The Influence | Colby Brock

Chapter 20: Rumor Has It

- Colby's POV -

She sleeps so peacefully, a smile staying on her face even when she's dreaming. She's the most beautiful woman ever.

I smile down at Katelyn, who fell back to sleep quickly after I got up for school. We've both avoided social media the last couple of days. Neither of us wants to see what people are saying. I still have to announce it on my own page. I'm dreading it, knowing my fan base will be upset. They see me and Sam and think "oh the boys who explore," now they're going to see me and think "oh the boy with the baby."

And I'm afraid they'll find her account and start to harass her. What am I supposed to do then? I can't control them. I don't know how I can protect her from it. Nobody even knows I'm in a relationship other than my school and friends. When I finally tell everyone else, I'll either be made fun of or bashed.

Katelyn turns over in her sleep, facing away from me. I sigh and put my shoes on, shutting the door quietly as I leave my room.

I kiss my mom goodbye, grabbing a banana also. "Remember to take that paperwork to the front office for me. I want Katelyn to be able to graduate on time and not get set back." She tells me.

"Did her mom say anything else? Or did she just give you the papers?" I ask her curiously. Katelyn hasn't talked to her mom since the day she was kicked out. The last contact they had was when she switched her to online. My mom has been the one making sure Katelyn is okay in school.

She sighs, "She asked how she was doing." I nod to her response. "Then she told me that she wanted to give me legal guardianship."

I look up at her, my eyes wide. "Like you'd be the soul provider for her? She's giving her rights to you?"

"Not necessarily. It just means that until Katelyn is 18, I would be responsible for her. It doesn't mean that her mom has no rights. It's a temporary guardianship." My mom looks up at me, pressing her lips together, "I told her I would if that's what Katelyn wants."

"So she really disowned her? Like, completely?" I can feel my heart get heavy.

"I'm not sure, baby. I didn't want to ask too many questions." She sighs.

"When are you going to talk to Katelyn? I want to be there when you do."

"Again, I'm not sure. I don't want to upset her. And she'll be 18 in June, before the baby is born. That's why I'm not sure if I'll go to court and get the guardianship. It could take months, she could be 18 before we even finish. It's a lot more complicated than you might think." She finished her food and places the plate in the sink. She kisses my head as she walks around the counter. I stay silent, my eyes connected to the floor as I think. "Hey, don't worry. I'm going to make sure she'll be okay before she's here. Okay?" She smiles at me, "Now get going before you're late, again." She laughs.

***

I try my best to focus in my last class, but I can't stop thinking about Katelyn. I'm so worried that she won't stay clean, or that she won't be happy. It's not just about her now, it's about the baby, and us as a family. I ruined her, everything that she was. She's the most genius girl I have ever met. She has so much potential in life, and I ruined it. I knew what I was doing, I knew how important protection was. I ignored it and decided to do it anyways. I mean, I love her. I got caught up in the moment with her. I shouldn't have though, I shouldn't have let myself be so weak.

A tap on my shoulder distracts me, a random kid hands me his phone, his friends laughs behind me. I roll my eyes, looking at the screen. My jaw clenched when I see a picture, sent to them in a group chat. It's Katelyn, with the boy from the party. I look back up to the boy, "who the fuck sent that?" I ask him quietly.