Paper Airplane [s.m]

Thirty-Three

"So you know how we've kept this dating thing on the down low?" Shawn brings up as we are walking to support group. I nod and wait for him to continue. We weren't hiding the fact they we're dating but we didn't go out and say it to the public.

"Well the word is out." He shrugs and sticks his hands in his pockets. It isn't snowing today but it's still very cold.

"How did people find out?" I ask, breathing into my cold hands and then rubbing them together. It warmed me up a bit but not much.

"When I came to your school, someone took a picture of us together and tweeted it." He explains.

"Okay."

We don't really mind that the word is out. We weren't hiding it so we won't do anything differently now.

"Bye." I say and walk into support group.

After saying how we feel, we start talking about a girl in the group. She says she's upset because her dad wants her to live with him but she doesn't want to leave her friends. Her living situation is awful because her mom is verbally abusive. The girl keeps making excuses for her.

"I think that if you're safer or happier living with your dad, you should move in with him." Mrs. Holly says.

"I'm happy with my mom though. She can't be alone." She says.

"Do you want to stay with your friends or your mom?" Mrs. Holly asks. She only frowns. We all know the answer to that question.

My current situation with Shawn is almost similar to her problem. He wants me to go to tour with him and I don't want to leave my friends and family. Of course I don't have an abusive parental figure but it's almost the same.

"You should move in with your dad." I speak up. "You can always text your friends and visit them, but you really need to get away from your mom." I tell her. I really don't want to offend her, I just want to help.

"Thank you, I think I agree, I'm just scared to start a whole new life at a new high school right before I graduate." She explains. She's a senior in high school, like me, but she attends a different school.

In the end, she decides to move into her dads apartment in downtown New York. We all hug her and tell her to stay for at least one more week. We want to throw her a going-away party since she won't be attending this Support group anymore.

Shawn is waiting for me outside when I leave the building. He has somebody with him though. Collin is chatting with Shawn against the wall. Their noses are red from the wind and cold. Aaron walks out right behind me and we both hug our boyfriends.

"We should hang out." Collin suggests.

"I have to work on my college applications tonight." I frown. I've already applied to NYU in advance. But I may not get accepted so I'm applying to many colleges in the area.

"Awe that sucks, talk to you later though." Aaron touches my shoulder and then they walk away.

"Can I help?" Shawn asks, referring to my college applications.

Now I'm sitting on my bedroom floor with my laptop in front of me. Shawn is looking through my art journal while laying on my bed.

"I like this one." He shows me my drawing of himself.

"Haha. How funny." I roll my eyes.

"You have mail, Roni." Daisy says and throws envelopes at me. I scoff and pick them up from around me. The first one is a letter from my grandma in Florida.

"It's a birthday card. She's a little late." I chuckle.

"Hm?" Shawn asks and pokes his head up.