Behind Classroom Doors II

CV- Life Goes On

I went to Brookview to tell both my friends and my family about the love of my life. Even though my parents' reaction is still unclear, I feel fulfilled knowing my friends support me. I felt sad saying goodbye to them but I promised to see them on Christmas break. To my surprise, Becca and Jenny went with us to the airport and met Shawn for the first time as my boyfriend instead of my teacher. It was actually really nice.

    The moment we landed in New York I was reminded of my new life here. One where secrets are still alive unlike back home. I try not to focus on it as we head back to Shawn's apartment. He holds my hand the entire way there, rubbing my thumb in a comforting gesture. It makes me feel like he knows exactly what's been on my mind. Perhaps he does.

    We step inside the apartment and drop our bags immediately. The apartment is smaller than his house but I love it just the same. "What are your plans for today?" I ask Shawn.

    He looks at the watch on his wrist before answering. "I have some prepping to do for classes this week. I should get started actually."

    As much as I'd love to stay and watch him get to work, I have something else I should do today. "I should get back to my dorm and let Katie know how things went." I grab my bag from the floor and grab the door handle.

    Shawn's words stop me from turning it. "Are you doing okay?"

    I look at him over my shoulder. "Actually I feel better than I have in a long time. I'll see you in class, Mr. Morgan." I offer him a wink before opening the door and leaving. Thankfully I parked my car here and rode with him to the airport.

    The ride back to my dorm is short with surprisingly little traffic. The weather is much colder here so I had to rush to my room where the heat would be on. "Hey Katie." I say as I walk in. I throw my bag on my bed and grab the nearest blanket to wrap around myself. Then I turn to see Katie sitting at the edge of her bed with tears pooling in her eyes. "Oh Katie, are you okay? What's wrong?" I move to sit beside her on the bed.

    She sniffles and hiccups. "Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just that my dad and I got into a huge fight."

    "On Thanksgiving?"

    She nods. I know the feeling. "I just tried to talk to him on the phone and work things out but-" Katie cuts herself off, crying at the mere thought of the argument. I lift my hand up to rub her back. "God, I'm a mess."

    I offer my friend a smile. "It's okay, what was the fight about?" Hopefully she doesn't mind me asking.

    Katie wipes her face and then turns to look at me. "He was just trying to make me feel guilty throughout the whole dinner about how I'm never home. Then he tried to get me to move out of the dorms and move back home. It was ridiculous."

    "That was a big ask of him. You don't need to put your life on hold for anyone, Katie. You're in college, all you need to focus on is you and your future." I've never met her dad, but from what I've gathered, he's strict and controlling.

    "I tried to explain to him that I'm an adult now but he's acting crazy. We used to fight all the time my senior year. It's like the closer I got to moving out of the house and going to college, the more controlling he got. It took all I had to make it here to the dorms." Her story seems eerily similar to mine. The only difference is her father didn't want to lose his only child. It doesn't matter though, it doesn't excuse his actions. Katie shrugs, "I guess I just figured that once I was actually moved out things would be different."

    My hand on her back comes to a halt. Instead I wrap my arm around her and pull her in for a hug. It surprises her but she hugs me back. Her father is the only family she has left in New York. If he can't see that she's an adult now then that's on him. "None of this is your fault." I promise her.