Now maybe I'm the only person who thought this, but when Emily originally came out to her parents she told the girls and everyone rallied around her. Then in the next episode Aria's mom was talking to Pam about Emily being gay like she was already fully aware that she was gay. My thoughts then went to how each of the girls told their parents (namely their mothers, because they are the only ones we seem to see very much of) that one of their closest friends had come out of the closet. This will literally be a three chapter story and I'm getting ahead of myself because I have several stories going and grad school just started for me, but I can't put this off any longer.
When Aria walked through the door she threw her bag onto the couch and yelled out to see who was home. "Mike? Mom? Anyone home?"
"In the kitchen honey." Aria rounded the corner to see her mother putting something in the oven. "Smells good."
"Thanks, it's just you and me for dinner tonight so I figured I might try something a little different. How's Hanna doing?"
Aria picked a few olives out of the salad that was already on the counter and popped them in her mouth before answering her mother. "Better, her leg is healing as best it can and I think she just wants to go home to her designer bed sheets." Aria laughed for the first time in days at her own joke. Ella smiled, "well nobody likes hospitals and I'm sure she'll feel much safer in her own home, this kind of thing can just make people really uneasy." Aria nodded silently and Ella continued, "how about Spencer and Emily? How are they doing?" Just as she asked the question Aria's phone started to ring and she was relieved to see that it was Emily calling. She held up a finger to her mother to excuse herself for a second and picks up the phone while picking through the other salad mixings. "Hey Em, what's up?"
"You need to rescue me, please." Emily didn't sound like she was in danger, just kind of upset so Aria tried not to overreact. "Rescue you from what Em, what's going on?"
"My parents have not stopped fighting since I walked back in the door and when the take a break then my mother is breathing down my neck about dating one of her friend's sons… sons Aria."
"Damn it, Em I'm so sorry they aren't handling it like you hoped." Ella perked up and was now full on eavesdropping on her daughter's conversation. "What do you need from me?"
"Tell me that I can crash at your house tonight, I can't handle this anymore Aria. I mean I knew they were going to be upset, but I hate hearing them fight like this and knowing that I am the reason why. I just really need some peace and I'm not going to get it here, not with this happening." Aria could hear Emily getting more upset and it sounded like she was crying a little bit, or trying really hard not to cry. "Em, it's going to be ok, don't cry." Ella was already concerned, but knowing that something had Emily upset to the point of tears made it worse.
"Why don't I have Spencer come over too that way you can tell your mom that it's a group sleep over?"
"That sounds good, I'll be over in 20 alright?"
"Ok see you then, and Em…I know it may not mean much coming from me, but we love you regardless and this doesn't change anything to us. Alright, you are still the same Emily to us and eventually your mom will see that too. It's going to get better over time I promise you."
"I'm not going to hold my breath…but thanks. See you in 20." The line went dead and Aria put her phone on the counter and sighed heavily before looking at her mom who was already starring at her daughter as though she was waiting for an explanation.
"Is it ok if Emily and Spencer stay here tonight?"
"Of course, but first you're going to tell me what has Emily so upset that she is crying over the phone to you wanting to escape from Pam."
"I can't tell you." Aria was sure that it wasn't her place to out Emily to anyone let alone her mom who was Emily's teacher.
"Why not?"
"Not mine to tell. If Em wants to reach out to you then fine, but I can't do that to her, not after the week she's had." Ella shut the oven off and sat on the same side of the counter as Aria and made her daughter look at her. "Aria, if she is staying in my house I get to know why she is so interested in getting out of her own and why she was crying."
"I can't break her trust; you don't get it I really cannot tell you."
"Aria, be straight with me, is Emily alright?"
"I mean physically she's fine, she's just upset and her mom is making it worse."
"Making what worse how?"
Aria knew that they could be at this all day so she bit the bullet, "you have to swear not to tell Emily I told you, let her tell you when she feels safe to do it."
"Aria I can't promise anything until you tell me what has her so upset." Aria mumbled something under her breath and Ella couldn't hear it.
"Aria." Her mother had that warning tone that told her to stop beating around the bush and spit it out so she did.
"She came out to her parents." Ella was a little surprised, "she what?"
"Came out to her parents, you know like out of the closest…as a lesbian…she's gay."
"Yes Aria I know what being a lesbian means, I just never thought Emily was one."
"Well she is and Mama Fields is not happy."
"What about her dad?"
"He's trying to understand and be supportive so he's trying to calm her mom down so that she will listen to reason, but it just ends up with them fighting and Em can't take it anymore."
"No wonder she wants to get out and come here."
"Exactly, so when she gets here just don't bring it up unless she does." Aria heard the front door open and knew it was Emily because she could hear the girl yelling on her phone.
"No, mom, mom, mother. Listen to me for one second, I'm standing in her kitchen right now look at her and her mom, it is just a slumber party. We want to be close together while Hanna is still away, you can't fault me for that." Aria could hear Pam say something on the other line. "No mom, we are going to watch movies and sleep, I'm not going to sneak away to meet anybody. You know what hold on." Emily held the phone out to Ella and for the first time Ella looked at the girl and realized she had been crying and she looked tired.
"Can you tell my mother that I am here and I'm not going to sneak out." Ella grabbed the phone and assured Pam the girls would not be leaving the house and then Emily took the phone back. "See everything is fine. No mom I can't just see your point of view because I try not to be homophobic. Stop it, I can't have this conversation with you again today. Because if I hear one more time that this isn't how things are supposed to be I will be perfectly happy looking at schools out of state and away from you. Your move mom, either find a way to deal with this like an adult or you can watch me as I leave." Emily hung up the phone and threw it into the other room and it landed on a chair. She looked back at Ella and still in a very upset tone said, "I'm gay, my mother hates me, my dad is trying to reign her in and I don't know if I want to throw up or eat a lot of pizza and chocolate." Ella hugged Emily and tried to get her to breath normally.
"It's going to be alright Emily."
"How do you know?"
"I'm magic clearly. Come on, you and I can go order that pizza for you guys to share alright." Emily nodded and for the first time that day she felt like she could breathe and relax and just be herself, whatever that meant.
Next up Ashley