fake it 'til you make it - cairo x cc

4: trouble awaits

Cairo's POV

Everything is not okay. In fact, it is possibly the furthest from "okay" it has been since the whole Mr. Miller incident.

The text on my phone read: "Cairo, fuck, call me asap!!"

The second I saw Winnie's message, I knew it was bad. As I hurried away from Cc towards the dorm, I mentally prepare myself for the worst while pressing the 'call' button.

After only one ring, Winnie answers. "Thank god, I thought you were dead! I didn't see you yesterday, are you okay?" she immediately asks.

"Hello to you, too" I reply promptly. "It's sweet that you care about my well-being, but yes, I'm fine. What is going on?"

Without a breath, she spits out "Your dad is here. Cairo he's fucking here. He came by my apartment yesterday and asked a bunch of questions!"

My heart stops in his tracks. While my mind races in circles, I try to remain calm as I say "what did he ask you?" with a deadpan expression.

"He asked about you. And about Mister Miller.."

And just like that, my worst fear came true.

Now, you might be wondering: Cairo, you filed a lawsuit against him. There's no way your parents don't know what happened!

Surprisingly, they really don't. They were both overseas during this.. ordeal, and since I'm of age, I didn't need their signature or consent or anything like that.

Also, I purposefully chose not to tell them. They think I'm a disappointment already, there's really no need to explain to them in detail that I fucked my teacher on a daily basis for almost six months. Yeah, no thanks. Hard pass.

In addition, it would be beneficial to mention that my dad tends to get abusive very easily. He was the first man who ever made me feel insignificant - many more were to follow. He laid his hands on me repeatedly from age 4 -probably earlier too, but I can't remember- up until now, at least whenever he was home to do so, and I spent the majority of my time with him perfecting the art of covering up bruises.

I think that about cuts it as to why I'm not really excited to hear that he followed me halfway through the state.

Another question rambles inside my head, and I don't hesitate to ask it. "Winnie.. how does he know about Mr. Miller? And how did he find us all the way over here?"

Winnie sighs deeply before answering. "Well, you know everyone at our old school already assumed you two were fucking. The rumor was there, I suppose your father asked about you there and heard it. I have no clue how he managed to find us, though.

But Cairo, and this is important: everyone knows about your love for writing, and it's only a matter of time before he connects the dots and looks for you at the university most renowned for its literature program. What I'm saying is, you need a game plan."

I nod silently, even though I know that Winnie can't see me. "I will come up with something. Thanks for the heads up." I mutter.

"I'm right here if you need me honey, but I assume you'd rather be alone right now?" Winnie asks with a concerned voice.

"Yep" I answer tight-lipped. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll text you later" I say before quickly hanging up.

That is not how I imagined my day.

By now, I arrived at my dorm. Without hesitation, I open my nightstand to retrieve my pack of cigarettes and my lighter, before making my way towards the small balcony.

But I stop in my tracks, quickly turning around and reaching inside my backpack next to my bed.

Ha, I knew it. I pull out the bottle of whiskey and tuck it under my arm as I step out on the balcony. The fresh air fills my lungs and I take a deep breath. One step at a time, Cairo, I tell myself as I begin to sit down, take a big sip of whiskey and light a cigarette.