The next couple of months at my house were extremely awkward. I didn't feel unsafe at my house, but I sure as hell didn't feel welcomed. I barely spoke to my parents, and they barely spoke to me. I didn't eat dinner with them anymore. Anytime I saw them- I would leave the room as fast as I could.

Which was a terrible feeling.

I spent a lot of time with Max- she was my saving grace. She was helping me figure out things for college- I applied for scholarships, student loans, and also had some money saved up from work. I was going to still go to school- I didn't want to give myself any other choice, or show my parents they "won".

One night in late April, I came home from work and I heard yelling in the kitchen.

"Why the hell can't you just accept her? She's your own daughter! And you're treating her like she committed some kind of crime." I heard Peyton yell.

"I am not going to support her lifestyle." my mom said back, "It's immoral."

"So was me getting pregnant in high school by a deadbeat but you had no issue with that!" Peyton yelled back.

"Peyton, calm down please." my dad said, his voice stern.

"No. You know what, no. I'm not going to calm down. I am tired of this. You are going to lose a relationship with both of your daughters- not just Bella- if you keep this up." Peyton said.

I then heard footsteps as she stormed out of the kitchen.

She paused when she saw me. "How much did you hear of that?"

"Enough of it." I said, "Thank you, Peyton. You didn't have to stick up for me like that."

"Yes I did." Peyton said, and then she enveloped me in a hug.

I held on to my sister tight- full of appreciation for her.

The next night I was in my bedroom, looking up scholarships on my laptop that I could apply for. It was a Thursday night, and I was just eager for the weekend. Everything was exhausting me.

I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in." I said.

I was surprised to see my dad at the door.

"Hi, Bell." he stood there, "Can I sit down? I want to talk to you."

"Oh...sure." I said, moving over to make room for him to sit down on my bed.

He sat down and was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed and said, "Help me understand."

"Understand what?" I asked, even though I fully knew what he was talking about.

"You. Your...feelings toward girls." my dad said, like it was painful for him to speak.

"I feel the same toward girls that you expected me to feel toward boys." I said, "And I have hated myself for a long time for it. For years, I even prayed it would go away. It's not a choice. I wouldn't have chosen this- but since I am this way, I need to embrace it."

My dad was silent for a moment. Then he nodded and said, "I may not...approve. But I'm not going to punish you for something you can't choose." he looked at me and said, "I'm still going to pay for your college. That was wrong of me to not."

"Thank you." I said, "I appreciate it."

"I don't want to lose my daughter. It may take time for me to...accept it. And wrap my head around it. I just don't want your life to be hard because of it."

"It would be much harder if I lived a lie." I said.

My dad looked down and nodded. "I understand that."

He then got up. And as he opened my bedroom door I asked him, "How does mom feel?"

He shook his head, "It's going to take her a long time to even begin to accept this."

She shouldn't have to take time to accept her daughter.

I was relieved that I didn't have to find a way to pay for college myself. My relationship with my parents, even my dad, was still very tense- but I kept telling myself-

Only a few more months, and you're free.

I decided to not go to prom. At this point, now that my parents knew- I didn't really care if anyone at school knew I was gay. I would have gone with Max, but she didn't really seem like she wanted to.

And neither did I.

Max and I decided to plan our own "prom night".

We were going to go to a really nice restaurant in Philadelphia, and get dressed up for it. We also got a hotel room to stay overnight at.

And I flat out told my dad, when he asked me if I was going to prom- no. I was going to be spending time with Max in the city.

He didn't object.

I picked up Max from her house, and a smile spread across my face when I saw her in a really pretty black dress. She had straightened her hair and it was pulled back into a high ponytail. She had on dark makeup- that only she could pull off.

"You look beautiful." I said, and gave her a kiss when she got into my car.

"So do you." she said, "I love you in red."

I drove into the city- and was quite anxious to do so, I hadn't before- but Max calmed me down the entire time.

We had dinner at a very nice restaurant. And I realized- because most of our relationship was kept a secret, we hadn't ever gone out to a nice dinner like this. I was nervous for people to possibly see us as a couple, and say something rude. But I was happy to be able to be out with Max.

I felt free. Finally.

We walked from the restaurant to the hotel- and I held Max's hand the entire time. I was expected to get looks, or even shouted at, but Max assured me, "This is a pretty gay friendly area. We should be fine."

Max had chose the hotel we were staying at, and it was very modern and sleek.

I was feeling tired by the time we got to the room, and was about to start changing. But Max said, "Wait. I know this is going to be super cheesy. But this is our prom night. So...can we slow dance?"

I smiled at Max and walked over to her. "This is super cheesy. But I love it. Let's dance."'

Max had brought her phone, and a speaker connected to it- and she put on a song. Not too loud, but loud enough for us.

The song was "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5. A song we had both realized was a "guilty pleasure" song that we loved- and sang along to loudly in the car.

Max put her hand on my back and held me close as we danced.

"This is another one of those moments." she said, "That I am going to capture and keep in my memory forever."

I smiled at Max and said "I don't know what else to say besides I love you. And I want to keep having these moments with you forever."

The music kept playing as we swayed in the dim hotel room, lit up by the city lights in the night sky outside the window.

Nothing could have been more perfect than that.

Graduation came a few weeks later. And when my dad informed me that he had work, and my mom was simply just not coming.

That felt like a slap in the face.

But I was lucky to have my siblings- and Max.

Max had technically graduated back in December, and was still taking classes at the community college, so she wasn't walking at her school's ceremony.

She sat with Peyton, Savannah, and Drew at my graduation ceremony. Peyton and Drew were really excited to meet Max, and they greeted her with open arms.

After I graduated, which felt like the biggest weight off my shoulders, and the crowd dispersed in the gymnasium, where graduation was held, Max ran up to me.

"You did it!" she said, a huge grin on her face.

And without even hesitating- I kissed her. In front of everyone, and I didn't even care. I could feel eyes on us.

But my eyes were only on her.

I didn't have eyes for anyone else- just Max.

Little did I know what was to come.