I woke up in a hospital room, disappointed that I had woken up at all. The second I opened my eyes, my mom and dad were at my bedside.
"Are you alright?" my father asked me, feigning concern. "Who did this to you?"
I wondered to myself why he would ask such a stupid question, when I realized that there was a doctor in the room, listening to every word. Then I looked at my dad again, his eyes hard. I knew what I had to answer.
"I don't know. Some girls at school, who hate me for being a lesbian." I knew that my dad hated me saying that I was a lesbian, but he couldn't do anything about it. Even if I couldn't tell that my dad hurt me, I could make little digs at my dad.
Just then, the doctor who had been listening stepped up to my bed. "I'm Doctor Steve, a psychologist here. Your parents had called me earlier about maybe setting up an appointment."
"Yeah, they told me," I said bitterly, thinking he'd just try to "fix" me.
"You sound upset, any reason?"
"I'm happy being a lesbian, I'm just not happy being abu-er- beat up for it." I was just about to say abused, but I thought better of it.
"Of course you're not," he said, and then turned to my parents. "Why don't you both grab a sandwich and have an hour lunch? Ellie and I will have a nice chat."
My parents nodded, and my dad came over to the side of my bed. Pretending to kiss me goodbye, he said, "Don't tell him anything about…you know." Then he straightened up, smiled, and left with my mother.
Once the door had closed, Doctor Steve asked me, "So, you're a lesbian?"
Getting defensive right away, I replied, "Yeah. So?"
"Nothing," he said mildly. "Just asking."
"Well, you can't change that. There's nothing wrong with me."
"Actually there is. You have a large hole in your head and your side. I know the hole in your side came from a knife, but I'm baffled as to how you got that head wound. It's by far the worst of your injuries. Much worse than anything else, in fact. But other than that, a few bruises, and cuts, you're right."
"Huh?" was the only response I could manage.
"Well, what did you think I'd say?"
"I thought you were going to 'fix' me. You know, cure me of being a lesbian."
"Is that what you want me to do?"
"Well, no! Not at all. I'm fine with being a lesbian. Its just other people aren't."
"Who? The kids who go to your school?"
"Well, them, yeah. And…" I trailed off, not sure if I could say that.
"Your parents?" he asked, gently.
"Yeah," I responded sadly. "They don't really think it's right. Or normal, or something."
"That must be hard for you."
"Nah, there are worse things happening in my life," I said, thinking of the beating that would await me when I got home from the hospital.
"What?"
"Nothing. But, um, I mean, there's so much suffering in the world. I could have it worse."
"You could. But that doesn't make this right either."
"No, I know that. But I figure my parents will come around eventually, and the kids at school need a chance to get used to the new me." Doctor Steve looked at me in surprise at this statement. "Sorry, Doctor, I guess I'm just a hopeless optimist."
"There's nothing wrong with that! It's great! In fact, I don't think you really need to see me at all, unless you want to."
"Nah," I said, knowing that it wouldn't help anything even if I did. I could never tell him anything.
"Well, I kicked your parents out for an hour, and you have a whole bunch of friends waiting to hear how you're doing. Want me to send them in?"
"Yeah!" I said, really excited.
He left the room, after giving me his card and telling me I could call if I needed too. A few moments later, my friends entered the room: Marco, Ash, Craig, and Lindsey, of course.
"Hey guys!"
"El!" Lindsey cried. "You look pretty good!"
"Thanks, you don't look to bad yourself." Since my parents weren't around, I pulled her in for a kiss. It got a little, um, intense, I guess, because Marco, Ash, and Craig all cried, "Ewww." So we pulled away.
"Sorry guys. We got a little carried away," Lindsey said.
"So, how are you feeling?" Marco asked.
"Not bad, all in all."
"How are your parents doing?" Craig asked, his voice full of bitterness.
"They're doing fine, thank you," I said with a bit of an edge in my voice.
"Um, guys? Take it down a notch, okay? What's the problem?" Ash asked me.
"Ask El," Craig responded.
"Nothing's the matter. Except I have a hole in my head."
"Yes, I noticed that before. How did that happen?" Lindsey asked, suspiciously.
"What's the matter with all of you?" I cried, getting defensive, really quickly. "Can't you just come here without giving me the third degree? Just forget it, okay? You can all just leave!" I was yelling by then.
"El, relax. No one's interrogating you. We're just concerned."
"Well, I'm sick of you all being concerned. I'm fine, okay?" I heard my dad's voice coming from a ways down the hallway. I panicked; Lindsey couldn't be here! Craig must have seen the panic on my face, but he didn't do anything. I think what he wanted was a confrontation right there, so I couldn't deny what was happening anymore. He didn't realize that my dad could easily control himself in public.
"Oh, hi guys," he said, not even looking upset at the fact that Lindsey was in there. "Nice of you all to stop by, but El should really be resting now. She can actually go home tomorrow, so you can maybe see her then, okay?"
Craig looked confused, and then his eyes opened really wide. He had finally realized what he had done, by not getting Lindsey out of the room. It would be bad when I went home tomorrow, and he knew it. As quickly as that expression came to his face, he masked it. At least he knew that if my dad knew that Craig knew, I was as good as dead.
The left the room, and my dad closed the door behind them. "What was that girl doing here?" he hissed under his breath.
"You mean Lindsey?" I asked, with no regard for my safety. "She came here to see how I was doing." I knew what my dad would ask next.
"You two, you didn't DO anything, did you?" he said, with disgust on his face.
I took a deep breath, and told him, "Yes, in fact we shared a lovely kiss. I liked it. I'd do it again too, if I had the chance."
In almost an instant, his face turned bright red. If it had been a cartoon, smoke would have come pouring out of his ears. "Wait until you get home, young lady."
"I'm so excited." I couldn't believe what I was saying. Didn't I care at all for my safety? Then I realized; no, I didn't. I just wanted everything to be over.
A moment later, speechless, my father stormed out of the room. I turned onto my uninjured side and feel asleep.
The next morning, Saturday, once I had been checked out of the hospital, my parents took me home. Before leaving for work, my father promised me I'd be punished for my disgusting behavior. Then they both left.
Before I could change my mind, I called Craig, and asked him if the dinosaur offer was still open.
"Are you alright?" my father asked me, feigning concern. "Who did this to you?"
I wondered to myself why he would ask such a stupid question, when I realized that there was a doctor in the room, listening to every word. Then I looked at my dad again, his eyes hard. I knew what I had to answer.
"I don't know. Some girls at school, who hate me for being a lesbian." I knew that my dad hated me saying that I was a lesbian, but he couldn't do anything about it. Even if I couldn't tell that my dad hurt me, I could make little digs at my dad.
Just then, the doctor who had been listening stepped up to my bed. "I'm Doctor Steve, a psychologist here. Your parents had called me earlier about maybe setting up an appointment."
"Yeah, they told me," I said bitterly, thinking he'd just try to "fix" me.
"You sound upset, any reason?"
"I'm happy being a lesbian, I'm just not happy being abu-er- beat up for it." I was just about to say abused, but I thought better of it.
"Of course you're not," he said, and then turned to my parents. "Why don't you both grab a sandwich and have an hour lunch? Ellie and I will have a nice chat."
My parents nodded, and my dad came over to the side of my bed. Pretending to kiss me goodbye, he said, "Don't tell him anything about…you know." Then he straightened up, smiled, and left with my mother.
Once the door had closed, Doctor Steve asked me, "So, you're a lesbian?"
Getting defensive right away, I replied, "Yeah. So?"
"Nothing," he said mildly. "Just asking."
"Well, you can't change that. There's nothing wrong with me."
"Actually there is. You have a large hole in your head and your side. I know the hole in your side came from a knife, but I'm baffled as to how you got that head wound. It's by far the worst of your injuries. Much worse than anything else, in fact. But other than that, a few bruises, and cuts, you're right."
"Huh?" was the only response I could manage.
"Well, what did you think I'd say?"
"I thought you were going to 'fix' me. You know, cure me of being a lesbian."
"Is that what you want me to do?"
"Well, no! Not at all. I'm fine with being a lesbian. Its just other people aren't."
"Who? The kids who go to your school?"
"Well, them, yeah. And…" I trailed off, not sure if I could say that.
"Your parents?" he asked, gently.
"Yeah," I responded sadly. "They don't really think it's right. Or normal, or something."
"That must be hard for you."
"Nah, there are worse things happening in my life," I said, thinking of the beating that would await me when I got home from the hospital.
"What?"
"Nothing. But, um, I mean, there's so much suffering in the world. I could have it worse."
"You could. But that doesn't make this right either."
"No, I know that. But I figure my parents will come around eventually, and the kids at school need a chance to get used to the new me." Doctor Steve looked at me in surprise at this statement. "Sorry, Doctor, I guess I'm just a hopeless optimist."
"There's nothing wrong with that! It's great! In fact, I don't think you really need to see me at all, unless you want to."
"Nah," I said, knowing that it wouldn't help anything even if I did. I could never tell him anything.
"Well, I kicked your parents out for an hour, and you have a whole bunch of friends waiting to hear how you're doing. Want me to send them in?"
"Yeah!" I said, really excited.
He left the room, after giving me his card and telling me I could call if I needed too. A few moments later, my friends entered the room: Marco, Ash, Craig, and Lindsey, of course.
"Hey guys!"
"El!" Lindsey cried. "You look pretty good!"
"Thanks, you don't look to bad yourself." Since my parents weren't around, I pulled her in for a kiss. It got a little, um, intense, I guess, because Marco, Ash, and Craig all cried, "Ewww." So we pulled away.
"Sorry guys. We got a little carried away," Lindsey said.
"So, how are you feeling?" Marco asked.
"Not bad, all in all."
"How are your parents doing?" Craig asked, his voice full of bitterness.
"They're doing fine, thank you," I said with a bit of an edge in my voice.
"Um, guys? Take it down a notch, okay? What's the problem?" Ash asked me.
"Ask El," Craig responded.
"Nothing's the matter. Except I have a hole in my head."
"Yes, I noticed that before. How did that happen?" Lindsey asked, suspiciously.
"What's the matter with all of you?" I cried, getting defensive, really quickly. "Can't you just come here without giving me the third degree? Just forget it, okay? You can all just leave!" I was yelling by then.
"El, relax. No one's interrogating you. We're just concerned."
"Well, I'm sick of you all being concerned. I'm fine, okay?" I heard my dad's voice coming from a ways down the hallway. I panicked; Lindsey couldn't be here! Craig must have seen the panic on my face, but he didn't do anything. I think what he wanted was a confrontation right there, so I couldn't deny what was happening anymore. He didn't realize that my dad could easily control himself in public.
"Oh, hi guys," he said, not even looking upset at the fact that Lindsey was in there. "Nice of you all to stop by, but El should really be resting now. She can actually go home tomorrow, so you can maybe see her then, okay?"
Craig looked confused, and then his eyes opened really wide. He had finally realized what he had done, by not getting Lindsey out of the room. It would be bad when I went home tomorrow, and he knew it. As quickly as that expression came to his face, he masked it. At least he knew that if my dad knew that Craig knew, I was as good as dead.
The left the room, and my dad closed the door behind them. "What was that girl doing here?" he hissed under his breath.
"You mean Lindsey?" I asked, with no regard for my safety. "She came here to see how I was doing." I knew what my dad would ask next.
"You two, you didn't DO anything, did you?" he said, with disgust on his face.
I took a deep breath, and told him, "Yes, in fact we shared a lovely kiss. I liked it. I'd do it again too, if I had the chance."
In almost an instant, his face turned bright red. If it had been a cartoon, smoke would have come pouring out of his ears. "Wait until you get home, young lady."
"I'm so excited." I couldn't believe what I was saying. Didn't I care at all for my safety? Then I realized; no, I didn't. I just wanted everything to be over.
A moment later, speechless, my father stormed out of the room. I turned onto my uninjured side and feel asleep.
The next morning, Saturday, once I had been checked out of the hospital, my parents took me home. Before leaving for work, my father promised me I'd be punished for my disgusting behavior. Then they both left.
Before I could change my mind, I called Craig, and asked him if the dinosaur offer was still open.