Let's All Make Believe - Oasis

Chapter 69

Lydia had already seen the interview article Liam had taken part in. She didn't look concerned or upset. "The head teacher had me in his office this morning with that page open. I don't know what he was doing with a music magazine." she tried to joke.

"What did he say?"

"He warned me not to let it be known in school or they'll be have to fire me for promoting the lifestyle thanks to that stupid Section 28 bullshit."

"That's what I tried to tell Liam but he doesn't get it."

"How are you doing?"

"What d'you mean?"

"It's you he named, nationally before you got to say it to certain people. Everyone who reads that article knows exactly how he put it, not how you say it is."

"I'll survive. Everyone who's actually in my life already know."

"Say it with conviction. I will survive, as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive." she started singing the Gloria Gaynor song like she believed it.

She found one of the CDs we shared between each other when we started getting together. "Remember this?"

"Yeah, I was doing Liam's head in with all the music and the texts." I started dancing with her to the song.

"We should throw a party." Lydia suggested while we were still dancing. "We're free."

"Not quite, I have no idea if my parents read that article... I'm no good with parties anyway."

"Tell them then, when was the last time you spoke to them?"

"I dunno, we're not close like you but somehow it still matters."

"Tell them, if it doesn't go well things won't change. If they upset you, you can forget about them again."

"I've got all I need right here with you." I said getting back to dancing.

We sang and danced around together like teenagers. She wanted to party with everyone we knew but I was happy for it to be just us.

...

My parents showed up without warning. I wasn't sure how they knew my address but I knew they could only have found out about the move from that article. I let them in with my heart racing for what was to come from them.

I asked where Billy was to distract myself and they said he was in school. I told them Ste was at nursery and Nathan was napping so it was just us for now.

"I never imagined anyone in our family living in a place like this." dad commented looking around.

"I know but here we are. I don't know what Liam was thinking."

"He doesn't think much, does he? What about this girlfriend we've heard about?" mum questioned, finding it difficult to say girlfriend.

My heart dropped or got stuck in my throat or something, I hoped we wouldn't go there so soon. "She's at work."

"So it's true? What we've read." Dad asked.

"Liam's not big on telling lies."

I sat them down in the living room and excused myself to make tea. We could get through a lot of tea. I needed time to think. I was almost shaking when I brought the cups to them.

"So you really have been living with a woman for six months?"

"Since August, yeah."

"As a lesbian?"