Too Young (Travlyn Fic)

Katelyn

At first I don't know where I am.
The room is dark and I'm lying on a mattress with a thin blanket over top of me.
This is not my room.
Then I remember. The memory hits me like a truck. I'm in one of Donna's apartments. The one I'm renting. My apartment. I blink. There's a aching in my stomach as the urge to throw up overcomes me. I sit up so fast I feel dizzy. My hand flies to my mouth as I struggle to keep the puke down.
Don't throw up. But I can't hold it back anymore.
My feet hit the cold floor as I sprint to the toilet.
I still kinda feel like I'm about to cry. I miss my old life. It's only been two days. Two days since I left my normal life.
I miss Aphmau, I miss Kasey, I miss my Dad, I miss Alina. I miss going to school.
But most of all, I miss Travis.
I throw up again.
"Breathe, Katie," I whisper. "Breathe."
I didn't unpack last night. Not a single thing. It was the last thing on my mind. I only took out a blanket. I slept in my clothes. The same clothes I've had on for two days now.
Maybe it will feel more like home when I unpack. Maybe it will. Maybe it will feel less like a strange, empty house.
Because this place still feels strange. It feels like when we use to go on vacation. Like a hotel. Not a home. But this is my home now. Not a hotel. This is where I live.
So I begin unpacking. I put my bag on the bed, my bed, and I empty it of the few belongings I brought. I hum as I unpack the few clothes I now own and put them into the chest of drawers.
The only stuff I have is for my bedroom. There are dishes that Donna gave me because I don't own any, but they are in the kitchen. Those don't really feel like mine.
I think I'm done, then I see something I don't remember putting in the bag. But I must of absentmindedly. It's a small white teddy bear. Travis gave it to me... was it three years ago now? I feel my eyes begin to water. Don't cry, Katelyn. I blink a few times, before I pick up Teddy. His fluffy fur feels soft against my fingers. I give him a hug. He feels like home and reminds me of Travis.
Carefully, I set Teddy on my nightstand. I think he's one of the most important things I own.
I look around my room, which doesn't take long because it's small.
It doesn't look anything like my room back at home did. No. Stop thinking like that. This is my home now.
It's cozy, because it's small. I like that it's cozy, but I don't know what to do when I have a child running around here.
A child. My child.
I've never really thought of it like that. That one day, in about eight months, I will hold a baby in my arms. My baby.
Oh how am I going to provide for my baby? A few thousand dollars won't last nine months with a baby.
You need a job, I tell myself. You need to find one. But first you need food. And since there is no food in the house, I need to leave.

I take the bus to downtown. On the way, I search for shop windows for help wanted posters. None to be found.
As I walk the streets I see something. It's a bright coloured cafe. The sign reads Coco's. I remember it. I remember going there before because there is a branch in Phoenix Drop. I push on the door. It's unlocked. As I step in, I see a closed sign. Why is the door unlocked if it's closed. And what cafe is closed at ten in the morning. As I enter, the the first thing that I hear is yelling.
"What do you mean she quit! She signed a contract!"
"I don't know! She just sent an email saying she quit!"
I stand there awkwardly at the door of the empty cafe as a large man argues with a teen boy. Or I think he's a teen boy. He looks younger than me. 
The boy notices me. He frowns and then he motions for me to leave. The man turns around. He looks irritated and frustrated. I should know what that looks like. I am often such.
"Did you not see that we are closed!"
I flinch. Be your usual brave self. Come on. Don't be scared.
"The door wasn't locked," I say smoothly. His face goes red. "And what cafe is close now?"
Don't back off, Katelyn. Don't show fear.
I need to be me. I need to be who I was before the pregnancy hormones kicked in. I need to be brave. I need to be strong.
And I can't break down crying. 
"Look, Missis Smarty Pants, my entertainment just quit on me all of a sudden and I'm not in a good mood. So I would appreciate if you would leave before I say something I regret."
Entertainment? An idea hits me with full force. I need a job. I think I found one.
Unless of course he says no. Then my plan is ruined.
"I can sing."
The boy's face lights up. He seems excited, but the man seems suspicious. He furrows his brow. I feel his judgmental gaze, inspecting me. I feel nervous. If he says no, I know I will cry. I can just feel the tears. Two months ago, I wouldn't. But now, I think I would.
"Well that's mighty convenient. I've had people try to convince me before. These people lied."
"I really can. I took private music lessons for years," I lie. I'm lying just like he said others did. But I need this job. And I did take music all through high school. High school which I will never finish. I blink. Don't think about that now. Focus.
"Give her a chance Uncle. Please," the boy begs. Thank you, whatever your name is.
The man bites his lip.
"What is your name?" He asks.
"Katie Lynne."
"How old are you Katie?"
"Twenty-one," I reply. "Please, sir. Please, I kinda need a job. Nowhere else is hiring."
The man sighs.
"Fine. You win. You start in an hour."

I sit on the piano seat, my fingers tapping my lap anxiously. I don't know what to sing. I don't know.
I hear the light footsteps. Jason. I've noticed in the short time I've  been here, he seems not to walk, but skip.
"You ready, Katie."
It's still a little bit of a shock to here strangers call me Katie. Even though Donna called me Katie all yesterday, Donna feels more like family.
I look at him. He's smiling. I force myself to smile. I nod, but in my mind I'm screaming no.
"Good luck."
Jason grabs the microphone, raising it to his mouth. He does everything with speed. Kind of like how I do most things, especially things I don't want to do.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Please welcome our newest performer, Katie Lynne," he says laughing. It's a pretty informal cafe. It's fancy, but not fancy enough to introduce people. I feel slightly awkward. What I do? Some people laugh, other's applaud. I just want to go hide in a hole.
Jason places the microphone back. I take a deep breath. Only one song is in my mind now.
"Go ahead, Katie," he says. He makes a thumbs up, before leaving the platform.
I've never really preformed in front of strangers. Not alone. I was always with family or in a choir.
I close my eyes and pretend I'm at Aphmau's house.
"Baby, know a place where we can go. Where it's always shining like the snow. Listen to your heart, babe, don't you know? That I just want to be with you!"
A small tear drips down my face as I think of Travis. Because that's all I want. I just want to be with him.
I realize the whole cafe is silent. The idle conversation and clanging of forks hitting plates has stopped. They are all listening to me. To me. I never thought this would happen. I take another deep breath.
"Baby, know a place where we can go. Where it's always shining like the snow. Listen to your heart, babe, don't you know? That I just want to be with you!"