The Anomaly Affliction

One

I turn off the TV.

My parents are upstairs somewhere. Maybe together, maybe not. I don't know. What I do know is that they were watching the President's Speech, like I was. We have a TV in every room of the house. Maybe they were sitting together in front of the same one. Maybe Dad had his arm around Mum's shoulders, and Mum had hers around Dad's waist. Maybe Mum was resting her head on Dad's shoulder while he stroked her hair. Maybe they spontaneously kissed or said "I love you" to each other. Or...maybe not.

They don't do PDA. They never have, as long as I've been alive. Well, not proper PDA. In every single photo that includes the both of them, they link arms and smile with their teeth showing. I don't think that counts, though. They also go to bed at exactly 22:59pm every night and exchange "goodnight"s and "I love you"s at 22:58pm. I don't think that counts as PDA either.

I hear them every night saying "I love you" to each other. They think I'm asleep most of the time, but I never am. They always say it at the same time with the same voices and it just doesn't seem like love to me. To me, love is spontaneous. Passionate. Love isn't saying "I love you" to your partner at the same time everyday with the same tone of voice, like it's part of a routine. Love is spending time with your partner, kissing them when you both feel like it, walking along and holding their hand, staring into each other's eyes when you want to look at something beautiful, making them smile and laugh, and telling them that you love them whenever you feel the need or want to, wherever you are, and as many times as you like. That's what love feels like to me. And I think Lake agrees.

I've been with Lake for about six months. I met her at school last year and since then we've just got closer and closer...and now I'm crazy for her. I try to see her outside of school as often as I can – we don't show each other much physical affection in school, for two reasons:

Firstly, because there are a lot of people around and we're awkward.

Secondly, because there is still the occasional dick who thinks that a girl loving a girl is weird and wrong. Society moved on from that years ago...but the hatred hasn't died out completely.

I check the time on my phone. 18:20pm. I've got ten minutes to get to Lake's house. She wanted me to test her on biology. She has a biology exam next week...she's always working and learning her shit. She wants to be a neurosurgeon when she's older – she finds the human brain fascinating. I know she'll be a great neurosurgeon.

I pull on some shoes and put my house key in the back pocket of my jeans. As I open the front door, I turn my head and yell into the house: "Mum, Dad, I'm going to Lake's."

"Be back by 22," one of them shouts back, as per usual. Every time I go out in the evening, it's "be back by 22". Every time. I never even get a "have a good time". And I can't tell whose voice that was. They both sound the same. They both have the same dull voice with forced enthusiasm. They're so boring.

I head out the house.