broken // branded sequel // heathers au

eighteen

Auden's POV

I went into Elody's room and sighed heavily. This usually got her to pay attention to me but this time it didn't. She was hyper focused on the computer screen in front of her. Her reading glasses were perched on her face as she read.

"El," I commented.

"Sorry," She apologized. "I'm just having trouble thinking." She admitted to me.

"About?" I asked, not letting myself get annoyed that it was back to being about her when I needed her help.

"Names." She replied, closing her laptop. "But what's going on with you?" She asked me. I felt myself stiffen uncomfortably.

"I don't know." I said, looking away from my twin.

"Liar." Elody called my bluff.

"It's just dumb, okay?" I said. "I've been really weird lately." I added.

"About what?" Elody asked, seeming very concerned now.

"So you know how Jane moved away, right?" I asked, referring to a cheerleader on my team.

"Yeah?" Elody questioned.

"We had to scramble to find a replacement for her. We found Portia, which is a dumb name I know." I said.

"And?" Elody asked, starting to bristle with annoyance.

"I like her." I admitted.

"Why don't you two hang out?" Elody offered her idea. She didn't understand what I meant.

"No. I like her." I clarified. Elody's eye widened.

"Oh!" She sang, then laughed. My face flamed with hot embarrassment. She was laughing at me. "Then ask her on a date!" Elody laughed.

"But then everyone would know." I said. Elody became serious.

"So? You've known most of the girls for years. And it's not like mom and dad would care." Elody replied. "If you like her this much, then you should tell her."

"What if she rejects me?" I asked.

"Then I'll be here to eat ice cream and cry with you." Elody shrugged.

"You don't care that Portia's a girl? That I like girls?" I asked my sister.

"Why would I?" Elody asked me in reply. "You're still you." She added.

"I know but," I began.

"No buts! Ask her out, stop being a pussy." Elody told me.

"I'm just confused. I've been with guys," I said, vaguely referring to my short-term boyfriends. The longest of which with Ben, we dated for seven months. He was a football player and two years older than me, which didn't sit well with mom.

"You can like both." Elody shrugged.

"I don't think I do, though. With Ben, it always felt like I was pretending to be someone I wasn't." I clarified.

"Then you're a lesbian." Elody stated but her tone was unsure.

"I can't be a cheerleader and a lesbian." I insisted.

"That's stupid." Elody told me. "You have your talents and hobbies but that doesn't change who you love. That's like saying a girl who plays softball can't be straight." She added.

"How do I tell mom and dad?" I asked.

"Just ask Portia out and tell them when you'll be going." Elody said.

I pulled out my phone and texted Portia, reading aloud what I sent. "Hey, I know this might be weird but I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime. It's okay if you say no but I really like you."

"Perfect!" Elody smiled at me. My phone buzzed. "What did she say!?" My twin demanded to know.

"She said 'I didn't know you felt the same way! How's tomorrow at 8?'" I told Elody.

"Tell her that's perfect!" Elody said.

"Obviously." I laughed just as my mother came into Elody's room.

"What's going on?" She asked. "I heard giggling up here."

"Auden's going on a date." Elody told mom. I shot my twin a glare.

"Tell me about him!" My mother said the same thing she always said. I froze up.

"Well, actually it's not with a guy." I said quietly.

"Oh," My mother remarked, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought of what to say next. "Then tell me about her." She corrected her initial statement.

I told my mom, and Elody, all about Portia. How she had the prettiest red hair and these big brown eyes. That she was a strong cheerleader and smart. My mom and sister smiled the whole time, as if this wasn't any different than a guy.

"How will dad react?" I asked my mother once I was done gushing about Portia. My mother shrugged, telling me that she had no clue.

"I can tell him, if you'd like." She offered. It wasn't an option to keep it a secret. I nodded at my mother. She smiled at me, gave Elody her vitamins and told her to go to bed.

"I'm old enough to stay up past ten." Elody argued.

"You need to get plenty of rest right now." Our mother insisted. Elody rolled her eyes but laid down anyways.

"Night Auden, night mom. I love you." My sister said.

"Love you, Ellie." My mom smiled.

"Love you," I said. My mother gently gestured for me to leave the room with her.

"Do you want to be there while I tell him?" She asked me. I nodded again. We went downstairs to the living room, where my father sat with a book. "JD," Mg mother said as her and I sat down.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Auden has a date tomorrow." She said.

"Awesome. Have fun, Aud." He told me, still not looking up from his book.

"It's with a girl." I added.

"Okay." He said, looking up with a confused look. "I don't care who you date." He added.

"I thought you would." I explained.

"You're saving me a lot of stress by being with a girl. I don't have to worry about another unplanned pregnancy." My father replied.

"Is that the only reason you don't care?" I asked him.

"No. I've kind of known for a long time. You always looked bored of your boyfriends." He shrugged. "You've also checked girls out more than guys." He added.

"I did not!" I insisted.

"You did," My mother said.

"Oh, so you knew too?" I asked her. She opened her mouth to speak before Elody interrupted.

"We literally all knew." She stated.

"Go to bed!" My mother told her.

"I'm hungry." Elody replied, moving past us to go to the kitchen.

"You all suck for not telling me. It would have saved me the heart attack!" I told my family, pretending to be mad but my laughter gave it away.

Elody came back out with some chips and sat down on the couch.

"Aren't you a little fat to be eating those?" Our father joked with her.

"Shut up," Elody rolled her eyes and snickered.

It felt so normal. We were like an actual family, despite the past we've had. Despite the fact that our lives were rapidly changing without us being able to stop it. From my own coming out to Elody's baby. Nothing was slowing down.