"When Were You Going to Tell Us You Were a Lesbian?"

This is probably one of my favorite stories to share, but also the most painful. Everyone that hears this story is left baffled, just like I was when it happened.

Flash back 10 years ago. I had just got out of the hospital for not being very nice to myself. My parents refused to send me back to school due to the bullying. They exhausted all options, before deciding they would have to pay to send me to private school. If this would of happened 4 years earllier, I would of fit right in and would of loved having a Christian education. Sadly, the world had chewed me up and spit me out over the past 4 years and I was a little disgusted with humanity and "Christians."

My first two months at Conway Christian, I toned it down, carried around a Bible, and tried to appropriately fit in. The summer before my 12th grade year, I continued to sink further down. During the start of my senior year, a few girls started being nice to me. I didn't fully fit in with them yet, but my attitude was right there with them. They laughed everyday because I wouldn't allow music with cussing in my car, I didn't know what half of the things they talked about were, and I was just a nerdy little thing. But, they were kind and accepting.

You see, 4 years ago, I would have prayed for these girls or tried to save them. Now, I needed them. They were more accepting of me when no other "Christian" had been. I could go on about how much Lindsey, Hannah, and Mere meant to me then, and mean to me now, but they know.

Basically, we ended up having a super fun year, making a lot of mistakes, and getting in a lot more trouble. Each one of us, trying to find ourselves and trying to figure out how to live with the hands dealt to us.

The last, I am not lying, the last day of our senior year, Mere and I find out our parents have been called in for meetings. Okay, we know we've really done it this time, and I don't think either of us would of denied that. But, we could of never imagined what was about to go down. We sat in our favorite teacher's room (shout out to Mrs. Shelton) and brainstormed which thing we could be in trouble for.

My parents and I get called into the meeting first. After prayer, the headmaster (which is a really creepy term for a person in power) looked at me and said, "So when were you going to tell us you were a lesbian?" Ya'll, I immediately start laughing and feel so relieved because how could I get in trouble for something not true? Well, let me tell you, you can.

Mere and I got kicked out the last day of our senior year for being "lesbians." We were told we would have to get our GED or repeat the year elsewhere. I wish I could of been a fly on the wall they day Mete and I got kicked out because let me tell ya, we caused a scene.

After that BRILLIANT display of "Christianity," I have to give props to the Christians I associate with. Our two favorite teachers, Mrs. Shelton and Mrs. Hays, marched right up to office and fought for us. For the girls that didn't belong.

I won't get into anymore of the disgusting specifics, but I will briefly explain how it affected us. My parents had paid a ridiculous amount of money to get me to this school were they thought I would be treated better. Mere was always more confident and brave, but I was freaking embarrassed. We went to college and the boy's in the dorms would say inappropriate things about us being lesbians and sleeping in the same dorm. I had to SERVE the headmaster at the restaurant I worked with after having a panic attack in the bathroom. To this day, I hide my face when I see someone from Conway Christian. All because I'm not a lesbian.

10 years later, none of us are lesbians except one. (Guess away!) We are all pretty well functioning members of society, except maybe one. (Ha!) we have all found our way no thanks to our very expensive, private education. We all poses a deep empathy for others due to our experiences and treatment. I may not know what it's like to be lesbian, but I know the awful, gut wrenching, life changing way one gets treated.