I banged my forehead on the table for what was probably the millionth time that day and cried. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYUPCv4HKf
I had nothing. Absolutely nothing. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04VRHksNfl
Nothing that would meet my boss' expectations. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIaKv8K7HW
It seemed as if there was nothing I could do to save my job now. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7VnWyS1fD
After our confessions yesterday, Antonio and I had exchanged numbers. It had turned out to be a very bad idea - for me, at least. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡggHc7pwAcM
Every two seconds I got a text from him, as he complained about his daily life.copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUu6EZfo6X
But at least he wasn't going to lose his entire job altogether. Unlike me. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡlA4gX0OQ13
Staring at the blank Word document, I exhaled. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡuijcurB01O
Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I almost fell off my chair, hitting the side of my head hard on the edge of the table. I cursed aloud, grabbing the vibrating phone off the table and hauling myself up. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXIh3mhjLn
I struck a glance at the screen:copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6YkmVlbMm
Matilda copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhFyt905a1
Matilda? I thought. The girl from school? I still have her number...?copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXYBf2XwlJ
I picked it up. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCPSXcNinA
"Hello?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCRkblubqF
That was definitely Matilda. Her voice was almost exactly the same. We'd been in secondary school together, and we used to be close friends. Until...copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjDbVSdToz
"Darren? You there?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡCibrb9EZr2
"Oh-h-h, yeah..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7ErrQMW2c
"Hi..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfwfrs7Elw
"I haven't seen you for... Ages."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXPqp0z3Z1
She giggled. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5z8K0zBMwE
"I wanted to catch up with you. I found your number in my phone and decided... Why not?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8TwnlYv0k
"Why not?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ehSEHTeLT
"So, uh..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQsnBsXdfu
She paused, as if she had nothing else to say. I was the one to eventually break the silence. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfCLL06Kw6
"I miss our school days."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ylmr04keP
"Yes. The good old days, as it were. Before we became adults..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡduGFRh8Pvo
"I have a lot of regrets. But they were good times."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmDW7pWeat
"Good..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡlf1GBtGGNU
I could feel the hesitancy in her voice, as if she there was something on her mind. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0pbGgtP6Y
"This isn't about the whole... Crush on me thing, is it?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqlRmtgjHr
"Oh! I..." Matilda replied quickly, and then stopped. "Can I tell you something?" she whispered. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3GOJihpY4
"Of course. You can tell me anything you want!"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡkt5JFL08A7
"Hmm."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OxtFTWWcE
Another pause, this time as if she was composing her answer carefully. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYH3Nql4Qk
"I never did have a crush on you."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bNeUtZVCA
"Then... How come you never denied it? Every time it was brought up, you'd turn away as if you were trying to... Hide something."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Jozc4t90G
"I was trying to hide something."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnFursVNwL
"You... were?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FXVTRoSN0
"And it wasn't my feelings for you. I'm sorry."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQKSqWWT6W
"Oh... That's... Completely fine!"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTkeoLGjyd
I tried to imagine her face now. Little Matilda, all grown up. Her smile... She may not have been my childhood crush, but all the same, she was attractive. And her smile was the best of all. She had always been the shyest of all of us, but on that rare occasion where she did smile, we all smiled with her. Matilda always seemed so depressed, she rarely ever did smile. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FS2BLUZEI
I could hear rustling from the other side of the line. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08yK0YHWSN
"Matilda... You okay?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsHdG5Ynpx
"... "copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvdtyOetOT
"Matilda?" copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO1Kz1JgYC
"Aren't you going to ask me... Why?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4S4M5LS48h
"Why what?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJNOdmDrPr
"Why I was trying to hide something. What was I trying to hide. That," she said. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1fmMOow5n
"Oh... I suppose... I'm a bit curious... But it's really none of my business, so if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8afcWkYOp6
"I want to tell someone. I think maybe... If I tell the right person, I might start to feel... Better about it."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60QUP3gsv6
"Okay, then. If you want to tell me, fire away."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR89eUYCr3
"Please... Keep it secret?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zefMaAKZZ
"Of course."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡR50I0PMgii
"Okay... Here goes..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡnb9vlnqj0R
She took a breath. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0rBfdMQYM
"My friends made up the rumour about our crush. It was just with random boy - don't take it too personally. But they did it for me, to hide the truth..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPSQySFk9Y
Pause. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwaM1v9sPa
"The truth, which is...?" I asked quietly. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcaLOqZAgX
"I don't think I'll ever get in a relationship with a man. I don't think... No... No, not for me. Never. I... Never really feel that connection, you know, when you feel like you're in love... I don't think I'll ever feel that with a man."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6NfWm7CGg
"How can you be so sure?" I asked, a little pointlessly, already knowing the answer. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjML5Ogfg5
"I'm... Uh..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAizm60mHh
Her voice was so quiet now, it was barely audible. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4n7jkurWb
"Lesbian."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxuuiAjzPz
"Yes."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfaXPx4PTL
"Hey, guess what?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dQulaOPBL
"...what?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jjvNC66bW
I inhaled and tried to sound cheerful. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQbRN0oSQi
"So am I! Well, not lesbian, but..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXvtsREhHf
She sounded like she was going to burst into tears. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HymdmYjt9
"Darren! I know you're trying to make me feel better, but... Don't you feel guilty? It took me a lot of courage to tell you this, and now you... You... Make fun of me!"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡf90r1OrqGi
She sounded very indignant. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjgeNI5sZM
"What... Whatever are you talking about?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2ugoICm15
"Huh? What? You mean... You were serious?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhfwIgkaG1
"Deadly serious. I'm gay."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡtplJD8rJBr
"Serious serious?"copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡvit0zRIbeJ
"Serious serious."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡhK1whJNBUu
"So..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnTY6w7yfI
"You're not alone in life. You see? There are so many other people out there too," I exclaimed. "There's no need to feel embarrassed! Well..." copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL0tLzkuLy
I stopped abruptly. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3jfAAZncT
"There are, of course, the haters out there..."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPhLNnhUWx
"Outside of school, I had friends too. But when I told them... Some of them reacted badly. Called me inhuman. Unnatural. Alien. And much, much worse... And I went to bed crying every night." She was whispering again. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWjDp5dJzY
"I know, but..." I reassured her, gently. "But the main thing is, you're not alone. There are others out there too. And there are also the supporters. The people who don't hate us. Of course, there will always be someone who doesn't like us but we will face the haters together, okay? You and me, and other LGBT friends we can find, we will stand together."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡiN2B2Cc20o
"United."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRdcD0AUUx
"United." copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxtLaSRnCq
Pause. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVdowg0Ji0
Then...copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eSlrvl1qg
"Thank you so much... Darren."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTN2FYUwlx
I smiled. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHsa5Zr6IK
"Thank you too."copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PYZbpvwrV
I put the phone down and couldn't help but grin.copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0PB2uzX0V
My conversation with Matilda had just given me the inspiration I had needed for my article. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXDW8IVzPD
In a nutshell? copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWtiVEIqb9
Matilda had just saved my job. copyright protection256ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZabBcFb9G
ns3.234.208.66da2
