When I Met Her....

Unexpected Help

Unexpected Help

Steph's POV

          This morning was one of the worst mornings I've  had in awhile. Melony spent the night with Laurel and they got up to leave at the same time as me. Laurel wouldn't even look at me and it completely broke my heart.

"Hey, Stephanie. Are you okay?" someone says, pulling me out of my depressing daze.

I look up to see Julia Prior, one of my faculty members.

"Yeah," I sigh, setting my coffee down on the table.

          When I arrived to work this morning I dropped all of my stuff off in my office and made my way to the teacher lounge.

"Are you sure?" Julia smiles tentively, sitting down in the chair across from me.

"Honestly?"

She nods.

"No, not at all." I admit, feeling the threat of close tears.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know." I laugh harshly, "I'm afraid I'll burst out into tears again and not be able to stop."

"That's what portable make-up bags are for." Julia says, jokingly.

"You're right." I say, tracing the rim of my coffee mug with my index finger.

"So," she prompts.

I draw in a deep breath before I start.

"You know my daughter Laurel, right?"

"Indeed I do." Julia says, beaming the largest smile. "She's a very beautiful and intelligent young woman."

"She is." I agree lovingly, "Well, as I'm sure you know I'm not her biological mother. She's my husbands daughter from a previous marriage."

"Okay."

"Just recently, Laurel missed almost a week of school because she's been the victim of a hit-and-run. She lost a lot of blood and neither her father or I had the same blood type."

"Um-hmm" Julia mumbles, sipping her cup of coffee.

"We of course were forced to call her mother. We did. She arrived her with a major hangover, and when she became sober again she demanded to see Laurel or she wouldn't give the blood."

"She sounds awful." Julia says, a hint of something flashing acorss her eyes, too quick for me to surely identify.

Anger?

"She is." I groan, "Laurel allowed her to see her and Amanda, her mother, said that she had something to ask her. I thought nothing of it honestly. After the procedure she came in and asked Laurel if she'd give her a second chance to come and live with her again."

          I stop to force back to flood of tears I can feel building up in my throat.

"At first Laurel said she most definitley didn't want to go. Then suddenly, last night she said she was leaving." I say, whispering the last part.

          I feel that giant lump in my throat and I fight to keep the tears at bay. Of course I lose and the tears are falling in no time. Julia hands me a napkin and I take it gladly, dabbing under my eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Julia frowns, sympathetically.

"I just wish I knew why." I cry, "She's such a wonderful girl and I've grown to love her as my own daughter. I love her more than I've loved anyone in a long time. But last night, she was a girl I'd never seen before."

"I'm sure whatever she said last night she didn't mean it." Julia tries to assure me, "I'm sure she loves you very much."

"What makes you so sure?" I sigh, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

She opens her mouth to speak but closes it again. She takes a second, and it almost looks like she's trying to pull her nerves together. Then she sets her coffee mug down on the table and sit up, leaning forward.

"Stephanie...I have something to tell you."

********************

Laurel's POV

"Is that everything?" Melony asks me as she finishes slapping tape on the last box.

"I think so." I whisper, looking around at my very boring and dull room.

          I'd packed up nearly everything in my room for memory purpose. I packed specific stuff just to remind me of the times Steph and I had, knowing she'll probably never speak to me again after I leave.

"Melony, I feel like I'm making the hugest mistake of my life." I sigh, throwing myself onto the bed.

"Why are you doing it then?" Melony asks, lying down next to me.

"You know why." I roll my eyes, "I have to protect them. Both of them. I can't allow either of them to make that type of decision because I know they'll both choose me. Even if it means ruining both of their careers forever. Something like this doesn't just go away."

"I know." Melony says softly, taking my hand and twisting it into hers.

"I just wish I didn't have to hurt Steph in the process. She's done nothing but love and care about me since I got here and all I continue to do is hurt her." I croak, tearing up. "Oh God, I'm so tired of crying."

I dab under my eyes with my free hand.

"Do you want me to take you to the airport on Sunday?" Melony offers.

"I would appreicate it. I don't think I could bare a car ride with Steph or Julia."

"What time is the flight?"

"I don't even know. I haven't spoken to Amanda since that day at the hospital. I guess I should ask about that though."

"Yeah, I think you should." Melony says.

          I turn my head to look at her the same moment she turns her head to look at me. We gaze into each others eye and burst out laughing. Our hands find their way apart and we're rolling all over the bed in a laughing fit. Clenching our stomach, in desperate need of a good deep breath.

          When we finally come down from our high, we're laying on our back staring at the ceiling.

"I'm going to miss you best friend." Melony whispers, and I can hear in her voice her fight against the tears.

"I'm going to miss you too." I whisper back, scooting over to lay my head on her shoulder.

We both inhale deeply at the same time before we fall asleep in the comfort of each others company.