You are not alone

Lost and found

I was on my own, and I was scared. I was lost, I wondered if I should have come out, but every time I question my decision, my mind brought me back to it being the right thing to do.

I was in the closet for four years

It was time

I couldn't lie anymore

Closets aren't meant for people to live in

Thoughts ran round and around in my head, as I sat on the dirt under a bridge. Tears cascaded down my cheeks. My parents voices went through my head from that night

You just want attention.

Asexual doesn't exist

"It does exist!" I yelled. "Why couldn't you just accept me!" I yelled, wishing they could hear me and give me an answer.

I heard someone walk up behind me, and they put their hand on my shoulder. I jumped back and looked at her. She looked kind, with red hair, natural red hair. She had bright green eyes and freckles on her cheeks and nose.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she sat next to me.

"Nothing." I said, trying to hide my tears.

"You can't be that angry, and crying over nothing."

"I don't think you'd understand." I said.

"From the looks of it, you're on your own. I am too."

"Really?" I asked.

"My name's Jupiter, let's start with that. What's your name?"

"Aria, but my friends call me Ari."

"Am I a friend?"

"Do you want to be?"

"Yeah, I think you're cool."

"Then we're friends."

"Now, what's wrong?"

"Well, for starters, I live here."

"Under this bridge?"

"Yep."

"What about your parents?"

"And that would be the other thing. My parents are why I'm living here."

"What do you mean? Did you run away?"

"No, they kicked me out."

"Why?"

"You look nice, so I'm going to tell you. I came out of the closet, and they didn't want that."

"I'll let you in on something about me. My parents also kicked me out recently, and it was for the same thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm pansexual."

"Oh. Wow."

"Are you going to tell me your sexuality?"

"I'm aromantic asexual."

"Oh, interesting."

"Do you know what that is?"

"Yeah, us overlooked sexualities need to stick together."

"Wow, I always have to explain it to people."

"I'm not perfect, but I know for the most part what it is.

"Great."

"Why are you here?"

"I didn't know where else to go."

"Come with me."

"Where to?"

"Do you want to sit here all day?"

"No."

"Then come with me, and pack up your stuff."

"Ok." I grabbed my bag, and slung it over my shoulder. I walked behind her as she led me to an unknown location.

I watched her as she walked, she looked as though she'd been on the streets for a long time. But she told me it had happened recently.

"How long have you been out here?" I asked, walking beside her.

"Not that long, a couple weeks, maybe two."

"Oh, you look like you really know your way around, but I've been out here about the same amount of time."

"I've practically been living on the streets for a long time."

"What do you mean?"

"Never wanted to be home, so I would be out on the streets till after midnight, or until the next morning."

"Oh."

"I wasn't a big fan of home, didn't fit in, I was never really accepted there."

"Like being pansexual?"

"Yeah, but everything, I just didn't see eye to eye with my parents.

"Oh. I thought my parents were good, but I guess the closet blinded me, and once it was out of the way, it revealed what they really thought.

"Yeah, sometimes it does that." She paused. "Is that why you came out? You thought they would accept you."

"No, I was tired of lying. I actually didn't think they would accept me, it was just something I had to do."

"Same. I was only one step away from being on my own anyways."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You got kicked out too, your life hasn't been great, I'm sorry for you."

"It hasn't been easy. But I'll be ok."

"Well here we are." She said, as we got to an old house that looked like it was going to collapse.

"This? Why are we here?" I asked.

"You don't want to live under that bridge do you?"

"No. Do you live here?"

"Yeah, but a lot of people live here." She said as she opened the door.

"What do you mean?" I asked as we walked into the house and a lot of people were sitting on couches and chairs.

"This is the place for people who got kicked out of their houses. Most are LGBT+ people, but there are a few others, everyone is welcome."

"Wow."

"You stick with me, ok? We can share a room." She offered.

"Ok."

"I'll show you where I sleep." She said as she led me up the stairs. We walked into a room, with some beds and some air mattresses on the floor.

"This is so sad." I said, as I looked at all the people around.

"Yeah, but we don't have anywhere else to go."

"Yeah."

"You can sleep here, next to me." She said as she pointed to a bed in the corner, next to a window. I sat in the bed next to the wall, and sat by the window. I never went to bed that night, I just sat and looked out the window. I had a thousand thoughts running through my mind, but Jupiter made them seem smaller.