Title: Falling Through
Author: alienangel19852003
Summary: Phil and Keely are best friends, and they've been that way for three years. Despite the fact that both of them want to be so much more. Keely decides to go out with someone else just to shake Phil up so that he'll admit his feelings, it ends up scarring the both of them more than they can ever imagine. The secret they have to live with ends up bringing them closer than ever.
Rating: M, rape, violence, teen partying, teen pregnancy.
Disclaimer: I do not own POTF, I cannot stress that enough. Title comes from Over My Head (Cable Car) by the Fray.
"Till we all just get along"
Keely sat down in a chair, defeated. Now in her sixth month, even the everyday was impossible. She couldn't get her shoes on properly, she'd tried every way imaginable to strap the little strap on her shoes but nothing was working. They were already twenty minutes late for Thanksgiving dinner; it would be the first meeting with her mother in two months.
"Do you need some help?" Phil asked.
"No…" she snapped, blushing a second later, "Mood swing, sorry. I think I got…damn it. By the time I get these shoes on it'll be Christmas." Keely grumbled straining around her pregnant belly.
"Let me see?" he asked, with a disarming smile.
"Oh alright," she said.
He picked up her foot and strapped the leather strap on the black stiletto pumps she insisted on wearing to dinner even though she knew she couldn't walk around the block in before she got pregnant without insisting they be taken off.
"You suck…" she panted.
"I love you too." He smirked he took her hands and pulled her to her feet.
"Ow…Ow…I cannot wear these shoes even though they look great with this top." She gestured to the oversized hot pink sweater she wore with black leggings.
Phil smiled, "Sit down. I'll bring you some more shoes."
"Did I ever tell you were the sweetest guy ever?" she asked.
"Yes, but it helps to hear it often."
"Don't push it…" she said as he returned with a pair of more suitable shoes.
She allowed him to put them on her and help her out of her chair.
"Making you happy is my mission." Phil said.
"Well, you're doing a good job. Now where's that turkey? I'm going to put some steak sauce upon it." Keely said as Phil opened the door to their garage apartment and they walked across the grass to the main house.
"Steak sauce? Keel…you're really out to top the whole avocado and ice cream night aren't you?"
"Yes…it could work." She said opening the back door leading into the kitchen.
"You took two bites of the other concoction, got nauseous and made me pick the avocados off. I just threw it away and got you all new ice cream." Phil laughed.
"No wonder it tasted different." Keely said.
Phil shook his head and opened the door for her.
Everyone was convening in the dining room. Around the table sat Barb, Pim, Keely's mother, the absence of Lloyd was made up by the yelling from the living room.
"About damn time you two show up, I've been wasting away waiting for you two to walk across the lawn." Pim said.
"Pim, honey watch your language. No one around here uses those kinds of words, I don't know where you hear things like that." Barb said readjusting the centerpiece on the table.
Keely snickered as Pim scooted her chair away from her mother.
"When you get struck by lighting maybe I'll only get third degree burns." Pim said.
"Sorry for the wait couldn't decide which shoes to wear." Keely said.
"That's funny you're wearing the same shoes you wore over here this morning," Pim said.
"Well, I know how that can be…" Mandy said.
"Hi mom… how are you?" Keely gave a nervous wave.
"I'm great, going on two months sober."
"That's good." Keely whispered.
She still felt badly about not talking to her mother in months, but the doctor said that it would be best if she stayed out of contact with her mother. Inviting her to Thanksgiving dinner had been Keely's idea, she didn't like the idea of her mother alone in the house on a major holiday with nothing to do but feel like a bad mother and drink herself into oblivion.
Phil kissed Keely on the cheek and guided her over to a chair with his hand on the small of her back. She relaxed under his gentle touch; he seemed to understand that seeing her mother was taking a lot out of her.
"Phil, could you tell your father to come in and carve the stupid turkey." Barb said.
"Are you still not talking to him?" Keely asked.
"Nope. Tell him to turn that damn game off and get in here now…" Barb said.
Phil got up and did what his mother asked, a few minutes and a quiet verbal exchange later they returned to the table.
"Alright, now it's time for turkey carving fun." Lloyd said.
There was a collective eye roll from the table.
"Make it snappy, I'm running on empty." Pim said.
"What sweetie?" Lloyd asked over the roar of the electric carver.
"Nothing Daddykins." Pim said.
There was a loud screech from outside, and then frantic tapping at the back door.
"I'll get it…" Phil said.
It was any excuse to get away from the mounting tension at the table, his parents were fighting and his father was again too oblivious to notice, things were weird between Keely and her mother, and Pim was being herself, which was actually the most normal thing at the table.
Phil pulled open the back door to find Alicia standing there panting.
"You wouldn't happen to have a fire extinguisher would you? My uncle blew up the turkey."
"Yeah sure, my mom keeps one in every room of the house, between my dad and my sister we can't be too careful." Phil said going over to the cabinet and digging out the extinguisher.
Alicia grabbed it, "Thanks,"
"You need some help?" he asked.
"Dinner with the fam not going so well?" she asked.
"If the argument in the other room in any indication." Phil said over the sounds of his parents arguing in the other room.
The sounds of sirens were getting close.
"Well, I doubt I need this now, fire trucks are here. I really hate firemen." Alicia said lighting a cigarette.
"Why do you hate firemen?"
"I guess the whole macho supremacy ideals and whatnot." She shrugged, "Or maybe it's the yellow flame retardant suits that just creep me out."
"I think it's probably a bit of both," Phil said.
"Phil…why did you leave me out there with them? It's like the Barnum and Bailey Circus in there." Keely said entering the kitchen.
"Sorry, but I have good excuse Alicia's house is on fire." Phil said.
"Oh, hey Alicia. Vice Principal Hackett and poultry are two things that don't mix. We really should have warned you. He's done this two years in a row." Keely said.
"We should have just invited the two of you to have dinner here, to join the circus." Phil smiled.
The sounds of plates breaking in the dining room were hard to ignore.
Keely smiled, "I think they might be serving now."
"Why don't you go get your uncle and we'll pull up some extra chairs? Stay away from the creepy flame retardant suits."
"Oh okay. Thanks guys."
"You're welcome…." They both said.
"Do you think we can order a new family off Ebay?" Phil asked.
"It's not that bad," Keely said as they walked back into the dining room.
He had to catch a flying turkey leg, "Are you sure about that?"
"Mmmm…Turkey." She took it from him and took a bite before going back and sitting down.
"Who was at the door?" Lloyd asked.
"It was Alicia her uncle blew up the turkey again." Phil said.
"Not everyone can cook a turkey with bottle rockets the way I can." Lloyd said proudly.
"That's one of the few things you do well." Barb said dryly.
"We invited them to dinner. So can we please keep the violence to a minimum?" Phil asked.
"That was nice of you two. Lloyd go pull up some extra chairs," Barb said.
"Speaking to me again I see." Lloyd responded rising from his chair.
"Yes, for the moment."
Twenty minutes later Hackett and Alicia had joined the group, and Hackett was telling the tale of his cooking fiasco.
"I just didn't think the drapes would catch on fire." Hackett laughed.
"We've all been there." Barb said.
"So…I'm going to ask the question on everyone's minds…when are you two love birds going to tie the knot?" Alicia asked changing the subject.
The whole table got quiet.
"We've been discussing things, and we've decided since I'm due in February, we'll have the wedding sometime in early May." Keely said.
"I'll make reservations at the Cathedral in town." Mandy said clapping her hands together.
"We don't want to get married in a church; we were thinking some where out on Old Man McGhee's vineyards." Phil said.
"Some thing beautiful and simple." Keely said.
"Well…if that's what you kids want…you know money is no object with me or with your father." Mandy said.
"I hate how the two of you think money can fix anything…I saw the three grand you put in my account, you shouldn't have done that..." Keely said.
"I didn't, I told your father about your…situation…he must have deposited the money." Mandy said.
Keely rolled her eyes; her father wassore subjecther. He'd left when she was seven, leaving her to take care of her drunk mother. She hadn't seen the man in years, he always managed to send her a birthday card and stack of cash every year, but it didn't make up for him not being there.
"And what situation would that be?" Keely asked.
Her mother smiled politely, "Just eat your dinner there is no need to get worked up…"
"How can she not get worked up? You insist on discussing things that you know might be hurtful to her. And it's gonna stop," Phil said.
"Alright I apologize; I've been going through a lot lately–" Mandy started.
"You think I haven't?" Keely demanded, "You always manage to turn things back to you… I'm pregnant at seventeen!"
"Yes," Mandy smiled politely, "But if you would have been the daughter I raised you to be and kept your legs together, you wouldn't be in this mess. You would be about to graduate high school and heading off to college to do whatever you set your mind to."
Keely blinked back tears, "This was a mistake…Calli was right, I've done all I can for you…" she whispered.
"You're out of line, Ms. Teslow. You will not speak to Keely like that in my presence; I don't give a damn if you are her mother. You will not talk to my future wife like that. I think you should leave." Phil said.
"Get to stepping," Pim agreed.
"Alright, thank you all for a lovely afternoon." Mandy said cheerfully before starting out of the room.
"You can't blame this on the alcohol Mandy; you said those words under your own influence. I vouched for you…I told them you were just upset, now I realize your just too damn selfish to see off your own nose." Barb said as she followed Mandy to the door and slammed it behind her.
"If she's come back in here acting uppity again, I'm gonna punch her in the head. I'm not bullshitting." Pim said.
"I doubt anyone would stop you…" Keely said.
"You'll have to get in line." Barb said.
"Are all gatherings like this around here?" Alicia asked.
"Pretty much when my mother is involved. She's not all to thrilled about me marrying Phil." Keely said.
"She seems like a regular breath of fresh air…" Alicia said sarcastically.
"Well, dinner was lovely. Anyone want to try my chocolate soufflé?" Hackett asked.