A first kiss is supposed to be an amazing memory that you cherish for the rest of your life but mine was one that I wish I could forget but sadly it's forever ingrained into the internet accompanied by the hurtful words of who I thought were my friends.

The picture was spreading around the school like wildfire and I was caught in the middle. The moment it was portraying was innocent but the reaction was hurtful.

It was taken in a moment when my heart was racing and my palms were sweating, it was taken when I confessed my love to my childhood crush. She didn't respond with words but instead with a kiss filled with a promise of love. The moment was perfect for us but blackmail information for another.

The next day I found the picture while scrolling through Instagram, tears flowing down my cheeks as my friends comments were laced with disgust and hatred all directed towards me.

My normally quiet phone buzzed to life every five seconds to give me a hate filled message.

How can a kiss be so bad?

It's because of the people kissing. Two girls kissing was what the picture showed but what it depicted was abnormality.

I thought it was bad online but it was way worse in real life.

I sat in the front in my favourite class, science, but all I could hear were the hushed words over hatred and feel their gazes of disgust all directed towards me for being in love. I couldn't take it and just sat in the back staring outside the window watching birds fly away wishing I could fly with them.

Then lunch came and I saw her. My misery washed away as I saw her beautiful smile realizing that being with her was worth this suffering. "Stephanie!" I call out to her.

She looks at me and scoffs. "Go away, you psycho!"

My heart pangs at her hateful words and I stop in my tracks. "What? Steph, you said you love me."

"No! Your deluded lesbian mind did! You forced yourself onto me! I hate you!" She storms off but turns back never looking back.

I feel my world crumble around me as I drop to my knees.

I have nothing left.

No friends. No girlfriend. No meaning to live.

"That wasn't very nice." A familiar voice reaches me in my darkest moment.

I look up and see my best friend Paige looking down at me. I look away knowing that she doesn't support people like me, she hates people like me. "Why are you even talking to me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend."

"Who's a lesbian."

"So? You're still my friend and that will never change." I look up at her shocked at someone actually accepting me.

I smile as happy tears roll down my cheeks. "Thank you."

This incident may have highlighted the hatred in the world but it also showed me who my real friends are.