Something's Wrong With the Different Realms

Twenty-Three: Acceptance & Improvement

"Thanks," I grabbed a cookie and munched on it.

"Yeah, um, so we can talk about which boys we both think are cute now? Because, you know, I'm straight and you're um, gay?" Miley said, trying to break the awkward tension between us.

"Sure," I shrugged.

"I mean, now that I think about it you did have a crush on Kailan didn't you? I mean, you sort of stared at him. It definitely wasn't noticeable before and I couldn't tell that you weren't straight, don't worry. But you had a crush on Kailan, didn't you?" Miley grimaced.

I chuckled. "The key word is did. I don't have a crush on him anymore. But since we're on the topic of crushes, don't you have a crush on Caleb?"

Miley flushed red like her auburn hair and immediately dropped her cookie. "Shut up! I don't! He's just sort of nice to me."

I smirked. "You do. That's what you get for stealing my laptop!"

"I had no choice, I had a project due!" Miley rolled her eyes. "But seriously, are you okay? Is there anything you want to talk to me about? I might be your annoying younger sister but I've watched enough teen dramas to know the solution to every teen problem. Just watch me!"

I tapped my finger against my chin and gazed at the flatscreen TV. "The other day, when we were eating lunch with the Dahers, I overheard my mom and Ms. Daher arguing."

"How is this relevant to your search history?"

"Just let me finish," I said. "Here, have another cookie."

"Okay."

"Apparently my mom knows that I'm gay."

"Actually? Why didn't you tell me until now?" she mumbled through mouthfuls of cookies.

I shrugged. "I mean she found out after snooping through my laptop. And apparently, she's fine with it? I guess she is because they were sort of talking about religion and homosexuality being a sin but lying also being a sin and trying to support me and stuff."

"That's good."

"Yeah, I guess so. But she never brought it up again. I guess she still doesn't like to involve herself in politics because something bad happened to her when she was younger and it made her shut down. And I guess she just wants me to tell her on my own terms. I don't know how to bring it up though and I don't know if formally admitting it will change anything."

"Hmmm..." Miley hummed, "I have an idea!"

She brushed the crumbs of the cookies off her black leggings and stood up. "Let's go to the attic!" she exclaimed as she grabbed my wrist and dragged me up as well.

"Why?" I asked.

"If our parents are or were secretly political, then they'll have kept some stuff tucked away and hidden in some sort of shoebox or something."

Miley was right, most families tended to keep things hidden away in boxes in the attic or the basement storage unit. Even if it was a part of their past that they would rather forget about, people were sentimental beings and most couldn't bear to throw away any objects of value so they kept them hidden away instead.

We pulled the ladder down and climbed up to the attic. A waft of musk and rotting wood hit me at once when we emerged onto the dingy, dark, crammed dusty attic. Miley hit a switch on the wall and the single incandescent light bulb hanging in the middle of the attic illuminated the room with a yellowish tone.

Miley and I got to work immediately, I started with the boxes on the left and she headed to the right. We flipped the boxes open and rummaged through them. Occasionally, we would pause, holding up an item of sentiment and reminisce. Sometimes, we'd switch sides so I could help reach and search through the boxes tucked away on high shelves while Miley would duck into the nooks and crannies of the shelves to grab at the boxes neatly tucked away against the wall.