Behind Classroom Doors II

CLX- Brookview/ New York

One Month Later...March 30th

Livia's P.O.V.

Being home feels good. A lot better than I thought it would. I'm surrounded by my closest friends once again. I have my parents (when they're not working.) I'm even able to finish the semester online. I have to go back though. Brookview isn't my home anymore, I know I don't belong here. So after I've healed and collected myself, I'll go back.

I've applied to multiple internships next year, just hoping I'll get into one. I even started running in the mornings. Life is easy right now, the only person I really have to deal with is myself. The nights have been the hardest. Sleeping with a conscience that's out to get you, reminds me how hard Shawn had it. I wonder if he's been sleeping well since I left? If he even has normal nightmares anymore? Then I shake my head to rid those thoughts. Whatever he's doing, I just want him to be happy.

My playlist plays a song I don't know. I pull my phone out to skip it, stopping my normal running pace. The sun is barely out, so I turn my brightness down. After skipping the song and finding one I like, I begin running again.

I come to a stop again, not because of the music, but because of a house that I know all too well. Logan Cooper's house, formally Dean's. There's a for sale sign outside, I wasn't aware that he was moving. "Livia?" Logan calls as he looks up from his for sale sign.

I look both ways before crossing the street over to him. "Hi, Mr. Cooper." I point to the sign. "Are you moving?"

It's hard to believe, he's been in that house since before I was born. "Yeah." Logan says with a sad smile. "It's too big now that it's just me. It almost feels wrong to keep it to myself. Besides, I got a new job in Sacramento."

Sacramento California, a place far from Brookview, and close to Dean. "I think it's nice you're moving on." I say honestly.

There's a long pause between us before he says, "Listen, I heard what happened and I just wanted to say how sorry I am. On behalf of Dean, I-" He scoffs, "I don't know where I went so wrong." It's now that I can see the pain behind Logan Cooper. The warped views surrounding the broken family.

I never meant for any of this to happen. Then again it's not exactly on me now, is it? "You know, Mr. Cooper, I used to think I could help Dean. Like there was something wrong with me to make him act the way he did. Eventually I learned that some people just can't be helped." The last time I saw Logan, he was in Jerry's coffee shop. It's been a long time but I still don't see the monster that Dean made him out to be. I just see a tired father. "Anyways, I should get back to my run."

Logan holds his hand out, "Wait! Can I ask you for a weird favor?"

"Um...sure."

"Can I give you a hug? I just- everything went wrong so fast. I missed all of the good parts in being a parent. Now my only son is gone." Hugging him is the last thing that I want to do. However, a small part of me sympathises with him. He took his son for granted, he took his wife for granted, he even took the three years I was in his life for granted. So I let him wrap his arms around me in an awkward hug.

It doesn't last long before we pull away. "I hope you find everything you're looking for." I say to him, knowing It'll be the last time we see each other.

He pats my back twice, "Thank you. I hope you find a good man." I've had very few interactions with Dean's dad. Even in the three years Dean and I dated, he was always at work. Dean made sure to keep me at a distance with his dad. I never understood why. Even now I find it hard to believe he did to Eve what Dean did to me.

"I have." I reply quickly before waving him off and continuing my run. I had found someone ten times happier than Dean ever made me. He lived in Brookview, not too far from here. He was my teacher, my mentor, my savior, my first. Shawn was my everything. I used to think our story was a tragedy, one of forbidden lovers. We were so desperate to be with each other that we never saw the damage being done. We rushed things, trying to hide behind classroom doors.