I have always been the popular girl, the girl with all of the friends. I was the one that thought that everyone liked me, even though a lot of people admitted to hating me. Everyone thought my life was perfect, but I had a secret, that I felt like I couldn't tell anyone. I look back now and I blame my parents.

"Sasha! We’re back from church." My mother was yelling up the stairs. I rolled my eyes and went back to texting Lisa. My parents have always been strong Catholics. They used to take me to church and almost disowned me when I said I didn't want to follow their religion anymore. It was too unrealistic. So much of it has no evidence. I couldn't believe in it.

I walked to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of Pepsi. I paused outside the living room door and heard my parents whispering.

"Ugh it's disgusting. I bet it was how he was raised. Our little Sasha will never turn out to be gay. She is much more sensible. We taught her to make the right decisions in life." I hated how they talked like that. Their way always had to be right otherwise it’s a sin. I wondered who has offended them this time.

The next day I was sat in the town with Lisa. I slurped my soda and watched Lisa as she argued with the spotty guy behind the counter. She always seemed to get into an argument in cafes, something about them overcharging her all the time.

"So why did you said no to Liam? I think that you would make a good couple." She flopped herself down on the chair opposite me and sipped her milkshake.

"I'm just not that attracted to him. He’s not my type." I examined my nails and saw that some of my nail varnished had chipped. I sighed and went back to pushing crumbs around the table.

"What? He's totally fit. I worry about you sometimes. You haven't had a boyfriend ever, when you can get anyone you want. Jeez, it’s almost like you don’t like any boys at all.” She giggled slightly and I froze. The answer suddenly hit me and I gasped.

"Oh sh*t. My parents are going to kill me." I leaned my head in my hands. All those times that I’d looked at the other girls in the changing rooms and though other people were doing that too. All those times that I turned boys down because they weren't what I was looking for. It was all leading to this. "I thing I'm gay."

She started to laugh. I sat there frowning at her until she was finished. I was completely serious and it didn't feel good to have her laugh like this. Her laugh soon died out and her face dropped.

"Wait. You're not serious? You? Gay? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." A grin grew over her face again. I felt humiliated. "Oh god, you are serious... I've got to go."

I watched as she got up and nearly ran to her car. I didn't understand. Why did she react like that? She just suddenly changed, like I was contagious or something.

It was within a couple of days that Lisa had started to tell everyone. I had been treated like a freak. I've only just realized how badly I've been treating over people and it's too late to apologize. Everyone either hates me or is scared that I fancy them.

My mother walked in and saw me crying. She looked a bit shocked and then passed me a tissue and hugged me close.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" I could hear her concern in her voice and knew that she was silently praying to god.

"I... I'm gay." I blurted it out. I felt her stiffen and she slowly moved away from me. I looked up at her face and she was staring at me in horror.

"No. You are not. You can't be. After all we taught you. I accepted that you didn't want to follow the teachings of God but to completely betray your parents by choosing to be a lesbian. That is too far.” Then she left without saying another word.

I hadn't expected anything less from my parents. They didn't even talk to me anymore. Everyone at school avoided me. I felt like a freak, an outsider. I felt… unaccepted.