A New Maybe

Breakaway

Warnings: Caution about Rape, not mentioned explicitly or occurring, but implied mention.

The day had started fine. You woke up, had breakfast, listened to your mom talk about Bucky coming over for a little while later that day, promised her you would give him a chance, then you were off to school. Class was boring, being force-fed information wasn't exactly your idea of a fun time after all, but it was fine. It was normal.

Except for the lingering hesitation and tension between you, Katie, and Samantha.

It was thicker than you expected and despite Jason trying to ease it, it still clung to you and sent a sick, twisting into your gut and it only seemed to get worse as the school day ended.

And so it is, as you walk out of the building with the group, Jason already sent along his noisy way home on his fateful yellow and black carriage and Timothy sticking closer to the back like a shadow, Katie suddenly stops and offers Samantha a look, one of regret, and you have to swallow the fear bubbling up in your throat and catching the little bit of hope in your chest.

"So, we didn't know how to tell you..." Katie starts, her twin picking up after her as they both turn to face you, their brown hair pulled back making them look ever-more like each other.

"We wanted to wait until the day was over so it wouldn't be as awkward."

"And for Jason to leave because he would probably kill us," Katie adds, "But..."

"We talked to our parents last night and might have mentioned that your mom is dating Bucky, and they didn't exactly take it as well as they could have..." Samantha said in a rush, her eyes darting everywhere but to yours.

Katie's eyes hold sympathy, pity, regret, things you hate seeing because it always means something bad is coming out of the darkness to bite you and today is no exception.

"They said we have to...separate ourselves...from you. They don't want us to have any connections to Mr. Barnes and you—your mom is dating him and..." Katie trails off and the hollow pit in your stomach swells. It encapsulates you, swallows you into a void of silence, and yet it's so fucking loud.

Your response is simple, calculated, and cold, void of every sinking and aching emotion that is running through your veins like sharp crystals of ice, "I understand."

Samantha takes a step forward, "We don't want to."

"We don't have a choice," Katie adds, and you swear you hear her voice crack. As you look at Samantha, you finally see the well of tears she's holding back and your face softens from the stiff collection it has forced itself into.

You nod before quickly shaking your head, rushing forward to the two girls and wrapping an arm around each of them and they cling to you almost just as tightly as you hold them...almost. The burning behind your eyes is forced down along with the anger simmering beneath the sadness, knowing full well the collection of the two will do more harm than good. After all, neither party likes this new arrangement.

When the moment passes, both Katie and Sam let go and it tears a piece of you apart. Something breaks, something important. Goodbyes are said, tearful ones on Samantha's part...she always was one to be more emotional, it was what made her, her, and you admire it. As for Katie, there are tight smiles, a stiff nod of the head, and a hug that squeezes the breath from your lungs, as if there is any left in them anymore. At the last moment they could steal from the cold hands of fate, they board their bus, and with the final wave farewell, the string tying you to them is cut.

And you crack.

Teeth bite into your lip to stop its quivering, lungs become too tight, too shallow, and the ground beneath you shakes and yet you can't seem to fall, not yet. A firm hand on your shoulder startles you and you spin around to find Timothy with sympathy written along his features and your gut wrenches.