Different

"Once upon a time, in a land far beyond our moon, beyond the great expanse of time and space, there lived a girl, and a boy. The little girl and the little boy were best friends, and while they loved each other dearly, they were just that, best friends. They laughed together and played together. They fought with each other, and when they made up with each other, they would throw paper airplanes at the other with messages written inside, such as 'Sorry I suck. Make up cookies at my house?' They loved each other, and they grew up that way.

One day, when the little girl was twelve, her mother passed away. She ran sobbing to her friend's house, and they sat under the oak tree in his backyard, him holding her tight and running his fingers through her hair to comfort her. Tears sprang to his eyes for the depths of pain his best friend felt, and she cried well into the evening, then fell asleep in his lap. He loved his best friend so much, and felt fierce protection for her.

When she was fifteen, her father decided that he was healed after the tragic passing of his beloved wife. He went on a few dates, unbeknownst to his daughter, as caught up as she was in her own teenage life. One day, he brought home his lady friend. The woman had a smile that did not extend to her eyes, but when she looked at the girl's father, there was only love and admiration. The girl was hesitant, but she made room in her life for this new woman.

The woman moved in after several months, and a year later, after the girl's sixteenth birthday had passed, the woman married the girl's father. The woman was an excellent cook, and quickly became a small star in her own rights, famous for her delightful cuisine, and decided to open a small restaurant. The girl helped out as she could, for she was sweet and caring and thoughtful. Her stepmother allowed her to help for a short time, but ultimately the girl, despite her best intentions, was useless in a kitchen.

The girl would then often retreat to her friend's house, where his parents welcomed her like a daughter. There, she and her friend would watch movies, read books, play games, laugh and enjoy life together. Then one day, as she was approaching seventeen, her friend kissed her. He was hesitant, and she pulled away when he did, staring at him with astonishment in her eyes. She awkwardly coughed, mumbled an excuse, and turned and fled. She did not look back, and see the pain in his eyes, sitting motionless on the floor.

They avoided each other for several long weeks, and she did not know what to say to him, the boy she had grown up alongside of all her life. That she didn't feel a single thing when he kissed her? Perhaps she was defective? Was she abnormal? This was supposed to be how it is, right? Childhood friends just naturally grow up and fall in love with each other... right?

One day, the girl was walking through the hallways at her school, after classes had let out. She had a camera around her neck, occasionally taking pictures for her school's yearbook. She felt something whizz past her shoulder and watched it hit a wall and crumple to the ground. She bent to investigate it, and discovered it was a paper airplane. Smiling softly, she opened it and read 'Sorry I'm a pervy teen guy. Make up shakes at the diner?' She turned and saw her longtime childhood friend, standing there with a sheepish look, his hands in his jean pockets. Her heart soared, not in a romantic way. In a way that indicated she was happy after a long time period of sadness. She grinned and nodded, and her friend offered his arm like a gentleman, walking their way to the diner that her stepmother owned.

Time went on, and the girl grew to be a woman; the boy grew into a fine young man. They discovered concepts of other labels, other ways of thinking. The young woman exclaimed in delight, tears running down her face, joyous tears, at discovering she wasn't an anomaly. She wasn't weird, or defective. She was asexual. Demiromantic. She had only ever felt a spark of what might be called love towards her very best friend in the whole world, and not in a sexual way, but it didn't mean she was a heartless monster. It meant she finally had a place to fit in.

The young woman relayed her big news to her father and stepmother, nervously clinging to her best friend as she awaited their response. Her father looked her straight in the eye and told her,

'Young lady, I didn't raise you to be this way.' Her heart dropped, but he continued. 'Telling me such a thing in such a dramatic way, as if it was earth shattering? You nearly gave me a heart attack, I thought you were pregnant. Now listen close, sweet child, I couldn't care less if you were a three legged rainbow unicorn that spat rainbows. You are my daughter, no matter how you choose to live your life. I will always be there for you.' Tears in her eyes, she rose to hug her father. Her stepmother stood and left the room. Dread filled her as she stood there, wondering what had happened. Her stepmother returned a moment later, and she held something in her hands.

'Child, when I first met you, I knew we would sometimes clash. We wouldn't always see eye to eye. At times, you've resented me, and at times, I you. Throughout it all, however, I knew I could not have children. And so I cherished you as best I could. I wanted to give you this when you got married, but perhaps that won't happen after all. However... you are my daughter in every way that matters, and I'd like you to have this either way.' She opened her hands and revealed a beautiful purple and blue moonstone ring, and slipped it on the girl's middle finger.

Delighted but perplexed, the girl replied 'I can't thank you enough, stepmother. But why place it on that finger?' Smiling mischievously, her stepmother answered.

'So that when someone asks you about your sexuality, if they become rude, you can proudly show them this ring, and tell them you are in a relationship with yourself, in love with yourself, and they need not get involved.' Astonished laughter bubbled from everyone in the room. The girl hugged her family tight, her heart swelling with love and pride. She turned to her friend and they left, heading to his family's house to break the news to them.

Pained silence followed her announcement, and her friend squeezed her hand tightly until his father awkwardly cleared his throat. Neither of his parents could look either of them in the eyes. Her friend's face turned bright red, and storms brewed in his eyes. Without a word, he stood and pulled his friend to her feet, tugging her out of the house. They got into her car and he grunted at her to just drive. They both enjoyed the forest and hiking, and so, she drove them to a nearby nature trail and parked. He paced up the trail as soon as they left the car, and she followed after him, unease settling in her stomach.

They walked for two hours, around and through the trail, his lace slowly calming, and not a word spoken between the two. As she could feel him relaxing, she began pointing out various wildlife and interesting plants. As the sun sank down and the park was about to close for the day, he tugged her down on a bench outside the park. He pulled her close to him and just held her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She knew everything had changed that day, and that there would be consequences eventually. But in that moment, she took a deep breath and listened to the crickets chirping, the crunch of gravel as people left the park, the breathing of her best friend, her best friend in the whole entire world. She listened... and she loved him deeper than anything she'd ever felt. He turned to look at her and smiled softly, seeing in her eyes, no matter what... She was his happily ever after. The end."