🏁 Tetrology Of The Sea - Book 1: From The Sea 🪼🔨💻 💞 🔮

Nineteen

A week or so went by and Shana began to worry about Travis' absence at school She really hoped that nothing had happened to him. She decided that she was going to visit him again after school and asked Aylin to come with her.
"Why? It's been peaceful without him here. He's usually causing someone to be snarky." He said, closing his locker. "Besides, I'm not the one who had sex with him. What, you mad he hasn't called or something?"
"No. You're so crude sometimes, you know?"
"It was a one night stand that you're trying to make into a relationship or something. Get a grip, Shana. You prided yourself on being a virgin but that's gone now and you're acting like your little cheerleader friends. It's a bit angering to see you sniveling and pining."
"No need to get rude." Shana growled as she crossed her arms. "All I asked was if you'd come see him with me."
"Then no."
"Asshole."
She pushed him a little and went to her class.
After school she went over to Ruth's house and knocked on the door. Ruth answered the door.
"Shana."
"Hey, Ms. Ruth, is Travis in?"
"No, I'm afraid not. He's not here."
"Oh... well, is he okay? I mean he hasn't been to school in a while."
"He's taking some time away from here. After the last beating, he thought it would be best if he got away to clear his head and recover a little faster."
"Oh... um... Nothing bad happened to him, did it? I mean he's not really in the hospital and you're not telling me."
"Of course not. I wouldn't be home if he were in the hospital, you should know that."
"Right." She said with a nod. "Okay well, just tell him I'm thinking about him and that I hope he gets better."
"Will do."
She left and went home, still thinking it strange that he had left town.

Ruth grabbed her purse and then got in her car. She went to the grocery store and picked up a few things before she headed out of the small town to a more secluded cabin that was a few yards into a small wooded area. She knocked on the door and Travis opened the door.
"Bought some things for dinner."
"Thanks! Josh isn't with you?"
"No. I barely escaped Shana." She said, pushing her way into the door. "How's the baby?"
"Fine." He said, putting his hand on his bigger belly and closing the door. "I thought I felt a kick but I think it was gas."
Ruth set the bags down and looked at her son. He was wearing his glasses again and the black dye in his hair was beginning to grow out. In the past few weeks she had seen a magnificent change in him and she hoped he was mellowing out. Not only in his attitude but his stomach. The growth was remarkable, for he looked like he was already three months along even though he wasn't that far into the first month of pregnancy.
"Have you thought of any names? By the way you're growing, you might be able to see the baby earlier than if you were human."
Travis looked at his stomach. "You think?"
"Looks like. Seahorse gestation periods are very short and if my math serves me and we have between three and five months for your gestation period. So we should be ready for anything that happens. This also depends on what sort of seahorse you actually are and such and a bunch of arithmetic I don't want to handle."
Travis chuckled and helped his mother put his groceries away.
"I've been thinking and I was wondering if you would let me live here when the baby is born."
"You want to stay here?"
"Yeah. It's cozy, off the beaten path, and there are more opportunities job wise for me to try out. Besides, they have a dance academy here."
"Dance academy?"
"I've been thinking and I think I want to try and become a professional dancer."
"Why?" Ruth said bluntly.
Travis was a little taken aback by her abruptness.
"Um... because I've always thought I'd be good at it? Are you mad about it or something?"
"You're so gifted and you want to dance?"
"It's not like ballet, Ma. I'm talking ballroom dancing."
"You want to become a professional ballroom dancer? Travis, where are you supposed to do the competitions? What about your child?"
"Calm down, Ruth!" He said angrily, pulling off his glasses. "God, if I had known you were going to be a bitch about it, I wouldn't have brought it up. I thought you out of everyone would support my decision."
"I support it but I don't understand it. Travis, I just want to know you'll be able to provide... It's not just you anymore but a child. I know you would never do anything to put it in harm's way or neglect it but just think about your financial future."
"I am and I was going to have a second job when I'm not dancing, duh, old woman."
Ruth let her anger fade a little and sighed heavily.
"Do what you think is best, Travis, but don't forsake hard work for a fantasy."
"I'm not. I know what I'm doing."
"Okay."
They cooked dinner together and watched a little TV before Ruth went back home.

A couple more weeks went by and Shana was about to have a fit. Travis had been gone for far too long and now she was worried. Craig noticed she was tense and went to massage her shoulders. She jumped and accidentally shouldered him in the chin.
"Okay... I guess that's not good to do."
She sighed. "Sorry, Craig, I didn't mean to hurt you. You startled me."
"You're jumpy lately. Is there a reason?"
"Just thinking about something that's worrying me and going off into my own little world."
"Ah... Hey I haven't seen that little geek that usually is always staring at you. Where's he been?"
"Like you don't know. You beat him up."
"Hey, now that's not fair. I have done no such thing." He said, turning her around. "I haven't touched the kid ever since you begged me not to."
"Then why was he beaten up and lying in the middle of my road about a month and a half ago? It was right after I told you not to hurt him."
"I swear that I had nothing to do with that. I take pride in the things I do and leaving someone in the street isn't something to be proud of. You hurt him enough he can't stand up straight unless he chooses to but you never leave him completely down unless he decides it on his own."
"So you didn't put a bag over his head?"
"Shana, I might be some things but shamed I am not. I would never hide what I've done and I'd never hide from the one I'm going for. What kind of person you think I am?"
"Right now I'm trying to figure that out... You spit it out so coolly and nonchalant, like you didn't hurt anyone in the process. Have you ever been beaten up, Craig? It's not like when you get punched by an angry ex or by her angry ex. Think about being beaten over and over with a blunt but heavy object that's not bad enough to hurt but it bruises. It's nothing to be gloating over."
With that, she got up and headed toward her class.
After school let out, she went to see about Travis when she passed Ruth going away from her house. For the past couple of weeks, she'd watched how Ruth left at a certain time every day. Shana decided that she was going to follow her since she was already in her car and so kept a good car length behind her to keep hidden. When she got to where she was following, she found that there was already a car there and so passed by a little toward the city so that she could come back later when there were no cars.

Around 9:00, Shana passed by the house again and saw there were no cars. She cursed them for being there in the first place and slightly making her go to the city, where she found some really good sales and spend most of her money. She found some cute things but she really didn't need them but she needed to pass the time.
She pulled into the long drive and was pleasantly surprised to find a cottage there. Shana got out and looked around at the small secluded place and saw Travis' car in the far corner. It looked like it hadn't been moved, for there was a small halo of overgrown weeds that a lawnmower couldn't get because of something blocking it. The lights were still on so she hoped she wasn't waking him up. She cautiously knocked on the door and waited.
The door opened up as Travis started saying, "I thought you might be coming back-"
Shana stared with wide eyes at Travis' very noticeable stomach under a shirt that was just a little too tight as he held a pan in his hand.
"Well. This is awkward." He said with almost a defiant look toward her. "There a reason you're here?"
"Travis, are you pregnant?"
"It ain't a beer belly." He said with a frown.
Shana pushed her way into the house.