Katia cried herself to sleep that night. She missed home. She missed her friends from Canada. She was tired of constantly having to make new friends. She had thought that Liverpool would be different when she met Paul and John, but what had happened that night had just reinforced the idea that it was so hard to trust people.
The next morning, Katia stayed in her room until she heard both her mom and dad leave the house. Her eyes were puffy from her crying and the restless night she had endured. As she was making breakfast, she heard a knock on the door. Thinking her parents may have forgotten something, she opened it, only to see Paul at her doorstep. She quickly closed the door, but Paul stuck his foot in the doorway before she was able to shut it.
"Kat, please." Paul said.
"Go away Paul! I don't want to see you." Katia said as she kept pushing the door trying to close it.
"You don't have to even look at me, just hear me out." Paul urged.
"No! Please go aw—" but she was cut short when Paul began pushing against the door to get inside. She couldn't hold the door close and he eventually pried it open.
"Honestly Paul, don't you understand the meaning of going away! " Katia exclaimed.
"Kat, we need to talk about last night." he said
"There's nothing more to say. We said all we needed to say last night...so please...just leave." Katia said turning away from him. Paul walked around her so he could see her face.
"Listen Kat, I.... well I ...didn't know what I was getting myself into...really this isn't like me..."
"You knew perfectly well what you were getting yourself into Paul. You made it quite clear last night while you were talking to John. "
"Maybe I did agree to it..."
"Oh, there was no maybe...you did agree to it!"
"Yes I did agree...but it was just..I know it was wrong and all...but..." Paul sighed. "....I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kat."
"I don't get it...if you knew it was wrong, then why'd you do it?" Katia asked trying to sound more angry than hurt, but failing to hide her real emotions. "I'm not a race horse to bet on...I thought....I thought we were friends."
"We are!" Paul responded.
"You're not the type of friend I keep." Katia said. "Please...go."
Paul sighed in defeat. "I'm not really like this...I wish you'd believe me. Can I give you something before I go?"
Katia shrugged and looked away. She could hear Paul walk outside and after a few seconds she heard his footsteps in the house again.
"I'll just leave it here...on the kitchen table." Paul said but Katia didn't bother turning around.
She finally heard the door close and it was then that she turned around. She walked to the kitchen to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She spotted a card and read it aloud. "Kat, I woke up late this morning, my head was in a whirl, only then I realized I lost my little girl. Please forgive me. Paul."
She set the card aside and picked up the bouquet The aroma was intoxicating. She sighed. She had really enjoyed spending time with Paul and despite the kind gesture, she was still very hurt.
Katia spent most of the day sulking at home, not really in the mood to go out. This wasn't exactly how she pictured spending her last day of vacation. Tomorrow she'd be starting a new school and the only thing she looked forward to was possibly meeting new people who would replace the emptiness she felt after losing Paul and John.
***
"Katia! Are you almost ready?" Katia's mom called out.
"Yes...be there is a sec!"
"Paul's already here. Hurry up!"
"Paul?" she mumbled to herself as she opened her bedroom door.
She found Paul and her dad talking in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Kat." Paul smiled as he saw her approaching.
"Hi." Katia replied.
"Paul thought it'd be a good idea if you two walked to the bus stop each morning. Isn't that nice?"
"Very." Katia smiled at her dad. "It's really not necessary,but..."
"It's no trouble at all." Paul said getting up and picking up his book bag. "It's the same bus, just different stops."
"You two better get going. Don't want to be late on the first day or school, right?" Katia's dad asked.
"No sir." Paul said.
Katia kissed her parents goodbye and headed out the door, not waiting on Paul to start walking to the bus stop.
Paul ran to catch up to Katia, but she didn't even look at him.
"Oh come on Kat...please don't ignore me. Let's talk about this."
Katia didn't slow her pace. She kept on walking, no intention of talking to Paul about this. They reached the bus stop, but there was no sight of the bus yet, so it was inevitable that they'd have to talk. Katia turned her back towards Paul and he sighed in frustration. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
"Don't touch me unless you want me to slap you again!" Katia looked at him angrily.
"I don't care. You have to listen to me!" Paul begged as he grabbed both her hands. "I'm sorry about making that bet...I know it was wrong. What do I have to do for you to forgive me?"
"There's nothing you could say to make it better, Paul...don't you get that? I thought we were friends and you traded that in so you'd look cool in front of John? Was that it?"
Paul didn't even have time to respond. The bus had made it to their stop and she got on. She quickly scanned the empty seats and spotted George sitting by himself. She all but ran to sit next to him, while Paul walked past her to an empty seat in the back of the bus. Katia had to admit that his face looked quite pitiful when he passed her. She wasn't used to being mad at anyone, but Paul had let her down and she was not ready to forgive him. She spent the entire bus ride chatting with George and before long they had reached her school. As she got off, Paul reached for her and handed her a note.
"Have a good first day." he said giving her a small smile.
"You too." Katia responded as she got off.
As she waited for her first class to start, she pulled the note Paul had given her out of her pocket.
I know what I did was wrong and nothing I would have ever thought of doing. I know you don't understand it now, but maybe you will soon. I'm sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention and it saddens me to know that because of me you are feeling this way. Have a great first day...and don't forget to smile.
Katia couldn't help but smile when she finished reading the note, but it disappeared when she remembered the conversation she had overheard between Paul and John. She folded the note up and put it back in her pocket.
The next couple of weeks were a blur. Paul still picked her up at her house each morning, but they hardly talked and Paul only grew more frustrated when Katia chatted with George every morning on the way to school. Paul, his dad and brother had come to dinner that first week of school, which had made it a bit awkward for her...awkward enough for her dad to ask if she and Paul were fighting. She denied that there was anything wrong and he seemed to believe her.
The day before Katia's 16th birthday, her parents told her not to make any plans for her big day because they had planned on taking her somewhere special. She asked to know where, but they said they wanted to keep it a secret. The morning of her birthday, after wishing her a happy birthday, her dad gave her some money to go and buy "something nice" to wear for that evening. Katia was not one to pass up a new outfit, so she excitedly hurried to buy an outfit she had seen at a boutique a few weeks ago.
As she was coming out of the boutique with her new outfit in hand, she spotted John walking on the other side of the street. She tried to lose him by turning into a side street, but she could see him running towards her out of the corner of her eye.
"Kat! Kat! Hold up!" John called after her.
Katia hadn't seen John since that night at the Casbah and hadn't really expected to run into him. She stopped walking as John got closer. He stumbled on his first few words as he looked at Katia.
"Ummm...hi...how are you?"
"Great. And you?" Katia said coldly.
"I'm doing fine. Cyn and I got back together..."
"I'm so glad."
"Um..yeah..."
There was some moments of silence before Katia started to excuse herself, but John cut her off.
"Listen...I wanted to explain what happened at the Casbah the other night."
"There really isn't much to say John..."
"You really shouldn't me mad at Paul...it was basically my fault."
"Well I think he's old enough to make his own decisions. He agreed to go along with it...that's hardly your fault."
"Kat, you saw how I was teasing him...I wouldn't have let it go until he agreed. He knew it too."
"Why'd you do it?"
"I guess I just wanted to have a little fun. Cynthia and I hadn't gotten back yet, so I was just looking to have a good time. I'm sorry. And anyway, shouldn't you be mad at me and not Paul?"
"I was mad at both of you...but...I don't know, it hurt more that Paul went along with it."
"Why is that?"
"I don't know...I guess I never thought Paul would go through with something like that....you on the other hand, look like the type that would..." Katia said giving him a smile.
John smiled back and it was then that Katia knew things would be alright between them...and that she was ready to forgive Paul.