Roman had been walking around, even acting as if he was in some sort of trance. Almost as if he was under a spell of some sort or on autopilot as he attempted to comprehend the words Mariah had left in his voice mail. Yet even through the confusion of his own emotions, he still questioned several things. He questioned why she didn't tell him that morning instead of unceremoniously screaming the two life changing words down the phone for him to hear at his earliest conveniences. Much like he still wondered if he was the father or if someone else was. It was no secret Mariah was anything but the type to settle down or even listen to reason, in her own mind she could do no wrong.
The Samoan could admit to himself he was terrified, as he paced silently around his room that evening. He admitted it the entire way home, as he slowly drove from the school grounds, retrieving the necklace from Cross as he did so, as well as informing Stephanie she could keep the roses, thanking her for keeping what on Mariah during the day. Yet soon enough his thoughts returned to his desire to end the relationship, only now he was far more conflicted about it than he'd previously been. Was he right to want to end the relationship, knowing he was unhappy with it. Was he another bad guy in her story for not wanting to be a father and no ready to be one.
Yet as if on instinct he asked Dean and Seth to come over, specifically asking if they could bring Morgan and Summer too, almost as if he hoped they would help him through his mess of emotions and make sense of it all. No more than ten minutes later they'd arrived, Summer clearly having been the one driving and likely broken some sort of speeding record as she did so. Seth and Morgan had gotten then mere minutes after them. He knew Summer had likely been informed of his situation, the remaining three having been close by and heard the two haunting words Mariah had yelled in the message.
"How far along is she?" asked the leggy blonde, knowing that particular question would likely confirm something the Samoan had long since expected. That Mariah had been dating another and merely strung him along as if part of a wicked game with his heart. Roman could only look at her with uncertainty, as if trying to wrap his head around the question Summer had asked. Yet as it began to dawn on him, he soon shook his head, indicating he didn't have the answer to her question. Just as he hadn't spoken to Star since seeing what she'd done with the birthday present he had delivered to the school with her. He ignored her attempts of communication, deleting every unread message and ignoring all calls, even avoiding her upon returning to the school again. Yet despite his fear and uncertainty, he soon reached for the device he once said his life depended on. Scrolling through his contracts until he found Mariah's name, swallowing the lump to have formed in his throat as he swiped to call.
"Hey Mariah" quietly whispered Roman, almost as if he was a slave crawling back to their master after running away. He dared not speak any louder, as if he knew his words would anger her, even more so after he'd avoided through the school day after returning from the tournament. Yet he was thankful those he had asked over, remained quiet. Mariah's screamed her response to him, her voice full of malice and anger to the point the Samoan held the phone from his hear, having no need to hold it so close or even place the call on loud speaker. "I just wanted to know how far along you are with the pregnancy" calmly spoke the uncertain teenager, curious about a lot of things concerning the slightly older teen whom claimed to love him. Yet his concerns were soon raised when Mariah had all but yelled she was around eight weeks, once again alliterating he was the father, yet her voice echoed with malice.
Yet seconds later, she acted as all had been forgotten. Speaking of how the pair could work past their troubles if he do something to make it up to her. Almost as if she was oblivious of her own actions leading to their current troubles. Yet her demands of how he could make it up to her, were something she knew Roman wouldn't compromise on. Yet still she ignored it anyway as if she believed if giving him the choice would end happily in her favour. Along with the demand came the reasons why she wanted him to leave Dean, Seth and the other outcasts in his past, yet try as she might none of it made any sense to Roman, all of it was just an excuse to isolate him and force him to depend on her. Yet even he dared not hold back when Mariah insulted Dean and Seth's choice in women.
"You might think you know everything Mariah. But you don't. When it comes to my life and relationships you don't have a say. The same with the others in my family bubble" voiced Dean, revealing himself to be there and his strong disagreement with everything Mariah had thrust far spoken. His gut had told him from the moment they'd met, Mariah was bad news and on a path to hurt those he loved. The same gut feeling he'd trust through his toughest trials of life so far, not once had it failed him. "Summer's my choice as Morgan is for Seth. We're happy, thrust your senseless opinions don't mean a damn thing" finished the teen nicknamed the Lunatic, noticing quickly how quiet she'd gone, as if it her reality had been broken by discovering Roman wasn't alone and her true vile personality had been discovered by another. As if her spell of innocence was sure to be broken now others had caught a glance of she truly was.
Mariah's only response was to yell all sorts of names and other unspeakable things to those on the opposite side, already figuring if Dean was there, then so would Summer and possibly even Seth. After all the three boys were as close as brothers, they bound strong, strong enough to get through anything anyone had thrust far thrown their way, yet even she was determined to break them. She had all of it planned out, her current words were just the start, there was more to come, she was sure of it. But before Mariah could finish her line of insults and fowl names, she noticed Roman had hung up on her, all her attempt to ring back just went straight to voice mail, as if he'd blocked her number and was attempting to erase her from his life.
"Has she always be like that?" questioned Morgan, curiosity ringing in her English voice. The midnight haired teen seemingly putting the pieces together, as she began to realise why he was excited for the times when Mariah wasn't able to join them. He wasn't happy with his relationship, if it could be called that, instead he was a prisoner to it. The times he got to spend with those he called friends, even in a different class to her, were his taste of freedom in something that was destroying his carefree and happy nature. Roman could only nod to her question, revealing the truth and being freed from the burden he'd bared for so many months. Yet even he couldn't make up excuses for Mariah's behaviour, not as he had previously done. His relationship with her was over now, he'd be sure to inform her of it at the best opportunity.
"I thought things would get better when she transferred" admitted the Samoan, believing her possessiveness was due to being parted on a daily bases, only being able to see each other on weekends or a rare school night. The holidays had been the times she looked forward to most. "Instead it got worse, she met you guys and hated everyone of you from the beginning, I tried to make her happy but it only got worse and worse to the point I don't even recognise her any more. I don't want to be with her regardless of what she says" added Roman, showing his raw emotion, yet keeping his suspicions to himself, he knew the child wasn't his, the timing didn't add up. Yet he also questioned if their was even a child at all or if it was all some big ploy to draw him back in.
"You shouldn't had to go through that. Nor should you feel guilty for the way you feel now" responded Seth, recalling his own messy break up. How he'd been convinced at one point, Lacey had done as she had, because of something he'd done. He'd spent months beating himself up over it, only to realise it was Lacey who was in the wrong. She had chosen to do as she did and hurt him as if he was nothing more than a means to an end. The truth had hurt yet he accepted it eventually, now he'd moved on with someone he truly felt understood and loved him for who he was. The pair were on the same wave length.
"So who's the special date?" questioned Summer, knowing it wasn't Mariah. The description Roman had given about the teenager in question, was the opposite to how Mariah had acted, even the opposite to how she'd made him feel. The famous grin of Roman's soon appeared on his lips, as if everything was back to normal again and Summer's distraction had worked. Roman could only remember when he'd asked his childhood friend to the prom, that being the first indication he wasn't as in love with Mariah as he originally thought. Their paths were on a different route, something he was accepting now. "She's got to be stunning if she can do this to you" added the leggy blonde, her voice serving to bring him back to the present rather than a kinder past memory.
"Galina. She's a childhood friend" nervously responded the Samoan, receiving only grins in response. The situation with Mariah seemingly falling to the back of his mind for the night. "I asked her at the start of the semester. About the same time Summer started to try and convince Dean" muttered Roman with a toothy grin, revealing he had been distant from Mariah for quite some time and wouldn't be fulfilling her demand on attending prom with her. Morgan and Summer merely looked to each other with knowing looks, where as Seth looked to Dean, both with an aura of understanding. "I'm lucky you know" commented Roman as if suddenly realising something, but confusing those around him at the same time. "Going through all this, I've lost who I am, but I have you as my friends to help me through this and to find myself again" explained the Samoan, pulling both teenage girls in for a brotherly hug, almost laughing and joking with Seth and Dean mere moments later. Yet hope sparkled in his icy eyes, hope that he could find someone to fix him. How Morgan had unknowingly done with Seth the moment she walked into his life.
The next morning, Roman woke with the school alarm going off. Checking his phone as he did every morning to find thirty seven missed calls from Mariah, along with several voicemails and at least seventeen text. Yet there was also another text message from Galina, her simple message of a picture she'd found funny during the night. That alone had brought a grin to Roman's lips, a grin that only grew when he looked around to those whom had stayed the night. How the two girls snuggled near the radiator as if they had gotten cold during the night. Seth and Dean close to them, as if protecting them from an unseen force. As the Samoan looked around his room, he noticed a black studded bag on the chair nearest the door, a little note attached with Morgan's name written on it. Yet soon Mariah popped back into his mind, as he began to think what he was going to do.
His amusement soon returned however, upon seeing each wake up of the four to stay the night before, to his mother standing in the door way, wafting her hand over the breakfast, as if attempting to guide them back to the world of the living, with her freshly baked muffins and coffee. The Samoan knew his mother had phone Summer and Morgan's parents to inform them the girls were safe, much as she would have done with Seth and Dean, even when she knew, the boys parents knew if they weren't at home they'll be at another's home. Upon the four waking, the kind woman happily explained the bag was brought over by Morgan's mother that morning, containing a change of clothes, the house key and all other things needed for the day ahead.
Roman could only muffle his laughter upon exiting the bathroom, seeing how Summer attempted to contain her morning hair with the spare brush she carried everywhere with her. The shorts she wore too big for her, as the t-shirt she wore more like a mini dress on her. Morgan was no better, although she didn't seem to mind the laughter to escape from those around her. Knowing her normally sleek hair had puffed up into something resembling a puffy mess of tangles. Yet her confidence showed as she proudly wore Seth's A Day To Remember shirt during the night, clearly finding it comfortable. Morgan could only smirk to those around her, all while commenting she intend on keeping the shirt as Seth ran into the bathroom.
"Sorry I just never imagined either of you two with morning hair" cracked Roman, between his fit of chuckles. Yet he didn't attempt to hide from Summer's glare or Morgan's playful punch, instead he enjoyed the normality of it. As to him it was how things should be. His chuckles only grew when Morgan jumped on Seth upon him exiting the bathroom, the pair staying upright for mere seconds before tumbling to the floor with a crash. Summer doing a similar thing as she raced Dean to the bathroom, although losing the friendly battle. Morgan soon looked in the bag, finding the neatly folded clothes, some light coloured ones, appearing to be some of Maddy's old clothes, where as other her signature darker coloured ones. It wasn't long before she read the note, realising why their were extra clothes in her favourite studded bag.
"For you" voiced Morgan as she handed the blue skinny jeans and white t-shirt over to Summer, the matching white sandals with it, the cropped leather jacket also there. "My mum dropped some off for you, when she brought mine. Most of its Maddy's old things apart from the jacket" explained Morgan, revealing her mother had packed extra clothes, just in case someone else needed some. Summer could only offer a grin as she took the clothes offered to her, being thankful someone had been so thoughtful. She knew her parents didn't care, all their attention being on her older sister in Autumn, their favourite child. Instead the blonde had been practically raised by her aunt and uncle, the pair whom encouraged her to follow her dreams and paid her school tuition fees. Ensuring she had the best to make those dreams come true.
"Mrs Devitt a mother to us all" commented Dean as both girls disappeared into the bathroom. He could recall the dark haired woman rather well, how she'd welcomed into her home as if she'd known him his entire life. Her husband was no different. With the Devitt's it was like you were an extended member of the family, always welcome and they'd always be ready to help. With the exception of Maddy, whom stormed off into her room whenever a reminder of the move appeared. It being clear she wanted to return to England, even more so when she refused to try anything other than getting her driving licence. Seth could only grin, knowing Dean's comment was a truth to all whom had met her. Even as a neighbour she'd always be the first to offer help to someone who needed it, whether it was watching neighbourhood kids or helping by driving someone somewhere.
Around three quarters of an hour later, seen the small group of five arrive through the black painted gates. The Samoan teen feeling uneasy as he walked through the gates, as if those already inside were staring at him, or knew something he had yet to learn. The feeling of dread only grew with every step they took towards the bleachers on the sports field. The feeling wasn't made any better upon learning others too had the same gut feeling something was off, or something bad was about to happen. Yet despite the feelings of dread, the large-ish group of mix and match students continued on with the normal morning conversations, conversation soon turning to the tournament and eventually the upcoming sports events happening around the school.
"Would you know its Roman. The prat who dumped his pregnant girlfriend" loudly exclaimed Eva Marie, gaining the groups attention with ease. Kaitlyn besides her trying to hush her words, as if the entire thing was meant to be kept a secret. Mariah with the two popular cheerleaders, acting as if she was some kind of victim or had been wronged in some way. Yet Roman knew they hadn't officially broken up, although he was relived the school knew of it, somehow it lifted a weight from his shoulders, as if keeping the troubles a secret was the biggest weight he'd ever had to carry, as if it was a trial he needed to face in order to find happiness.
"Ignore them lad" spoke Sheamus, thick Irish voice loud enough even the three girls at the bottom of the bleachers could hear him clearly. "Mariah just trying to get others involved in something that doesn't concern anyone besides the two of you" added the Irish teen, as if he was the only one speaking sense. Yet even he knew it would do little to stop Mariah on her path of obvious vengeance, it was clear she wanted everyone to know what happened, just as it was clear she intended on Roman not only being the villain but for herself to be the victim who had been hurt more than anyone else by the situation at hand. "The truth will come out sooner or later" finished Sheamus as if he was sending a warning to the three teenagers at the bottom of the bleachers, while also helping to distract the others around him from being provoked into doing something.
By the end of the school day, Mariah had made her choice clear. She had began to spread rumours of Roman cheating on her with Emma. As well as Morgan and Summer had started a fight outside the school, before school had started the day prior. Although that rumour had quickly fizzled out when people had realised Morgan was away with the rest of the wrestling team at the time Mariah had mentioned, just as Summer was already at the normal hang out spot by that time. Even the rumour of Dean calling her a self centred bitch had been proven to be lies, the moment Hunter had stated the lunatic too was with the wrestling team at the time of incident. Although Stephanie had made it clear she didn't believe a single thing Mariah claimed. Instead she sided with Roman, showing him the support he clearly needed, encouraging him and his group of misfits to stand against what was happening to them.