Love Begins with You

Coming Out

I lay in bed as the words that came out of Michelle's mouth linger in my ears.

Thank you for not telling Grace, Linds. I don't want her to know yet.  I don't know how she will react.

What could it possibly be? I know everything about Michelle. We tell each other everything.

I start to feel upset at the thought that my best friend doesn't trust me enough to tell me something that sounds important. I try to forget about everything that's happened tonight and begin to doze off into my music when I decide to text my love good night.

Grace: I am so sorry about tonight, Aria.
Aria: Hey, I am not mad or anything, ok? It's kind of flattering really. Don't worry. :)
Grace: Oh yeah? Well there's plenty more where that came from. Lol
Aria: Oh Grace, you always have known how to make me laugh. That's the one thing I love about you the most.
Grace: We don't have enough time in the day for me to tell you everything I love about you...

Oh jeez, what am I saying? I'm going to scare her away if I don't chill. I erase the whole message and just leave it short and simple.

Grace: Aw, you're sweet. Goodnight, Aria. <3

I lay my phone on my bedside table and drift asleep.

I wake up the next morning to my alarm crying out the annoying ring that I get to hear every morning. It's Sunday and today is the day my parents get home from their job trip to LA.

I hear my phone buzzing nonstop, while I am in the middle of searching for it, Lindsey runs into my room and practically knocks my door down.

"Grace! Somebody posted a video of you from last night when you were drunk! It's going viral!" Lindsey shouts at me.

In that moment, I begin to feel as if someone stabbed me in the chest.

Our parents are very big on social media, for they are CEOs of a huge, multimillion dollar cooperation. They are the founders of Centennial Bank with nearly 200 locations all over the U.S. If this gets to them, my whole life will be ruined.

I finally find my phone wrapped up in all of my blankets and sheets.

There are 24 missed calls. Oh god. I check who all has called me and its mainly Michelle with 2 from "Mom" and 4 from "Dad". I freeze up for a second and then hurry and call back Michelle.

As soon as I'm about to click "callback", there is a knock on the front door, lead by 10 doorbell dings.

I open the door and Michelle is standing there still smashing the doorbell.

"Grace!" Michelle exclaims whenever I open the door. "Did you hear? About the video?"

"Yes, I did. Who did this? Why would someone post this? It's not funny!" I begin to get angry followed by a large sigh.

Michelle looks at me with an sympathetic look, "I have no clue who started this. I have been trying to find the main source of the video all morning, but at this point I think it's out of our hands. It's viral."

I begin to feel sick at my stomach. I don't want my parents to hate their daughter. This is bullshit.

Lindsey, Michelle and I are all sitting on my bed trying to think of what to do next.

Lindsey's phone begins to buzz on my makeup desk. I jump at the thought of it being our parents. I really should call them back, but I'm not ready to face this. Even though I'm afraid it's coming, head on.

She answers and all I can hear is, "Yes, she has seen it. Yeah. We are at the house. Sure. Come on over, Aria."

I don't hear anything other than "Aria" and my heart drops. I love her. Everybody knows that though.

The doorbell rings and I run to the door, afraid that it's my parents. Not thinking that if it were them, they have a key to get in.

I swing the door open and there's my sunshine.

"Hi Gracey!" Aria walks past me and squeezes my arm and gives me a wink.

What the heck just happened? I have never witnessed Aria flirt with me in any way, shape or form. I'm sort of confused, but just brush it off.

We are all watching a Netflix original in my bedroom whenever I hear a knock and then keys rattling. I instantly get the most gut wrenching feeling I have ever felt in my life.

"GRACE! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE, NOW!' I hear the loud noise of my dad yelling.

My first thought is oh no

I slowly make my way down the stairs and my parents are at the bottom looking up them, waiting for me.

"Hey, guys. How was the trip? Did you have a good flight?" I try and converse with my parents, but I can already tell by the looks on their faces that they're not having it. Here we go, I think to myself.

My dad then tells me to go sit in the living room, on the couch. He says that he will be with me in a minute, when he goes to put his suitcases up.

When my dad finally comes back down stairs into the living room, the first thing that leaves his mouth leaves my jaw on the floor.

"Grace, how dare you make a scene like this? Do you want to ruin mine and your mother's lives? We are extremely disappointed in you" my dad says as his blood begins to visibly boil.

"Dad, I am 21. I am not a little kid anymore, I do not deserve this. I have the right to love whoever I want" I say back, not taking his crap.

"As long as you live in this house, you will follow my rules. Good thing you won't have to worry about that for too long. You will be given a month to pack your stuff and find somewhere else to live. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior. I will NOT have a gay person, daughter or not, living under this roof."

I am in complete shock. I knew that my parents would be mad, but not mad enough to kick me out.

What do I do? My parents and Lindsey are the only family I have left.