Kaylor Myths

Betty

This is not how Taylor wanted to spend her senior year. She wanted to be excited about leaving for college, yet she isn't. She wished she would have been brave enough to be out to everyone by now, but reality is that she is only going to tell her immediate family today. And, she wanted to have Karlie.

There is not a clear reason as to why Taylor likes Karlie so much. It is nothing like what it was with Emily, who was Taylor's closest friend before all hell broke loose. Taylor knew Emily, and despite how young they both were, she knew she loved her. When Emily's parents figured it out, they decided to move away, and Taylor never got to say a proper goodbye to her first love. Then, there is Dianna, who is quite the opposite of Emily. She is one of the most popular girls at the school, captain of the cheer squad. The only reason why Taylor likes her so much is because she is so unreachable, and honestly, she is fine with that. School is much more interesting when you have something to look forward to everyday, and for Taylor, that thing is exchanging a few words with Dianna.

Karlie is different. She only transferred to the school in the beginning of the year, and has done a good job finding her place. She is taller than Taylor, and most of the boys, too, and stands out everywhere she goes. That is exactly why Taylor noticed her on the first day of school, in the cafeteria, and since then, hasn't been able to look away. The most exciting thing about Karlie is that Taylor actually stands a chance with her. She is not too popular for it to seem weird of Taylor to walk up to her and talk to her. Most importantly, she is openly gay. It almost feels too good to be true at times, that a girl this gorgeous and kind who is also available goes to Taylor's school. Then, Taylor remembers that she never even talked to Karlie, and it all makes sense again.

The decision to come out wasn't completely pure. It is true that Taylor feels trapped in her own house, that she is terrified of her parents looking through her phone one day and finding out about how she is not straight at all. With that being said, the fear of not being accepted controls her life, and she would have stayed in the closet forever if she could. However, if Taylor wants to have Karlie, or even the smallest chance with Dianna, she needs to be vocal about the fact that she likes girls. That would be the first step.

So when Taylor comes home with Austin, she anxiously waits for both of her parents to return from work. These hours are hard and everlasting on the one hand, and on the other, they go by way too quickly, because she doesn't want to actually have to say the words. Time does pass eventually though, regardless of how she feels about it, and during dinner, Taylor tells everyone that she has something to say. It takes her forever to get the words out, and she feels bad for wasting everyone's time. When she finally confesses that she likes girls, she is met with Austin's kind eyes. He must have figured it out, he knows her differently than how her parents do.

"Honey, you are only seventeen," Andrea says in a comforting tone.

"You still have a whole life ahead of you, you haven't seen much outside this town. You are so young, you don't need to make any decisions right now," Scott adds. It is not the worst reaction Taylor imagined, but it is also far from the best one. She was raised to know that her thoughts, opinions and feelings are all valid and should be heard. She didn't know there was a border to how much she can share.

"I know I'm young, but that doesn't change how I feel. And I know how I feel," Taylor tries to argue, even though she knows it's probably not the right thing to do. What she needs to do is give her parents some time to process the news, maybe they will change their minds soon. As much as she holds onto that hope, she can't just let her parents treat one of the most important things in her life like it's nothing.

"You're only seventeen! You don't know anything about life, and what this means for your future!" Scott exclaims, and it hurts Taylor enough to give up. She doesn't want to let anyone see her cry, so she goes back into her room and shuts the door. She thinks about Emily, and how real it was. It might have been wrong, but it still happened, and nothing could ever change that. If her parents would have known why she loved that girl so much, they wouldn't have supported this 'friendship' as much they did. That's the funny thing, because they did drive her to Emily's house every other day, and approved of countless sleepovers. They didn't know what their efforts have maintained.