Bisexual
adjective
1. sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender; attracted to both men and women.
That's what I am. It should be so easy to say that one word. Bisexual. I have said it a few times of course but usually the words like 'Sin' and 'Hell' go along with it. That's what happens when you live in Bountiful, Utah. Yeah you heard that right. Bountiful. Pretty ironic for a city that never seems to produce anything except extreme religious opinions. Mormons, am I right? Got to have big families (3 brothers and 7 sisters, check) and hateful views. Now that I've filled you in on background let's get to the real thing shall we?
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"Abby?"
"Here."
"Amelia?"
"Here."
"Ana?" Mrs. Harris called, my eyes lazily drifting towards the front of the room.
"Here" I mumbled, turning my eyes back to my book, letting the words lift me off into a new world. Maybe one where everybody knew the real me and liked it. The list of names ran on with all the people I had known for years until suddenly-
"Miriam?"
"Here" The voice chirped.
My head rose to the voice, it ringing through my ears and resting inside of my brain. I brought my eyes towards the sound and landed on someone I had never seen before.
Miriam
To say she was beautiful would be an understatement. Her hair was blonde curls that were resting lightly on her shoulders. Her face gleamed with promise and freckles, dark and standing out from the rest of her angelic appearance. Her eyes, god her eyes, they swept me up into an ocean of crystals, blue and shimmering. I was already drowning and there was nothing I could do now except let the current pull me away. I wanted it to pull me away.
"Ana!" Mrs. Harris snapped, my body whipping to face her while the emotionless students of Bounty High School stayed silent. A hushed giggle came from Miriam. I hoped that Mrs. Harris hadn't heard her. If you couldn't tell by now, Bounty High was a hell hole where religion reigned. A few teachers were the rays of hope that pierced through this building. These teachers usually came from more accepting states or cities and more often than not returned to them within the month.
"Yes Ma'am" I stammered, my confidence falling out from under me. She stared at me, her mouth twitching quickly before her body spun to the board. I let out my breath as she started her lesson. Maddie my best, and pretty much only, friend met eyes with me, rolling hers quickly then continuing writing notes.
Miriam was already so much and the day had hardly begun.
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The lunchroom bustled with people, the noise wrapping me up in a blanket. This was my real home. A place where I could just talk to Maddie and hear words in the air that didn't have to do with equations or lessons.
"So, Miriam?" Maddie questioned eyeing my fries as if they were the last food on earth.
"Just take them" I sighed as Maddie snatched them up with ease. Maddie had always been the more 'mature looking' of the two of us, her body filling the right spaces while mine filled maybe 1/8 of it. I mean I'm not complaining, I do like my body which is great since not a lot of other things are going right in my life. "And yes. Miriam. The angel sent from above" I sighed letting the weight of liking her into the air.
"That took about 2 hours," Maddie snorted, "The last time you said that it was Anthony Pindarus who 'might've been Jesus Christ reborn again"
Laughter filled the table as we ate lunch in our own world. The quiet before the storm that went by only one name: Miriam.
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Walking into my house I can feel the chaos radiating off of it. It's hard to not have any when 8 people live under one house. Opening the door I see that it's worse than usual. Joseph, Eden and Adam are drawing across the walls, adding to the many scratches and sketches that cover it. They're the youngest three with Joseph being 2, Eden being 4 and Adam being 5 (and a 1/2). I turn my eyes to the couch where the twins John and Eve sit, blasting different songs and shrieking along with them. They're 8 years old, making them a little more mature. The kitchen is where the real mess begins. My mom sits on a stool peeling potatoes, instructing Eliza (11), Marta (12), and Martha (10) on what to do. Sarah (14) is chopping carrots silently while the chaos around her goes on. One is missing and I immediately know where to find her. I tiptoe past the kitchen door to avoid getting wrapped up in cooking duty and climb the creaking stairs. Josie sits on the bottom bunk of our bunk-bed, wrapped up in a book like always.
"Hiding away?" I asked, plopping down next to her.
"You seem to be doing the same" Josie commented, placing a bookmark in-between the aging pages of the book. I had always admired Josie. She had a way with words and was so patient admit the disorder in the house. Maybe it was because she was the oldest.
"You know I can't deal with all of them," I sighed, "How do you do it?"
"I know that I'll be leaving this place in a couple of months." She beamed, her face turning towards me with pure happiness.
"You don't have to sound that excited to leave me" I chuckled, letting the noises from downstairs fill in the silence left behind me.
"I'm not-"
A loud slam came from downstairs along with the loud cry of "I'm home!" following it. I heard cheers of 'Daddy!' sound from the toddlers, but I knew better. If dad was just coming home now, mom would be upset that he wasn't here earlier to help with dinner and they would start fighting per usual.
"Shit" Josie groaned, coming to the same realization as I had.
"Where have you been?" My mom yelled, a slam sounding after it. The scattering of feet started, being drowned out by the argument beginning. Before I knew it, all of my sisters and brother came crashing into the room with Joseph letting out cries of dismay. I quickly went to the door, shutting it close to help stall the shrieks of my mom and the rumbles of my dad's voice approaching the peak of his rage.
"W-why do they fight?" Joseph bawled, tears falling across his cheeks.
"Because if they don't it's all just bottled up inside of them and they would explode!" Josie cackled, sending Joseph into a laughing fit, along with Eden and Adam. Josie looked to me, her light smile speaking a thousand words at once, all of them saying:
"I'm here for you"
I smiled back, letting the hateful words below me fall away as I listened to Josie tell silly stories to us all.
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YOU ARE READING
What Happens Next
Romance"It's incredible how one thing can set off a whole chain events. Things that were never planned and never wanted. Always dreamed of but never in this way. The surprises that catch you off guard and leave you weightless." ...
