GABRIELLA "GABBY" SMITH.

DOSSIER.

BIOGRAPHY.

trigger warnings: Homophobia, to be added if requested .

☆  Gabby was born on February 20th. Her parents, Jane and Charles Smith, already had another daughter named Ashley who they absolutely doted on. All three members of the family were overjoyed to have a new member. Gabby was named Gabriella because it was a beautiful name that both of her parents liked. To two year old Ashley, Gabriella sounded like a princess’s name. And for a long time Ashley would call her sister princess. (She still does sometimes.)
Gabby’s parents doted on her as well. Gabby was a bit more difficult as a baby than her sister had been, but they didn’t mind. And Ashley was more than happy to help take care of her sister. When their parents both had to go to work, they would spend time with their nanny, Rosa. She doted on the girls as well.
As Gabby got older, however, she became different from her sister. She would ask more questions, give more uncensored and unpopular opinions. Opinions that no one wanted to listen to, especially from a young child. She was also bluntly honest. Her parents and teachers did not seem to like that much so she would only tell her deepest thoughts to her sister Ashley, who was the only person who never judged her for what she said. Gabby and her sister were inseparable.
Then the two sisters went to high school. In the beginning, they were as close as ever but eventually Gabby became more distant from Ashley, more and more so as time went on. Gabby didn’t know what else to do. She had gone to a party and kissed a female friend on a dare. And she had liked it. How could she tell her sister that? Sure, her sister would listen to her opinions and not judge her. But her sister was the most popular girl in school. She had the perfect boyfriend, the perfect friends, the perfect life. And she was her parent’s daughter more than Gabby ever had been.
Though Gabby had never heard her parents say anything outright homophobic, they always seemed to change the topic when gay people came up. So Gabby assumed that they were homophobic and were just being polite. And that the same might easily be true of her sister. Ashley’s friends definitely were homophobic. Gabby had heard things about them bullying anyone who they so much suspected of being gay. And if she knew about that she was sure Ashley did too. (Ashley didn’t.) Furthermore, Gabby became more rebellious. She would regularly sneak out after curfew, leaving Ashley to reluctantly cover for her. This continued once Gabby went to college.
One day, when Gabby snuck out, Ashley followed her. Gabby was angry and tried to get her sister to leave but Ashley proved that she could be just as stubborn as Gabby. And that led to Ashley finding out her sister’s secret. Gabby had been struggling with her sexuality since freshman year of high school, when she had kissed a female friend at a party on a dare…and liked it. Gabby had known for a while that she was gay but had felt that her parents and sister wouldn’t accept her for who she was. Gabby felt it would ruin her parent’s and sister’s image of the perfect American family. (end of arc 1)
Ashley surprised her sister by being fully accepting. She agreed not to tell their parents but she did tell Gabby to consider telling them herself. And eventually, Gabby did. Their parents were accepting as well, which made both Gabby and Ashley very happy.
Not all of Gabby and Ashley’s extended family accepted Gabby’s sexuality, however. Especially on their mother’s side of the family. The only one who did on that side of the family was their mother’s sister, Mandy, who they found out is gay as well. The revelation that one of her nieces shared her sexuality helped her be more comfortable with her own. So she and Ashley & Gabby’s mother decided to distance themselves from the rest of their family.Now family holidays only include Ashley & Gabby’s father’s side of the family as well as Aunt Mandy and any friends or significant others Ashley & Gabby might want to invite.
Gabby’s world changed when she came out. But she’s so glad it happened. Now she and her sister are as close as they were before high school. And Gabby is happy. She never would’ve admitted it, but she missed having a close relationship with her sister. She is glad to have one again now.
Gabby is in her freshman year of college studying English with a minor in journalism. She’s hoping to become a hard-hitting journalist when she graduates. Or perhaps an author. Or maybe both.
Overall, Gabby’s life is good. She wouldn’t change a thing.

STORIES.