Dawn hesitantly opened the front door to Paul's house knowing that she was about to get yelled at for not calling or messaging first asking if she could come over. It didn't matter to her though. The news she had been worth getting yelled at as long as he heard it from her and not somebody else. Silently shutting the door and walking into the house she dropped her emergency spare key onto the coffee table and went in search for Paul.
"Paul? Where are you?"
As she walked further into the house she braced herself for the shouting that as about to come but she heard nothing. Not even footsteps.
"I know you are here because your car is parked outside and I know I'm supposed to message you before coming over, but the news I have couldn't wait."
When she had searched the whole lower floor of the house and found nothing, not even a TV turned on or crumbs from food, she went upstairs. A bad feeling started to wash over her. Paul was always on the first floor of his house apart from when he was sleeping or training. Having a quick look at her watch she knew he would have been done with this training an hour ago and it was too early to sleep.
Sighing as she came to the top of the stairs she drew a big breath in and yelled, "Paul Shinji! I know you are here! Come out because I am NOT in the mood for hide and seek! I have some news I need to share with you!"
She smiled as she heard a dull thud coming from his bedroom and then as fast as the smile came it vanished. She was really going to get it now. Drawing another breath in to calm herself she walked to his room and opened the door.
"Since when did you take naps after training Paul-"
What she saw before her made her sick to her stomach. Her Paul was laying on the floor, his shirt rumpled and a girl she had never seen before was sitting in his lap. Dawn found herself not being able to turn her eyes away no matter how disgusted she felt.
"Dawn," Paul's voice said softly, as if trying to soothe a child, "I can explain."
Dawn felt her normal self slipping away and being replaced by something else. Something dark and scary.
"It doesn't matter, Paul. Really. No need to worry. I just wanted to tell you I was moving and I wanted to break up because of the distance. You can be with whoever you want."
Without looking back, she turned on her heel and walked back the way she came. She didn't stop when he called out her name, his voice filled with agony. She felt her feet speed up as she heard footstep follow after her. Dawn didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to look at him, not with the image of him and that girl still burned into her mind.
After starting her car, Dawn sped down the street to get away from the situation she wished she never walked in on.
Paul could only see the red of her tail lights as she turned a corner and drove away.
As she drove, Dawn felt herself changing, and she knew that it was for the better. "It's okay, little one. No need to worry," she said softly as tears streaked down her cheeks, "My mom raised me on her own, and I'll do the same."