It’s amazing how, in a time of need, anybody can come together. Different sides of the card, the coin, whatever. Enemies can help each other, family can turn against family, friends can destroy friends. But even in Wonderland, loved ones will always come through for each other in times of need. Many people think that, in a world where everything is backwards and twisted, we only care about ourselves. They don’t understand/ We’re still human, and we have human feelings.

“Jessica!” My father’s booming voice made me jump, my arm jerking and making a long pink streak across the page of my diary. “Jessica get down here!”

I was in trouble for something, I knew it. Dad never yelled at me. Quickly putting my diary back in its hiding spot, I ran downstairs. Frosting, my fluffy white cat, followed me. Dad couldn’t be mad over how much I spent at the mall last week; it was all my money I spent. What had I done?

He was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, his arms crossed and a very not-happy look on his face. I slowed down and stood on the third stair, watching him carefully. Dad pointed at the floor and I sat where I was. In his hand I saw a photo, and then it hit me. He found out.

My dad hated any and all homosexuals and bisexuals. He didn’t know that I was lesbian, and for that I was grateful. Mom knew, and she was cool with it. But now that dad knew…I was as good as homeless. He would disown me and kick me out of the house. Probably destroy every shred of evidence that I had ever lived in this house.

“Jessica Ashleigh Marie Weston…” Uh-oh. That was my whole name, two middles and all. “Where did I go wrong raising you? I taught you well, bought you anything you asked for, gave you everything, and then you go and do something like this.”

“Daddy, I’m sorry…” I twisted some of my hair around my fingers like I did when I was little.

He held up a hand, the empty one. “I don’t want to hear it, Jessica. How could you?”

I stared at my feet, noticing the purple polish on my toes was fading. What was I suppose to say? What could I say to keep my place in this house?

“Look at this. That girl…Marlene?”

“Minerva, daddy.”

“Minerva, right. She came by my office today and left this with Xianie.” Right…the secretary you’re having an affair with, daddy-dearest. “Know what it is?”

All I could do was shake my head, even though I was pretty sure what the photo was of. He handed it to me and I held it in my shaking hands as my heart sped up.

It had been taken on Friday. I knew that because I was wearing my new Hello Kitty hoodie. Whoever had took the photo had caught Ayumi and I wrapped up in each other, making out in the locker room. Ayumi had gotten the zipper of my shirt down a bit, and we were both a little pink in the face. I knew that I was gone now.

“I want you out of my house for good.”

His voice caught me off guard, and the tone scared me. It was so cold. Tears came to my eyes as I stood up.

“Daddy you can’t do that! I’m still underage! Where will I live?!” I started to panic, my body shaking. “You can’t just kick your only daughter out like this!”

He turned his gaze towards me and I trembled. Hurt, disappointment, and disgust. That’s what I saw in his eyes. What he said next hurt me the most.

“I have no daughter.”

Shocked, I turned and ran back to my room, dashing past my mom. She called after me, but I locked myself soundly back in my safe-haven, of sorts. Frosting jumped on my bed and meowed at me.

Grabbing my HK hoodie, I pulled it on over my flimsy pink tank top. The only shoes I could find were my sparkly flip-flops, but they’d have to do. I pulled my blonde hair back in a ponytail to keep it out of my face and started to go back down to leave when I heard the yelling.

It was momma and daddy, no doubt arguing over me. From where I was I could hear momma defending me, trying to get daddy to let me stay, and daddy growling his denial of her request.

“Ian she’s still a minor! You can’t turn her out on the streets!” Momma’s voice was panicky. “She’ll be eighteen in two months, and you’ll be away on business most of the time. Let her stay. She needs somewhere to live. If I can find her an apar-”

“No Mary Anna!” I cringed at the shout. “She is NOT living in my house! Let her go live with her…whatever you call her.”

“Her girlfriend, Ian. Get over it!” Momma sounded angry now. “Your daughter is gay! You can’t change her!”

That’s when I heard her scream and a plate shattered. I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran downstairs, Frosting following me, and bolted outside. With twisted satisfaction, I slammed the door behind me.

It was pouring outside the safety of our porch, and for a moment I contemplated sneaking back in. Instead I headed off into the dark, pulling my hood down over my face. In no time I was soaked through, and it took me a while to realize I was crying. No wonder. I didn’t even know where I was going. My feet were just taking me somewhere. Wherever it was, it had to be better than being at home.

Now I had no home, no family to take me in, nothing. I didn’t even have my cell phone or debit card with me. I wondered if momma would send me some of my stuff once I had a place to stay. And what about my brothers? What would they think? They’d be so disappointed, but hopefully still accept me anyway.

I stopped and looked up at where I was. A small smile crossed my face. My feet had taken me to Ayumi’s apartment building. I wondered if I’d even be allowed in by the receptionist with the way I looked like a drowned poodle. But I had to try.

The doors opened for me, and I stood in the entry way shivering and dripping all over the carpet. The receptionist eyed me as I approached her.

“Can I help you?”

I blinked, trying to remember what I was doing here. “Um…Ayumi Toorusaki…what apartment number?” She had told me before, but in my current state, I couldn’t remember.

She sighed. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you that information.”

“Oh please!” I slammed my hands on the counter, water flicking on her face. “I’m her girlfriend! At least tell me what floor she’s on!”

“I can’t!” She sounded exasperated. “If I could, I would.

Sighing, I bent over and put my head on my hands. A sob escaped my lips. It wasn’t fair…I get kicked out of my house, I have no cell phone, and I couldn’t even get to Ayumi. Everything was going wrong.

The phone rang on the desk, jolting me out of my thoughts. Giving me a look, the receptionist answered.

“Front desk. Oh hello Miss Toorusaki.” I perked up, listening in. “No, no mail, sorry. Bu…there’s a young lady here claiming to be your, er, girlfriend.” She glanced at me. “Her name? Uhm…”

“Jessica Weston,” I spat out. If Ayumi gave this psycho lady the okay to send me up, then at least I’d have somewhere I could sleep tonight.

The lady repeated it to her and paused, listening to what my lovie was saying. She sighed, defeated. “Yes miss, I’ll send her up.” Replacing the phone on the hook, she wrote down the number on a carn and handed it to me. “Go on, she said you’re welcome in.”

I snorted, still shivering, and proceeded to the elevator. “Told you.” Pushing the button with a little more force than necessary, I watched as the doors slid closed and the lift began to rise to the fourteenth floor.

Ayumi would always allow me in. thank God. At least I knew I had somewhere to stay for now, maybe a few days, tops. My mind raced as I thought of what I would tell her. Should I tell her that I got kicked out, disowned, and I ran away?

Before I could think of anything, the elevator stopped and opened. I stepped into the corridor, looking at the card the lady had given me and shivered more. The numbers on the doors were close to Ayumi’s, so I kept watch as I walked. An older lady gave me an odd look as she passed by with her little poodle-looking dog. The dog tried to sniff at my wet jeans but its owner tugged it along. I rolled my eyes and kept going for a few more doors until I found Ayumi’s.

It was locked, of course. I forgot that even the doors were unlocked on the outside, they were still locked on the outside. I knocked and waited, pulling my still-dripping jacket tighter around me. After five minutes of waiting, I knocked again, harder. There was still no answer. Starting to cry again, I pounded against the door.

I heard a door open nearby and stopped, afraid of being yelled at. Instead, a gently hand touched my shoulder.

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter? I’ve heard you out here for almost half an hou. And you’re soacking wet. Come inside, I’ll get you dry.”

Turning around, I saw an old lady smiling at me. I sniffled and followed her into her apartment. “Actually…I-if I could just use your ph-phone…” My teeth were chattering so bad, if was no wonder I stammered.

She nodded and took it off the wall hook for me. I didn’t venture far from her door, not wanting to drip on her carpet, as I dialed Ayumi’s number. The lady started puttering around her kitchen.”

The phone rang four times before Ayumi answered.

“Hello?”

A whimper escaped before I started speaking. “A-Ayumi…will you please open the door?”

“Jessica?”

“Yeah…”

She hung up, and I hurriedly put the phone back on the cradle.

“Thank you so much, ma’am!” I turned to leave. The lady grabbed my wrist and gave me a warm cup of something.

Smiling, she ushered me out the door. “It’s cocoa, now go.”

Back across the hall, Ayumi was leaning against her door frame, cigarette in her hand. I paused and looked up at her.

“…” She put the smoking stick in the ash tray before opening her ams for me. Breaking into sobs, I went to her. Ayumi hugged me close, even though I was wet, and let me cry. Gently she brought me inside and took the cup from me. “Jessica, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“My dad kicked me out!” He found out about us and made me get out and I have to find somewhere to live!”

Ayumi held me at arm’s length and looked into my eyes. “You’ll live here, with me and Edward. And we’ll be our own family.”

I looked up at her, blinking back more tears. “Promise?”

Instead of answering me with words, she leaned down and kissed me. I pressed against her, rapping my arms around her neck and kissing back. Her hands slid up my back as she lightly nibbled on my bottom lip.

We slowly made it to her bedroom, shedding clothes, and somewhere along the way my ponytail came down.

Laying on Ayumi’s bed, the black silk sheets cold against my skin, I felt something within me give away, and I smiled slightly as she straddled my waist carefully.

“Do you want this, Jessica?” Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes were soft and full of love, but I could see lust glazing them over. “We can stop, if you want.

I responded by kissing her softly. This was our time.

And from that point on, my life was changed forever.

Later that night, as I was spooned up against Ayumi, I thought back to how my dad had reacted.

Even if you grow up with somebody, and you think you can trust them, they can still misunderstand something and turn their back on you. It’s sort of scary, because they could do so faster than anything. But really, it shows who you can rely on and who you can’t. And even though some people turn away, you also learn more people care about you, even strangers.

Wonderland is full of good and bad, just like the real world. Trust is still something you have to earn, and you can lose it in the blink of an eye. But you can’t trust everybody. Even the strongest person can be taken advantage of. That’s why everyone has to be careful, even around those they love.