I always thought I was pretty fashionable, having Angel, an ex-model as my stepmother, her sister, Shay, a fashion designer as my aunt, and Jared, Angel's gay best friend and ex-model as well, as my play uncle. I worked with them over the summers and they taught me a lot.

Shay was a tough nut to get to know, but once she realized my father and Angel was meant to be, she welcomed me into the family as well. She never looked down on me, she treated me like any aunt would. She would take me shopping, allow me to babysit my cousins, and always tell me what and what not to wear. She was a stickler for looking good and always making a good impression.

I liked Shay, she was my cool auntie.

She probably would look at Gay's choice of attire and turn her nose up, but I rather liked the bohemian style of clothes she wore. Her outfit seemed as if she shopped at Goodwill or a thrift store and found the best of the best.

Shorts with an American flag print on the front, a gray tee-shirt with some words on it, a tan shawl over her shoulders, and a baby blue "halo" thingy on top of her head. As always, her satchel was across her chest.

"So far, I am not liking this college thing," she said, tossing her bag off, dropping it on the sofa, and making herself comfortable on it. "It's just more of the system trying to ruin my life. Between my parents telling me what to do, teachers thinking they know everything, and my brother a fucking narc."

"Oh, I don't think he would narc on you."

"Dude! He tells my parents every fucking thing I do wrong."

I sat on the sofa, grabbing the remote control to the TV, to see if I could try and act normal. I did not know what to say about her struggles. I mean, college was hit or miss, I guess we had to make the most of it ourselves.

"I've met some great people so far," I said.

"Cool. You have better roommates than me. I'm sharing a small room with this total ditz. We don't get along, hence why I like hiding out here. Hey, do you mind if I smoke?"

"Ummmm...sure, it's fine."

I hoped Mr. Perfect or any other RA would not smell the smoke and write her up. I had no problems with weed, it was from the earth. Planted and grown for all who wanted to enjoy it.

I watched Gay fire up her blunt.

"Can I?"

Gay grinned at me. "As my brother says, don't let me peer pressure you."

I grabbed the blunt from her and took a toke, breathed it in, and relaxed. "I've smoked before. It's nothing. Everybody at my high school was getting high."

"No shit?"

I shrugged, taking another toke before I passed it to her, blowing out the smoke.

"My daddy would kill me if he knew. He used to be a drug dealer back in the day, but he's a goody-goody now."

"Wow little Rayvn, didn't know this about you." Gay took a long inhale and held it in for a while before she let it out. "What else about you?"

"I think my mom is nuts and she could care less about me. Didn't care if I made good grades in school or not. Could care less I'm in college. At least you have parents that care."

"My parents would kill me if I did not go to college."

"I think my father was neutral about it. He didn't care either way. He went to a trade school. It was my step mum that made me realize I wanted to go to college. Mizzou specifically."

"Aw, that's so sweet you're close with your stepmother."

"She's the best."

Gay passed the blunt back to me and I took a hit.

"My mom doesn't work, stay-at-home mom type of thing. Homeschooled me and my brother."

"Oh really?" That was interesting. They did not seem like home-schooled kids, whatever I thought that would be like in my head. Both were pretty social and spoke their minds. Maybe their mother taught them how to be strong leaders.

"It was cool, we still got to do most normal things, like go to parties, have friends over, get caught shoplifting, you know, all the crazy teen things."

She would get along with my two friends very well. They were booster queens.

"What does your father do?"

"Hell if I know. I think he does something for the government. Must be top secret because I don't know what it is. Some kind of diplomat to Morrocco, but not an Ambassador or anything."

"That's pretty cool. Maybe he's a spy," I say with a giggle. The marijuana was taking an effect on me so far. I was better than relaxed, I was Mellow Yellow.

"Now why would Morrocco need a spy?" She laughed at that. "And he's such a big-time nerd. The straight arrow in our family."

"And that's not your brother?"

"No way! Although, he gets it from him. My father is all about, doing things right, being perfect, no mess-ups. Sheesh!"

And that's why Mr. Perfect is perfect. I'm sure there was a flaw in him somewhere, but I was not ready to find out. Let him continue to be Mr. Perfect in my eyes.

"How do your parents feel about you being gay...I mean bi...or, whatever?"

"I knew ever since I was little and asked my mother if it was okay for me to have these feelings for girls. She said no matter what, I was her daughter, and that was that. She didn't want to talk about it with me, but she doesn't hate the idea. I've heard some parents are worse about it."

I nodded. I wonder what my parents would feel if I ever came out to them? I better wait till I knew for sure what I was coming out as.

"My father...was happy."

"Happy? Why?"

"For him, he thought that meant no accidental pregnancies...you know if I was only interested in girls." She sucked her teeth loudly. "I explained bi means, I like boys too. I have had sex with boys. That he doesn't want to hear about. Gay, be gay he says to me." She thought for a minute. "Hey, you think they named me Gay because he wanted me to end up gay somehow?"

I laughed, as I thought of this myself.

"What does your name mean, I mean, other than the obvious?"

"Lively? Happy? I don't know. It's French. My mother is half-French, half All-American Black. You heard my brother at the meeting, she's light, bright, damn near white. Stay-at-home mom and could totally pass, but she's all about her Blackness as well as her French heritage. Her parents still live in France, where she was born. Met my father there and moved to America with him. Lovely life I have."

I was glad I was getting to know more about her. She was the most interesting person I have ever known. Her parents, being home-schooled, and her laid-back personality. I was really drawn in by her. I was Team Gay all the way.

"Tell me Rayvn," she asked, looking me directly in the eyes. "Have you ever kissed a girl?"

A/N: Rayvn and Gay bonding. Interesting to see where things go.