𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 { 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 | 𝟏 }

Chapter 18:Exposure

Somebody told me it was pointless for me to come back, into your arms

Said you fucked another man,

Finally I knew this day would come

-The Weeknd (Pretty)

✧✦✧

Thatch pov

And just when I thought that this rollercoaster was done, Kora had other plans.

"Come on," she demanded, "I just wanna pop in, apologise, then you can crash at mine." She insisted. "Can't we just go home, it's really fucking late." I sighed. "Please, it'll be quick, I promise!" She grinned. I looked at her, before sighing, "Alright...I'll drive us." Her cyan eyes lit up, "Oh you fucking legend! Come on let's go!" She cheered.

She pretty much dragged me into the car. She happily sat in the passengers seat, "Okay sooooooo~ if you're gonna have to jam with me..." She got out her phone, "You're gonna have to sing your throat out!" She states. "You make that sound like a hard thing." I say as I start her car. She flicked through her Spotify, "Just you wait, boy....just you wait."

The first song that blared on, was 'Pretty' by the Weekend.

"You never told me that you liked the Weeknd." I said. She shrugged, "Seems to me, that you don't know a lot about me." "Vice versa for you." I replied. From the corner of my eye, I saw her smirk, "Alright then, how about we get to know each other then." She said. "Thank god you didn't say truth or dare." "Oh fuck that game, besides I don't trust you doing a dare in my car." "Why do you love your car so much?" I asked. "Because....she was the first proper present that my Dad would let me buy for myself. Every other present in the past, he'd buy me something like school books, hair dye so that my hair would be straight purple-"

"Wait the black highlights are dyed?" I asked. "Obviously." "I thought that the purple was dyed." Kora laughed, "No, dingus. The purple is my natural hair colour....the black part is a reminder." "Of what?" Kora went silent, "My Mother..." She said. I looked at her, intrigued, "Your Mother?" I asked. "Mmmhmmm...My Father told me that my Mother's name was Seline. Seline, from what I've heard, was basically a Summer fling in the past. But then she ended up pregnant with me. Apparently, she didn't want to be a parent, so she dumped me off to Dad, and ran away." She twirled her hair in-between her fingers, "She had black hair, and I got her eyes." She looked at me, "I put in black highlights to remind myself to never be like her."

"Who does that to their own child? Who leaves their child behind? If I ever see that woman ever again, she's gonna be a Dead Girl Walking." Kora growled.

'Quickly change the subject.'

"I've never known my parents." I said. Kora looked at me. "I was given away to an adoption service as soon as I was born. I hated it there, so I ran away...then I found Pops. He took me in, along with Ace, Marco and everyone else. We were the ones that no one wants....Pops saw us as his family. So we all took the Whitebeard name...and we became his sons." I smiled to myself, "The adoption services that I came from tried to take me back, but the Old man told them to bugger off. That was the first time in my life where I felt like I belonged somewhere."

Kora clapped my shoulder, "So we're kinda the same then, somehow. We were abandoned, we hate our origins...." She looked at me, "The only difference we have, is that I still feel like I don't belong in that damn mansion." "Why don't you just live with us?" 

'Crap, why did I let that slip?!'

"What?" She asked. "Uh....just, maybe you could...run away and live with us?" I asked again, sounding unsure. "Oh that sounds like a dream! Except....I don't wanna leave Anahera and Napier behind." She mumbled, "If I leave, they'll be out of a job. I'm what's keeping them from living on the streets. I can't stand the thought of them possibly dying out there." She sighed. "We'll find a way." I assured, "I promise."

✧✦✧

Kora pov

"Don't take long." Thatch called as I got out of the car. "I'll text you if something happens." I called back. I jogged inside the party, and found that there was now strip poker being played. I pretty much rolled my eyes when I saw Marco flirting with this blonde and red eyed chick that I've seen around the science classrooms.

'Find Ace, he'll know where Shanks is.'

I push myself through the sweaty and the nicotine stained bodies to find that Ace was sucking face with a brown haired girl. I let out a tired sigh, before I flicked Ace in the ear, making him jump and the girl fall reveal all the hickies that scarred her neck. "Kora, can this wait?" He asked. "Mmmm no. Where's Shanks." I demand. Ace gave the girl a sorry look. "I saw him go upstairs, now can you bugger off?" He asked. I looked at the girl, "Hey what's your name?" I asked. "I-Itami?" She asked. I hum, "Right, well Itami, better keep this one on lock, wouldn't want any other girl to after him, hmm? Adios, muchachos."

'Shanks better not be jacking off upstairs, otherwise I'm gonna vomit all over his bed.'

I hike upstairs to his room. It took me a moment to realise that I didn't know which room he was in. I shrug to myself, and opened one door, to find a trashed bathroom, and an open box of condoms, all of which had holes. "Idiots..." I murmur, before switching the light off.

I spot a door, where it was open by a mere crack. The light was on inside, so I tip toed over to it. I could hear faint noises, and a lot of rustling around. Without a second thought, I kicked the door open. Immediately, the two bodies underneath the double bed sprang apart.

"What the fuck-"

All was frozen. Shanks and Valkiria both stared at me wide eyed. Valkiria desperately tried to hide the amount of hickies she was covered in, along with her exposed skin, but I had seen it all. Shanks was frozen. His scarlet red hair was a mess, and he was covered in lip stick stains. I took it all in. The clothes on the floor. The bed covering themselves. The hot stench of sweat, lube and Valkiria's perfume. The dimming of the lights. The open condom wrapper by Shanks's bed. The shocked look on their faces.

I was too late.