When Different Worlds Collide ✔️

What the hell? -Kat's POV

Kat's POV -

­I knew that it was irrational, the fear I felt of his mom. Hell, all of it was irrational... Cutting and coloring my hair, giving away my clothes, thinking that there was even a single chance that Erik could ever like me, and that we could actually ever be something. It was all crazy.

The irrationality of it all really didn't really matter though. What Erik had said to me the night before had really resonated with me... I had been making myself so unhappy for my parents, and now I just really wanted to be happy. It didn't matter how irrational it was.

I knew Erik could help with that happiness. He already had, just by getting me to see how unhappy I truly was. He had helped me realize that I needed to stand up to my parents, and not let them run my life for me.

The truth was simple... I liked Erik. I could completely be myself around him. There were not very many people that would accept me like that. He did though. He never made me feel bad or weird for just being who I wanted to be. In fact, he encouraged it.

That was another part of the reason that I was so scared of meeting his mom. Yes, partially because my parents screwed up my trust so much that I was truly terrified of adults and the things they'd do or say to me... But also, because I knew how much Erik valued his mom's opinion. You could see it anytime someone said anything about his family. He loved his mom and sister much more than he loved anything else in his life. While that was very endearing and cute, it was also scary as hell to me. It meant that only one wrong word to his mother and her not liking me, could end whatever it was that Erik and I had going on before it even began. That scared me because I wanted Erik much more than I was willing to admit.

I paused as soon as I made it through the threshold of the door. I was debating on whether it was too late or not to run out. I didn't like this... It was easy to not care if I was disliked by my parent's friends because I was being the me that my parents had forced upon me. This was completely different though; I was supposed to be myself. And, in all honesty, I seriously just wanted her approval. I hated the anxious feeling that continued to keep creeping up. The fears of what if she didn't like me...

Erik set a soft hand on my lower back, despite him carrying a big box in his hands. When I looked over at him, he smiled and nudged me forward very slightly. He wasn't being pushy; he was being reassuring.

"I'm here. It will be okay, I promise," he whispered.

When I finally relaxed a little and walked further into the store, I was instantly spotted. "Kat?" Lisa asked excitedly. "It's good to see you, hon."

"Hi Ms. Lisa! It's good to see you too," I said with a shy smile. I physically had to stop myself from shrinking backwards due to my anxiety.

"What are you doing here, sweetie? I didn't know that you all were friends..." Lisa said, looking between all of us. I didn't really know what to say. I mean, were we friends? Was that the word to describe us?

"Yeah, Kat is cool," Chris answered with a smile.

"Mom, this is Katherine," Erik said with a smile. "Kat, this is my mom."

"Katherine?" His mom questioned. "As in the Katherine? The one that my daughter keeps going on and on about?"

I felt my cheeks go up in flames and looked down to keep my blush hidden. "You can just call me Kat, mam," I told her softly.

"And you can just call me Trina, sweetheart," she said with a smile.

Her easy-going attitude and openness made me feel strangely at ease. I could feel my anxiety dwindling with each moment that I spent with them. She very much seemed to want to accept me with open arms. It was so very different from what I was used to.