Four years later, Shayla started dating her first girlfriend, Grace. They had a lot in common. Both of them were raised in religions that disapproved of their lifestyle. Both had known they were lesbian from an early age (although Shayla’s sexual awakening was Sofia Vergara and Grace’s was Shakira). They liked the same music and movies. They were physically compatible, and a very attractive couple. The main difference between the pair was that Grace was raised in Seattle, and Shayla had lived in Firth, Idaho her entire life.

“Why’d you move here of all places?” Shayla asked one day.

“My parents were just visiting. I think they were going to try and buy some land and build houses or something, but when they got here, they kind of fell in love with it and decided to move here.”

“They fell in love with Firth?!” Shayla scoffed, “It’s a dump!”

“I know,” she smiled, “But they’re kind of stupid.”

“They’ll fit right in.”

They both laughed. They were at Shayla’s house. Her parents were at a movie. The nearest movie theater was an hour away, so they felt safe enough in the living room. They were laying on the couch while a movie they didn’t care about on the TV.

“Do you miss Seattle?” Shayla asked.

“More than anything in the world,” she said, “I’m moving back as soon as I turn 18.”

“What do you miss most about it?”

“Oh, my God. Where do I start?” Grace got a wistful look in her eyes, “The coffee there is amazing, for starters. And there’s a coffee shop every ten feet, so you’ll never have to go without it. The market is amazing. It always smells like fresh seafood. There’s so much to do all the time. Like you’ll never be bored for a second. The buildings are gorgeous. Our library is literally a ten-story geometric masterpiece. But the thing I miss the most is the rain.”

“The rain?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “It rains all the time there and I love it. The smell. The sound. The big dark clouds.”

“I love the rain.”

“I think you’d love Seattle,” Grace smiled.

“I think,” Shayla bit her lip, “I love you.”

Grace’s eyes welled up, “I love you, too.”

It started out with a kiss but escalated faster than either of them anticipated. They lost all sense of control and time. By the time Shayla’s mom was unlocking the door, they were down to their bras and panties. They didn’t even notice her standing there until she slammed the door. Shayla shoved Grace off of her and stood before her mother.

“Mom,” she said, “before you get mad, let me explain.”

“Explain what?” her mother gestured to the two half-naked girls, “This? I think it’s pretty obvious.”

“Please, listen to me,” she said in a calm voice, “That’s all I ask.”

“Oh, please, enlighten me.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a very long time. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out. Mom,” she closed her eyes and took a breath before continuing, “I’m a lesbian.”

“Obviously,” she glared at her, then shifted her gaze to Grace, then back to Shayla.

Bill came in, saw the girls, his daughter standing before his fuming wife, and Shayla’s friend half lying on the couch, both wearing almost nothing, and dropped the soda in his hand.

“What is going on here?” his wide eyes went back and forth between the two girls.

“Our daughter,” Shannon said, “is a lesbian, Bill.”

He put his head in his hand and let out a long, stressed breath, “I can’t believe it. My little girl grew up to be a homosexual.”

“Dad,” tears were forming at the edges of her eyes, “I’m still your little girl.”

“No,” he looked at her, “No daughter of mine would commit such a sinful act.”

“Shayla,” her mother said, “This is unacceptable. Your father and I are sending you to conversion camp right away.”

“What?!” Grace stood, “You can’t do that.”

“And as for you,” Shannon pushed her daughter aside and got very close to Grace, “Don’t you ever come near my daughter or our family ever again.”

Grace opened her mouth to protest but closed it when Shayla looked over at her.

“Now get out of my house,” Shayla’s mom said, “whore.”

Grace began to pick up her clothes.

“Mom, please,” Shayla sobbed, “Don’t do this.”

“Go to your room,” she said.

“Mom.”

“Now!”

Grace had opened the door and was about to leave, but she turned around and gave Shayla a final look. Her eyes were filled with more than just tears. There was something else behind them. Behind the sadness, there was pure rebellion. A flicker of defiance. She closed the door and Shayla went to her room. As she lie in her bed, she sobbed into her pillow.

Shayla didn’t remember falling asleep, but the next thing she knew, she was waking up to tapping at her window. Shayla stirred but didn’t get up. What was the point? She would probably never see Grace again. Nothing mattered anymore. She thought of all the ways she could kill herself. Her dad’s gun was locked in a safe, but the medicine cabinet was open to everyone in the house. She knew it wouldn’t be pretty, but she didn’t care. Shayla flipped off the covers and got up. That’s when she heard the tapping again. She turned towards her window and almost screamed at what she saw. Grace was standing outside with a backpack on.

Shayla unlocked the window and let her girlfriend in, “Are you crazy? Do you know what my parents will do if they see you?”

“I don’t care,” Grace sounded exasperated, “Shove everything you can in your backpack. We’re leaving.”

“Where?”

Grace found Shayla’s backpack and began opening drawers and shoving clothes into it, “Seattle.”

“We can’t just up and go to Seattle,” she said.

“I already bought the plane tickets,” Grace said, “Our flight leaves in two hours.”

“Grace,” Shayla stopped her from putting a pair of panties into the bag, “I can’t.”

She set the backpack down and took Shayla’s hands, “Why not?”

“We have school and work and my parents…” her voice trailed off.

“Who cares about all that?” she said, “I love you. And we’re never gonna be happy here.”

Shayla knew that Grace was right. Her parents were never going to accept her for who she was, and she began to cry again.

She nodded, “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Yes,” Grace pumped her fist and handed her a jacket, “Put this on. It’s cold as balls out there.”

She put it on, checked the bag, then, took one final look at her bedroom. She realized that she wasn’t going to miss Idaho or her life here in the slightest. A smile grew on her face.

“You coming?” Grace asked from outside.

“Yeah,” Shayla said, “I’m coming.”

Two hours later, she was on a plane flying away from everything she ever knew to a place she had never been. But she was with the person she loved and to her, nothing else mattered. They were going to be happy in Seattle. She could feel it.