"I grew up in North Carolina with super Christian parents," Tina said looking at Bette, "you would think that parents like that would be loving and accepting of other people, cultures, and religions."

"Sometimes they’re not," Bette said.

"My parents weren’t," Tina said, "they cared more about making my brother and I Christian than our happiness. They didn’t care if we were miserable and bitter as long as we were Christian. They wanted us to marry someone who was Christian and white. White being the operative word."

Bette glanced at Mikah then at her own skin tone, "looks like you’re a rebel."

"In a every sense of the word," Tina said chuckling, "so was my brother John. My brother loved black girls. You couldn’t pay him to sleep with a white woman."

"I know a lot of white guys like that," Bette said, "there black guys like that too, they would only sleep with white guys. Like my dad."

Tina chuckled softly, "well glad he did cause you’re gorgeous."

Bette smiled, "thanks."

"Anyways, because of John’s preference I met Tasha Williams," Tina said, "Julian’s sister. Tasha and I quickly became best friends and we still are. At school we hung out all the time and we didn’t mind keeping our friendship a secret from everyone. On John’s 18th birthday he ran off with a black girl he’d been dating. I haven’t seen him since."

"You haven’t seen your brother again?" Bette said.

Tina shook her head sadly, "he just disappeared. Well I was devastated at that time. He was the only person I could talk to and I needed him. I was struggling at that time with my sexuality. I felt such a strong attraction for women but I liked men too. I didn’t consider Bisexual as an option so it was pure confusion."

"So you’re bisexual?" Bette asked.

"Not anymore, now I’m fully gay," Tina said. "Because of John’s ‘betrayal’ my parents became crazy protective. They found out about my little girlfriend from school Danielle, and my friendship with Tasha. They were so pissed. When I refused to obey they simply kicked me out."

"They kicked you out!" Bette cried, "how old were you?"

"16," Tina said, "Danielle’s family moved away to save their daughter from becoming gay, which I think made her even more gay, and Tasha’s dad was a super military guy who was really strict. At this point Julian and I had only met once but he liked me already. So he teamed up with Tasha to convince their dad to let me live with them."