Finding Pride - story from The Dumping Ground

Chapter Five

chapter five
(tw: flashback to coming out w/ bad reaction)

'MANDY, COME BACK HERE NOW! I don't know WHAT you're hiding on that phone of yours, but you better show it to me THIS INSTANT!' He stormed after his daughter, who was retreating up to her room to protect her mobile.

'If it's another scheme of yours that will land you in jail again, well- YOU know what we agreed!'

He stomped up the stairs, followed by his Wife, and his eldest daughter, Melissa.

'What's going on now?!' She called from the living room.

'Don't worry love, you and Mummy wait there. I can handle this.'

They both peered up at the confrontation taking place.

'MANDY I-'

Elektra stopped running. She turned to face her Father on the landing- there was no point in trying to conceal herself anymore, he would find a way to read those messages some way or another. She could feel his deep, angry, breaths landing on her face.

This was it.

'I'm gay, ALRIGHT?!'

Her Mother gasped with horror.

There was silence.

Elektra's heart began to race as she saw her Father's face change from shocked to full of rage. She didn't think they'd react like this.

'WHY YOU LITTLE-'

He raised his hand, ready to strike- but she saw it coming. She dodged sharply and darted to her room for safety. Her Father was never one to be physical, but homophobia can do horrible things to a person.

Meanwhile, Eektra locked herself in her room, hyperventilating. She flinched at the heavy thud her Father inflicted on the closed door- the mixture of fear and anger was overwhelming.

'YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S IT! I'M CALLING SOCIAL SERVICES! I can't believe this...' her father roared from outside.

'WAIT- WHAT? YOU CAN'T DO THAT!'

'HE CAN AND HE'S DOING IT RIGHT NOW!' Her Mother screamed. 'HE'S DIALLING THE NUMBER RIGHT NOW!'

She couldn't believe it. Her parents had always used it as an empty threat- but it didn't feel the same, she could hear the phone buzzing this time.

'WE AGREED THAT YOU'D ONLY DO THAT IF I GOT IN ANYMORE TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE, AND I HAVEN'T!'

'THIS IS JUST AS BAD! YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE STRANGE AND REBELLIOUS...WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE NORMAL MANDY?! YOU'RE 14 FOR GOODNESS SAKE!'

Her blood started to boil at the word normal.

She opened the door to confront her Mother-

'THERE IS NOTHING GROSS OR STRANGE ABOUT BEING GAY... DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!'

Elektra looked deep into her Mother's tearful eyes. She hoped for a glint of motherly love, perhaps she knew of the hardships gay people go through and just wanted to protect her daughter. However, that was not the case. All she could see was disappointment and anger. She didn't fit in nicely with her Mother's perfectly normal, fake,  unproblematic life- so she was getting taken away.

'We didn't raise you to be like this.'

She gave Elektra a vile look up and down before turning to her eldest daughter, Melissa, and gently put her arm around her.

'Melissa sweetheart don't cry, this is for the best, for our family, and-'

'AND DON'T YOU DARE FORCE YOUR OUTDATED VIEWS ON MELISSA!'

Elektra could never stand her parent's controlling nature- or their obsession with sweeping her entire existence under the rug.

Melissa began to cry harder into her Mother's shoulder.

'NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU'VE UPSET EVERYONE AGAIN!' Her Father yelled, approaching from downstairs. 

Elektra screamed. She couldn't deal with this family- they've never accepted her for who she is.

'YOU GO PACK YOUR BAGS, I WANT YOU OUT THIS HOUSE IN 10 MINUTES-'

'DAD, PLEASE-'

He sighed.

'Mandy, we all love you, but you've made our entire family look bad in so many ways- and now this! It's disgraceful and a huge embarrassment to us all. So we... want you to leave.'

She swallowed loudly, and tried to blink back any tears.

'Maybe when you've figured out this... phase you're going through, we will let you come back.'

'But Dad-'

'No buts. A social worker will meet you at the end of the driveway sometime this afternoon.'