Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind) is half of the troubled teen duo in the miniseries Wayward. She is full of trauma and bad decisions, with her only vice and reprieve in life being her best friend, Abbie. The two find themselves trapped in the cult reform school of Tall Pines.
Leila is quick-witted, but often doesn’t know when to hold back or rein in her words. She is unashamed of who she is, loud about her opinions, and unable to keep quiet when her buttons are pushed. Despite being a brash and broody teenager, she is still lovable and easy to root for throughout the entire series.
Leila is bi, and she makes it clear to everyone. As an audience, we see this in both her actions and her words. It is important to note that bi people do not need to have a history with both sexes to be valid, but it does help confirm it in fictional media.
At the beginning of the series, Leila is seen with her sketchy boyfriend, Kyle. He is terrible, and he enables her bad decisions and drug use. He is older in a problematic way we can all agree on. Fortunately, we’re pretty sure things are over when he ditches her in the middle of nowhere, and she has to hike the rest of the way to Tall Pines.
Later, she is seen intoxicated and getting PG-13 with a fellow female student, Ello. Things are hot and heavy, and based on what we’ve heard her say to her “Hot Seat” (an intense group therapy exercise used in Tall Pines) comrades, this is definitely not a one-time dalliance or phase. Unfortunately, something big and spoilery happens, and things are quickly halted.
Another time, during a trauma flashback, we see her having some sapphic moments with her sister’s best friend. This just further locks in that Leila is not heterosexual.
Additionally, Leila often comes under fire while in the Hot Seat meetings, where other students make claims about her and Abbie being lesbians, which Leila aggressively denies and clarifies that she is not a lesbian, but bi. Many of the children try to use gay as an insult, only for her to fire back with how stupid their insult is and correct them on her sexual orientation.
While Leila is not the perfect bi representation the world necessarily needs, she is authentic. She is exactly what a spicy and frustrated bi teen is. She is relatable and has no qualms about announcing her sexuality and acting on her feelings. If you want to read more about this show, check out our Bi Media entry on it here!