I Am Bailey Bennett. [LGBT]

Radiant.

"You look quite radiant today, dear."

Rain didn't beat up Chet. Debbie told Chet that I was being mean to her, and so that's why he beat me up, but really she just didn't like me. Rain spread a rumor about himself, saying that him and Debbie had sex and so Chet dumped her. I was glad that I knew the truth, and glad that she was labeled as a cheater. She didn't harass me anymore after that.

I was sitting in the dining room, eating breakfast when Clark came in. He sighed, and I knew what he was going to say wouldn't be good. I guessed that my parents weren't coming home for Thanksgiving, and I was right. He said that my mother wasn't well enough to come back. He apologized, saying my parents weren't fit to raise me. I laughed, but a few tears slipped, though. He offered me the option to join him and his family for Thanksgiving, but he was traveling and I said it wasn't necessary.

I went to school the next day, a Monday. I was feeling really low, thinking about how if I told my parents that I was intersexual then they just wouldn't come back ever. Why would they? Even if I weren't intersexual they wouldn't want to come back. I'm not anything I want them to be. I was just a disappointment.

"Hey Bailey, you okay?"

I looked up and Rain was standing next to me, looking down at me worriedly. "Yeah, of course. I'm fine."

He smiled at me, sympathetically."You know I know you're lying."

I put on a smile, not wanting to burden him.

"What is it Bailey?" he asked, sitting down in the desk.

I knew I couldn't get away with not telling him. I really didn't know why I wasn't telling him in the first place. I knew he would be mad at my parents, but it wasn't a big deal. "My parents aren't coming home," I told him.

He sighed, and I could see the annoyance in his emerald eyes. "I hate your parents, Bailey."

"They're not the worst. They give me anything I ask for. They give me food and shelter and money."

"But you've never asked them for food or shelter or money. They just give it to you. You never ask them for anything. Parents just masquerade themselves. That's what every adult does. They do the acts that parents and adults are expected to do, but they're really just kids behind a mask. You can paint a picture but it doesn't mean you're an artist. You can hit notes on a piano but it doesn't mean you're a musician. You can give your child food and shelter but it doesn't mean you're a parent. You don't care about the money they give you, or the fancy food or big house. You just want their love and acceptance but they can't give you that because they're bad parents."

I didn't know what to say, because he was right and he was just reminding me of the fact that my parents didn't show any affection towards me. "I know," I said quietly. "That's why I don't ask."

He sighed, looking sorry. "I'm sorry, but that just pisses me off Bailey. It's Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Year's. The fucking holidays. It's meant to be spent with family. Where's the rest of your family live?"

"They're...out of the question. They live far away or just aren't fond of me."

He frowned, looking very annoyed. "Stay with my family. This Thursday, Thanksgiving. We always go to my dad's parents' house for Thanksgiving. They would love to finally meet my boyfriend."

"You mean your family knows you like boys?" I asked.

"Yeah. I mean...look - my family accepts everyone. My family, they're kind of...trashy? We're all poor. None of us have that great of jobs. We're lowest of the low, and we know this, so we know we don't have any room to judge. We don't care about religion or race or anything. We just care if you're kind and respectful. So they don't care. You're nice and sweet and they'd love to meet you." He smiled reassuringly at me.