Midnight Moon: The Guiding Light

Chapter 10: Coming out (Mercedes POV)

"Okay, class. Here's what's gonna happen. I have to go to this conference with Lily and Archer. Mr. Morgan, your substitute and my brother, will be taking over," I said.

Lily glared at Archer, grudgingly as they followed me upstairs. Archer whispered to Lily as they walked, "You're not in trouble."

"Archer, if I were, say maybe ten inches taller, I'd kick your ass," she replied.

He glanced down at her with a smirk. He said, "I'm sure you would."

I rolled my eyes listening to them. When we finally arrived into Ariana's room, she gave us a welcoming smile. Archer gave her a hug and we stared at each other romantically.

Lily glared at all of us and asked, "Why the hell did you drag me her to you're freak show family?" She looked at Archer.

Ariana said, "Maybe because we're all concerned about you."

Archer added, "You're life is not as private as you think. Someone knew about you and had connections. Mercedes received this tape over the weekend. It's a commercial that's going to be televised this week."

Lily was silent. I added, "Lily if anything happens, I'll be there. Archer'll be there. Ariana will be there. I-"

"Roll the tape," Lily interrupted.

Archer pressed play on the remote. An image of Brooklyn
High popped up. A few seconds later, a man spoke saying, "We all know Mercedes Howard. The Nobel-Prize winning lesbian teacher who lashed out at Dr. Jeff Heisenberg, among the country's best cardiologists.

"But did you know she had a lesbian student, Lily Johansen, daughter of billionaire conservative, Robert Johansen? Did you know that Mercedes also left her girlfriend of two years to her presumably dead wife, Ariana Jones?

"Of course, we can't forget the love triangles between the Howards and Heisenbergs. I-"

Archer turned off the television. He said, "And then he talks about a whole bunch of BS that is apparently a big deal to everyone."

I glanced at Lily, who was devastated. She stood up and told Archer, "It's because of you. Everyone's gonna know because of you."

"What are you talking about, Lily? The whole school already knows."

"Not just the school, you dumbass! Everyone!"

"What the hell is wrong with-"

She smacked him hard. I held Ariana back who jerked in her seat. Archer did nothing as she stormed out of Ariana's room, slamming the door behind us. Ariana followed her.

She stopped her in the hallway and said, "You know, you remind me a lot of what I use to be when I was around your age. In the closet. Scared. Shutting everyone off. The only difference is, I came to my senses. Lily, Mercedes and Archer, my best friends have tried to get to you, and they failed.

"But I understand you. My parents are rich, just like your dad. I was popular in high school. I was in a clique. I thought I had it all, but sophomore year hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't be that five star bitch anymore because I fell in love, with an amazing woman.

"I don't think you realize who your chemistry teacher is. That woman is one of the greatest people you'll ever meet. Not only was she lesbian, she came from a Southern, religious family. Her dad was a pastor who was and still is against gay marriage.

"You're dad's gonna find out; it's inevitable. You just have to be ready to have that conversation with him."

She avoided eye-contact with me and answered, "I don't know what to say."

"I think the problem is that you rely on the validation of others. It's not easy be different. I get that. Mercedes gets that. And I think that another problem is that you're uncomfortable in your own skin.

"Here's my advice; when you come out for the first time, be straightforward. Don't say, 'I think I'm gay' because you're giving him false hope that you won't be. If you know that you are gay, say it. Don't ever feel that you have to apologize for who you are. If he is against it, that's his problem. It doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you.

"Life is too short to be dwelling on the tiny fraction of people who 'don't support that lifestyle.'"

She inhaled deeply and replied, "I'm tired. I'm sick of living a double life. I'm sick of being this nasty and hateful girl one minute and then this secretive girlfriend the next."

"You don't have to. You're seventeen. You're an adult. It's time you start making adult decisions that benefit you."

Archer and I walked back to my classroom where Jack was. I told Jack to lecture the class of Ionic Bonding, since he had a physics degree from Syracuse University. When I arrived back, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mercedes Howard, my sister.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed as Archer and I walked inside. I noticed that Jack shot Archer and angry glare as he sat next to Diana.

I whispered in Jack's ear. "What the hell was that?"

He replied, "Don't even worry about it. I have to go." He walked passed me.