or girls."

"You just haven't met the right guy yet." My mom said, sounding hopeful.

"No, it's attraction. It has nothing to do with wanting to date a guy, or finding the 'right' one."

"You are only sixteen, you are too young to think about being this Asexual thing." My mom replied.

"It's not a choice, and if I were straight, you wouldn't be questioning this."

"We do not accept gays or lesbians in this house."

"Why is this so hard for you to understand? I'm not gay or lesbian, but it is part of the LGBT+ community."

"Then you are not welcome in this house anymore, and when you realize that this thing doesn't exist, you can talk to us, but don't come back until then." My dad said sternly.

"Fine, I'll go." I said as I started to walk away, with tears starting to flow out of my eyes uncontrollably.

"I just don't understand her." I heard my dad in the distance.

"I can't believe we failed raising our daughter." My mom replied. I could hear her starting to cry.

"No, we don't have a daughter anymore." my dad said to her.

That was all I heard before I walked out the door. I walked over to the side of the house and got the duffle bag that I threw out of the window, out of the bushes. I slung the strap over my shoulder and started walking out to the road. I got to the road, and turned around to look at the big cream colored house, that used to be a home to me, but now it's no more than a house.

I continued down the road, I went to the end and walked around town. I knew it was going to be hard, living on the streets with no one around, but I had to. I was on my own now.