Broken homes

Unwanted distractions

Lily sat at the dining table, textbooks spread out around her as she tried to focus on her homework. Math problems blurred together as she absentmindedly chewed on her pencil, struggling to concentrate. But any time she looked up, her focus was shattered by the sight of her dad and Karen.

They were in the living room, oblivious to her presence as they cuddled up on the couch, whispering and laughing like teenagers. Her dad had his arm wrapped around Karen, and every few minutes, they'd lean in for yet another kiss. Lily's stomach twisted in a mix of annoyance and disgust.

"Could you two get a room?" she muttered under her breath, though loud enough that her dad looked over, startled.

"Sorry, honey," he said, though his amused tone didn't match the apology. He simply pulled Karen a little closer, making Lily roll her eyes.

Karen just laughed lightly, giving Lily a sweet-yet slightly smug-smile. "We're just... enjoying each other's company, Lily."

Lily tried to bite back her irritation, looking back down at her homework. But her mind was racing, memories flashing of how things used to be before Karen had come into their lives. Her dad had always been so focused on work, barely paying attention to anything else. Now, with Karen around, it was like he'd forgotten Lily even existed half the time.

She slammed her textbook shut, unable to bear it any longer. "You know what? I'll do my homework in my room," she muttered, gathering her books in her arms.

"Lily," her dad started, but she cut him off with a forced smile.

"Have fun. Don't let me interrupt," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she turned and headed upstairs, not waiting for a response.

In her room, she tossed her books onto her desk and flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. All the little changes in her life-her dad's relationship, her mom suddenly working at her school, the tension with her friends-felt like they were piling up, making it hard to breathe.

Grabbing her phone, she thought about calling Cory or maybe even texting Nate. But instead, she put the phone down, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. For now, all she wanted was a break from everyone, even if that meant facing the silence alone.

Lily lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts, when she heard a soft thud near her window. She sat up just in time to see Shawn awkwardly climbing in, balancing on the ledge as he struggled to get one leg over the windowsill.

"Shawn?" she said, eyebrows raised in surprise. "What are you doing?"

He finally managed to get inside, brushing off his hands as he stood up, looking slightly winded. "Why do rich people have such tall houses?" he muttered, rolling his eyes. "It's like climbing a mountain just to get up here."

A smirk tugged at Lily's lips despite her mood. "You know, we have a front door."

"Yeah, but this is way more dramatic," he said, grinning as he took a seat on the edge of her bed. "And I figured you could use a distraction."

Lily sighed, flopping back down onto the bed. "Well, you're not wrong."

He gave her a curious look. "What's up? You seemed... off today. Well, more than usual."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Everything, Shawn. My dad's obsessed with Karen, my mom is suddenly everywhere at school, and-ugh, I'm just so tired of it all."

Shawn leaned back against her headboard, crossing his arms. "Parents. They make things complicated, don't they?"

"Understatement of the year," she muttered. After a pause, she added, "It's like my dad forgot I even exist. He's so busy with Karen, and I'm just... here. Alone."

Shawn nudged her shoulder lightly. "Hey, you're not alone. You've got us... me."

Lily turned her head to look at him, her expression softening. "Thanks, Shawn."

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence. Then Shawn smirked, breaking the quiet. "So, what are you working on? Math? Science? Or just general brooding?"

She laughed, nudging him playfully. "Just brooding, obviously."

Shawn grinned, and they settled back into a comfortable conversation, the weight of Lily's worries lifting, if only for a little while. With Shawn there, the world didn't feel quite so overwhelming.