LI- How is Everyone Else Doing?

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I asked Hunter to be Mr. Morgan's TA for the rest of the week. I haven't even been over to workout in the mornings. I just don't want to be alone with him right now, whenever we're alone I get confused. It's not his fault but I don't know how to feel anymore.

Now that it's Saturday, Jenny and Becca are here to spend the night. They walk in with snacks and takeout. Becca is complaining about Luke so I walk in the kitchen with them to join the conversation.

Becca runs her fingers through her long black hair in frustration. "What's been going on with you and Luke lately?" I ask as I press my elbows on the cold marble countertop and rest my chin on my hands.

Bee shakes her head, still clearly frustrated. "We're just arguing about college."

Yeah, I know the feeling. "Tell us about it." Jenny presses as she takes the snacks she brought out of the grocery bags. Her nails have been done recently so she does this task very carefully.

Bee looks between the both of us as she fills us in. "He wants to take a semester off to travel.

Apparently he's been saving up some money."

"What's wrong with that?" I question.

Becca shrugs, "Nothing really, I just don't know where I want to go for college. Let alone taking a semester off and being behind." I understand where she's coming from, they want two different things.

Jenny finishes what she's doing and places her hands on her belly, "Why don't you just do your first semester online? Jake and I decided to just go to online college, that way we can still take care of the baby." I think it's amazing that they're still pursuing college even if it's online. Jenny always told me how excited she was to live the college life. I think movies influenced her excitement a lot.

"That's actually a really good idea." Bee decides as she pulls out her phone, I'm assuming to message Luke.

"What do you want to go to school for?" I ask both of them.

Becca shrugs, "I'm undecided."

"I kind of want to go to fashion school? I know it sounds crazy but It's the only thing I'm really good at." It's not that crazy. Ever since we were kids her parents have taught her how to sew and make dresses from scratch.

My only concern is taking those classes online. "Can you do that kind of thing online?"

Jenny nods, "I can but I don't plan on being online for all of college. Just the first two years to get my unimportant classes out of the way."

I lift up from the counter. I know Jenny is good at sewing and I've seen some of her designs, but she doesn't talk about it much. "I just thought of something!" I say, getting everyone's attention. "Why don't you design our prom dresses? Then you can decide if it's something you want to seriously look into."

She smiles, "Yeah. I would love that thanks, Livia." Prom isn't for a few more months but I can't wait to see what she comes up with. "What about you? What do you want to do?"

"Journalism." I tell them, "I want to share other people's stories."

"What about your story?" Bee questions. "You could always tell your story."

"Yeah your life is full of drama...well it was before Dean left." Then there's Shawn, he's my teacher and yet I'm in love with him. I couldn't write a story about Dean without Shawn in it, it wouldn't make any sense.

"Maybe." I say but I know I probably never will. Shawn could lose his career and Dean too probably. I know he deserves it for everything he's done but Shawn hasn't.

I look down at the table, not knowing what to say next. Then I think of something. "Hey, do you want to go shopping? We can go to some baby shops and you can pick out a theme for your baby shower."
Jenny looks at me wide eyed, "You're throwing me a baby shower?"

Becca laughs lightly, "Of course we are. We're your best friends aren't we?"

Jen smiles, "Yeah, let's eat first though. I'm starving."

Shawn's P.O.V.

I can't stop thinking about what happened between Livia and I last week. I grabbed my stuff and walked out to try to find her. When I did, I noticed her in the student parking lot crying.

I stopped in my tracks at the sight of her. She thinks it's as easy as getting a diploma and leaving high school. It's not, if the school board finds out I've ever dated a student while she went to school here then I'm done. I wanted to go up to her and explain that to her but I just couldn't. I couldn't face her because I know I made her feel like that.

So I walked to my car and went home.

I've hardly seen her since. Hunter has covered her after school and she hasn't stopped by in the mornings. I don't know how long it's going to last but for now I know she needs space.

Now that it's the weekend, I try to focus on getting ahead of work. Writing lesson plans and grading ahead of schedule. It's easy to bury myself into work instead of thinking about Livia. She deserves so much more than what I have to offer. We're always going to be a secret, there's a reason these types of relationships don't usually work out. I want to save us both from that heartache.

I shake my head, I don't want to think about Livia anymore. It's so hard especially when her stuff is around me. I'm currently in my office, staring at the jacket she left behind on my couch. Or the books she brought so that she'd have something to read when she's here. Focus, I think to myself as I go back to my work.

My ears perk up at a loud thump coming from downstairs. At first I think I'm going crazy but then I hear it again. I had an alarm but it didn't go off. I stand up and slowly walk down the hallway and down my stairs. There's loud banging now, like my cabinets are being opened and slammed closed.

When I get downstairs and get even closer to the kitchen I see a figure. One that I've come to know too well, "Katherine?" I ask, slumping my shoulders from when they were tensed.

Katherine turns around to look at me. Her eyes are sunken in and she looks sick. "Kevin." She lets go of the cabinet she had opened and gives me her attention. "I didn't see your car."

I point outside, "I parked in the garage. How did you get in?" How did she get past my alarm and more importantly, why is she here?

Katherine smiles awkwardly. She's sweating and shaking at the same time. "Your code is your uncle's birthday. It wasn't hard to figure out. I also had to take a bus, can you believe that? A bus!" She says to herself in disbelief.

"Why are you here?" I know she's coming off of drugs, the signs are clear.

Katherine scratches her arm and shrugs, "I was looking for something." She deadpans.

"Obviously." I say. "What were you looking for?"
Katherine looks at anywhere but me, "I was hoping you still kept money in a box in the cabinets." I used to save up money and hide it in the cabinets but I stopped doing that after I left Katherine.

I take a step closer to her, "What do you need the money for?" I know the answer but I want to hear her say it.

"My parents are limiting how much they give me now. I just needed it to pay rent." There's something off about her though. Something I've seen once or twice before.

I take a step closer to her, "Are you back on drugs?" She's not looking for rent money, she's looking for drug money.

Katherine wipes the sweat off of her face with her shirt. "No."

She's lying again, "Katherine you can either tell me the truth or I can call the cops for breaking in." I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

Katherine sighs, leaning back against the counter, "Fine, you're right."

She sounds so defeated but I can't believe she relapsed again. I'm just trying to make sense of it all, as far as I was concerned she was doing so good.

"Katherine come sit down." I pull out the table chair for her to take a seat in. She's reluctant but eventually walks over and sits down. I sit across from her. "What's going on?"

Up close I notice her shaking a little more so than before. I stand up and grab a washcloth to put under the cold water. She begins talking as I make my way back to her. "I know I told you I would leave you alone."

I press the compress against her forehead. She takes it from me and holds it there. "So you decided to break into my house for drug money?"

She scoffs, "I slipped up okay? Then my parents found out and took Matthew." Tears start to fall down  her cheeks. "I told them I didn't want help."

"They cut you off."

Katherine nods, "Everything but the apartment." She looks up at me, her eyes are big and bug-like. "I just kept thinking about us. I really screwed up with you and the more I think about that night, the more I miss the feeling. If I couldn't have you...then at least I could go numb for a while."

I sigh, she needs help. She needs to stop thinking about me because the truth is that we'll never be together. "Kat-" I stop when she meets my eyes and sucks in a breath.

"You haven't called me that in a really long time."

Her voice is much calmer, as well as her shaking.
"I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like I did. What happened between us...it was wrong." I take full responsibility because I'm the adult here. Just like with Livia.

Katherine removes the cloth from her head. Holding it in her hands, her fingers run over the damp fabric. "It's right with Livia though? What does she have that I don't?" She has every right to feel this way but I don't know how to explain it. I didn't want anything with Katherine, it just happened. Granted it was wrong but I was in such a bad place that I didn't care. With Livia, I'm drawn to her in a way that even I don't understand.

"It's not about what you don't have. Besides, I realize that Livia and I can't work. Not for a while anyway." That's why I've been keeping her at a distance. Of course I want her but it would be easier for the both of us if I don't have her.

Katherine smirks, "Kevin Morgan, the infamous heartbreaker." She takes a deep breath and sits back in the chair, "Do you love her?"

I'm surprised by her question but I still answer, "Yes, but right now it's not about love. It's about what's right and what's wrong."

"What do you think she thinks it's about? Because from her perspective, you wait until she gets out of an abusive relationship just to say you don't want her." I never thought about it that way. I thought I was protecting her, giving her the space and time that she needed. Then I realized that being together probably wasn't the best idea for right now.

I stand up from my chair, grabbing her wash cloth and putting it on the counter. I've talked enough about Livia and I. I've reasoned with Katherine and heard her side. It doesn't change the reality that society doesn't see us as right. "I should take you home."

Katherine wipes her face with her hands. "I don't want to be alone right now."

"If I let you stay the night, then tomorrow I'm taking you to a rehab facility." She can sleep off whatever she's on here, but tomorrow she needs to get real help.

"I'm fine, Kevin."

"That's the deal." I say.

She takes a minute but eventually gives in, "Okay."

"I'll make up the couch."

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