Chapter Twenty Two:

"How is she?"

"She's sulking, Thomas." I replied, peeking from the hallway to the living room doorway, and staring at Nat's nonchalant expression as she watch Mean Girls with Dani on the couch.

I excused myself from our movie time, because I couldn't take Nat's silence, and her obvious drama queen vibe. Then, I had dared myself to call Thomas, even though I hate that son of a bitch. I could've called Dennis instead, but I assumed that Thomas has more information of what's happening. Besides, I wanted to say, I told you so, even if that sounded rude.

I held my phone closer and saw Dani staring at me. She pointed her head at Nat, as if asking, is this normal? I shook my head and mouthed, no. Dani gave me a small smile, and I gave her a shrug.

She probably already knows that I was, yet again, dealing with this 90210 bullshit. But really, I'm doing this because I care about my friends. Sometimes though, I'm starting to think that I'm always butting in to their business. I wonder if Dani had already figured that out.

"What the hell happened Thomas?" I asked quietly. "She just randomly showed up at my house and announced that apparently, you and Dennis are a secret gay couple."

I heard shuffling sounds, and exasperated sighs. Finally, another voice came in, and it was Dennis'.

"Hey, Mavey." Dennis greeted.

"Oh. Hey." I greeted back.

"Listen, we did the right thing..."

"I know you did. I'm not mad Dennis-"

"I know, I know." Dennis said, taking a deep breath. "Uh. I'm pretty sure that Natasha will never speak with me, or Thomas again. She was so mad Mave. She was so, so mad."

"What happened?" I asked again.

"Long story."

"I have time."

"Long story short-"

Someone had snatched my phone from behind, and my hand was scratched because of their long nails, making me yelp.

Standing there was Natasha, a hand on her hip, and the other was holding on to my phone, and pressing the end button. She stared at me. Her expression blank, and calmly gave my phone back.

"Don't talk to that faggot." She spat out bitterly. I was stunned at the harsh words, and very taken aback that a gasp excaped from my mouth.

"Excuse me." Dani called out from the doorway. "I don't think that was a nice thing to say."

Natasha turned around and just glared Dani. I kid you not, I really think that Nat was going to tackle Dani right there, and I immediately went in between them, afraid that they might hurt each other.

"Okay, whoa, stop. Stop. Just stop." I said in a rush, and shaking my head at them. "Everyone calm down."

"I'm calm." Dani said, her arms crossed. "I just don't like her choice of words."

Natasha sighed, and ignored us. She pulled out her phone, and checked something on it. I frowned at her, then stared at Dani who looked super pissed. I took a step towards her and touched her arm, giving her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sure Nat didn't mean that." I told her.

"I meant it." Natasha said, still busy with her phone. "Whatever. I'm just gonna go now. I'll see you later, yeah?" Without looking at Dani, Natasha hugged me and walked away. But I caught her arm back, and stopped her.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Just to drive around, I don't know, maybe go home?" Nat answered as if she's annoyed by me, and unsure of herself.

"Just stay." I told her, suddenly worried that she might do something stupid. "We could watch something on Netfli-"

"No. I think you're pretty comfortable with Dani around, and without me." Natasha cut me off, pulling her arm back and placing her hands in her jacket's pockets.

"Hey." I called out to her, alarmed at her attitude and hugging her close despite her annoyance at my closeness. "Don't be like that."

Natasha sighed and gave in. She hugged back, but pushed me off gently.

"Sorry, but I think I want to be alone for now... at least. Just don't talk to Dennis and Thomas."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't- I just don't want them hanging out with you... That's all."

"Nat, tell me what happened." I told her. "I know you finally know the truth, and I thought we talked about this? They're just boys. This is drama. You're gonna move forward, and continue on. That's what we talked about, remember?"

Natasha glanced down on the floor, and frowned. I was afraid that Natasha was having trouble not seeing the way out of this mess.

"It's different." Natasha said.

"Why is it different?" I heard Dani say, stepping up beside me. "Didn't you do it too? Didn't you cheat on Dennis as well?"

"Dani, stop." I said turning to face her.

"No. Let her Mave, I wanna hear what she has to say." Nat spoke up.

"But-"

"Mave." Nat stared at me warningly. I shut my mouth.

"What's so different about Dennis and Thomas going behind your back? You were in the same position as them not long ago. I'm confused as to why you're acting this way, like you don't understand. They couldn't help it. You couldn't either."

"You're right." Nat said, nodding her head. But something was really off with her. "I just don't understand their relationship." Natasha said, glaring at Dani. "Dennis and Thomas are two handsome boys that could get any girl they want. I don't like the way they chose to be gay instead-"

"It's not a choice Natasha." Dani cut her off, looking very angry.

"Sure it's not." Nat said, rolling her eyes.

"It's not." Dani clarified. "What is your problem? Why do you hate them?"

"I don't hate them!" Nat protested. "I just don't like their decisions! I totally understand the cheating part, but they're... They're gay."

"Oh my god." Dani said, rubbing her face as if she's tired of having this conversation with her. "This is insane. I can't believe I'm hearing these words coming from you."

"It's gross!" Nat continued.

"YOU'RE GROSS FOR DISREPECTING THEM!" Snapped Dani. I immediately pushed her gently away from Nat.

"You know what? I should just go." Natasha announced, and started to walk away while shaking her head at Dani.

"Nat, Nat wait!"

"I'll call you whenever. Don't worry." Nat called out, waving a hand as she walked, and disappeared somewhere in the hallway.

I was too stunned to speak anymore, but I knew that Dani was extremely frustrated. Without a word, I held her hand and led her into my bedroom.

When I let go and turned around to look at her, Dani was silently crying. She was just standing there before me, tears falling off from her eyes, her eyebrows knitted together, grimacing.

I sighed and let her lay on my bed while I placed her head on my lap, and gave her my stuffed panda.

"Here, Ying-Yang will make you feel better." I said, making my stuffed panda kiss her forehead.

Dani sniffed, and hugged the panda.

"You named him Ying-Yang?" She asked, her voice cracking.

"Yeah." I nodded, giving her a grin. Dani stared at me, looked away quickly and hugged the panda.

"That's cute." She said quietly.

"I know." I nodded. "I got him when my parents and I went to Japan for a summer vacation a few years back."

"I wasn't taking about the panda." I heard Dani say. I chuckled, and felt a blush coming in. "Anyways, I've never been to Japan before."

"It was nice. I really like the food there." I commented. "And the cherry blossoms, and the weird shit they sell in stores, and the toilet that cleans your private parts-"

Dani was now laughing, her hands wiping away excess tears and giving me a small smile.

"You're really weird, I hope you know that." She said, still hugging my panda and tucking it under her chin.

"I know." I said. "Hey Dani... Look, I'm really sorry about Natasha." I started, scratching my chin in habit, and sighing.

"Why are you saying sorry? It's not your fault."

"I know but... You shouldn't have heard those stuff coming from her." I said. "I know you got mad, but Natasha doesn't know what she's saying."

"Mave, she knows what she's saying. She definitely said those harsh words. I was tempted to say that I'm a lesbian right on her face. I wanted to let her know that she's hurting someone. Hurting someone is never good."

"I know..." I paused, and took a deep breath, exhaling through my nose. "I don't want her hating on you too." I whispered, holding the sides of her head with my hand, and awkwardly pulled them away again.

"I'm not going to ignore what she said." Dani spoke, her voice strong. "I'm going to speak up, and not just for myself, Dennis, or Thomas, but for people in the LGBTQ community. For everyone."

I stayed quiet, and let her speak for a while.

"Believe it or not, but I've been descriminated a lot back at my old school for deciding to be myself." Dani opened up the conversation. "I was in the closet for a long time. I felt trapped in it. I didn't want to hide, because it felt wrong. I wasn't happy, and I knew that I couldn't possibly live that way forever."

"So, you told everyone in your school?"

"Of course not." She said, frowning. "Someone else did, but that's another long story that I don't want to remember."

"Oh. Alright." I said, nodding my head and can't help but smile because I felt very special to know that she chose to share this information with me. It means she trusts me, right?

"I'm just glad that my grandparents think differently than my parents..."

"Wait, so your grandparents knew?" I asked.

"Of course they do." Dani replied. "They took me in when my dad... My dad treated me differently, when I decided to tell him. My mom chose to be on his side, rather than mine. It's just sad to think that my own parents hated me because I decided to be honest with myself. I didn't feel comfortable in my own home, I didn't feel comfortable in my school- I didn't feel comfortable living." Dani's voice had gone soft, and shaky as if she was going to cry again.

"I started to believe what people were saying to me. You're not welcome. You're disgusting. You don't belong here. You should die. There wasn't a day where I'm not being discriminated. I felt it. People hated me. And I don't understand why, because I know that I haven't done anything wrong. Was it bad to be this way? No. I accepted myself, faced all the hate... But eventually I got sick and tired of it all that I gave in. I changed. I became weak. I was alone, and afraid that I couldn't take it anymore." Dani gripped my hand and held it as if for her own comfort.

"I needed help. And I thought that... my mom's bottle of sleeping pills would help me."

"Oh, Dani... No."

"It's true." Dani sniffed. "I was sure that it would help all the hate to go away... Because that would mean that I would be gone, and disappear. I felt like I was a burden in people's life because apparently my entire existence wasn't allowed. So I did it... I was defeated. I knew that I shouldn't be treated that way, but I was so tired. I was so exhausted of everything in my life that I had to do it."

"No." I told her, now pushing her head off my lap and laid down to hug her close, my eyes stinging, tears are threatening to spill. "Don't say that."

"My Aunt Susan was the one that saw me. She was visiting, and saw me unconscious on my bedroom floor with an empty bottle of sleeping pills. She saved me. I'm grateful that she did, because I knew deep inside that I was giving up on life too easily." Dani smiled and let me rest my head on her shoulder. "Like I said, I was weak and I'm planning to change that. I saw opportunity when Auntie Susan advised me to move here in Prince Albein with Grandma and Grandpa. She said that I didn't deserve to be treated horribly in my house, and she promised that Grandma and Grandpa in Prince Albein, is a place that I could definitely call, home."

"Yeah. You're here." I nodded. "Damn right you're here."

"I'm actually happy that I listened. Because I'm really starting to think that this small town is my home... Even though I know that hate will not go away, at least I know people that actually cares for me. Like my grandparents-"

"And me." I added myself in. I wiped the tears away. "I hate that you're a show-off when we play basketball, I hate that you have better hair than me, but I care for you. Remember that okay?"

I cuddled closer, and Dani burst out laughing.

"I feel so awkward when you do this." She said.

"Shut up. I don't want you to die."

"I'm not going to die, Mave." Dani said, and looking at me in amusement. I smacked her head. "Ow! What the fuck!"

"Feel that pain? That's me telling you I don't want you to dissappear."

"Are you a sadist? That freakin' hurt." Dani complained,

I sighed and kissed her head better.

"There." I said, and rubbing the spot where I hit her.

Dani had blushed, and seeing her blush made me blush as well because I suddenly became aware of how I showed my affection towards her. I ignored it and hid myself in her arms, closing my eyes and wanting to fall asleep.

"So what now? Are we just going to take a nap?" She asked.

I did not respond and enjoyed her warmth around me. Dani relaxed, and thankfully she didn't bug me and mentioning how awkward this is for her. Soon my eyelids felt heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.

For the first time, I didn't get any disturbing dreams.

A/N:

I'm already half asleep to be honest... Before I go, I just wanna say that I love all of you, because I just do. *hugs my own stuffed panda* Goodnight everyone, and don't forget to leave a comment. I read them all.

xoxo -Jean

Unedited.