The Quiet One

Chapter Twenty-Three - Final Night

I look down at my paper as I walk up to my teacher to turn it in. My last final of my Junior year of high school.

Ever since hearing that Kat won't be coming back next year, I have been thinking about getting my diploma early too. But I don't want to keep copying her, it's time that I'm going to have to face the fact that Kat is actually leaving.

I sigh start walking home, even if I were to not go back to school, I'm not even sure what I would do instead. Work at the coffee shop for the rest of my life?

I haven't prepared to get into any colleges, and I doubt that any will let me in this late. I'm not even sure if that's something I want to do... what would I even study?

Suddenly my phone starts buzzing, and I see Kat on the screen.

"Hey, how do you think you did on Mr. Kaunlins final?" I answer.

I pause and hear Kat crying on the other end of the line, "Dawn... will you come over..." I hear her shuffle around in the background moving things, "I really need you right now.."

I pick up my pace, "Kat what's going on?" I start to panic, she's supposed to leave tomorrow morning to move into her new dorm in New York City for the NYU high school program, and she's been freaking out about it all week.

"Dawn... I..." She pauses like she wants to tell me something but stops herself. She is acting very weird.

"Kat are you okay?" I see her house from around the corner, "I'm almost to your house..."

She seems to finally stop moving around her room panicking, "Okay I need to tell you something..." I hear her pause and take a breath, "I cheated on Joey..."

I feel myself making a confused face, "Kat it's okay, I'm sure that...."

Kat cuts me off whisper yelling into the phone, "No I mean I cheated cheated on him Dawn, I'm such a fucking idiot." I hear her throw something in the background. "I'm so mad at myself, and I just told him and..."

This time I cut her off, "Wait, go back what happened... what did he say, I'm sure that he will be fine it was just a kiss..."

"No Dawn this time it wasn't," Kat cuts me off again and I suddenly understand what she's trying to tell me.

I get to her front door and answer, "I'm here, I'll be right up!" I hang up and walk into the house, and nearly run up her stairs. Her mom won't be home from her double shift for a few more hours.

Opening her door, I immediately walk over and hug Kat. She hugs me back and starts to ball in my arms.

As I slowly rock a sobbing Kat in my arms I look around the room to see the damage. Half of her things are neatly packed up into boxes or suitcases. Even her bedding is packed away, the last of her clothes that should have gone into her last suitcase is all over the room.

I slowly start talking to her, "So what happened...?"

She talked with her head still on my shoulder, "I told Joey everything and..." she lets out a sob, "He said that he already figured"

I pull away from Kat in surprise, to look at her face for more answers.

She looks mad, to say the least, "I was so mad that he would think I was a cheater, but..." she looks down at her lap, "I guess I don't really have the right to be mad since he was right..."

"Kat...I know that you're not like that. You've obviously been in love with your mystery guy forever." I smile at her

She gives me a half-smile back, "That wasn't even the worst part." She wipes her tears and sits up more to get ready to tell me her story, "He only cared about who the guy was..." She gives a sad laugh, "Which I'm sure you know I didn't tell him..."