Daughter ✯ Kellic

Chapter Eleven

I fucked up my update schedule hahaha. also!! Vic fucking Fuentes and Danielle fucking Victoria liked fanart I drew of Danielle on my Instagram page and I nearly had a heart attack. I'm still shaking and it was hours ago. (you can follow me @ zacc.art btw.)
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I had never met Katelynne before-- I had absolutely no desire to. Why would I want to meet the mother of my boyfriend's child that seemed to be nothing more than a deadbeat? I'm sure Kellin never wanted to see her again either, but it happened a while ago too. He saw her; didn't speak to her, but she was back in town apparently. He didn't think much of it until now because now it's a problem.

We were under the idea that she moved far away, something Kellin assured me of when we first became close friends. He told me everything he believed to be true and I accepted as truth because I wasn't going to take him for a liar. Kellin never has been a very good one, anyway. Katelynne's return was simply under the radar, shocking both of us and leaving Kellin a mess of tears and anxiety. I tell him something about her having no case against him and he replies through a fit of sobs that she'd find something.

I then ask him something I had been avoiding for the longest time, but if there was any time to bring it up, it was now. "What have you been doing when you leave the house all the time?" He looked up at me from his place on my lap, his legs draped over me and the edge of our bed. He shook his head and then buried his face deep into my side again. "Kellin, please."

"I-I haven't been doing anything good," he began. His voice was shaky and weak, like he just knew admitting to whatever he was about to admit to was a terrible idea. It probably is, but I need to know. If it's as bad as I'm thinking, Katelynne may have more of a chance of taking Copeland away than either of us will want to believe. Kellin loudly swallowed down a mess of saliva and phlegm, leaning back to look at me once again. "When I'm with Oli I'm high. When I'm with Alex I'm drunk. I don't mean for it to happen but it always does."

Hearing that stung like a bitch. "Well, you still take care of Copeland and are still a full-time student. She can't hold anything you don't admit to against you," I say, rubbing his arm in an attempt to calm him down. We aren't technically together anymore, but I don't think he has anyone else that would comfort him the way I do. It's a matter of personality, I suppose. I've always acted in a paternal manner with those I care about.

"She's going to find a way, Vic." He sounded so defeated, his voice weak like he couldn't bother putting any more effort into his speech. "She's taking me to court since I won't willingly hand Copeland over. I'd do shared custody -- I would -- but she doesn't want that." He sighed. "You should come with me as proof that Copeland is in good hands. I wouldn't look good on my own."

I nod hopefully. "Just under one condition," he continues, his voice quieter than before. "We can't say we've ever been in a relationship. We don't know how the judge could rule based on a bias." It's shady and I'm not a fan of that, but Kellin is right. "In court, you've always been just a friend."

• • •

The preparation for court has not been a fun one. I called a lawyer and asked if this was something we could have a professional speak on our behalf for, and she said she'd gladly work on the case with us. She brought over a handful of legal documents and agreements that Kellin had to sign to, and we officially had a lawyer on our side. She whispered to us as if it was some kind of secret, "Your case is already looking good. Ms. Lahmann has next to nothing to hold against you." It was a relief, but we were both still anxious.

The court date loomed on our calendar like we had marked the end of the world. Kellin had heard nothing more from Katelynne, but he was still preparing to defend himself from any alegations thrown his way. Obviously, he would have to lie about any of the drugs and alcohol that he had been involved with, but he promised me that Katelynne was in the dark about all that. But it didn't stop there. It got worse.

Kellin was more frustrated than I had ever seen him on one particular night, literally shaking and practically ripping hair from his scalp. I could tell by the way he was staring down that the room was spinning and he couldn't seem to get enough oxygen, but he didn't want my help. I reached out a hand to simply rub his shoulder and he slapped it away. I'm more sensitive than I care to admit, which made that hurt my feelings more than he would realize. In a moment of desperation I reached out to the first person in my recent calls, the last thing I expected to do.

Sure, I felt bad leaving Kellin. But since when is it my job to babysit him? We aren't even together anymore, meaning I should have even less to do with him. One time over at Jaime's house turned into another, it became a way for me to run away from everything instead of facing it. Mike knew something was up, and on one of the days that he finally had Tony back over the two watched me closely. I saw them, they weren't inconspicuous at all, so I laughed it off and gave my regular departing words. "I'm going out."

I heard Mike turn to Tony and whisper something along the lines of, "Seems like Kellin isn't the only shady one in this house anymore" and it gave me something to think about as I walked down the street. I stopped having Jaime pick me up directly in front of the house out of the fear of someone seeing us and thinking I'm an idiot for forgiving someone that was a huge part of my life. Once I was beside him, I sighed and rested my head against the headrest in defeat.

"Okay, you can't keep it from me any longer: what the hell is bothering you?"

So I told him about Kellin and I separating and the legal issues Katelynne wanted to add onto that. And by opening my God damn mouth, I only made it worse.