Unexpected Happenings, Chapter 21
 
 

Reese had a little time before breakfast, and he wanted to check on his works that he kept in his little workshop, which was nothing more than a converted garage. When his father had built an attached garage to the house, Reese had begged for him to keep the old garage, and between the two of them, they had totally fixed it up. They had added a heater to it, insulation and other comforts to make it workable all year round.

Reese turned on the lights and saw the figure on the old couch that he sometimes used when he worked late and didn’t feel like going back to the house. He walked over to the couch.

" Simone?", Reese said confused.

Upon hearing his voice, Simone turned over and slowly opened her eyes. " Reese?"

" Simone, did you sleep here all night long? Um…why are you here?"

Simone opened her eyes and Reese had never seen them in so much pain. If he didn’t know before, he knew now- something was seriously wrong.

Simone opened her mouth to talk to Reese, but, no words came out. Her eyes immediately began to tear up, and she was sobbing, lying there on the couch. Reese sat on the edge of the couch, and pulled Simone up to him. He held her and let her sob in his arms. She held onto him too, and they stayed like this for quite awhile, until Reese heard a bell. It was his mother’s way of communicating to him that she thought the meal was about ready and needed his attention.

Reese looked at Simone. " I have to go back into the house and fix breakfast. I want you to come with me."

Simone shook her head, but, Reese responded, " I won’t take no for an answer. Whatever is bothering you, it will hurt more if you’re weak from no nourishment."

Reese got off the couch and pulled Simone off of it too. They walked into the Durke kitchen, where Reese’s mother was already there in her chair.

" Mom, this is Simone Russell. Simone, this is my mother."

" Hello, Mrs. Durke."

Simone sat down, silent and quiet, and Mrs. Durke was calculating the situation. It was clear that Simone had slept in the clothes that she was wearing. She wondered why Simone was there. Had she been with Reese all night? Actually, she knew that Reese wouldn’t do that, so she guessed that Simone had been in the workshop.

Reese plated up two meals, and after helping his mother with her breakfast, he sat down and ate his own. Simone had barely eaten anything.

Reese’s mother finally spoke up, " Well, Simone, it’s nice to finally meet you. Reese has told me so much about you."

Reese blushed, and Simone looked at him. " You talk about me?"

" She’s my mother," he said, with his head lowered to look down at his food.

" Thank you, Mrs. Durke. I hope whatever Reese said was complimentary."

" My Dear, nothing but the best. But, then, you know that about my son. How he is the best?"

Reese blushed again. " Mom!"

" I’m your mother. It’s allowed. Well, shouldn’t you two be on your way to school? You can leave as soon as Bethany gets here."

Simone looked at Reese. " Yeah, well, um, Reese, my books are in your workshop."

" Yeah..I’ll go help you, Simone."

Simone and Reese walk to his workshop. " I’m sorry, Reese. But, I’m not going to school."

" I had figured that."

" I can’t."

" Simone, what’s wrong?"

" My world is over. It’s that simple."

" What…what happened?"

" It’s ……too horrible to repeat."

" Well, you can try me. You must obviously trust me. You came here."

" I didn’t think of anyone else, Reese. I don’t want to be a bother."

" You could never be a bother. And, as soon as my mother’s care giver gets here, I’ll take you somewhere."

" Reese, you can’t miss school!"

" I have straight A plusses, Simone. In four years of high school, I’ve missed 2 days. I think I can miss a day."

" I….can’t ask you to do this."

" You’re not asking. I’m offering. Now, promise me you’ll wait here until I get back. Promise me."

" I promise."

" Good."

Reese left Simone, who began to wander around his workshop. She was amazed by all the experiments Reese was doing. It was obvious that he was brilliant. She didn’t feel right dragging him into all of this, but he didn’t have a choice. She had come by the Bennett house and saw through the window that Grace had been crying. She didn’t know what it was about, but thought that Kay had family problems of her own and didn’t need to hear about hers. She knew that Chad would be there for Whitney, but she needed to be someplace where she could cry her heart out, and wound up outside of Reese’s workshop. She had remembered him telling her about it, and the comfy couch that he loved and rehopolstered himself. She guessed that the door would be open, and went on in and fell asleep crying.

Her world as she knew it was over. She didn’t know what to do. She needed to talk to someone, and Reese was a good listener.

Reese came in after a few minutes with his backpack.

" My mother’s care giver is here. We can go."

" Reese, I don’t want you to get into trouble."

" I won’t. Don’t worry about me, Simone. You’re my friend, and you seem to need me."

"You don’t know how much I need you."

They left the workshop and got into Reese’s car and drove away.
 

" I know I should have gone home, but, I couldn’t help but miss Miguel." Charity said, coming into the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. Luis had let her in. She had come here from the school after her trip. Grace had told her that she could take the day off, and she just wanted to spend the morning with Miguel before he went to school.

Charity slowly opened the door to Miguel’s bedroom.

" Miguel?", Charity said quietly.

When, she saw the bedroom completely, her tone changed. " MIGUEL?!", yelled.

Miguel sat up on the bed, with a start.  His eyes were sleepy, but, opening fast. " Charity?"

Miguel’s bed companion rolled around slowly and opened her eyes.

" Charity?", Kay said with some confusion.

" Miguel…why is Kay in bed with you?"

Miguel looked over at Kay, who was wearing nothing more than a bra and panties. " Charity, I can explain."

Charity came over and glared at Kay. " Do YOU have an explanation, Kay?"

Kay looked at Charity’s evil glare her way, and at any other time in her life, she would have been pleased. Elated. But, she didn’t care. Kay threw off the covers and just sat in Miguel’s bed, in her bra and panties for anyone to see.

" You know what, Charity. I don’t owe you JACK! Make your own conclusions. I don’t give a crap."

Kay ignored Charity’s facial expressions and turned to Miguel. " Miguel, thank you. I….I don’t know what I would have done without you last night. You were truly a friend. I couldn’t have survived last night without you."

Miguel was torn. Charity was furious, but, he could still see that Kay was in pain. " Kay…where are you going?"

" I…I don’t know. I can’t go to school. I can’t deal with school right now."

" I’m sure Aunt Grace would be happy to know that you’re skipping school.", Charity sneers.

" Charity, I don’t give a FUCK what Grace knows or doesn’t know. Knock yourself out."

Kay put on her clothes slowly, knowing that she was bothering Charity with every motion. Miguel had put on his robe. Kay got her shoes on and then went over to Miguel and hugged him.

" Thank you so much."

She walked out of the room without so much as a second glance at Charity.

Once Kay was gone, Charity folded her arms, and asked Miguel, " You want to tell me what that was all about?"

Miguel rubbed his head. " Why don’t you go home, Charity. "

" I want answers from you FIRST!"

" Kay was my friend and I helped her last night."

" Oh, I’m sure SHE helped herself last night. I knew it. I KNEW IT! I knew she was after you all this time."

" Kay wasn’t after me. She needed a friend."

" Oh, and in order to get help from a ‘friend’, she needed to be practically naked in your bed?"

" What are you saying, Charity?"

" I’m saying that she didn’t need to be naked."

" She is my friend."

" Miguel, NOBODY is friends like that. Can’t you see that she wants you? That she’ll use anything to get to you?"

" Where is all of this coming from, Charity? It isn’t like you to be this nasty to someone."

" I’m only nasty to her because it’s clear that she wants to steal my boyfriend."

" Kay’s not like that."

" Miguel, WAKE UP! I’ve had too many visions of you and Kay in bed together."

" Nothing happened! You happy?"

" Happy? Well, I guess theoretically, I should be happy. But, why were you in that position in the first place. Unless….you wanted her to be with you. In your bed."

" Charity."

" Kay never spoke to me as the virginal type. I bet she’s been wanting to give it up for a long time."

" Have you forgotten that Kay is with Reese."

" Really, Miguel? Is she really? Funny thing about those two, I never see them together. Not like you and me. She never seems interested in him. They have NO affection between them. Not like the two of us share."

" Charity, you’re talking crazy."

" No. No. Crazy is when you keep on having the same ‘visions’ and don’t believe them. From the time before the avalanche, I began having visions of you and Kay. They only get stronger and stronger. I see it. What am I supposed to believe. I’ve been told that I have a ‘gift’. If I am to trust it…then WHY  can’t I believe the vision?"

" Because, you and I are together."

" Sure."

" Charity, I don’t know where all of this is coming from, but Kay and I have been friends for years. Long before you came to Harmony. She’s a part of my life."

" How much a part."

" We are friends."

" Sure. Well, I can see this was a bad idea. I’m going to go home."

" Charity, I think I.."

" No, Miguel. Goodbye."

Miguel sat on the edge of his bed. That had gone poorly. He loved Charity. He knew he did…..but, the truth was….Kay was a part of his life, and he couldn’t imagine her not being there.
 

Reese opened the door to the astronomy lab. They went to the loft and sat on the futon.
Simone looked out the window to one of the best views of Harmony, and was silent.

" My family is over."

" What? "

" My dad had an affair and got another woman pregnant. My mom’s God knows where. I…I feel like screaming."

" Then do it."

Simone looked at Reese and then looked out the window and began to scream from the top of her lungs, and the tears began to pour forth. Reese went over and held Simone, letting her cry for as long as she wanted.