Behind Classroom Doors

XXXI- The Walk of Shame on Thanksgiving Day

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"Livia, Livia wake up." I feel myself being nudged.

"What?" I ask groggily, I'm not ready to wake up.

"I really need to get up," He chuckles from under me.

I wrap my arm around him and nuzzle my head in his neck. My eyes open completely and I realize who I'm with. I move away from Shawn and off the bed, "Oh no, no, no." Shawn puts his hands on his head in an attempt to calm down his headache. "Dean, I left him. I can't believe I fell asleep."

Shawn stands up and walks over to me, "As much as I'd love to argue about what a big mistake you made, I'm hungover and I really have to pee." He leaves the room to go to the bathroom. Meanwhile I look for my shoes and contemplate what I'm going to say to Dean. When I can't find them Shawn walks in and points to bed, "Check under the bed."

I successfully find them and put them on. Next, I check my phone to find numerous messages and missed calls. "Great." I say, looking up at Shawn, "I just left them and never came back. What do I tell them?" Mainly what do I tell Dean?

I know he feels guilty but I can't get into it right now. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you." He comes up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder.

He's trying to comfort me but I pull away, "It's fine, I have to go. Can you call an uber to get back to your car?" When he nods I grab my purse and make my way downstairs. Shawn follows me but doesn't say anything until I open the door.

"Livia." I look up at him, "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving." Just like that I'm gone, left to come up with the explanation of a lifetime.

My mom makes her way to the stove as she asks, "When is Dean supposed to be here?" Dean, my boyfriend. The man that I've been with for three years and completely ditched at a party last night. I know he ditched me at school once or twice but that doesn't make what I did okay.

"He's on his way." I assure her. I told everyone my cousin Sarah had an emergency. She lives about an hour away so my whereabouts made a little sense. I told him my phone died and I just stayed the night. Dean wasn't ecstatic but he understood, I just pray he doesn't bring it up during dinner.

Just as my mom finishes up, the doorbell rings. I walk over to the door and let Dean inside, "Perfect timing the turkey just got done."

"It smells amazing." He compliments as he kisses my cheek.

I guide Dean into the living room with my dad, "I'm going to go help mom, you guys play nice."

My dad frowns, "I'm always nice." He shakes Dean's hand as a greeting and says, "I forgot you have a good grip. Let's sit down, I have football on." Once Dean seems content I make my way into the kitchen and start stirring the mashed potatoes on the stove.

"Those should be about done." My mom says. I nod, taking it off the stove and finding a bowl to put it in. "You weren't here when we got in last night."

This is her way of asking where I was. Sometimes I wish she'd just ask, "Some guy in my grade threw a party so we all went. I didn't drink so you don't have to worry." I give her a small smile to let her know I'm doing okay.

She grabs as many things as she can carry while I do the same and follow her into the dining room. It's a bit more closed off then the kitchen, "What about school? Is that going well?"

I place the food neatly on the table, "It's good, I even became a TA."

At this my mom's face lights up, "Really? What class is that?"

We make our way back into the kitchen for the last of it, "History, I mainly just grade assignments and staple papers but it's fun."

"Are we talking about Mr. Morgan?" Dean asks when he walks in with my dad behind him. "I came to see if you needed anything Mrs. Gardner." He explains.

"It's been three years Dean, call me Olivia." She reminds him and then says, "Thank you but everything is ready, you can take a seat while Danny carves the turkey."

Dean pulls out my chair and waits until I sit to push it in. He then takes his seat beside me and grabs my hand under the table. Once the food is on plates and we begin eating my mom continues with her endless topics. "You never told me about how your anniversary dinner went."

"You haven't been around." I mentally kick myself for how rude that sounded. "I'm sorry." I apologize.

"It's okay, we know we're not home as often as we'd like to be." I want to argue that it's bullshit, that they can choose to not accept clients who live all over the country.

Thankfully, Dean cuts in with his boyish smile and charm turned all the way up, "I took her to a lake to a romantic candlelit dinner, she loved it."

"Wow, it sounds like you guys are doing okay." My father chimes in.

Dean squeezes my hand under the table as he speaks up, "Actually, we're doing better than okay. I asked Livia to marry me, after high school of course."

I'm almost in as much shock as my parents. We said we wouldn't tell them yet, he completely disregarded thought on the subject. "Well you have my blessing, we think you're perfect for our daughter." My dad agrees once the shock sets in.

"Oh my God this is perfect! Do you have a ring?" I take the ring out of my pocket and slip it on to show them. Regardless of how mad at Dean I am for telling them before I was ready, they seem pretty happy for me. My mom gasps as she takes in the diamond on my finger, "It's beautiful!"

The rest of dinner is spent talking about possible wedding dates and then shifted into my parents wedding day. Once we were finished my parents shooed the both of us to my room while they cleaned up.

When we get up to my room and close the door Dean grabs my waist and pulls me to him, "I think that went well." He beams.

I shake my head, "You weren't supposed to tell them today, we agreed." I pull away from him.

"I didn't think it mattered, they were going to find out eventually." He counters, completely blind to why I'm mad about this.

"That's not the point Dean." At this point I'm whisper yelling so that my parents can't hear us, "You knew I wanted to wait so why did you tell them?"

Dean comes in close, grabbing the both of my shoulders, "Because I can feel I'm losing you."

His grip becomes tighter causing me to wince, "Dean, you're hurting me."

"You don't think you're hurting me too? I don't know what part of I can't lose you you don't understand." His jaw is clenched as he brings his face closer to mine, "I played your little therapy game but I'm back in control now." My shoulders are throbbing with pain as he threatens me. "Do you understand or do I need to make you understand?"

I can't help the tears that stream down my face as I say, "I understand."

I take a deep breath when Dean lets go of me completely. I begin sobbing when he grabs my face and starts to wipe my tears, "Hey, it's okay. Go clean yourself up, it's time for dessert." Just like that his demeanor has switched back to normal.

The last thing on my mind right now is pie but I do what I'm told, going to the bathroom and washing off any evidence of tears. When I come back out he opens the door for me with a big smile. I was wrong, he hasn't changed...he hasn't changed at all.