THE NIGHT BEFORE, as Melissa and Keira Walters were sitting down to eat dinner, Melissa casually brought up a topic that was concerning her daughter. As Keira set the butter in the middle of the table, Melissa cleared her throat.

Keira looked up, her eyebrows raised at her mother. She wasn't really sure if Melissa was trying to get her attention or just plainly clearing her throat, but that confusion was quickly cleared as her mother spoke.

"Keira, honey," Melissa started, to which Keira froze. She hoped that her mother wouldn't go in the direction of the rumors flying around town about the Walters' daughter, but that's where the conversation instantly went. "I want to talk to you about some rumors that people are spreading about you. Do you know of these rumors?"

Keira slowly nodded. Of course she knew about the rumors - it was a small town, gossip spread like wildfire, and the rumors were about her. How could she not know?

Before Melissa continued, she thought. The rumors concerning her daughter were hard to believe - it was the topic of her sexuality floating on the lips of the townsfolk.

It was just yesterday that she was at the pharmacy, picking a few items up that she didn't want to travel to the store for. It was a rather quick visit - a quick run and done. She was standing in line, her small shopping bin hanging from where her elbow was bent when she overheard a conversation in front of her.

"Oh, that reminds me," A woman's voice started, and as Melissa looked at her face, she could see that it was Deputy Howard's wife. She continued as the woman beside her - Joann Hoffman - turned her attention to Kelsie Howard. "The Walters daughter? You know her? Uh..."

As she trailed off, Joann cut in, "Keira? What about her?"

Melissa pretended to check once again to see if she had everything in her shopping bin, hoping that the pair in front of her wouldn't see that she was eavesdropping.

"Oh my, I don't even know where to start," Kelsie went on to explain, exaggerating her point, "Apparently, someone at BCA started a rumor that she's bisexual."

Joann gasped, as Melissa held in her own. bisexual? Not her daughter, not Keira. The news was shocking, hard to believe, but it was just a rumor, right?

Kelsie didn't stop there, "Right?! That's not even the craziest part of the story - do you want to know what else I've heard?"

Joann looked baffled, and honestly, Melissa was too.

"What else did you hear?" Joann asked, sounding utterly shocked.

"I heard that it's true," Kelsie told Joann, causing Melissa's heart to skip a beat, "I heard that the rumors are true, that Keira is actually bisexual."

"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed in a hushed voice, "That's insane!"

Those were half of Melissa's exact thoughts, but the other half consisted of utter confusion and denial. bisexual? Her daughter? It couldn't be happening, not to her family. She knew how people would react to the Walters' name if this was actually true, and it couldn't be, it just couldn't.

A voice suddenly broke Melissa out of her thoughts, "Mom?"

Melissa looked up, her mouth in a thin line as her eyes landed on Keira, "Oh, I'm sorry, Keira. I'm just lost in my thoughts. Where was I?"

Keira's brows furrowed in confusion at her mother's response. She knew that the situation that was about to arise was serious, but not quite that serious.

After a moment, Keira responded to her mother's question, "You were about to ask me about the rumors concerning me."

Melissa nodded, sighing, "Ah, yes, I was there," She paused, making direct eye contact with Keira. An instant tension formed between the two as Keira felt like squirming under her mother's piercing gaze. After a moment of thick silence, Melissa continued, "I heard yesterday from someone that you were bisexual. Is this true?"

Her voice sounded pained, and Keira hated it. The word 'bisexual' sounded as though it hurt her to say it, and Keira felt a stinging in her eyes as she closed her fists. She didn't wanted to tell her mother the truth because she would hate it, but with the rumors flying around, did she really have a choice?

Keira took a deep breath, trying to dismiss the feeling of crying. She wasn't going to give her mother the satisfaction of knowing she was guilty or hurting - she had to act defiant.

"Yes, mother," Keira began after a moment, shaking, "That is true."

Melissa closed her eyes as the words hit her. A heavy feeling settled in her chest as she realized what would happen now that the rumors were confirmed by the source, and to say that she was quite furious was an understatement.

She knew she was overreacting, but she couldn't believe that this was happening to her family. Everything she worked for was falling apart from beneath her, everything she had was slipping through her fingers. Her daughter could not be bisexual.

"No," She whispered, then grew louder, "No, not in my house."

"No?" Keira questioned meekly, her voice breaking at the way her mother reacted.

It was worse than she ever though it would be.

"No," Melissa repeated, stronger this time, and the word hit Keira's heart like a knife, "I can't have a daughter like... that!"

"Like what?" Keira squeaked, tears streaming down her face, "I'm not different than anyone else. I'm the same Keira, mom!"

Melissa bowed her head, "Do you see what this has gone to your mind Keira?" She spat, shaking her head, "This is ridiculous. You've been brainwashed."

Keira was at a loss of words as a silence overtook the house.

Seconds later, Melissa spoke the words that she would regret for the rest of her life, "Get out."

"Excuse me?" Keira managed to utter. She couldn't have heard her mother right.

"I said 'get out'," Melissa repeated, "Leave me alone, just do something - I need to think about this."

In her fury, Keira stood her ground and made a point to show her mother how much she was hurting.

"Alright," Keria nodded, her voice emotionless, "I'll leave."

And with that, she walked towards the door, opened it, and ran before her mother could stop or catch her. Melissa didn't try to stop her - she just left the door open, letting the cold air seep into her her home. She was left alone, just how she wished - forever.