Our New Normal

  “I am a lesbian, Dad!” Tori screamed, her face bright crimson. “This isn’t something I ‘picked up’ at school. No treatment facility or petition or threat is going to change who I am! I am gay, Dad, and you’re not changing me!”

  Her father’s face turned an equal shade of red. “Get out of my home!” he bellowed, pointing to the front of the house. “You’re dead to me!”

  Her mother wailed, sobbing even harder as she crawled over to Tori and tugged on her pajama bottoms. “Please reconsider this, Victora! Let us help you!”

  Tori shook her mother’s hand off of her leg. “I don’t need your help,” she growled. “There is nothing wrong with me! I’m finally happy, and I’m not hiding who I am anymore!”

  Her father helped her mother stand upright, glaring at Tori. “Then you leave us no choice,” he said sternly, turning away from her. “You need to leave my home, and you’re not taking my car that I bought for you, so you’d better put on your walking shoes. You can forget about your credit cards, too; I’m shutting all of them off immediately.”

  Tori’s eyes widened as she slumped onto her bed in disbelief. “Dad, please! You can’t throw me out!”

  He turned his head. “This is my house, Victoria, and I will do whatever I damn well please. If you’re going to insist on putting your sinful, vile desires ahead of your family and God, you don’t deserve to be a part of this household.”

  “But what will I do? Where will I go?” Tori glanced at her mother for support, but her mother simply hung her head and continued to sob quietly.

  “You should have thought about that before you put your selfishness before us,” he spat as he walked out.

  “Yet it’s fine for you to put the neighborhood ahead of me?” Tori demanded. “Do you think God is going look favorably upon you for throwing your only daughter out on the streets because our church thinks who I love is wrong and you’re afraid of what the neighbors will say? You’re going to be right there in hell with me, Dad, for abandoning me!”

  “That is quite enough,” her dad insisted calmly, his mind made up. “I want you out of this house. You had better make it sooner rather than later, too, or I will have the police escort you out.” He glared at her one last time as he left the doorway and headed to his study.

  Tori sat on her bed, slack-jawed with disbelief. She looked over at her mother who was still sobbing in the doorway, their similar faces blotched and tear-stained. “Please, mom, can’t you talk to him? I’ll be homeless! I have no money! What am I supposed to do? You can’t do that to me! You gave birth to me! You raised me! I’m still your little girl! Please don’t make me leave!”

  Her mother’s grief-stricken, bloodshot eyes pierced Tori’s. “You know as well as I do that I can’t change his mind once it’s been made up.” She dug into her pocket as she approached Tori. “Take this,” she insisted, placing a wad of money into Tori’s hand. “I received a call from one of your friends about you being gay, and I worried that this would happen.”

  Tori’s eyes flashed with rage. “Who told you?” she demanded.

  “That doesn’t matter now,” her mother replied. “I hid some money in my pocket, just in case, before your father got home from work. I’ll convince your father to let you take whatever you can carry, but please, don’t tell him about the money. You’ll at least be able to get a room somewhere until you can find a place to live.”

  “But I’m only seventeen!” Tori wailed. “I can’t legally get a room anywhere! And what about college? How am I going to go to college?”

  “I’m sorry, Tori.” Her mother’s voice cracked, a fresh wave of grief consuming her. She embraced Tori and kissed her forehead. “Please take care of yourself. I love you.”

  Tori jerked away, her face contorted with fury. “Bullshit!” she screamed. “How can you say you love me when you’re throwing me out on the street just for being different? I didn’t do anything wrong! I’ve always been a perfect kid! How can you do this to me?”

  “I have to listen to your father,” her mother replied. “Now please, hurry up and get your things together. I’ll try to stall him from calling the police until you’re done packing.” She took one last, lingering glance at her daughter before stepping out of the room.

  Tori looked around her bedroom for the last time, feeling as if she was stuck in the middle of some horrific nightmare. She felt faint, and she took a moment to sit on her bed and try to stop her head from spinning.

  Realizing that she was wasting precious time, Tori forced herself to regain composure. She sprung from her bed and retrieved her suitcase and duffel bags from her closet. She emptied her closet, dressers, and desk of anything she thought she might be important—clothing, shoes, treasured mementos, accessories, her laptop, and toiletries. She continued to scan the room for anything useful as she turned her phone back on and dialed Chloe’s number.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Chloe greeted cheerfully.

  “Chloe, you have to help me!”

  “What’s wrong?” Chloe asked worriedly.

  “My-my parents found out about me,” Tori cried.

  “You mean about the fight?” Chloe inquired.

  “No, about everything!” Tori exclaimed. “They know I’m gay!”

  Chloe gasped. “Oh no! Did they not take it well?”

  “They’re kicking me out, Chloe!”

  “WHAT?” Chloe screamed, dumbfounded.

  “I have to get out of their house as soon as possible or my dad’s going to call the cops!” A new wave of tears streamed down her cheeks as the agony of her father’s banishment hit home.

  “I am so sorry, sweetheart!” Chloe exclaimed sadly. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “I don’t know. I-I’m packing everything I can right now, but I can’t take the car because it’s in my dad’s name,” Tori explained. “I-I just don’t know what to do, or where I’ll go. I can’t believe they’re doing this to me!”

  “I’m coming to get you,” Chloe declared. “I’m taking you home with me.”

  “You can’t!” Tori cried. “I don’t want to be a burden on you!”

  “You won’t be, baby,” Chloe insisted. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “O-okay,” Tori stammered. “Stay at the end of the driveway. I don’t want my dad attacking you, too.”

  “I don’t care what your father has to say about me, but I don’t want to cause any more trouble,” Chloe said. “I’m leaving now.”

  “Okay. See you soon.” Tori sniffled. “And thank you.”

  “Anything for you, babe,” Chloe said, hanging up.

  Chloe was astounded. She’d heard stories of people disowning their children for being gay, but she never thought in a million years that Tori’s parents would do that to her.

  She rushed downstairs and grabbed the car keys. “I have to go get Tori. Can she stay with us?”

  Cynthia’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? What happened?”

  Chloe hastily explained what Tori had told her on the phone. “They’re going to call the cops on her if she doesn’t leave!”

  Cynthia shook her head in disgust as she thought of Tori’s parents. “Of course she can stay here with us,” she insisted. “She’s just a kid; she can’t make it on her own. We’ll figure everything out when she gets here.”

  “Thank you,” Chloe said, rushing out of the door.

  Chloe pulled onto the street in front of the Reynolds’ residence, barely shifting the car into park before she sprinted over to meet Tori. Tori was shuffling down the driveway, her body overwhelmed by overstuffed duffel bags. Chloe snarled as she noticed Tori’s father standing in the doorway. She took a few of the bags off of Tori’s shoulders and tossed them in the back seat.

  “Are you the one who corrupted Victoria?” Tori’s father demanded from the doorway, His arms crossed with determination and his eyes cold. “Are you the one sending my daughter to hell?”

  Chloe scow
led. “You’re going to be the one in hell for abandoning your daughter, asshole!” Chloe bellowed. “You’re a pathetic excuse for a father, and you should be ashamed of yourself!”

  Timothy growled. “Get the hell off my property!” he screamed. “Victoria, I’m calling the authorities in five minutes if you and your abomination don’t leave!”

  Tori dropped the bag, shocked that her father would say that about a complete stranger.

  Before Chloe could retort, though, Tori grabbed her wrist gently. “Chloe, don’t,” Tori pleaded. “Let’s just get out of here.”

  Chloe took a deep breath, gathering the remaining duffel bags as they trekked to her car. The back seat and trunk stuffed with Tori’s belongings, Chloe extended her middle finger at Tori’s dad and blared the horn as she sped away from Tori’s former family.

  Chloe gently placed her hand on Tori’s knee. “I am so sorry, baby,” she said fretfully. “I-I didn’t mean for this to happen to you.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Tori replied, wiping tears from her eyes. “It would’ve happened at one point or another; I’m just glad I have you to help me. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to do this on my own.”

  Chloe caressed Tori’s knee. “I’ll always be here for you,” she promised. She glanced at Tori and noticed that her eyes were weak and puffy from crying, and her hair was disheveled from frantically packing and moving her things to Chloe’s car. Her face was expressionless, no doubt still trying to process the catastrophic event that had just taken place, as she stared out of the window.

  Cynthia rushed out to help bring Tori’s bags into the house, and they piled everything in the living room for the time being. Chloe led Tori to the couch and held her while Cynthia prepared dinner.

  “I-I just don’t understand,” Tori lamented. “They’re my parents. I knew they wouldn’t be happy about me being gay, but how can they just throw me away like garbage? I’m their flesh and blood! I’m their little girl!”

  Chloe remained silent, holding Tori and stroking her hair as Tori sobbed. She knew that there was nothing she could say to make things better; all she could do was show Tori that she wasn’t alone.

  Not to anyone’s surprise, Tori barely touched her plate during dinner. Chloe sat next to her, keeping her hand on Tori’s leg as an anchor while Tori stared ahead, lost in her thoughts.

  “Tori,” Cynthia said calmly, looking at her intently. Tori looked up weakly in response. “I know that you’re overwhelmed and have a lot on your mind. I want you to know, though, that you don’t have to worry about where to live. You’re safe here and are welcome to stay for as long as you need to, okay?”

  More tears streamed down her face as she nodded. “Thank you,” she muttered gratefully. “I-I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the help you’ve given me.” She squeezed Chloe’s arm tenderly and made a feeble attempt to smile.

  Chloe let Tori borrow pajamas at bedtime. Trying to find one article of clothing amidst the clutter of luggage would’ve just made more of a mess; they’d worry about unpacking everything once they figured out her living situation. Tori was nearly catatonic, overwhelmed with grief and exhaustion, as Chloe guided her to bed.

  Once under the covers, Chloe clutched Tori, her arm draped over Tori’s waist as she kissed her neck. “I know it’s super difficult right now, babe, but you are going to be okay. My mom and I will be here for you every step, and I’m going be by your side no matter what happens.”

  Tori sighed. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m so out of it.”

  “Don’t be!” Chloe insisted. “I totally understand.”

  Tori sniffled and turned to lay on her back. “I’m so glad I have you. I don’t know what I would’ve done.” She pictured her parents and former friends, and her grief was replaced with anger. She scoffed, thinking about the fight she’d had with Sabrina in the locker room. “It was only a few hours ago that I was devastated about getting suspended from school and kicked off the cheerleading squad. I’d give anything right now for that to be the only thing wrong.”

  “Yeah,” Chloe agreed solemnly. There was a silent pause as they both replayed the day in their mind.

  “I don’t want to crash here without helping in some way,” Tori declared. “I’ve never had a job before, but I think it’s time I get one.”

  “I doubt my mom will ask you to pay rent if you’re staying here,” Chloe said.

  “I know,” Tori began, “but I’ll be using up water, gas, and electricity. I’ll be eating your food, too. I can’t expect your mom to dish out all that extra cash just because I’m homeless.” She got out of bed and retrieved her jeans from the floor and handed the wad of cash to Chloe. “My mom slipped me this before she kicked me out—” she chortled— “I’m guessing as a way to make herself feel better or to redeem herself when she gets to the pearly gates, though I doubt it’ll be enough to get in.”

  Chloe looked down at the money, her eyes wide. “Tori, there’s hundreds of dollars here!”

  “A thousand, to be precise,” Tori said. “I counted it while I was waiting for you to pick me up.”

  “It’s something, at least; you’re going to need a car and money for college. If you put it in a savings account, you may be able to build decent interest.”

  “It’ll only be a matter of time before dad shuts off my cell phone, too,” Tori said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she glanced down at the wad of bills. “This isn’t going to be enough for all that! What am I going to do?”

  Chloe reached over, tenderly squeezing Tori’s hand. “It’s a good start, though,” she said reassuringly. “Maybe we can go to the mall this week and find you a job with the same hours as me so we can ride in together. You can pay my mom whatever—though I’m sure she won’t think it’s necessary—and save the rest. By the time you get a job and start saving even more money, you should be fine.”

  Tori nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she muttered. “It’s better than having nothing, I guess.”

  Chloe snapped her fingers as an idea occurred to her. “If we go to City College together, we can just live here and commute. That’ll save you even more money, and we won’t have to worry about what people think of us.”

  Tori nodded again, fresh tears streaming down her face as she remembered how cruel her former friends were to her.

  “I’m sorry, sweetie,” Chloe said. “This is probably too much for one night.” She patted the vacant spot next to her in bed. “Come back over here and get some sleep.”

  Tori yawned, putting the cash in the drawer of the nightstand and crawling under the covers. “Good night, Chloe,” she mumbled groggily, sighing contentedly as Chloe pulled her close.

  “Good night, Tori,” Chloe whispered, staying awake until she heard Tori’s slow, steady breathing.

  Chapter 27

  For the first few days, Tori was a complete wreck. She hadn’t eaten or bathed since Friday, and she’d spent most of her time staring blankly at the television. It was as if her fragile, porcelain life had been tossed violently at the wall and shattered into a million pieces, and her efforts to put the pieces back together were proving futile. Thoughts of her uncertain future only added to the fog in her mind, and the panic and confusion had become too much for her brain to handle. She’d become numb, no longer able to cry or feel pain; she could only feel static. Her parents’ and former friends’ faces were shapeless blobs in her memory, and she was unable to conjure one without deep concentration. Nothing was registering anymore, not even when Chloe spoke to her; her consciousness only buzzed loudly as she struggled to focus. When she’d speak, her voice sounded foreign and a million miles away, as if she was listening to a stranger on a badly tuned radio.

  “TORI!” Chloe screamed again, her face scarlet.

  Tori glanced up, her eyes unfocused.

  By Sunday night, Chloe had become frustrated and scared. She’d been giving Tori some leeway
due to her situation, but Tori had barely spoken or moved from her spot on the couch. Chloe worried that Tori might harm herself if she sank too deeply into her grief. She refused to watch Tori just give up; she’d already come so far, and Chloe wouldn’t allow her to fail now.

  Chloe sighed, kneeling next to Tori and making sure Tori saw her face. “You have to stop this, baby,” she pleaded. “You’re starting to scare me. Please don’t make me follow you from room to room to make sure you don’t do something stupid.”

  Tori stared blankly, struggling to understand. Why does it matter what happens to me? You’d be so much better off without me bogging you down.

  Chloe sat next to Tori on the couch, gripping both of her shoulders. “Please come back to me, Tori, please? Everything’s going to be okay, honey, trust me.”

  Tori shook her head. “No,” she managed. Nothing will be okay. You’ll just abandon me like everyone else.

  “Victoria Reynolds, you listen to me right now!”

  Tori’s eyes focused, an eyebrow raising slightly. She had never heard Chloe raise her voice like that before.

  Chloe sighed. At least she’s paying attention now. “You are going to snap out of this. We are going to start planning for your future, and we’re going to get through this together. I know you’re having a hard time coping and trying to comprehend everything that happened on Friday, but you can’t break down like this!”

  A tear rolled down Tori’s cheek. “What difference does it make?” Tori lamented. “My family deserted me! All of my friends hate me! Everything I used to take for granted is gone! I can’t make it on my own, Chloe! I’ve never even had a job! How am I supposed to figure out what to do with myself?”

  “First of all, my mom and I don’t hate you, and we’re certainly not going to desert you,” Chloe said.

  Cynthia nodded in agreement. “We’re going to help you, whether you like it or not. Secondly, lots of people have gone through this and have done just fine. At least you have people who still love you! At least you had somewhere to go!”