Education

 

Chapter 12: One Lesson at a Time

 

I woke with a start. My eyes were still focusing on the ceiling when I heard yelling outside the door. Despite not being fully awake, I jumped out of bed and walked to Shelly's bedroom door. Whatever the yelling had been, it was short, but I did hear the muffled drone of voices beyond the door.

Taking a moment, I tried the doorknob and nearly cried out. Wincing, I wrapped my aching hand with my other around the doorknob and opened the door a little to peek out. Someone passed, pacing the floor back and forth. I could already guess that to be Greg. I pressed the door to open a little more.

He was being quiet, looking in the general direction of where the couch was located out of my sight. His pace was quick and even, like he was doing this purposefully to concentrate on something other than what he looked at. The voices I heard resumed clearly.

"I'll make it right." That was Jeremy! ’How late did I sleep in?’

One of the two women spoke in response. "That's thoughtful of you, but not quite the problem here. Even if you take responsibility, we had an agreement and you still went out looking for her. I told you what happened to my daughter,” had to be Shelly, “even when threatened --"

"Who the fuck cares! You hurt her!" Greg threw a hand out and I heard both Shelly and Brittany cry out for him to stop. Now I knew who was yelling.

Either Shelly or Brittany tried to talk him down. "Greg, please go. We can both easily take care of this. If we need you, we'll call. Your room or the basement are fine." I watched Greg clench his fist until only a finger pointed towards the couch.

"Do anything to my family again --" The following sound I heard was bestial, a furious roar of frustration. I've heard it once before from Dad when Mom was right about something and he just couldn't step down fighting with her. ’What had Jeremy told them?’ As Greg stomped around to march into the kitchen -- I guessed to go down into the basement -- I had backed away to quickly grab the blanket that Shelly had used to keep me covered when I came in this morning.

Pushing the door open, I poked my head warily out to see who all was sitting on the couch. Backing instantly off, Brittany passed me to inspect the kitchen, not noticing I had stepped out of the bedroom until she turned around. She paused in mid-step, her eyes startled at seeing me before she relaxed and came over quickly by my side.

"Hey Sleepy-Head." Her arm slipped around me, and she hugged me to herself on our walk out into the living room. I got to see who was sitting on the couch. Jeremy sat in the middle with Shelly on a chair next to the couch. There was an impression on the cushion next to Jeremy, which I guess was where Brittany may have been sitting in a moment ago.

When Shelly saw me, she smiled. "Sorry Honey, did we wake you?" My response was a silently returned smile.

I looked from Shelly to Jeremy. He still appeared exhausted, but if he woke up startled -- like I had -- to find me gone, I could see why. ’Did he come here by foot or someone else escort him?’

Brittany was taking me to the couch. I went stiff when she almost sat me down next to Jeremy. After the stunned moment, she smoothly rubbed my back to ease me into settling down by his side. ’Were they told what he did?’ I assumed that had been revealed by how Greg reacted. ’Maybe not the full story?’

I kept my gaze forward, not daring to look up or acknowledge him any further than I had. Brittany moved around to my other side and sat on the arm rest next to me. Her hand continued to stroke over my shoulders and neck, trying to keep me calm by letting me know where she was, while Shelly brought me up to speed.

"Kim, while you were sleeping, Jeremy explained to us last night that there was an accident." ’Accident?’ "Did he hit you with a cue stick?" 

I suppose that one might have been an accident. Instinctively, I nodded down and poked my finger out the top of the blanket to feel if the swelling had gone down or not. It was faintly still there, a little raised, but better than it had been. Less tender than some other places.

Shelly nodded. "I see that now. Was that because you attacked him or did he come at you?" My mouth went dry for a second. ’Did they really want me to say that while sitting right next to him?’

"I -- he came and -- and I panicked. I did swing at him." Watching Shelly, I wondered why she sat back with her eyes closed. It looked like she had resigned herself. ’Did I do something wrong?’ "I thought he was -- at the time I -- I don't know, I just got scared and tried hitting him to get him away from me."

She nodded, sighed, and smiled at me as she opened her eyes back up. "I know that was what happened, but we can't report that. None of this."’Report?’

"Wait, I don't want to involve police." This was happening all wrong. I didn't want to burden Kim's family and now it sounded like I had fucked things up. "Please, I'm willing to drop everything, so we can forget it ever happened."

"I think you should remember it." I glanced at Jeremy speaking down to me. "You appeared to have learned a valuable lesson last night. Shelly told me you don't want to be called Kim anymore." My eyes turned to look at him more. He was fully dressed this time. Much like the rest of this society, he wore a dark suit with a white shirt beneath the coat without any regard of how hot that must’ve been in that outfit. He even had a formally knotted black tie!

"We could call you that name you suggested last night?" Brittany gave the top of my had a little rub. "Chase, was it?"

Quickly, I shot my eyes up to Brittany and shook my head. "That was supposed to be when I --" When I was going to pretend being a guy. I couldn't tell her that anymore. Not with Jeremy here. Not after last night. "No. Not Chase." I shook my head again and looked down.

"Do you have something in mind?" Shelly leaned forward and was staring at me with worry. "I still would love to call you Kim, but if it really makes you that uncomfortable, then I'd like to know."

My eyes closed as I shook my head. "Just grab a baby book and pick something."

"Bitch." I opened my eyes and stared up at Jeremy. Both Brittany and Shelly, after I had shot them a quick glance, didn't look very happy. "What? Don't like the name?" He looked down at me. "Then don't pretend you don't care what you're called." I got his point, but damn was that ever a crude way to tell me.

Turning to Shelly, "Can I have some time to think about it?" I watched her nod.

"I wasn't going to force you to decide now. I just want to have something to call you by in the meantime. Unless you are fine with me calling you Honey all the time?" ’Didn't she already do that?’ I agreed with a nod.

"I'm okay with that." I looked back up at Jeremy. "Did -- did you tell them all that happened last night?" The corner of his straight mouth curled slightly up and he gave me a shrug.

"I admitted my faults. The interrogation was explained in full detail. If you want to tell them anymore, be my guest." ’He didn't tell them about the rape!?’ I dropped my head and wanted to keep quiet, but it filled me with anger that he didn't take responsibility for that.

“That was all the wrongs you did to me?” I asked him that while keeping my head and face down, looking blankly at my lap. I clenched my hurting fists underneath the blanket to focus my pain elsewhere.

"Unless I am forgetting something. Please, be my guest and remind me of any omissions. Drinking tends to make the night difficult to recollect."’What was that supposed to mean!? He didn't remember or did he intend to act like what happened was a lucid dream?’ I shook my head.

"What about me." I flashed my eyes back up at him in anger. "Don't you remember what we did."

He raised his brows and had dropped the faint smile I’d seen. "What did we do?" ’Did he really not remember or was he messing with me?’

"That's enough." Both of us turned our faces away to look at Shelly. "Jeremy, you mentioned earlier that you wanted to make things right. Correct?"

"I will. What would you like me to do." So that was how it worked. He'll just pay them off and be on his merry way. I supposed that was fine. We all could forget this ever happened and I could return to -- 

I dropped my gaze from Shelly and shook my head, knowing I couldn't return to the way things were before last night. Maybe if I was born in this world and had the same fucked up mindset that these people had, but I was not from here. I had morals and lived by ethics that I thought were important.

Shelly had been quiet and it made me look back up to see she was watching me. Then she turned her gaze on Jeremy. "You and Kim wanted each other for a long time. She's the closest you will get."

“Mom!” Brittany halted her petting me when I heard her.

I paled and stared at Shelly in shock.

"Are you sure she's okay with that?" He spoke, but I was too far gone to pay attention. There was a moment of silence before I felt a hand under my chin direct me to face Jeremy. "Are you fine with that?"

I flinched away from him. "What! No! Why would I -- yah-- you were like a monster last night. I was terrified the whole time. I thought you'd kill me."

"I told you, I'm done. I will never be like that again, but if you are not okay with this..." He looked at Shelly and said, "Then neither am I."

It was incredible that Shelly even suggested this. I looked at her with stark disbelief. She pinched and rubbed between her eyes for a second.

"Give us two weeks." I raised a brow at that. ’Did she think I would change my mind?’ Brittany stepped away from me and confronted Shelly, but said nothing. Shelly looked up and past her pinching fingers to repeat, “Two weeks. I’m not saying yes or no.”

There was a strong emotion in Brittany’s voice, I couldn't tell if it was anger, sadness, just being upset, or what it was, but I knew she didn't like the deal just as much as me. “Mom, if she’s --”

"Understood." Jeremy had made his response and got up from the couch. "If I may have my vehicle back, I'll be off."

"I have the keys sitting on the kitchen table." Shelly dropped her hand from her face to point in that general direction. Brittany, being ignored, returned to my side and resumed petting me as gently as she could while shaking.

Jeremy took one step, but stopped.

Lifting my gaze back up to him, I watched as he turned to look between us three quietly for a moment. Then he made an announcement. "I'll be having a dinner party. If you all would like, I'll extend the invitation. Including Greg and his father." His green eyes came to settle down on me. "Please consider it. I can be a pleasant man."

My jaw tensed and I glared up at him, but I dropped it when Shelly and Brittany joined in a, "Thank you," and "We will be there." ’What the absolutely fucking-fuck!?’

"I'll have it sent." Then Jeremy walked out, leaned in a smooth move to snatch up his keys, and I heard the door shut as he left. I turned on Shelly, shrugging off Brittany in the process.

"What the fuck!?" I couldn’t hold back my anger. It was Greg's turn to come up wondering who was yelling, I supposed. I glanced at him as he entered, but returned to looking at Shelly. I was both confused and very upset at this kind of reception. "Are you selling me off --"

"No. That's not what is happening. Honey, understand that Kegan -- Jeremy isn't just anyone." Shelly's gaze lifted to Greg. I followed her gaze and stared at Greg for a moment.

"I'm not following. What are you saying?" I looked back at Shelly. "That his family or he's powerful? Has influence that could get us into trouble? What?" A sickening thought entered my mind. ’He's not some half-brother from another mother, is he?’ That caused a trickle of sweat to travel down my back.

Greg asked, "Should I be the one to tell her?" ’Tell me what?’ My attention went from Shelly to Greg.

It was Brittany that spoke. "Jeremy is -- he's Kegan." I shook my head, not knowing what that means. "I know you haven't had time to familiarize yourself with everything, but the state is ran by a Chancellor and Prime Minister. The country, one of the United Virginian Kingdoms, is still dictated by royalty to some degree." Cringing, I turned to face Brittany, getting a hint.

"Don't you dare tell me he's a prince." As soon as I told her that, Brittany’s found amusement in what I said and hurried tried hiding and drying her tears. She apparently got over her earlier outburst, smiled, and shrugged.

"Okay, I won't," she said with a sweet sing-song voice.

I buried my head down and stayed under the blanket. No way was I coming back out. While under the blanket, I had to wonder why Shelly wanted Greg to explain that. ’Couldn't she have nipped this big detail in the bud earlier without the suspense?’ I remained under and simply nibbled on my lower lip while the world could continue without me.

"It's not that big of a deal.” By proximity of voice, that was still Brittany. “Do you have any idea how many princes and princesses are around here?" If everyone was as open about their sex life like this family, I had an idea.

"So, what, Jeremy is like the fiftieth prince or something?" I heard Brittany go 'Pfft' and restrain her laughter. “Oh, I see, they lost count?” After a snort of laughter, Brittany’s hand dug in the blankets to noogie me.

Greg answered me. "Tenth in line. There are fifteen princes and twelve princesses to the Kegan's line of succession." He went on to add. "Then there is our family." I poked my head out.

"Huh?"

"Honey, what he means is if there are no more Kegan family members, then we, the Ondine, get the crown and country." I clenched my eyes shut for a moment to process this.

"So, we're nobility?"

I was corrected by Greg. "No. Ostracized, unless there is a desperate need for our bloodline."

Shelly quickly slipped in the next horrible bit. "That is why I suggested to Jeremy that resolution. If you two marry --"

"No! You didn't -- I was terrified of him. He's not --" I shook my head before I bowed it back down.

Kneeling down, Brittany whispered to me. "It was what you wanted before being hospitalized." That wasn't me.

"I wasn't that person. I'm not Kim anymore than you are and you have a higher chance posing as her than I do." Brittany lost her smile, but I glanced at Shelly. "Even you could do better than me."

Grinning at me, Shelly replied. "You are my Kim. You always will be." She shook her head and added, "It doesn't matter to me if you change your name, shape, or form. When I look at you, I can see my daughter."

"Even when I don't act like her?"

"Honey, I doubt anyone would be the same after what you went through." That wasn't my point, but the one she made was a good one. "We agreed to respect your decision if you really want to find another name."

"I do." I don't want someone else flying off the handle because of my name. "May I go?"

"Would you come here first before you go?" Shelly held her arms open and waved for me to approach. I sighed and slipped off the couch to be embraced by her. "Are you going to shower?"

"Yeah." I could still smell him on me. "I stink, don't I?"

"The alcohol breath is more my concern, but I understand your need to shower after what you two did last night." I stood immediately straight up and stared at her. ’Maybe he did tell them?’ "Oh, Honey, don't be ashamed. It's natural." There was nothing natural about last night. At least, not to me and my views.

I tightened the blanket more securely around myself and turned to head out into the kitchen.

“Wait --” I glanced back at Brittany, but she looked away to Shelly. ’Was she telling Shelly to wait?’ She turned and smiled back at me. “Enjoy your shower, but be sure to get every crook and cranny, and don’t forget to get those tatters behind the ears, ‘Kay?”

I rolled my eyes and resumed walking. Greg stepped out of my way to the side and I heard no more from anyone in the living room. The bathroom door was opened and shut instantly after I entered.

One look at the bathroom sink and my mind wandered over where I could get a toothbrush. I'd probably want to gargle some mouthwash soon as I could too. That way I could be sure there wasn't any lingering taste of that drink or Jeremy left in my mouth.

After dropping the blanket off on the furthest counter and orally purifying my mouth, I started up the shower. I sat on the toilet and stared down at the long sleeves of my top. If Kim and I were the same size, I wouldn't have been capable of hiding my bruised hands inside the sleeves from everyone. Carefully, I removed the buttonless pajama top and tossed it on the blanket pile. Then I flushed and waited until the bathroom filled with steam before I got up. Time I tried and be clean again.

Initially, I flinched under the hot water, but permitted it some time for me to adjust. I looked down at myself and began to soap up, scrubbing hard. Seeing my hands, how black and blue they were, it made me wonder what other parts of me were bruised. My arm had a wide and dark ring around where he gripped me. Then there were my knees. Both appeared to have bled without me knowing it, tenderly scabbed now.

Over all of these outward hurts, I felt the worse inside. It wasn't the same kind of hurting pain I received by his hand. This was a tormented sensation. A dreaded fire in me that had been lit without my consent and left to slowly burn with the physical memory of his touch ever since he entered me. I would never forgive him...