A Girl Like Her

Chapter 14.

"I'm here for you," I said the only words I remembered at the moment. There was nothing I could say to Kate that would fix her problems. There was nothing I could say that could bring her happiness truly back. There was nothing I could say to bring back the Kate I thought I knew.

Even though it was weird, I felt like after today, things between Kate and I would never go back to how they were before. Beforehand, we were friends, but we were not close. I never allowed myself to get too close. But knowing this much about the seemingly perfect, unflawed, and unscathed girl, I've realized that maybe befriending her won't be as big of an issue.

She already knows I'm damaged, too. But it doesn't matter to her.

"Thanks for sitting in this gross stall with me Layla," she paused, lifting her head to stare at me. There was a dry sort of humour in her voice. Her lips lifted into an upturned smirk, but I still saw the pain in her eyes. These swirls of blue laced with the color of a wicked storm. Kate was sad. But she did well to hide her feelings- until now.

"What happened this morning, Kate?" It seemed as though I didn't have a filter today. Were these questions I was allowed to ask? Was I too far out of line asking this? Should I accept what she had given me with open arms?

No.

Kate didn't deserve that. She deserved justice. She deserved happiness. If there was one pure soul on this earth who deserved nothing but joy in life, it was Kate goddamned Withers.

"My parents," she trailed off. Truthfully, I never met Kate's parents. I'm not so positive anyone has. She talks very minimal about them- but I can certainly understand why. "... they've been asking about college lately. But I can't stop thinking about Everly. I can't stop thinking about this life I could have had with her. I can't stop thinking about living my life without-" Kate cut herself off abruptly. She leaned her head back towards the wall, struggling to hold herself together.

Tentatively, I placed my hand on her shoulder. It wasn't much. But it was reassurance. I would be here for Kate to take on all the torment flooding from her soul. "I understand," My own voice was soft and feeble to my ears. Maybe I asked enough questions today. Slowly, I let the corners of my lips turn into a soft, little smile.

Kate sniffled softly, wiping the remaining tears off her face. Her pale skin made her look her sick. "We should probably get outta here," she let out a dry laugh. "Someone's bound to catch us and then we'll be in deeper trouble then we already are. Thanks for listening, Layla. God, that felt good to tell someone else." She sighed, a relieved breath of air escaping her. Kate didn't look as sad anymore. She looked like she no longer held the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I smiled back, nodding my head in agreement. I couldn't wait to get up from this disgusting stall.

"Layla?" Kate asked, just as we were leaving the girls' bathroom. The halls were empty. There was still a few minutes left until the next period.

"Yeah?" I answered casually, my mind still trying to reel itself back in from the new information I just learned.

Kate was raped and, as a result, got pregnant and her parents made her give her baby up.

"You know, you can always talk to me, too." The sound of Kate's voice was laced with a type of sympathy I was unaccustomed to. It made me feel uneasy. It's exactly why I never told anyone about that night. Admitting the truth. Admitting I put myself in a situation where I was left vulnerable to a group of monsters.

What would Kate say to that? Would she blame me? Would she tell me it was all my fault? Tell me I'm the one drank the cup- I'm the one who let it happen. Would she tell me I deserved what happened to me?