Mommy, What’s a Gay?
It’s my first day of school ever!!! Mommy just put me on the bus. I’m excited but it’s also very scary. This is the first time I have been away from my mom, especially since the police took daddy. He said he would be back, but he never came back.
When I go to school my teacher put me in a group with a bunch of other kids. We were all putting our stuff in our desk. The teacher told us to introduce our selves to our groups and say one thing about what makes us special.
“I’ll start,” said a girl with supper blonde hair, almost white even, her eyes where bright blue and her face was super pointy, but her skin was really tan, almost contradicting the rest of her. “ my name is Crystal,” she said proudly, “ and I am a beauty queen.”
“What is a beauty queen,” said a light skinned boy with the curliest hair I’ve ever seen.
“A beauty queen is someone like me who goes on stage and look pretty, then they give you crowns and money.” Crystal said as a matter of fact.
“Oooooohhh,” we all said collectively.
Next went a very pale boy, who looked like he has never touched the sun a day in his life, despite the very visible tan lines, his brown hair flopped over his eyes, and freckles cover his face.
“My name is Johnathan, but my mommy calls me Johnny and I like that better. And I like to play soccer.”
“Soccer? said the curly haired boy, “are you any good.”
“‘Mmmmmm” Johnny thinks very hard, “ I’m okay, but I’m not the best.”
“Have you won any trophy’s,” Crystal said now paying attention.
“Yes, sometimes, but it’s more of a teamwork.” He said shyly proud.
“Ooo00hhhh” we all say again.
Then goes a girl who looked almost exactly like Johnny, but a girl. “My name is Johanna,” she said, “and I’m a twin.”
“What’s a twin,” I already knew who asked I didn’t even look.
“It means I was born on the same day as my brother, we have the same birthday,” she looked like she was trying her best to explain.
“When is you’re birthday,” curly boy ask.
“December 13,” Johnny said.
I thought for a second, “ wait that’s my birthday too, that means I’m also your twin. Right?”
“I don’t thi-“
“Yes, you can be our twin,” Johnny interrupted Johanna, I’ve always wanted a boy twin.
“But that’s not how it-“
“Cool I always wanted a sibling.” I say excited about my new brother.
“Fine, whatever next person,”Johanna said done with everyone.
It was just me and curly boy left so I just went first.
“Well, my name is Akari and…. Well I guess there is nothing really special about me.
“That can’t be true,” Johanna said.
“My dad said that everyone is special,” said Johnny.
“My mom said that’s a lie parent tell there kids that don’t have any talent.” Everyone looked at Crystal, we had completely forgotten she was here. “Yeah, she said that there has to be losers in this world, because the winners need someone to beat, so it’s okay if you are a loser or not special, because you still have a purpose. To lose.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard,”Johanna said.
“Well a loser would think so,” Crystal said defensively.
“I have many trophies, I play soccer too, but I don’t think that what your mom said is true.” Johanna replies.
Crystals face turned red behind her visibly fake tan. She crosses her arms and stays quiet.
Everyone turns their attention back to me, the curly hair boy speaks, “my dad said that everyone is special, it just takes some people a long time to find what makes them special.” Everyone nods in approval of this answer, beside Crystal of course who is still pretending we don’t exist.
“What about you, what’s you’re name, what makes you special ?” Johanna said.
“My name is Miles, and I’m a gay.” We all look around at each other, there were no curly haired boys to ask what we were all thinking, instead the teacher interrupted and began class. The whole day the question was ringing in my head.
When I finally got home to my mommy I had to let it out. We were eating dinner when I asked, “Mommy,”
“Yes darling,” she said shoveling a fork full of peas in her mouth.
“What’s a gay?”
She almost chokes on her food when I asked, she caught her composure and said, “where did you learn that word.”
“At school,” I said.
She thinks hard than said, “Gay people are abominations, they go against the will of god and nature. Nothing they do is natural and they will all burn in hell.”
Everything she said felt wrong, so I just nodded and kept eating.
