Accidentally Married

Chapter 17: "People keep asking me what married life is like?"

The rest of the holidays had gone by with a single visit from my dad, who'd said mum didn't want me back yet. He'd added the 'yet' for me, but I knew that I'd been evicted for an indefinite time. It'd been awkward when he asked if I could come by later that to take the rest of things because mum didn't want them there anymore. I'd held back the hurt and the tears and had nodded. Levi'd driven me and helped me pack everything. The only things left were my furniture. I'd rolled my suitcases into the car when mum came out. She'd stayed in her room the whole time and I thought maybe she'd say something like, "Give me some time and you can come back. It won't be the same but we can work on it." Instead she'd asked me for my key to the house. I hadn't said a word to Levi on the way back and he hadn't forced me to.

School was no better. Everyone whispered as Levi and I walked past them in the corridors. It turned out that Miles had told his friends about what he'd learnt in the cottage and his friends had told their friends until the whole senior year knew. By the end of the first week, the whole school knew.

It was the second week of school in the new year and a Monday, which are never any fun but it was less fun, when during our English lesson, a member of staff asked if Levi and I could be excused from our lesson. We were shown to the Principal's room. She sat in front of us, in silence, for a few seconds before saying, "Can you guess why I've called both of you in here?" Levi and I shook our heads. "I've called you in here because of the rumours going around the school. The teachers have heard and are worried about you both in case it is just a nasty rumour. But what I want to know is if there's any truth to it."

"Yeah, we did get married. But it's cool, our parents know about it," Levi said.

"Do you mind if I call them and check?" I think she expected us to protest because when we told her to go ahead, she was taken aback.

After almost ten minutes, she put the phone down, confused. "Is this the right number?" Principal Kenneth said, pointing at my mum's number on my contact sheet. I nodded. "That's strange because she said that nobody by the name of Fallon lives there."

Levi held my hand, giving me the strength to not break down in front of the principal. It had been two weeks since I'd completely moved out and talking about it was difficult, because every time I did, I could only remember my mum saying she didn't want me under her roof anymore because she couldn't trust me.

"Erm, I've moved out."

"Can I ask where? It's just so I know you're safe. We cannot take any legal actions as you are 18 but I would like to know that you have a roof over your head at night."

"I live with Levi and his family. I just haven't changed my address yet."

She nodded and asked me to do it as soon as possible so that they could have an up to date contact sheet in case of emergencies. I told her I'd do it later that day. "Now that that's been cleared up, you both are free to go to class." Levi and I thanked her and left the school building to sit on the field. I wouldn't be able to sit in class and pretend everything was fine, when it was clearly not.

The bell for the end of the lesson rang and I texted our friend to join us on the field. Five minutes hasn't passed when they all came running. The weekend before school started, Levi and I met up with everyone and told them about what had happened. They'd all been very supportive. Jamie and Levi had become part of our group and now the seven of us always had lunch together and hung out in our free time.

They asked about what had happened in the principal's office and we told them. "If you get tired of living with Levi and Josh, you can come live with me," Kelsey said. "I practically live alone so we'd have the best time ever."

"I'll come over for a sleepover soon," I promised.

"Me too! Don't forget me," Vanessa waved her hands in the air, making us all laugh.

We spent the rest of the day in the library, after feeling too cold outside. Vanessa demanded that we all get to our next lesson, after lunch, because we'd skipped too many lessons already. We complied and after a long day, it was finally time to go home.

It was normal for me to go home with Levi now, but Kelsey asked if she could drop me home today. She asked Vanessa too and we both agreed. "This is the only time we can talk without the boys," Kelsey said. "So, tell us everything you can't say in front of them."

"People keep asking me what married life is like?" I posed the statement as a question because I didn't know what she wanted me to say.

"I think she meant how are you feeling?" Vanessa said.

"Oh. Okay. Well it was awkward telling the principal that I was living with Levi. And my mother never wants to see me again. Apart from that, I'm good."

Vanessa and Kelsey didn't say anything for a while. "I wasn't joking when I said you could come and live with me. My mum's rarely there, God knows where she's sleeping. So I have the whole house to myself." I gave her a worried look. "It's fine. Don't look at me like that," she said glancing at me from her rear view mirror. "I can do what I like."

"If I was living at home, I'd tell you to come live with us."

"I know you don't want to hear this," Vanessa started. "But I'm only saying this for you. You have got to stop thinking about your parents' house as your home. Levi and Josh's place is your home now." I opened my mouth to protest. "Yes, I know, it was your home for 18 years," she read my mind. "But it's not anymore."

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Kelsey agreed.

"I know," I sighed. "I keep thinking my dad's going to show up and say I can come back. But I'm only lying to myself. Literally all of my stuff is sitting in three suitcases and a few boxes in Levi's room right now."

"What's it like living with them?" Vanessa asked.

"More fun than you'd expect. Catherine tried teaching me how to cook but she gave up quickly when the rice caught on fire." Through their laughter, Vanessa asked how. "I don't know," I replied.

"This has been fun but we've reached your new home," Kelsey said, parking the car. "And remember, you need us, you call us."