Explanations
Katkin had turned around, and gone back down the stairs. Sel and Bree had hurried after, and caught up to her on the parking lot. She had not wanted to answer any questions. After a while she agreed to talk to them, but only if it was all of them, as she did not want to do this twice.
And that's where they are now. Sel called Dabria and Thea, and they came driving on Thea's bike. Dabria was not to pleased with the "emergency-speed" Thea used. Now they sit in a circle, on plastic chairs in the saddle-chamber. Sel is holding his favorite kitten from before, and they are all waiting for Katkin to break the silence.
"So…" Katkin is looking down at the floor.
Everyone else is looking at Katkin.
"I live here. In the room upstairs. I don't need to pay rent as long as I help with the horses."
They all sit quietly to take in the information. Dabria looks sharply at Bree, as to say "i told you so". Bree understands and looks away, a little bit ashamed.
"Is it legal?" Thea is the first to ask a question. "Is it legal for a minor to live like this?"
"About that." Katkin clears her throat. Might as well tell them the whole thing.
"I'm not a minor. You all, well except for Bree that is, know that I have been in the foster care system as long as I can remember. Right. So last year I was put to live with the family who owns the stables. But right after that, I got mail from social services that they found a mistake in my paperwork, and that I am actually eighteen, not seventeen. And you're not allowed to stay in the system when you're off age. So the family offered to give me work and housing, ish, all in one. They had noticed that I really liked the horses."
Katkin finishes her story. Silence falls again between them. Then Dabria gets up. She walks over to Katkin and pulls her into a hug. Thea follows, and soon Sel as well. Bree stands alone, not sure what to do. Then Katkin manages to squeeze her arms through the hug, and give her sign to come and join. She does.
Katkin gives everyone a tour around the stable, as they haven't been there much. They spend the day there. They order some pizzas and sit together on blankets on the floor. They help Katkin feed the horses, by her instructions, and Sel looks after the cats. During the day they all feel a little bit guilty at times, and they talk freely about it. Bree apologizes for having outed Katkin like this, but Katkin says that it's for the better in the long run. Thea offers to see if her family can help her out, financially. But Katkin just shakes her head and says that she is no poorer now then before they knew. Dabria says she would have offered for Katkin to live with her, but she don't want anyone else to have to deal with her father. Sel also apologizes for having helped Bree, but also for always commenting on Katkins smell. It can't be easy to get rid of the horse smell when you live in a stable.
By the end of the day everyone has apologized, and explained, and offered help. And Katkin has reassured them several times that it's alright and that she feels safe with them knowing. They cuddle closer, to keep warm in the cold stable, and pull horse blankets around them as it falls dark outside. They light a few candles that Sel had under the saddle on his moped, and talk about parents and houses, and families. Thea and Dabria explain to Bree about how they are siblings, but their mother adopted Thea away to what now is Thea's family, since she was to young and unprepared. And Dabria talks about how her dad sometimes blames her for her mother dying during her birth, when he's drunk. Sel tells about Agosto, and how he is the only dad he's ever know, and that his mom had left him there when he was very little. Bree eventually also opens up, and reveals that she also has an uncommon family situation, as she lives with her aunt, after her father died and her mother moved abroad to work.
It's late when they decide to part ways. Katkin waves them off and stays on the parking lot as two red tail lights disappear down the hill. When she goes to bed, she feels like a weight has lifted from her shoulders.
Sisters
Thea slows down and turns off the bike outside of Dabrias house. She takes off her helmet to breath the cold night air, as Dabria climbs of and takes her helmet off. They look at each other in silence for a second.
"What a day huh?" Thea looks at Dabria.
"Yeah… it got really late as well…" Dabria speaks the last part to herself as she looks towards the house.
"What?" Thea didn't catch it.
"Nothing. I just said that I'm tired." Dabria shakes her head, thankful that Thea can't hear everything.
She hands over the helmet.
"I should head inside. See you tomorrow or something."
Thea takes the helmet but has started to text something to someone on her phone.
"Yeah, good night." Thea says still looking at her phone.
"Say hey to Amber from me." Dabria says, pretty sure that Thea doesn't hear it.
She does her usual routine. Quietly open the door, then close it with a certain finesse. Stand still for a moment to see that it's quiet. But then she realise that it isn't. She can hear the TV faintly from the small living room. She understands that she probably should just sneak up to her room, but something makes her head towards the sound. What she sees when she enters the room isn't pretty. Her dad is laying, seemingly passed out, on the sofa. Bottles of different drinks are standing on the coffee-table. The TV is showing some rerun of an old game show. She walks quietly and slowly over to the TV, and turn it of. She pauses, but her dad isn't showing any sign of moving. She walks out into the kitchen, to get a glass of water. She wouldn't usually do this, but she also knows that when drunk, Tristram is one of the heaviest sleepers she's ever seen, and he's actually safer this way. She looks out the window and sees that Thea is still sitting on her bike, texting away. Dabria shakes her head again, she couldn't figure out Thea and Amber's relationship even if she wanted to.
Thea isn't as happy as Dabria thinks though. She thought Amber would want to hang out, but she is not getting the answer she wants. She puts on her best texting charm, but Amber insist that she needs to work tomorrow. Frustrated she pulls up the group chat instead, and asks if everyone got home safely. Sel and Bree sends a thumbs up each. Katkin answers with a gif of a sleeping dog. Thea smiles and sends a thumbs up back herself. Then she hears a loud noise from inside the house. She turns her head and she a light turning on in the kitchen. Another loud noise, a bang. She jumps off her bike and hurries towards the house.
Dabria is locked in. She stands in the corner between the kitchen counters, and can't get to the stairs since her now awake dad is standing in the way. He slams his fist repeatedly on the counter. Dabria had forgot to turn her phone signal off, and the sound of the group chat had woke him up. Not that that was his main reason to be angry.
"I try to fjucking raise a chjild! What do I geth? Huh?" he slams his fist again.
Dabria stands in her place and wait him out.
"I make the rules here! I! You can't fjucking just come and goh as yoh wich!" His pronunciation gets worse with every slam in the counter.
"Yor mother should hav been here! Maybe she wuld hav adopted you away as wellh!"
Dabria feel her blood heat up, and it is like a low thunder in her ears. This is enough now. She braces herself and takes a step forward, raising her hand as she moves. But before she can even try to do whatever she thought she was trying, the front door opens with a loud bang. Both Dabria and Tristram turns to the sound and see Thea standing in the door to the kitchen. She looks at the situation, Dabria in the corner, Tristram with a small beer bottle in his hand, and spit running down his chin. Tristram tries to focus on her, not immediately recognising her. Thea takes a step forward and looks at Dabria.
"Are you okay?"
"You really shouldn't-" Dabria doesn't finish her sentence before Tristram cuts her off.
He moves in between them, surprisingly swiftly for someone so drunk, and before anyone has time to react, his fist lands on Theas face. She falls down on one knee from the force of the blow, and she instinctively lifts one hand to her cheekbone. It's sore.
"Out of my house!" He pushes Thea backwards and up on her feet. "How dare you, out!"
Thea has no choice but to get pushed all the way out of the house. She tries to protest, but Tristram raises his fist everytime she makes any sign to try and speak. She stumbles backwards towards her bike, and Tristram throws the empty bottle after her, not actually trying to hit. It breaks against the asphalt on the driveway, and as Thea reaches the bike, the front door slams shut.
Dabria meets her dad as he turns back inside.
"Don't even try. Go upstairs or you'll sleep on the porch." Tristram speaks with a clearer and sharper voice now.
He raises his hand with a flat palm, and nods angrily up the stairs. Dabria, shocked, does as he says and goes to her room. She lays down on her bed, without even undressing and hides under the covers, breathing fast.