Story Ideas

Teach Me How To Smile Again (GxG)

Shaniya, is disowned by her father and abused by her peers, while struggling to accept her sexuality. Upon trying to end her life, she is stopped by a stranger, who intrudes herself as Jordyn and offers her a place to stay. Living with the slightly older female, Shaniya must come to terms with her own feelings, but what will happen when her past comes back to hunt her.

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Chapter One- Saviour

Well, it seems my time is up. By the time you find this letter, I'll be most likely to be gone. Forget that, I'll be dead. Don't be sad, I'll be in a better place... hopefully, maybe. Does my kind, even get accepted into heaven? But I guess I'll find out. If you want to remember me, please live. Do the thing I didn't have the strange to do...

The pen moved across the paper as she wrote her final letter. She sighed, blinking at the words she written, but continued. Like anyone would notice she was missing, words coming out easier as she continued. No one would mind if she died, right? After all her dad disowned her, yelling at her before kicking her out of the house. She dropped out of college, sick and tired at the abuse she was given at the kinds of her classmates. None of them cared for her, she was different and they didn't like different. She was homeless and running out of money for even the most basic things. She blinked as she wiped away her tears and continued.

Myra and Amari. I'm sorry. So very sorry. I love the two of you. Make sure you live and be happy with your lives. I'll be waiting on the other side to hear about it. I know we'll make again someday, but for now, just live and be strong without me.

Shaniya leaned against the tree behind her. She had to finish this letter, to say good bye to her family. To give both herself and them closure, even when she was sure they didn't care anymore, but she wanted to. Why? She had no idea, it was easier to say goodbye on a piece of paper or through texts or emails, but harder face to face. She didn't need to rethink her plan, no one wanted her here, so she was going to remove herself, disappearing with only this letter as proof that she was once about of their story, the main story, before she fall out of it.

Dad, I'm sorry. I can't change who I am or who I like. Still, I wish I had been a better daughter. Maybe things would've been better between us. If only I turned out the way you wanted me to. Guess it's too late for that. I'm gone, at least you won't have to put up with a failure. I'm sorry.

Guess, I'm shedding tears over this? Don't be sad, I'm sure I'll always be in your hearts, cheering you on from the other side. After all this time, I guess I wasn't never strong. This is my final goodbye, I'm sorry for being weak. Thanks for being there and for the memories, even the bad ones.

Shaniya Juliet.

Shaniya blinked as tears fall on the paper. Keep calm, she thought while folding it and putting it in her bag pack. Everything was paid for, the college course she dropped out of. She looked at the spot she chose to end it. The Park. She had so many good memories here, the perfect spot to end it. Looking at the stars, she wondered if her soul would become one of them or if she would just be tied to this spot.

It was the perfect setting to end her struggles. Pulling the hand pestle out, she felt the heavy weight in her hands, before pointing it at her head. She closed her eyes and slowly started to count from back from twenty, pulling the trigger when she reached zero. She felt herself being pushed to the ground, a soft noise escaping her lips. She could feel everything, but she was still confused. The gun was fully loaded and was only a year old. So why was she still here? Shaniya moved her hand slowly, but both of them were empty. How? She turned her head to the left, looking at the shiny metal on the ground. It was jammed, jammed from being knocked out of her hands and from the impact of hitting the ground.

The dark skinned girl finally became aware of the weight on her back. She looked away from the gun on the ground, slowly looking up. Onyx meet light brown and she was caught in a gaze of a person she could name, almost familiar. She whined when the other took her wrists into her hand. Well, a stranger just came up and stopped her from killing herself and then kept her arms behind her back. It wasn't exactly normal, but who was she to judge, she in the middle of the park and seconds away from shotting herself.

"I'm Jordyn, Erick Arrowsmith's sister."

Shaniya just looked at her. She thought she saw something similar. She knew Erick, he lived right across from her, before she left. However, Erick was... just Erick, she didn't know how to describe the young man who mostly left her alone.

"What were you thinking?" her voice was low and was filled with concern. It brought Shaniya out of her thoughts about the women's brother, she blinked before looking away. Jordyn sighed before speaking again. "Please talk to me."

Jordyn's eyes softened as she got off the younger girls back, pulling the other up and leaning her against the tree. "Why were you... why did you try to doing... why did you want to do that?"

Shaniya just lowered her eyes to look at her lap, pulling her knees up wrapping her arms around them. Tears were falling down her checks, to her embarrassment and displeasure. Why did someone have to be here? She thought, it's only making it worse! "I couldn't take it anymore..." she whispered "I just can't... I really can't take it."

"Shani-"

"No, Jordyn... no one would care if I just disappeared..." she stopped since the older female put her hand over her mouth, giving the other a startled look, she knocked the hand away and continued. "Why would they care? All I am is a punching bag or a giant failure."

"Shaniya listen to me," Jordyn said. Her voice soft, but firm as she took the other's small hands. "Whatever happens, there's always going too been someone who cares. You might not see it, but I promise they're there, all you have to do is talk to someone."

"Why... why would they?" Shaniya didn't believe her. Jordyn just sighed as she stood up, kicking the gun out of the others reach and picking up her bag pack.

"Come with me," she said as she helped the darker skinned girl to her feet. Shaniya just nodded as she looked at the gun, while letting the other lead her to the parking lot. Towards a well-loved red Toyota Prius. The brunette just opened the passenger side, and when she was bulked in. Jordyn went to the drivers side smiling at the other before driving in the direction to her house.

"Erick told me you dropped out a week ago," Jordyn mentioned as she kept her eyes on the road. "He told me that you were having a hard time and that nobody had heard a thing from you since you left..."

Shaniya just looked out the window, not saying anything. Nothing else was said until Jordyn pulled into a garage, opening the door and walking to the passenger side. "Come on, do you want anything? Beer? Tea? Coffee?"

"No thanks," Shaniya whispered while following the older female to the living room. Not looking at her face and avoiding her gaze. "I'm not thirsty."

"Make yourself at home," Jordyn told her. Getting herself a drink of water, sitting across from the younger female, carefully looking into her eyes. "I want to know why." Shaniya eyes just widened and she looked at her feet. "I want to help you, Shaniya, I really do. However, I can't do much of you don't tell me what's wrong," when she didn't get a response from the other, she continued. "Please. Shaniya, just talk to me."

"I... I was kicked out of home, disowned and dropped out of college," Shaniya whispered looking at the floor. "I've got nowhere to go and my life isn't going to lead anywhere."

Jordyn eye's widened, she was a little shocked. Erick always told her that Shaniya was a hard worker, if a little quiet and shy. These weren't reason to be kicked out and disowned. "Why would he do that?"

"He found out I... that I didn't... like boys."

Jordyn softly growled. Why did parents think they failed if their child was gay? The reason these parents fail, is because they didn't support their child, instead disowning them or trying to 'fix' them. Even through there was nothing wrong with liking the same s*x or even liking both. Pulling the other into a hug, she felt the young girl tense up, like she was expecting to be hit. "It's okay. I promise, it's okay."

"Jordyn?" Shaniya asked. She didn't understand what was going on, when she told her friend, Emily just looked at her and told her she was going to hell. "What a-"

"If you have nowhere to go, then stay here," Jordyn said cutting her off. "I can hire you, since I run a private business, of course I'll have to train you of course and you might have to do a an online course, but your life isn't going to go nowhere."

"You mean it... even if I'm..."

"Shaniya, Shaniya. I don't care about your sexuality. You could be attracted to pots and pans and I'll still see you as a person," Jordyn told her while pulling the other onto her help. "I'll still want to help you."

"Thank you, Jordyn."