LXXXVII- What We Have in Common

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The week goes by just like the last. I haven't seen much of Katie, she's been with Jack a lot lately. This time next week, it'll be fall break. It's hard to believe we're already nearing the end of September. The temperature has already dropped to fall weather and New York is much colder than Colorado.

    I pull my jacket in closer to my body and wrap my arms around my torso. "You're freezing." Seth says beside me.

    I glance up at him, "You could've told me it feels like winter in September here in New York." In all honesty it's just common sense, New York is north.

    Still, Seth takes his coat off and puts it on my shoulders. "Here."

    I shake my head, "No, then you'll be cold."

    Seth chuckles lightly, "I grew up here, I'm used to the weather, trust me." Sure enough, Seth isn't even shivering from the strong winds.

    We walk into the diner where we're supposed to be meeting Hunter. He's not there yet so we grab a booth in Katie's section. "How is that going? You two living together and everything."

    Seth shrugs, looking down at his menu. "It's fine."

    "Oh come on, you were really looking forward to living with him."

    "No, I like living with him, It's-" He gets this look in his eyes, like he wants to tell me something. "It's nothing, drop it." 

    I've never seen Seth so serious before. Right after that, Hunter shows up looking just as awkward as Seth. He sits next to me instead of Seth. "Hey." I greet my friend.

    During dinner, they have nothing to talk to each other about. It's filled with stolen glances and awkward pauses. I want to ask what's going on but then I remember how closed off Seth got. If I want to know anything at all, it's going to be through Hunter.

    "Here's your check guys, take your time." Katie announces before rushing off to her next table.

Seth places cash on the table and stands up to go to the restroom. As soon as he's out of ear shot I turn to Hunter. "Okay spill, you two have been weird all night."

Hunter scoffs, "Weird? We haven't been weird. If anything we've been normal, too normal."

"You're babbling."

Hunter sighs. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You know all about me and my teacher problems, you can trust me with your problems." Just when I think he's going to tell me, Seth walks out of the bathroom.

"Drop it, okay?" Hunter whispers the same thing Seth told me.

Seth barely looks at Hunter when he gets back to the table. "Are you ready?" He asks.

Hunter nods, getting out of the booth. I hand Seth his coat, "I'll see you two later." They both mumble goodbyes before leaving the diner.

I frown, not knowing what's going on between my only real friends here. I like Katie, but we don't know that much about each other like I do Seth and Hunter. Although at the moment, it's looking like I don't know as much as I thought I did about them.

"Is this seat taken?" I look up to see Jack surprisingly not in a suit. He's wearing jeans and a hoodie, looking completely casual.

I gesture for him to sit down. "Go ahead, what's with the clothes?"

He looks down at himself, "I promised Katie I would wear normal clothes once." I remember her saying something about that. I'm surprised he actually went through with it. "She looks busy." He mentions.

I watch her run around the place, trying to get to everyone. It's been a busy night as long as I've been here. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something." I haven't seen much of him since the charity event so this has been my only chance. With Katie being busy, we can talk in private.

He gives me a weird look, "Is this about Ty? I know he can be a little forward but he's actually a very good guy."

"No-well, not really. When I was dancing with him and Layla, they told me a bit about you. I know you're adopted and a little bit about what happened." I don't want to come right out and say I know his dad died in a fire, but guess what he's not alone. He seems to understand perfectly, while his face remains calm and collected. Like it's all been common knowledge.

Jack folds his hands on the table and makes unbreakable eye contact with me. "Why did you ask about me?"

I open my mouth, unsure of the right way to answer him. "I-I asked about you because of Katie. I wanted to know that you wouldn't hurt her." Of course it just turned out to be a traumatized past like Shawn's.

"You could've just asked me."

"I could've?" He nods. "Then what are you doing with Katie? Do you like her or are you using her?" I feel like my questions are valid, she really likes him and deserves for someone that reciprocates her feelings.

Just then, Katie walks up with two waters and sets them on our table. I think she can sense the tension between Jack and me. "Play nice, you two."

Jack smiles at her, "Of course." When she walks away, his smile fades. "I'm not using Katie, but I don't really know what we're doing. I would like to date her but we haven't exactly had that conversation yet." His honesty is refreshing. "Is there anything else?" He asks.

"Sort of. It's just, I know someone who went through the same thing you went through. My friend hasn't exactly gotten over it yet and I guess I want to know how you coped with it?" If he can tell me that then I can talk to Shawn and help him move past this. Talking about it was just the first step, he's been keeping it in for almost eighteen years.

Jack gets a weird look on his face, like he's having a debate in his head. When he figures out what he wants to say, he leans in. "I lost my memory of the incident until recently. So in the sense of coping, I don't have an answer." I was hoping for some kind of step by step program I could tell Shawn about. I guess this is something the both of us will just have to figure out together. "Now, I have a question."

I suppose it's only fair that I repay him. "Okay." I agree.

"Your friend, is it Shawn Morgan?" I suck in a deep breath, "I saw you two together back in August, remember?"

I remember, he was asking about Dianne and when he found out Shawn was her son, he got all weird and left. "Yes." I said.

He smiles, "Looks like Shawn and I have something in common."

I stand up, "I guess so." Something is off about him, he knows more than he's letting on but why? He's been around ever since Shawn and I came back to New York in March. Now he's dating my roommate and hanging around campus? It's weird and I plan on finding out exactly what he's doing here. I leave the diner and begin walking to catch a cab. If there's one thing I've learned, it's to trust my own instincts.

Right now they're telling me to figure out Jack Briers.









When I get to Shawn's apartment I rush in, "Shawn you'll never believe what I just-" I stop in my tracks when I walk to the kitchen. Shawn is standing there, handing a drink over to his mother. "Dianne." I say, looking between the both of them.

She smiles at me, with thick red lipstick. "Hello, Livia. I was hoping I would get to see you." I walk up to them, Dianne stands up to give me a hug.

When she pulls away, we both sit down. "I-how are you?"

"Well I would be better if Shawn would let me give him his birthday present." I am completely blank at her words.

"Wait, it's your birthday?" I guess between all of the craziness I never even found out his birthday. I am the worst girlfriend.

Shawn shakes his head. "No it's not." I let out a sigh of relief.

"His birthday isn't until next week but I thought I would give him an early present." She grabs onto my arm, "But he won't accept it." Ever since he told me about what his mom put him through, I understand why he wants nothing to do with her. She put him through hell, and then waited almost eighteen years before trying to make it up to him.

I would be distant to my mother too, "What did you get him?" She pulls a couple of folded up papers. I open them up and read them. "Is this for the house in Colorado?"

Dianne nods. "I paid it off for him and put it back in his name."

"I didn't need you to buy the house for me." Shawn adds. As far as I know, his uncle Matt's house meant everything to him, like it was the last thing from his childhood.

Dianne takes the papers from me and places them on the counter, "All I need is for you to sign the papers." When he doesn't acknowledge the papers, Dianne stands up. "Fine, you two talk it over. I'll be back in the morning."

As soon as she's gone, Shawn lets out a deep breath and rests his palms on the counter. "Are you okay?" I ask him.

"She's pushy. I know you probably think I'm stupid for not wanting to sign it. That house was mine, Matt left it to me. Then she swept in and paid for it like she can buy me." I understand where he's coming from, that house had no ties to her until now.

Even if she thought she was doing something nice. "I don't think you're stupid. If you don't want to sign those papers, then you shouldn't."

He looks up at me, "I shouldn't?"

I lift up the papers and look through them again. "Nope." I really love that house, sometimes I think about the future. Like ten years from now when Shawn and I are married and have kids. It would be the perfect white picket fence, life. However, if Shawn doesn't want to accept it from his mother, there will be other houses with the same fence. I hand them to him, he looks at it with intense thought. I lift up and kiss his cheek, "I'm going to bed, think about it okay?" He can take all the time he needs. As for me, I can talk to him about Jack Briers tomorrow.

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