Post-It Notes (Wattpad's Pen Your Pride 2021)

1 - What's Wrong With Being Gay?

Ritzy Channe

"Is it true you're questioning?" Crista enquires, a tone of menacing behind her giggling exterior. "Because if you are, I have to warn you, I'm very homophobic."

I'm perched on a cerulean chair, leaning my slender arms on one of the grey obscenities that we call tables in a classroom built for students in a reality a century older than ourselves.

Right now, I am assigned the unfortunate task of dealing with the most notorious twins in the school: Clarice and Crista, who are known both for their high grades and their lack of tact. Clarice isn't as irritating as Crista on her own, but together, somehow, they manage to be a nightmare. Especially when they notice something that they disagree with.

So here I am, being totally slated for my sexuality by a pair of ignorant pedants who don't comprehend the definition of wisdom, and, of course, I have to cope with it.

Clarice gives me an ominous smirk, and states "She's taken the dark side, Cris. She took it long ago."

Glancing between the two of them, I decide to offer them a piece of my mind. "You've never liked me," I begin, glaring glass shards at them as the sun pierces through the window and into the room. "I don't profess to know why, nor will I stand for being taunted for being different. My autism already gave you a reason to discriminate against me, which I believe is illogical but I won't dig too deeply into that, as a large number of people do it.

"Yet I have not heard one person before you two even think that my inclination regarding love and sexual attraction is wrong. Not one. You just hate people who are different, don't you?"

When they retaliate, I hold up my hand to stop them, and they fall silent.

"I might not know the salt of the earth from the salt of the sea, but I do know that your criticism of yourself and others is damaging. You probably know it, too. What's wrong with being gay, anyway?"

Clarice and Crista exchange looks. Being young teenage girls from Grenada, they were likely raised as
devout Catholics or Christians. As my parents aren't particularly strict regarding religion, I am quite open-minded about other people's lifestyles.

I understand that every person is different, but that doesn't mean that any person has the right to prejudice other people because of their background, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, etc. And I certainly won't stand for being persecuted for my diversity.

They talk about how black people are racially discriminated against, yet I catch snatches of my Caucasian friends being made fun of all the time for their skin colour! And now these two girls think that they can slander my sexuality and walk away! No! I refuse to be intimidated. I am different; I am questioning, I am autistic, I'm a witch and I'm proud of it. Nothing will sway me into changing my mind.

Just as I make that remark, Miss Kerry smiles at me, and interjects "I suggest that you ladies take that observation on board. Everyone's different, and it puzzles me why you should be afraid of that.

"Anyway, as much as it is an interesting discussion, it does not sway anywhere near the subject of conflict in Romeo and Juliet." She nods at their empty pages. "So please do your work."

She beams again, taking a minute to survey my two full pages of annotation before waltzing off to the desk in front of us. Clarice and Crista's facial expressions mirror each others: they're peeved. But I just raise my eyebrows slightly, smicker, and skim over my writing, checking if there's anything I've missed.

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When the bell rings for Tutoring, Miss Kerry calls "Ritzy, please stay for a minute."