HOME | DD

Description
Chapter 22 – We Love her.

After the shrieks had subsided, Red decided she would go check out the situation upstairs. She told me to stay where I was. I agreed, but after a couple minutes gone, I followed her footsteps up the stairs, and sat at the top, peeking through a crack in the door.

"You shouldn't have come here…" I heard Red say softly. Chris' voice interrupted her, "Jazz… this doesn't concern you… go back downstairs…"

I moved the door open a crack slightly more and saw Red shake her head, she was looking at the floor, "I want you to leave."

I heard my mother scoff, "What right do you have? I'm her mother… you're her… fake brother."

"I'm a girl," Red whispered quietly.

My mother laughed, I saw Red wince, "A girl huh? What did you do to your hair? You look like a boy, what are you, a dyke?"

Red straightened up and took a breath, "I am a lesbian, and I prefer my hair like this, thank you very much."

Chris opened her mouth to say something, but Red interrupted her, "And I don't care if you have an issue with it. I can think of a thousand more reasons not to like you."

The skeleton scowled and stepped towards Red, Chris stood, "Excuse my daughter please…"

My mom didn't seem to notice, "I don't want my daughter hanging around with this little freak."

My face reddened, I stood, walking down the hallway, my eyes locked on the side of my moms head.

Red looked angry, "Brooke is happy here, and we love her, I love her."

My mother scowled, "I don't care if you love her. I don't want you to love her, my daughter is not a dyke, and if she is, well God help me."

I growled and stepped into the kitchen, "I am, and I'm…"

Everyone stared at me.

"I'm… In fact I'm…" I suddenly felt stage fright.

My memory flashed back to the metal shop junkyard, Caroline circled me.

Your FRIEND Brooke?... Are you sure she's not your GIRLfriend?

I was surprised at how much the sneer on my mothers face matched with Carolines'.

I stared at the skeleton for a second long few seconds, imagining Croline in her place, then I was overcome with a sudden burst of confidence, "Red IS my girlfriend. And I love her."

My mothers' jaw dropped, Jean looked stunned, Chris looked at Jean, then Red, confused, then a slow smile spread across Red's face.

"Exactly!" She cried, "I told you she was happy here!" she said as she crossed the kitchen, putting an arm around me, "And you can't take her from us…"