You are not alone

The past

I reconsidered before going downstairs, but this was something I had to do. 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 had rehearsed this thousands of times before. I stepped towards my parents on the couch. My chest was heavy with nerves, but I had to tell them the truth.

"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, bringing some of my confidence back.

"Thank you."

"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 was said, it could never go back. "I'm asexual."

"What is that?" They asked, confused.

"I'm not sexually attracted to someone."

"We do not accept gays in this house!"

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

"You just want attention and you're making this up."

"Asexual isn't even a word." My dad ignorantly said."

"Yes it does, and I'm aromantic too, so you should just understand that!"

"What?"

"I don't like guys, in anyway."

"You're a lesbian? You're not a lesbian!"

"No, I'm not, but you wouldn't be able to tell me I'm not."

"You just need to find someone, you'll get over this phase."

"It's attraction, this doesn't have anything to do with what I want."

"You're only sixteen, it's too young to know this."

"I know that I'm not attracted to people in a romantic or sexual way."

"We don't accept gays, or lesbians in this house."

"I'm not gay or lesbian, but I am part of the LGBT+ community."

"Then you are not welcome here and you need to leave." My dad commanded.

"Mom, dad." I said in a broken, barely a whisper voice.

"Enough, I said go." My dad said without even looking at me.

"I don't understand, I'm you're daughter-"

"Not anymore."

"You made me this way, I didn't choose this. It was all you-" my dad slapped my face, and I took a step back.

"Did you just..." I started, with tears rolling from my eyes and down my cheeks.

"Maybe I should do it again, if you don't leave."

"Try me." I provoked.

"Maybe once more and you'll understand." He said, and his fist made contact with my face and I fell to the ground. "Get. Out."

"I'm going." I said simply, trimming to get up, and walk out.

"I said get out!" He said, as he picked me up by my shirt and pushed me into the front door.

"I said I'm going!" I yelled, and opened the door.

"I'll help." He said, as he pushed me onto the front porch, and I tumbled to the ground.
**
I shot up in bed, throwing my hand up to my cheek, to feel where my dad had hit me.

"It's ok, it's ok now." I hear Someone comforting me.

"What?" I asked with panicked breathing, as I looked up.

"It was just a dream." Jace says.

"Oh, did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but it's ok."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok, are you ok?"

"I think so."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Umm, I don't know."

"What was it about?"

"My parents."

"What about them?"

"It was the day I came out to them."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was different though, in the end my dad..."

"He hit you?"

"Yeah." I said in confusion.

"You held your cheek when you woke up, I assumed you got hurt in your dream."

"Yeah, it started out the exact same, but then it was just worse."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Jace asked.

"No."

"What if I lay here with you?" Jace asked, as he later down next to me.

"I don't know, but I can try and sleep." I said, as I laid my head down, and Jace slept next to me.

****

Somehow, I managed to go back to sleep. I could never go back to sleep after a nightmare before. I woke up, and looked at the clock, It was a little after 9:30. I sat up, and looked to my left to see if Jace was still there. I saw him, laying next to where I was.

I slowly got out of bed, trying not to wake him up, once again. As I stood up, I heard some movement. I turned around, and saw him, still laying there. I took one step, and heard Jace.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up."

"Nothing." I said, turning around.

"Oh, ok."

"I'm sorry about last night, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's ok."

"No, it was childish to have to be waken up from a stupid nightmare, and by you of all peo-"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Ok, but it wasn't childish. It was just a nightmare."

"Yeah, but I'm not some little kid that needs saving."

"Everyone needs saving sometimes."

"I guess."

"Just because you're afraid to he hurt, doesn't mean-"

"Who says I've been hurt?"

"Other than the obvious, your parents, I have a feeling you didn't have the best of luck with friends in the past."

"I definitely wouldn't say I've had the best of luck with friends."

"Yeah, let's just go out and do something, get your mind off things."

"Ok, let's go."