Close Your Eyes

fourteen; ❝never leave me❞

Rosa's POV

A week has passed since my parents found out about my sexuality.

It's been a complicated time full of uncomfortable tension in our house that seems to be constantly shrinking in size. I can't stand it, but there's not much that I can do about it either. Honestly, it feels as if they'll hate me for forever.

In that time, they rarely exchange words with me, and whenever I try to, they ignore me. It hurts. A lot.

Today though, something is different. They actually speak to me.

"When we come back, we want this house in the best shape ever. No visitors and you can't leave the house unless you get permission from us. Understand?" My mom explains.

I nod my head, and I don't say anything. It's the first words she's directed to me in forever, and of course they're painted over in hatred and disappointment.

I look at all of their suitcases that they've prepared for their trip. They're going on a vacation without me, how nice. We usually take annual trips like those, always in some new part of the world. I wonder where they'll be going this time. Or this might be the family vacation that they had told me about. 

"Your mom asked if you understand so answer her," my dad practically growls at me.

I know not to act out when he's that angry, which causes me to lightly squeak out, "yes, I understand."

He huffs, and he takes their luggage out to the car. All I can do is watch hopelessly out the window as my mom and Adrianna head outside.

Without me.

It only takes a few seconds to turn on the car and in the blink of an eye, they're already driving off. I'm all left alone, I guess I should be used to it at this point.

They didn't bother saying goodbye. What can I do to make this all better?

I let out a deep breath, and I sit on the familiar brown couch that we've had since my childhood. Most of the furniture is the same, but the air is different. Everything is so bitter, and it's all because of me.

I notice that it's so much quieter without them here, but I think it's been strangely silent ever since they found out the truth about me. It's such an unbearable and uncomfortable feeling, with absolutely nothing that I can do.

I walk over to the only house phone left in our building, and I dial Aurora's number from memory. My parents had taken away my phone, so this is my last chance at reaching the outside world.

Thankfully, the old piece of technology still works, and I hear a human voice.

"Hello?" Aurora asks into the phone.

"Aurora, I miss you so much," I say quietly.

"I miss you too."

"My parents, t-t-they found out about me," I tell her.

I can barely say it out loud.

I've barely said anything out loud in the past week.

It feels as if my mouth has been locked shut, and it hurts to use the imaginary key to open it.

"I figured, and I'm sorry. I know you weren't ready for them to know," she says.

I never wanted them to find out. At least, not now. I was planning on keeping this part of myself hidden away from them. Just for me, but of course I couldn't even have that.

"My family hates me."

"They'll get over it since it is who you are," she tells me.

I stay silent.