LEMON HEAD (English version) #Wattys2016

28.THE READHEADED FINDS IT OUT

That night was great, we were the first ones on that week's ranking and we got to the second position on the high score list!

On Sunday morning we were all super tired so each one of us stayed at his own house doing weekend homework and studying, in my case.

Just when I was trying to solve a boring math problem, Stella sent a message to our group chat asking us if we felt like going to her house in the afternoon.

Charlie answered that he couldn't, he had to go shopping with his parents and Mariah said she would rather take a rest. Some minutes later and after consulting with my mother, I said I would go. Robert texted that, although he was going to arrive a little bit later, he would make an appearance too.

I really felt like going there and undwind for a while. It was never enough, the time I spent with my friends. In addition, Stella and I had a pending conversation.

So, around five in the afternoon, I was already getting out of the old and only car we had and saying goodbye to my mother.

Stella and I sat down face to face in the beautiful and dainty iron chairs that where in the porch of the huge residence where she lived.

"Where are your parents?" I asked.

"They're working, as always. That's why I wanted you to come. I'm sick and tired of getting bored, without nobody's company except for the gardener, the menials and the cleaning crew". I noticed a bit of resignation and saddness in her voice.

I rembered that Stella barely saw her parents, that they didn't use to be at home. She wasn't one of those people who show their feelings easily, quiet the opposite, as we know.

I knew from my own experience that keeping all those feelings and worries inside only for oneself isn't good at all. Stella needed someone who helped her to speak about how much she was suffering, to express it, to spit and puke all that weight that was probably bothering her more than she was trying to pretend.

Furthermore, explaining and saying what's happening to you out loud can often even help yourself to better grasp your own situation because, wether it's hard for us to see it or we are never conscious of it, the hardest part is always realising what we're feeling or the cause of it.

"Do you miss them?" I asked another question speaking on her parents again.

"What do you think? Do you think it's easy to see your only family just twice a week and just if you're lucky enough? I've got nobody to talk to except for the staff who takes care of the house, Leila. They do the laundry, they make my bed, they cook the food... But that's because it's their job. It's not that they care about me. I actually don't think my parents care about me, either."

"Stella, don't say that. Of course they care about you, just like us." I said cuddling her arm.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without you. But if my parents truly love me I want them to prove it."

After spending a while trying to make her change her mind Robert hadn't come yet, so we decided to go to Stella's bedroom to play and sing.

But before going there, Stella asked the butler to open the door to our dear readheaded and tell him where we were when he arrived.

We played different songs trying to find suggestive material to play on the next Little Stars broadcast.

I was just curious and Stella still had to explain a lot of things to me so I asked:

"Stella, how did you find out that you were..?" I guessed she'd had understood me.

"Well... It's not easy at all, to be honest. At first I started to shift my gaze to girls... I realized that boys didn't draw my attention or I didn't like them in the same way... At the beginning I thought it was something temporary, but it wasn't. My mind was always thinking about it and I felt as if I was in the middle of a hurricane full of doubts. I finally started to accept it. But what actually confirmed it to me was falling in love with a girl, with Evelyn.

"And did you know that Evelyn...?"

"No." Stella answered before I could finish to ask the question. "I just tried to get close to her, I didn't believe I had any possibilities, so I only meant to at least befriends with her. I wanted her to be part of my life, the possibility of seeing her often and not only on the premises. That was already enough. And I guess it was because we spent so much time together... Well, she finally confesset to me that she was bisexual and I, besides being so happy to know that I maybe had a chance, I also told her about my sexual orientation." It seemed like she had finished to talk but, after a short silence, she continued. "Oh, and... Leila... That doesn't change anything. It doesn't mean that I like every girl including you and Mariah in that way just because I'm lesbian..."

We had completely forgotten about what Stella had asked the butler to do, we hadn't even heard the doorbell's ringing and Stella's bedroom's door was open.

That's why we jumped when we heard that voice on the doorsill.

"Are you lesbian?" It was Robert.

If I was nervous, I can't imagine how fast was Stella's heart probably beating.

"Y... Yes." She answered.

"I'm sorry, I heard part of the conversation from the hallway and... You're with a girl, right?"

"Yes." Stella looked inmobilized and frightened by the redheaded's possible reaction.

Suddenly, Robert's face lit up and he showed a wide and cheerful smile:

"And what were you waiting for to tell us? Congrats!" And then he took Stella into his arms.

"I didn't know how were you gonna take it."

"How are we supposed to take it? We are your friends! And there's nothing wrong with that. Stella, you're a fool to think that. I want you to tell it to the others right now. Will you?" Robert seemed really happy at the news.

"Yes. And thank you for..."

"There's nothing to be thankful for. Are you happy to be with that girl?"

"Yup"

"So that's the most important thing. I'm sure the others will be so glad to know that too. And hey, who's the lucky girl?"

And you should've seen Robert's face when Stella mentioned Evelyn's name.