The Darkest Night

High school is filled with kids trying to find themselves.

Well, at least I knew I was. Even if I was a senior, the oldest grade you can be in a high school timeline, I was as lost as a sheep. Not that I cared too much. I mean, I always knew I was the type who didn't hyperventilate about the future. All I cared about, basically, was my writing - and how I could use it to get into a decent university.

When I think about high school, my mind always drifts to David Bowie's opening words in The Breakfast Club. What he said in that quotation was true. Each and every one of these high school jerks and nut jobs have a story - each have their own problems. We may tend to overlook that fact, being how we are so self-involved, but it doesn't make it untrue.

Now, as every normal high school kid, I gotta admit that I was struggling. Who wasn't, aye? My particular struggle was finance, and the other struggle was my disinterest with every subject but literature. Yes, I know, I know. I need to focus on every subject if I wanted to graduate. But, it wasn't my fault that the teachers prioritize memorization and grades - rather than the actual joy of learning itself.

But I guess I should stop talking about me. This particular novel - which, by the way is my first - is about how I learned to stop looking at myself and start looking at others for a change. I am Wendy Abrams, a fourth year student in Wellington High, eighteen years old - and my story starts with the night I lost my lesbian virginity.

-

"Dear," My mother walks in, her glasses shoved on her face, "the hearing is at two o'clock, okay? I already told your principal about it, so you don't have to worry about school."

My tongue rolled inside my mouth. It wasn't the most pleasant thing to hear at six in the morning, but who was I to complain? "Okay." I say simply, a little tired with the months of endless judicial visits.

Disclaimer: I'm not quite ready to talk about this issue yet. But it'll be a piece of juicy story which would be worth the wait.

By seven, I was walking the hallway at Wellington, trying to bugger off the fact of another hearing later that afternoon. Dylan, my hunky-gay-ass best friend, catches up to me. "Hey there, Mia, isn't this a fine Friday morning?" Mia, that's what he calls me since I have the same jet black hair and haircut as Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction.

"Mmm," I grunted, not really feeling the 'fine' on this Friday morning, "not too good, I have a stupid hearing at two."

Dylan manages to make the mood sour with his sudden silence, "Oh, damn, sorry."

Dylan O'Neil, at first sight there is no sign of gayness in him. He was perfectly good looking, his gorgeous brown hair was carelessly ruffled up - and his buff body and tall height didn't (or did) exactly do him any favor. He was my best friend since kindergarten. He was even my first kiss! Well, at that time we were both still inside the dark gruesome closet.

"Nah, it's fine. Can we please meet up after? I don't want to mope at home all night after. It'd just make me depress." I tell him, imagining myself curled up in my bed, higher than I normally was.

Dylan waved his hand at me like I didn't even have to ask, "Say no more, babe, I'll hook you up in Jamal's party."

I had to crease my eyebrows in confusion, "Who's Jamal?"

Dylan made a face. It was a face he always makes when he talked about a 'guy of interest'. "Transferee student. Great bone structure, semi-bald haircut, a soon to be beard, and mamazing eyes. He's basically the guy I'll be trying to score tonight." After he says the mouthful, he then pops his lips.

I gave a knowing chuckle. Of course he'll be trying to score tonight, it was, after all, a Friday night. "You damn whore."

Dylan laughed. "And you virgin prude." He then pauses, looking at me as I become silent. After a few seconds he gives me a nudge. "Hey, for all we know this might be the night you get that flower of yours to finally bloom, amiright or amiright?"

I rolled my eyes at him, crawling to a safe space in my head. "Yeah right, Dylan."

When he saw my withdrawal, he gave me another nudge, this time with a chuckle. "Oh, hey, come on. You're eighteen! We're seniors already, graduating soon, and all that shit. Don't you want to lose your v-card in safe waters... rather than next year, in some dorm room with a stranger you just met?"

There was a pause in my mind for a few seconds, it somehow did make sense. I gave him a shrug. "Damn it, O'Neil, you are a bad influence."

The bell rang and that signaled the end of discussion. "Hey, baby Mia, don't worry about later alright?" Dylan says as I sprint over to class. I gave him a look and then a big grin. He always knew what to say to make me feel better. Even if most of the time it's about crap.

Later that Day

I wore a safe-looking outfit: skinny jeans, pair of brown boots, and a long sleeveless shirt with a DANCE LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING print in black. Dylan had texted me earlier saying he'd pick me up at around nine in the evening. I had already told my mother about the party and she was pretty much alright with it.

Thirteen minutes past nine, Dylan's car finally honked away on the driveway. I grabbed my phone, keys, and a few bucks, and shoved it in my pockets. I wasn't much of a 'bag' person. "Mom, I'm leaving, I'll be back by midnight." Or so.

"Take care, alright?" She says, giving me a kiss. There was a pause between us. I knew she worried for me and I knew her worry was off the roof today considering I just had a hearing a few hours ago... but I knew that, that shouldn't stop me from living my life.

"Love you." I say, quickly dabbing a kiss on her cheek before she could get all cheesy with me.

When I got out the door, Dylan gave three honks, and a shout. "Damn if I'm straight... I'd totally be in bed with you."

I gave him a shrug and a roll of eyes as I got in the car. "Well, it's a shame you're cursed with the preference of dongs."

Dylan laughed. "It's penis, not dongs. Alright? This. This is why you're a virgin."

I scoffed at him and then laughed. He went on to drive to our destination. "I think I'm a virgin because I choose to be."

My best friend clicked his tongue, "You won't be a virgin for too long. Not after tonight, anyway."

He gave his eyebrows a weird wiggle. "Okay, that's creepy. You sound all rapey right now."

"Alright, I'll tone it down. So," he says, pausing then looking at me, "do you plan on leaving this party as a v-v?"

"Peer pressure much?" I ask him and he quickly, and playfully, raises his hands. "I think that would be under my own accord, don't you think?"

Dylan shrugged and gave me a boyish half smile, "It is. And sorry, no pressure at all. I'm just a little pumped up tonight."

I gave him a look and I can clearly see that he was. I didn't want to break his joy with post-hearing mood. So, I gave him a smile, and told him that I was completely on board with him tonight.