I Disclaim
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The Loser's Club Ch. 3
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"Ok, now what." Kay asked aloud to her empty room, and wasn't at all surprised when she didn't hear any answers. "Oh great you gave all that good advice and nice little catch phrases to Brian, but when you need answers there's nothing." Getting up off her bed she moved to her dresser and opened the second drawer and removed the large envelope from under her socks, and empty it on her bed.
It was amazing how many colleges accepted her, even with all her absences, and ever-changing GPA. But I guess anything is possible when you test well. Months ago colleges like UCLA, NYU, and Pepperdine would have been seen as safe havens away from the two lovebirds, but now it seemed like they were escape routes, and she couldn't run. Thumbing through the acceptance letters, her eyes catch one that she didn't remember looking at before, Castleton College, she didn't remember applying but here it was an acceptance letter and all the information she needed about housing and financial aid. "Castleton sounds promising."
Picking up the brochure she looks through it, so intent was her concentration that she didn't hear her door open and someone enter until she felt the bed dip from the additional weight. Lowering the brochure she meets her brother Ethan's smiling eyes. "Ethan."
"Kay." Ethan had tried to stay at the party, but he had been worried about Kay. She had disappeared early into the party, and as soon as she reappeared she had left. Admittedly she seemed happier then when he first saw her, but he knew better then to believe the her mask, he had seen it on his father, and had put it on himself several time in his on and off relationship with Theresa. " Castleton College?"
Kay lays down the paper and smiles; she knew that he concern was genuine. " Yeah, I'm thinking of going there."
"What about theses others." Ethan picks up an acceptance letter from Florida State University, and gives her a questioning looking. "I thought you wanted out of Harmony."
"I did, but then I was talking to Brian and he said something that made me rethink it."
"Really, what?" Ethan had wondered about the conversation his little sister had had with the lost Lopez-Fitzgerald, but hadn't really given it any thought until she mentioned it.
"He said, that he left thinking that he would go on to bigger and better things, and he didn't and that maybe it him holding himself back." She shrugs her shoulders. " I was just thinking I can could accomplish what I want anywhere, and here is just as good as anyplace else to do it."
"Well, then if Antonio if responsible for keeping you nearby, then I own the man something." Hearing Kay's explanation took a huge weight off Ethan's shoulder, after hearing Luis talk about him, he was afraid the prodigal son would be a danger to his sister, but it seems as though he was helpful.
"You can start by calling him Brian." Kay laughed at the expression on Ethan's face. "Yeah, I guess that was how he distanced himself from Harmony, or maybe he's hiding from the mob, I don't really know."
"So, Brian was just helping you decide on colleges."
Kay caught underlying question. " Why, what did you think we were doing?" she narrowed her eyes at the last word.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Ethan moved stood and began pacing. "I just wondered, that's all."
Kay watched through narrow eyes and finally voiced her main suspicion. "You wondered or Luis wondered?"
"Luis cares about you, and just wanted to make sure that…"
"That what?"
"That you don't start letting your bad habits rub off on an impressionable young girl." Luis got right to the point when he pulled Antonio aside to talk, with Miguel not far behind him.
"That's crazy, we only had a twenty minute conversation, what did you think that I talked her into joining a cult." Brain ran a hand through his hair and stopped to rub his temples. If this is what being home felt like then he was already regretting his decision. A minute after he was finishing dancing with Mama, he brothers cornered him by the punch bowl and asked him about Kay, and none of his answers pleases them. " For future reference it takes at least forty minutes to brainwash someone."
"That's not funny, you think I didn't notice that Kay left right after your "talk"." Kay hadn't said anything to him the whole time she was here and Miguel knew he brother had something to do with it. " What did you say to her?"
Brian narrowed his eyes at the accusation, Miguel was a little too concerned about someone who was just a friend, and right now he felt more loyalty to Kay then him. Straightens to his full height, he smiled when he saw his little brother step closer to Luis. " We had a normal conversation, things like how are you, and where you working now, nothing that concerns you."
"Kay's my best friend, everything about her concerns me."
"Then ask her, because obviously my answers aren't what you're looking for. " Brian grabs his drink and walks off angry and annoyed at his brothers and heads back into the house. "Arrogant little punk."
"Who's an arrogant little punk?" Brain turn toward the voice and found Theresa sitting at the kitchen table alone.
"No one, what are you doing in here all alone?"
"Ethan went to check on Kay, Gwen went home, Whitney has a match tomorrow, Chad got called to the studio, and standing for too long hurts my feet. "
Brian takes the seat across from her. "Oh I'm sorry your friends had to leave, but this gives me the time to talk to you, we haven't had a chance to catch up."
"Well, I'm pregnant by Julian Crane my dead husband, what are you up to?" Theresa raised an eyebrow and titled her head in a move that Brian swore she got form their mother.
"Well, I am currently unemployed and living in a houseboat."
"Yeah, but what are you going to do now that you're back?"
" I'll probably look into a job with the new construction company that just moved to town."
"Oh yeah, I saw their sign Cort something or other?"
"Cortez, I've done some construction work in my time, I shouldn't have a problem getting work."
Theresa didn't want to bring up his relationship with Sheridan, but she was more then a little curious as to way he was staying, when he talked of nothing but leaving since he arrived. "So what changed your mind about leaving?"
"Not Sheridan if that's what you're thinking."
"Then what it couldn't have been the reception you've been getting from Luis and Miguel." Theresa gave a smile that suggested she had know exactly who he had thought was an arrogant little punk.
" Just something Kay said to me."
"Really, I didn't think Kay said anything beside her usual praises of Miguel."
"I think Kay is past that stage."
"Really?"
"Really."
"So you're not staying hoping that being closer will force some clueless guy that we both know to realize his feelings for you." The question was delivered with a tone that suggested disbelief.
"Ethan, for the last time, I'm staying because Castleton is a good school, and I don't really want to leave Harmony right now." Kay hits her brother's shoulder. "I want to spend more time with my big brother or at least I did before he started talking about something I told him in confidence."
Ethan's throws up his hands in defense. "Hey, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"I won't, my plans don't include Miguel, and in fact the only Lopez-Fitzgerald I will try to see again is Brian."
"Why him?"
"Let's just say we have similar interests."
