My Flower

Chapter 4

Lydia
At school on Monday, Mila and I hung out all day. In the courtyard, I picked a flower from the grass below us, and I pushed it in her hair. She was stunning. in the gym, we walked the track and talked about the future. At lunch, we chatted about our classes. She had the flower in her hair all day.

"Have you told your mom?" I asked, while braiding her hair.
"No," she looked at the ground. "We don't get along too well."
"My mom and I don't get along that well either," I admitted. "She's always trying to manipulate me, and shove Christianity down my gullet."
"I don't understand why parents think they're so entitled to our lives."
"Right?!" I replied.

I was sitting in my classroom, learning math, when the phone started ringing.
The teacher walked over and listened to it. After the call became outdated, the teacher turned to me and said that I was leaving for early dismissal.
I was confused, but I couldn't argue. As I was leaving the classroom, I was trying to come up with reasons why I'd be leaving early, but I couldn't come up with anything.

In the office, my mother was sitting in the chair, biting her nails.
"What happened?" I whispered, so the secretaries didn't eavesdrop.
"We have to go."
I was getting nervous, but I figured it was probably nothing. As I followed her out, I realized that she was holding my phone.

We sat in the car, in silence. I was anticipating my mother to start yelling at me, but instead, she calmly turned to me and said "you're gay?"
"No I-I was gonna..." I sighed and said, "yes, I am."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Hmmmm... let me think- oh right! It's because you don't like gay people!"
"When did I say that?" She asked.
"When I was younger, we were watching house hunters and this gay couple was on there and I remember, you said, "that's so weird- it makes me uncomfortable" and you turned the TV off."
Her face turned ashen. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize.." she whispered. "Are you dating that girl?"
"We're not dating... we're just getting along right now."
"I support you," she lied. I could tell she was uncomfortable.

That was the most awkward conversation I've ever had.

Mila
I didn't see Lydia for the rest of the day. She did complain of having a migraine, but she usually gets through them.
"What's up, Meeeeeela?!" My friend, Julia said.
"Hey," I said, "what's up?"
"Me and Justin were talking and we feel like you've been avoiding us and hanging out with that dork, Lydia."
"I don't like hanging out with my ex-boyfriend," I said, "and she's not a dork."
"You broke up!?"
"We broke up a long time ago," I replied.
"Then who are you dating now?" She cocked her head.
"No one."
"Why?! You need to be dating someone!"
"I don't," I hissed.
She took a step closer to me. "The Mila I know would already be dating someone."
"Well, people sometimes make realizations and notice that they should live the way they want to," I said. I then turned around and went to the bus lot.
I pulled out my phone to text Lydia.
Me: hey. Where'd you go?
Lydia: my mom took me outta school.. she found out I was lesbian.
Me: omg. Are you ok?!
Lydia: yeah. I'm surprised she's not mad at me
Me: my friends are such jerks... they're like "why aren't you dating anyone?" Or "why don't you hang out with us?" Like, I don't hang out with people who only like you for your looks.

I realized that my "friends" only like me because of my looks and the way I talk to people.
My phone rang. It was Julia. I picked it up. I was sitting on the bus, so I tried to keep the call quiet.
"What do you want?" I said rudely.
"Do you wanna come to Six Flags with us on Friday?" Julia asked.
"I can't."
"Why? Didn't you always used to say 'friends first'?"
I sighed. "I'm having a movie night."
"Can I come?" Julia asked.
"Won't you be at Six Flags?"
"Well, no I can break those plans," Julia said. "If you want."
"No I'm actually having movie night with my parents," I was so annoyed. She was getting on my last nerve.
"Ugh. Try to get out of it."

I would've broken my plans, because Six Flags is awesome, but it's with Lydia and she's better than them.