I Am Bailey Bennett. [LGBT]

Cute.

"You are so cute!"

My mother had only ever called me "cute" once. I was five and I was in a Halloween costume. It really was "cute" but now I am definitely not cute and my mother does not give me compliments.

I am Bailey Bennett. I am sixteen-years-old and I live in the town of Jasper. It has a population of 12,000 and nosiness and gossip is still popular even if it's not technically a small town. I was home-schooled all my life and secluded.

My parents are Donna and Dick Bennett. My mother is an interior designer and my father is a lawyer. They are rich. We live in a large house that is on the edge of town and has a long driveway with many trees surrounding it, but you can still clearly see a house through them. I don't exactly understand why my parents made me be homeschooled. I think they thought that since there wasn't a private school in town then I deserved better. So they got me tutors. My parents are definitely the richest in town. Everyone knows about my parents. I don't know if they know about me because my parents don't talk about me, especially ever since I told them I am homosexual, which is when I was twelve. I wasn't aware that it was inappropriate, and they told me not to tell others.

They made me learn lots of things so they could brag about me, but my knowledge or talent didn't make up for my odd behavior. They'd be more proud with a sociable, confident child with average grades than me. I'm strange to them. I'm just strange overall. I'm an only child with zero friends. Even at some of my lessons, like my dance lessons, no one talks to me. They can easily see there's something wrong with me.

It was August 26th when my mother approached me as I sat at the dining room table, doing homework. My tutoring had started on the 20th like the public school. She came in wearing a nice, professional looking dress. She was always very pretty.

"Bailey," she said.

"Yes Mom?" I asked.

"You're going to public school."

I blinked, looking at her in disbelief. "What?"

"Monday. You're going to be attending the public school. I already bought all your school supplies and registered you for your classes. Here's your schedule." She handed me a piece of paper. "Your father and I think it would be best." She left the room.

Public school. With people. People my age who would rip me apart. I grabbed the schedule and looked at it, not understanding the order at first. Then I realized that they had two separate days that appeared to alternate. There was a Black day and a Gold day. On black days I had English, History, Band, and then Art. Then on gold days I had Math, Gym, Science, and then Choir. Honors English, Honors History, Advanced Wind Ensemble, Calculus II, and Honors Science. Gym was most terrifying. I'd have to change in front of other people. They would see this hideous body of mine.

"Mom!" I called with my too high voice. I ran into the foyer and caught her before she left. "Mom, I can't go to a public school."

She sighed. "You'll have to learn to deal with people eventually Bailey." She left before I could say anything further.

I had no idea what public schools were like. I didn't watch television even though we were one of the only houses that had a television, read modern books or magazines. The other teenagers at some of my lessons never talked to me so I didn't know much about them. It was terrifying. I ran upstairs to my room and cried against the bed. I knew what was going to happen. They were going to make fun of me and tell me that they hate everything I hate about myself, too. They were going to be mean and ridicule me. They were not going to like me.