Since You - A WWC Spin Off

3; Straight As A Ruler

Riley

"Johnson Parker is an idiot," Madison says as she hands me a glass of lemonade. She sits opposite me on her bed and takes a sip of her glass before setting it down. "He doesn't deserve you."

"It's my stupid dad's fault," I say. "He scared him off."

"I mean, what your dad did was totally crazy but if Johnson can't separate you from your dad then he's an idiot. And we've established that he's an idiot."

I sigh and lean my head against the wall. "I hate my life."

"Oh, shut up. You're beautiful, smart, artistic, and funny. You don't need stupid boys to value you to be valuable."

I give her a small smile. "Thanks."

"I have good news." Madison tucks her legs underneath her. "Sophie texted me."

My eyebrows raise. "Oh really? What did she say?"

"'What's up?'"

"What's up?" I repeat. "That's it?"

"Bro, she's the fittest girl in school and she texted me. I wouldn't care if she texted me a smiley face. She's keen."

Madison came out to me as bisexual when we were 15. It's one of the most intimate things to happen in a friendship, and it really strengthened our relationship. She cried a lot, and then I cried, and then we both asked ourselves why we were actually crying. Her parents still didn't know, which I knew was difficult for her. They were pretty conservative and she was scared to tell them which meant she couldn't really be herself. She struggled a lot.

At school she was a completely different person. She was confident, funny, loud, and she knew how to get girls' attention. Even if they were straight as a ruler, Madison could turn them.

Madison's philosophy was that "everyone is a little gay." She constantly teased me for my heterosexuality and tried to bring out "my inner gay." It hadn't happened yet, but she was sure it was going to.

"Are you going to ask her out?" I ask.

"Already have." She smiles proudly. "We're going out next Tuesday."

I smack her arm. "That's great! So, she's gay?"

Madison winks. "After Tuesday night she will be."

------

Madison dropped me home around 7, and sure enough as soon as I stepped in the door mum and dad were both waiting for me.

I sigh as I close the front door. "Do you guys have anything else to do besides controlling my life?"

"Riley, say hello to your mother," dad says.

"Hi, mum," I mumble, walking down the hallway to my room.

"Riley!" Dad yells.

"It's okay," I hear mum say. "She'll be tired."

I close my bedroom door and sit down on my bed before pulling out my sketchbook and pencil case from my top drawer. I open the book up to a fresh page and begin drawing. A few minutes later there's a knock on my door.

"Riley?" It's mum.

"What?" I reply.

She opens the door and gives me her natural smile. "Mind if I come in?"

"You're going to anyway," I say, looking back down at my sketch.

She closes the door and comes and sits on the end of my bed. "What are you drawing?" She asks.