Shut Up And Kiss Me (gxg)

32. F*cking Bus

     "TALIA, WE WANT TO talk to you about yesterday."

     I was halfway out the door, my duffel bang slung over my shoulder. Slowly, slowly, I forced myself to turn around. 

    "About what? I didn't think there was anything to talk about." Other than the fact that both of you are homophobic and I had no idea, no idea, no idea—

     Seven—it was seven in the morning, and if I didn't leave soon, I'd be fucking late.

     Skylar had told me to hurry my ass, because if I didn't get there on the time, the seats on the bus would be taken up. And I'd end up sitting next to Todd for all four miserable hours to Vail.

      Not to mention that Aaron was probably waiting on me. He'd have to leave soon, considering we needed to pick up Skylar and Cody, too.

      "Christmas was . . . a little unpleasant yesterday," Dad said, pushing his wiry glasses up his nose. "We want to discuss how you're feeling. Don't think that we don't love you any less, but we understand what it was like to be a teenager and—"

      "You think I'm bi because I'm a teenager?"

      "Honey," Mom said. "You have to understand. We all did stupid things when we were teenagers."

       Me liking girls is stupid?  "I have to go. Really. I'm going to be late."

        Claudia had already left five minutes ago. One of her friends had picked her up. So if I didn't get going, I'd pretty much be the only one late.

       "But," Dad said. "This can't go on any longer. You're making a bad image for yourself, and it'll haunt you in your future years. Employers will look back at this time and—"

        "Seriously, Dad. I have to go."

        "Sweetie, this isn't natural. Maybe this is all that time hanging around those friends. Cody and—what's her name? Skylar."

         I couldn't help it. I exploded. "My friends are responsible for my sexuality now? What is it, a virus? Being gay isn't contagious!"

        "Nobody said that," Dad said, shaking his head. "Don't put words in our mouths. You're being irrational, Talia."

        "It's the hormones," Mom added.

        And I couldn't stand it. I just couldn't stand it. I had never been more glad for a five-day vacation in my life.

        "I'm leaving," I snapped.

        Mom was crying. Again. "Just think about it, sweetie! Think about how much you loved Prince Charming when you were little! You can't possibly be—be—"

         I slammed the front door before I could hear more.

         Prince Charming. I almost laughed.

         Now, looking back, I wondered if I had really liked Prince Charming because I had wanted to, or because it was just what had been expected of me. He had the personality of a cardboard box, so how much of my crush had been real?

         Looking back . . . how many of my childhood crushes on men had ever been real?

       I WAS LATE. OH, GOD, I was really fucking late. Aaron had already picked up Cody and Skylar—considering I'd taken way too long and hadn't been answering his messages—so I was forced to speed in my mom's van.