Lost & Insecure

Twenty-Two - One Month Down...

The sun peered through Katie's long white drapes and smacked her in the face, screaming at her to wake up. Katie grunted and rolled over, throwing a pillow over her face to shield herself from the daylight.

"Well someone's grumpy this morning."

Katie's eyes shot open at the sound of Dana's voice beside her. Seeing Dana lying beside her, Katie's eyes widened and she slowly rose to sit up in her bed. She looked around the room not recognizing much of what she saw.

"Babe, are you okay?" Dana sat up and gently placed one hand on the small of Katie's back, and the other on Katie's leg. Katie looked at Dana and smiled, nodding. Dana sent Katie her signature half smile giving Katie those familiar killer bees in return. "Come on," Dana suggested, "the kids are probably anxiously waiting to open their presents."

"Presents?" Katie cocked her head in confusion.

"Yes?" Dana sent an equally confused expression towards Katie. "It is Christmas, last time I checked."

"Wait...Kids?" Katie's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about your own children."

"My what?" Katie's voice cracked. Before she could say another word, her alarm sounded and Katie was awoken from her dream. Katie shot out of bed, practically slamming the alarm clock on the floor. Katie's mother heard the noise and knocked on Katie's door checking to make sure everything was alright. "Everything's fine, mom." Katie reassured her.

"Well make sure you're getting ready for school. It's your last week before winter break." Katie heard her mom's footsteps leaving.

Katie sighed and glanced out of her window. She sighed once again remembering that Dana didn't belong waking up beside her. She belonged across the street, in another bed, in another room, and in another house. Just as Katie was making her way towards the bathroom her phone buzzed.

Katie glanced at the message: Good morning, gorgeous. Congratulations, you've officially put up with dating me for one month. How lucky are you?

Katie smiled and walked towards her window. Across the street she could see Dana was standing in front of her own window. Dana waved and Katie smiled, and then replied to Dana's message. Dana pulled her phone out of her back pocket and smiled at the message, but when she looked up, Katie was already gone.

Dana looked down reading the message over again before smiling and continuing her daily morning routine.

"Very."

Dana, Eddie, and Katie all exited Dana's car groaning at the thought of school. Eddie groaned twice over, remembering it was only Monday. The three made their ways inside the building. Katie split from the two others swiftly and silently, and Dana followed Eddie to his locker.

"I don't get it." Eddie shook his head. "It's been a month – officially – unofficially, it's been a long time coming. So why are you two still hiding?"

Dana shrugged, leaning against the cold metal of the lockers, "She's not comfortable yet, Ed. And I'm okay with that. I'm happy, she's happy. It's all good." Dana smiled at her cousin. "So what if I can't brag about dating the most beautiful girl in the school? She's all mine and that's all I could ask for." Dana smiled to herself.

Eddie's locker slamming snapped Dana out of her daydreams and yanked her back to reality. "Well, D," Eddie and Dana began making their ways to their classes, "I'm happy you're happy. Even if I don't understand the whole hiding and pretending you're just friends thing."