Five Times

Part 8-Alyssa

          Lesbian. The word echoed on Alyssa's lips. She was a lesbian. Alyssa didn't mean to end up on a "Am I gay?" quiz, she just wanted to look up hairstyles for Homecoming. But she got distracted by how pretty the models were. Somehow, Alyssa started looking at other stuff, and an add for this quiz came up, and Alyssa clicked it, thinking, or rather hoping, it would come back negative, but she was wrong. The screen in front of her read "Yes. 100%"
         Well, sh*t. Now what was she supposed to do? First thing first, delete this search history. If her mother found this...Alyssa shuddered at the thought.
She went through and deleted it all, backdating a day to make it less suspicious, and then slammed her laptop shut, flopping down on her bed. What was she going to do now? She couldn't tell anybody, not after how everyone had treated Emma when they found out. Just, do what everyone else does, bury it down deep. Alyssa told herself. Besides, for all we know, this is a phase.
Just then she heard a door open.
"Alyssa, I'm home!" Her mother called from the front of the house. "Did you start dinner yet?"
Alyssa swore. She'd forgotten about starting the pasta.
"Coming, Mom!" She called, mentally preparing herself for the major scolding she was about to get.
            It was quite obvious that Helen Greene was in a bad mood. She scowled as she hung up her coat and walked into the kitchen. "Alyssa! You didn't start the pasta?"
Alyssa sighed as she followed her mother in. "Yeah, sorry. I told myself to remember to do it, but then I got really busy with homework."
"Well, I'm not waiting. Just, microwave some frozen meals or something, will you? I need to relax for a minute."
"On it."
Alyssa savored the silence as she microwaved the Lean Cuisine's. She knew all too well that the second after they prayed, she would be greeted with an at least half an hour long rant about the hardships of real estate.
        The Cuisine's were set on the table, and both mother and daughter bowed heads.
"I'll lead tonight Mom." Alyssa offered. She cleared her throat. "Bless us Oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen."
"Amen."
        Her mother opened her mouth, and Alyssa knew what was coming.
"You will not believe the day I had at work, Alyssa."
Whoop, there it is. "Mmm?"
"These couples, I swear, these couples. Ridiculous, the whole lot of them. They all want something. I mean, they act like I'm showing freaking New York mansions. This is Indiana, what do you expect?!" Alyssa just shoveled vegetables into her mouth, throwing out the occasional "Mmm hmm."
"And the last couple," Helen continued. "You'll never guess what they were, Alyssa."
"Dogs?"
"Even worse, lesbians."
The fork dropped with a clang. Alyssa stared, wide. "W-What?"
"I know! Absolutely ridiculous. I mean, imagine that! Lesbians in our town. The nerve!"
Alyssa hoped her sweat wasn't visible.
"What were they even doing here?" She asked.
"Something about a mother being sick, wanting cheaper taxes? It doesn't matter, they won't be moving here anyway."
"Why? Did they not see anything they were interested in?"
"I told them that their kind weren't welcome here."
"Oh." Alyssa thought she was gonna be sick. She slowly pushed her carrots around the plate. "It must have been interesting, meeting those people."
Her mother snorted. "I wouldn't call them people, Alyssa. Anybody who is that proud of their sin can't possibly be human. No shame, the whole lot of them." Helen looked up. "Alyssa, what's wrong?" She asked.
"I—I think this meal is is is bad." Alyssa said. Suddenly she stood up. "I'm sorry, I think I'm gonna throw up!" She rushed off to the nearest bathroom and hurled, just making it to the toilet.
          Alyssa felt a hand rub her shoulder a few minutes later.
"I checked the date on the boxes, they were still good for another week." Her mother said. "But I guess you never know." Alyssa just groaned and heaved. "You know, if you had just made the pasta—"
"I know I should have remembered the friggin' pasta!" Alyssa snapped. "But can you not b*tch at me right now?"
Helen pursed her lips. Normally she would have reprimanded Alyssa for such a comment, but she sensed this was illness induced. "If you still feel bad tomorrow, let me know. I'll make an appointment with Doctor Howard." With that, she left Alyssa to finish.
             That night, Alyssa laid in bed. Her thoughts churned with her mother's comments. Their kind weren't welcome here, Anybody who is that proud of their sin can't possibly be human, Imagine, lesbians in our town. Alyssa Greene was going to take this to her grave, or she might very well end up dead.