iStep Outside My Comfort Zone

The knob slipped in Melanie Puckett's fingers. It figures she wouldn't be able to get a grip on it, just as she couldn't get a grip on anything lately. She inhaled deeply and walked into the classroom.

Except that this wasn't English class.

She had just found the strength to push on when her cell phone began to buzz. She stopped herself momentarily and looked at it. A little envelope appeared on the screen, along with the name of the sender – MOM. She quickly hit a button and began to read.

There's nothing to be afraid of. Don't worry. I love you...

Melanie knew her mother was right, but she was still nervous. She turned the knob and entered the classroom.

Ridgeway's GSA was the last student organization Melanie had ever considered joining, even though she knew that she should. She was absolutely not afraid of who she was, but she simply felt that this was different than being out to those who knew her best. She knew that the whole purpose of the organization was the safety that came with numbers, but that did very little to allay her fears.

She walked into what was typically her English classroom, sliding into a seat in the back, only to find Megan Marx holding court. She knew what was coming next.

"So… where's your little girlfriend?"

Melanie had such tunnel vision that she was completely oblivious to her sister lecturing her girlfriend. Teasing Mel at home was one thing, but this was supposed to be a safe place. Ashley slapped Megan's hand and spoke quietly, though it was obvious that the redhead was temporarily in her doghouse.

"Just stop it… you know how hard this is for her! At my house, it's one thing… This is supposed to be a safe place for everybody…"

Megan hurt. She figured the little nerd knew she was just picking, but, thinking for a second, she realized how it looked to everyone in the room not named Puckett. To everyone else, it appeared that Megan had it out for the defenseless little girl. She felt like an ass.

Before she could apologize, she found out that Carly and Sam's little kitten had a set of claws.

"If you must know, she's in the bathroom… Everybody's gotta go sometime…."

Ashley Puckett was torn. She loved Megan, but she deserved this. She smiled. She was proud that Mel finally stood up for herself.

Melanie sat quietly, all the while glaring in Megan's direction, several seats over. She didn't feel right until Bridget slid into the seat next to her at the back of what was usually AP English. Melanie thought of Bridget as her own delicate little flower, without whom she felt uncomfortable. She scowled at her sister's significant other until she felt Bridget's hand in hers.

"Sweety, you're all tense… what's the matter?"

"…Stupid Redhead…"

"Ah. Well, we're all supposed to be friends here… let it go…"

Melanie was still whipped up.

"…Stupid sister-stealing redhead…"

"Melanie…"

Bridget knew that Melanie's bark was by far worse than her bite – at least she thought so. Melanie had never actually bitten her before.

"Alright…"

The demure blonde grumbled.

"I'm sorry…"

Megan looked emotionally hurt. She realized that this was the result of a lifetime worth of hurt and childish put-downs, none of which she'd ever truly intended. Megan was simply a selfish little girl then, who wanted what Melanie already had. The redhead reached out and touched the blonde's wrist, solely to get her attention.

"Hey…"

It was the 'Hey' of sadness, pain, and broken promises. It was the 'Hey' of regret.

Ashley's twin hissed at her, much like Freddie and Melanie's cat used to.

"Okay, I guess I deserved that…"

Megan could see tears welling up in the recesses of those pretty blue eyes, identical to the ones she'd loved forever. It no longer mattered that they were in public.

The little Puckett girl tried to speak, barely above a whisper. She was still cognizant of the fact that there were thirty-some-odd other people in the room.

"I don't wanna hate you…"

Bridget scolded her gently.

"Melanie…"

The little blonde paused and corrected herself.

"That's not what I… I mean… I want to like you… you're actually kinda cool…"

She forced a smile. Megan grinned back at her, showcasing the healing split in her lower lip.

"You're not half-bad yourself, Cupcake…"

Melanie blushed. She felt incredibly awkward, not because of this come-to-Jesus moment with her sister's girlfriend, but the fact that the student organization for kids like her was led by her two favorite teachers. The fact that her AP English teacher and her Spanish teacher loved one another was a fact hidden in plain sight. Very few people put two and dos together, unless, of course, you were a tad bit nosy and happened to notice the framed photograph tucked just slightly out of the way on Ms. Merrow's desk.

Melanie felt her insides unclench. She had had no idea that there were so many kids in school who felt and thought the same way she did. Glancing around the room, Melanie noticed a muscular sophomore boy that she remembered was on the football team, as well as being in her art class first semester.

She knew she'd make new friends here, however awkward it might be initially. It felt okay.

BACK HOME ON MERCER ISLAND…

Carly had asked Wendy over, to get her critical artistic opinion on some interior design Carly hoped to tackle sometime in the near future. The talk, ultimately wound its way around to their daughters' burgeoning romantic interest in one another.

"Does it kind of weird you out, Wendy? I mean… they grew up together…"

"So did you and Sam. Speaking of which, since we're both adults, you do realize that I was in love with Sam since junior high, right?"

Carly went numb.

"Wait… what did you say?"

Wendy blushed.

"I… Jesus, didn't you know?"

Carly was slack-jawed.

"I said was, Carly, past tense. You two belong together, like I belong with Shelby. The truth is, I saw in Sam everything I later found in Shelby…"

Carly's brain snapped back into gear.

"I… Wendy… I'm sorry, I… my doctor says that…"

"I get it, Carly. You never saw it… and to answer your question, no, I'm not a hundred percent okay with it, but that's because I'm a mom, you know. It'll be weird for a while, but I'd venture a guess that we're stuck with each other, aren't we?"

The former Carly Shay smiled. Nothing would make her happier. Her friends were her friends. The notion of them becoming family gave her butterflies, but it paled in comparison to thoughts of her little girl's happiness.