After Everything Sucks!

17. This Ain't Goodbye

Kate watched the car drive away from her until it disappeared. She was awestruck by how quickly the events had unfolded to the point that she couldn't quite comprehend her emotions.

All she could do was stand there in the middle of the road and hope that for whatever reason, the car would turn around and come back into view. But it didn't happen.

"Okay, everyone. Show's over. Go get yourselves some lunch," she heard her father call to the crowd of students, who were all fixed in silence.

They began to file back inside until only Ken, Luke, Tyler and McQuaid were left.

The three boys all approached her and hugged her simultaneously.

The warmth of their friendship was not nearly enough, but their comfort allowed her to finally break down. She sobbed like a baby for a while until her friends let her go, and this time her father engulfed her into his embrace.

"C'mon honey. Let's get you off the road," Ken whispered in her ear.

Kate stood up slowly and stumbled back to the parking lot.

"You wanna go home?" Ken asked sympathetically.

Kate nodded. She had nothing here now. It was back to old times for her at Boring High.

"Alright. I'll take you. Let me just get my keys."

Half an hour later, the Messners were home. Kate retreated to her bedroom, refusing any food. She just wanted to be alone.

She stared at her Tori Amos poster. She'd always imagined taking Emaline to one of her concerts on a date. They hadn't actually been on a proper date, and now it was possible that it would never happen.

Kate threw herself onto her bed, taking her pillow and hugging it. In her sorrow, she didn't notice herself drifting into an uneasy asleep.

Emaline's voice was calling her name, and she tried to cling to that sound as hard as she could.

"Kate!"

Kate sat up immediately, and in front of her eyes was Emaline herself, standing in her bedroom doorway.

Kate rubbed her eyes. "What...? How...?" She checked the clock. It had been three hours since she had got home.

Emaline closed the door and sat down next to Kate.

"I ran away. Climbed out of my bedroom window and everything. Risked my life for you, Messner," Emaline smirked.

Kate grabbed her and kissed her as tears ran down her face. "Please stay," she finally said.

Emaline sighed as they touched foreheads. "I wish I could, but I don't have much time. My parents have probably already noticed I've gone. I just wanted to give you this."

Emaline took a scroll of paper from her pocket, which was wrapped in a lilac bracelet that Kate had seen her wear before.

She placed it in Kate's hand.

"Don't open it now. Wait until I'm gone. Also, I raided my parents' study and found my new address and the name of my new school. Come visit me. I'll call you when I can."

Kate nodded. "I never got to say this, but I love you too," she announced.

Emaline placed a hand on Kate's cheek and kissed her again, and again, fighting the need to leave.

She finally jumped up and looked at her girlfriend for one last time. "I'll see you around, Kate Messner."

"Not if I see you first, Emaline Addario," Kate responded.

The two girls shared one last smile, before Emaline hurried out of the room.

Kate ran to the window and watched Emaline leave the house and make her way down the street.

She was still clutching the scroll in her hand, which she glanced down at in curiosity.

Kate unraveled the bracelet and and put it on her own wrist. She knew that she was never going to take it off now.

She opened the scroll and slowly sitting herself down on the bed, she began to read:

Dear Kate,

I knew that this conclusion would possibly come for us and I prepared this letter so that you have something to hold onto when it gets hard. Nowadays, it's less difficult to seperate people. So I'm sure that this isn't the blatant end. However, it doesn't make it any easier to know that I won't be able to look into your gorgeous brown eyes every day. I won't be able to kiss you and hug you as I once could. It's tough but we need to stay strong, Kate. The longer we sit this out, the more my parents lose their stupid game. They're already losing as they've failed to stop us loving each other. So don't cry, Kate Messner. Smile that beautiful smile of yours, and know that I'm an email or a telephone call away. Live your life to the fullest and I'll do the same and one day we'll live in a world where the fact that we're both girls won't matter. I'm looking forward to that.

See you later, sweetie.

Emaline xx

Kate couldn't help but smile as she finished the letter. It had shined a positive light on what had happened. Emaline was right. You have to be patient for the best things in life. And as long as the image of Emaline was in her mind, the wait would be bearable.

She went downstairs to find her father watching TV. He looked up as she approached him. Kate sat herself down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Ken asked her.

Kate nodded. "I'm better now."

"Good. You wanna order some food?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome. Thanks, dad."

Ken ordered them some Chinese food and the father and daughter enjoyed their evening together, ending up back on the sofa watching TV.

Kate was about to call it a night when the phone began to ring. In a mindless few seconds, she ran to it and picked it up, hoping it was a certain someone.

"Hello?"

"Kate? It's Sherry. Is your father there?"

Kate couldn't help but notice the slight sense of panic in Sherry's voice.

She handed the phone to Ken and watched his expression turn into one of concern.

"Okay, stay calm. We'll be right there," Ken said, before hanging up.

"What's going on?" Kate asked.

"We're going to the O'Neils'. There's been an accident."