Not my best work, but I wanted to get something updated. Hope you like it
x x x x
Catherine winced involuntarily at the slamming of the car door.
"Have a good day sweetie." She called out hopefully through the open window. "I'll be here to pick you up later."
Lindsey stared back at her despondently, a painfully pleading look in her baby blue eyes, before turning and squinting up at the school.
She recalled how imposing Butterfield Academy had appeared to her on her first day. However, she had settled into it and come to feel at home here. It was, as schools went, one of the best.
But standing there now at the periphery of the parking lot, it felt like she had been warped back to that very first day. As she walked through the crowd, she could feel the judgemental stares burning into her skin.
Only this time it wasn't because she was the stranger in their midst. They knew who she was alright.
She was an outcast, a pariah. She was the girl nobody wanted to know.
In the car, Catherine adjusted the rear-view mirror, tracking the movements of her daughter. She had her head bowed, doing her best to appear invisible as she sloped through the gathered factions of teenagers.
Catherine wanted desperately to run after her and pull her into a tight hug; to take her home and start again tomorrow anew. Home schooling, tutors, boarding school - they would figure something out.
But she knew deep down that that wasn't an option.
This was just something that Lindsey had to do.
X x x
She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open before her knuckles could even graze the wood and she found herself faced with Sara's sympathetic smile. Clearly, she had been waiting for her.
"Hey." The younger CSI greeted softly, waiting for Catherine to walk into her open arms.
"It was awful." The red-head mumbled, burying her face in Sara's neck. "She looked so sad."
"She'll be okay." Sara promised, pulling out of the embrace and guiding her new girlfriend into the flat. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." Cath breathed, shedding her coat and dropping wearily onto a stool at the breakfast bar.
She had started spending more and more time here since her first night with Sara, so much so that she felt comfortable enough investigating the trinkets and treasures dotted around the dinky apartment. Initially Sara had seemed a little defensive about her curious nosing, but she too had since relaxed to the idea.
Now, she tended to leave Catherine to her snooping in peace as she prepared the drinks. However, today, Cath was too tired to even stand up; so had to settle for flicking idly through the catalogue sitting inoffensively beside her.
Sara slid the cup of steaming coffee towards her, before leaning across the counter and doodling a lazy pattern on the back of Catherine's hand as the older woman nursed the mug protectively.
"I don't know Sara; I don't know if this was the right thing to do."
"Well, you said it yourself – she couldn't afford to miss any more school." She pointed out rationally. "And if they're willing to let her back in, you don't want to make things worse with them by turning down the opportunity."
"Yeah, but what about the other students?" Cat moped. "I don't want her to get bullied."
"You never know," Sara shrugged hopefully. "It might have blown over by now. Kids forget things so fast in school." Even as she spoke, she knew from bitter experience that the likelihood of that happening was slim. No matter how many other people screwed up, there would always be at least one person who would never forget.
Catherine looked up, seeking out Sara's haunted eyes. The brunette had trailed off and now seemed to have fallen into a world of her own as she stared straight past her companion towards the morning sun streaming through the balcony doors. Catherine took her firmly by the hand, tugging her around the bench until the girl was pinned between her legs; and laid her head against her chest.
Something about Sara's sudden detachment suggested that she needed the comfort as much as Cat did right now; even if the older woman didn't know exactly why.
"Thank you." She hummed, reveling in the feeling of Sara's hands trailing rhythmically through her hair. "For everything."
The tender moment was rudely cut short by the harsh trilling of her cell phone. She emitted a frustrated growl, fumbling in her pocket for it.
"Nancy." She rolled her eyes, sliding off her stool and moving across the flat for as much privacy as the small space would allow. "Hey Nance, what's up?"
Sara couldn't hear Nancy's side of the conversation; but judging by the way Catherine's shoulders had instantly stiffened, she wasn't just calling for a friendly chat.
"Yeah, I've just dropped her off … I know I'm not at home."
Sara could practically hear the exasperation coming down the line and bit back a smile. She knew how Cath and Nancy greatly enjoyed winding each other up with questions that they already knew the answers to and patently unhelpful responses; but something told her that it wasn't just sibling teasing spurring them on today.
"I'm at Sara's."
Sure enough, there was a long silence and Catherine dropped heavily onto the end of the bed.
"No Nancy … you know what, I'll talk to you later."
Abruptly ending the call before her sister could argue, she stared down at the phone miserably.
"You okay?" Sara asked, pushing herself off the counter and ambling closer.
"At least she's still talking to me." Cath sighed, idly tossing the device onto the mattress behind her and dragging a hand through her tresses. "It's more than mom's doing right now."
Sara nodded sadly, swallowing around the lump in her throat.
"You know, I don't want to come between your family. If you want to…"
Catherine was already shaking her head, correctly predicting where Sara was going with this.
"I don't want to stop." She barked a little too brusquely
"Okay." Sara nodded again. "So, what can I do?"
Catherine pushed herself slowly to her feet, stepping as close to Sara as physics would allow and threading her arms round the brunette's slender neck.
"Make me forget."
X x x
"Slut."
The hissed word, the latest of two dozen insults today, cut through her like a knife and she quickly ducked into the nearest bathroom.
Unfortunately, her relief didn't last long.
"Well, if it isn't the traitor."
Lindsey froze barely two steps into the tiled room, her eyes widening with alarm.
Ally.
Dropping her gaze to the floor, she attempted to slip past the girls into the nearest available cubicle, but a figure swiftly blocked her path.
"I can't believe you have the guts to show your face around here." Ally snarled, leaning so close Lindsey could smell faint traces of menthol on her breath.
"Just leave me alone." She mumbled, turning around but finding her escape route equally blocked.
She was cornered.
With a firm shove, Ally pushed her backwards into the cubicle; laughing hysterically as the girl slumped inelegantly between the toilet and the wall with a dull thud.
Tears sprung immediately to her eyes, but she wouldn't let them see it, keeping her head low.
"Come on," Ally spat callously, gesturing for her cronies to leave. "I don't want to share a bathroom with this whore anyway."
X x x
Catherine barely even blinked when the basket was placed delicately in front of her.
Nor did she react when Sara sat down quietly by her side with a coy smile.
"Cat?" She called softly. "You okay?"
"They hate me." The older woman moped, her head resting in her hands. "They're right, I'm a terrible mother."
With a small frown, Sara nudged the basket closer in the hopes her companion might take the hint. The movement seemed to catch Cath's attention this time and she blinked from the tray of muffins to Sara's face, where an endearing smile was dancing on her lips.
The look was just too cute, Catherine couldn't help but match the expression despite her bad mood.
"I don't get you, you know that?" She mused, snatching up one of the treats and picking at it languidly. "I don't know why you're putting up with all of this."
"Because I care about you, and Lindsey."
Catherine stopped her movements, taking a second to scrutinise her friend. Emitting a heavy sigh, she leant across the table and captured Sara's lips in a brief kiss.
"Ah hem."
The moment spoiled, they broke apart; matching guilty smiles playing on their blushing faces.
Catherine turned slowly, one eyebrow raised.
"Nancy." She greeted coolly. "Thank you for knocking."
The nurse rolled her eyes dramatically, barely sparing Sara a glance as she whirled on her sister.
"I just wanted to know how Lindsey was this morning."
"Nervous." Cath nodded, regarding her sister carefully. "But she went."
"I still don't think its right." Nancy shook her head dismissively. "She shouldn't be going back so soon."
"What choice did we have? She can't stay away from the world forever." Catherine pointed out with a meek whine. "Believe me Nancy, I didn't want to leave her there."
Sara watched the cold looks passing between them, electing to keep her own thoughts to herself right now, lest she make things worse between the warring siblings.
"I think you're making a huge mistake." Nancy continued, although the brief look she cast Sara suggested she wasn't just talking about Lindsey anymore.
Catherine released a strangled groan, flicking her hair over her shoulders.
"Yeah, well…" she scoffed. "She's not your child, is she?"
There was a painfully long moment where nobody so much as breathed, before finally Nancy took a small step closer and leant down to the table.
"At least I know what my child's up to."
Catherine gasped, recoiling as if she had been slapped. Having said her piece and satisfied that she had gotten the reaction she'd come for, Nancy turned on her heel and stalked out of the kitchen; not even bothering to acknowledge Sara on her way past.
"Oh God." Catherine sniffed, embarrassed, as she attempted to hide the hurt tears beginning to form in her eyes.
She felt Sara's arms wrap around her body silently and leant into the embrace, feeling the first crystal drop escape from her barriers and trickle down her face.