"Well Agnes," I think this one might be my favorite." Lincoln admired a colorful picture of his girlfriend in a sundress. "You make a lovely model."
Agnes brushed her hair bangsside with a blush. "And you make a great artist. I have feeling you're gonna go great places with your talent." She wrapped her arms around Lincoln's neck.
Lincoln responded by holding her hand. "Well, wherever I go, I just hope I got to spend it with you, maybe I might come and live with you."
"And what about your parents?"
"I can't wait! Mom and dad have always been the accepting types. So I'm pretty sure having a girlfriend older than me won't be a problem."
"Well, you certainly are confident today." Agnes yawned as she grabbed his hand. "Time for bed sweetie."
"Yes ma'am." Lincoln then let Agnes drag him to their bedroom. In the next moment they found themselves falling onto their bed; their hearts pounding in watched Agnes take off her robe and climb next to Lincoln
As their lips connected, they melted into each other's mouths. They slowly removed each other's clothes, before that Agnes rested into Lincoln's soft arms.
Soon, soft rays of light shone upon the bedroom. The young man and his the former teacher cuddled, interlocking their bodies to feel each other's warmth
"Oh Lincoln," Agnes moaned as she ran her hand through his hair
"I love you Agnes Johnson." he whispered.
"And I love you too, Lincoln Loud."
As Agnes dozed off, she found herself at a grocery store. Now in her forties and married with a child. Unfortunately, this new life did not come without displeasure. Even disguised with sunglasses and a headscarf, people were quick to notice her.
Now she was settled with her young husband and a little girl. Although, she was not charged with anything, the relationship came with some… repercussions.
"Hey, isn't that the school teacher?" One woman whispered.
"The one who slept with her student? Pretty gross." A second woman whispered. "She must've been so freaking desperate."
"Honestly, I can't believe she was teaching, who knows what other students she might have gotten comfortable with." A third woman added.
Avoiding confrontation, the former teacher made her way to the front check-out counter. She tried her to best to hide herself, avoid eye contact with anyone.
The store clerk rang her up. "Would that be all ma'am?"
"Yes please, thank you." Agnes responded in a nervous voice.
"Better make your way outta here quickly before the mob gets some ideas." The clerk whispered. Agnes gave her a curious eye. "You're still a customer; and you're not hurting anybody."
Agnes could feel the daggers shot her way as quickly made the exit. On her way, her legs bumped into a little kid sending his toy skimming away. Instinctively. she scooped it up and handed it over. The teacher reached out and picked up his toy.
"Are you okay, little one?" Agnes asked with a soft smile grin.
Before he could take it back however, his mother pulled him away, scowling at the woman. "Come on sweetie; I don't want you anywhere near this monster." As she pulled him away, she whispered. "Honestly, I don't know what they were thinking; hiring someone who preys on her students, disgusting."
A few minutes later, she arrived home to her dark apartment. An area tucked so far away than even the streetlights flickered in the night. Nearby, men stood, their eyes piercing even those with the most steadfast of resolve.
No doubt not the best place to raise a newborn.
When she came through the front door, she immediately slipped on a mini car toy. In an instant, her worry turned to frustration. "Damn it Lincoln, I thought I told you to keep this house clean when I got back."
Lincoln popped his head from the kitchen. "Sorry Agnes, didn't have much time to clean up, had to put the little one to sleep. She can be quite a handful."
Agnes grit her teeth, "Glad you find humor in this situation."
"Huh?"
"Ugh, you have only one job around here, and you can't even do that!" She yelled, pointing at him
"Hey, maybe you haven't noticed, but I work too, you know." Lincoln shot back.
Agnes rolled her eyes. "Yes, because part time at Flip's Food and Fuel really brings home the bacon."
"He was the only one willing to hire someone with no GED, plus I'd told him I would keep quiet about what he does with his products."
Agnes scoffed. "Fine, just give me what you made." She held out her hand. Lincoln gave her the money.
"That's it?" Agnes glared.
"I'm sorry, I had to use most of it on diapers and food."
"We needed that to keep the lights on! I've already asked for too many extensions!"
"It hasn't been shut off yet!" A moment later, the lights went off. He gave a nervous chuckle. "I'm sure it's just a blackout."
Agnes shook her head, before turning away and scoffing. In response, he put his hand on her shoulder
"Look, whatever, it is, we will figure it out, Afterall, I am the…"
"Man with the plan?" She gave an unconvinced laugh. "Yeah, the man with the plan. The same man who thought it was a good idea to make our relationship public because you thought they would 'understand and accept us', or whose idea was it to drop out of school for less-than-minimum wage job, or the one who convinced me to stay in Royal Woods instead of moving away from all this drama. Not to mention, you didn't even want to accept help from your parents and ended up running away."
"I admit it didn't work out…"
Agnes waved her arms. "Oh and let's not forget that I'm a freaking pariah who supposedly groomed you. And now look at me, struggling for pocket money, all because parents think I'm a danger to kids. The only ones that trust me are the ones who're barely even involved. And they don't even pay for babysitting!"
"I know it seems bad but we can get through this." Agnes held her hand to Lincoln's face, "Just stop Lincoln!"
"Look, you need to calm down Agnes." Lincoln held his palms up.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" She countered. Before he could grasp her shoulders, she smacked his hands away. "And, don't touch me!" She shoved the boy to the wall, causing a lamp to fall.
Before another word can be muttered, a child's cry pierced the air. Not wanting to engage further, he rose up to check on his daughter. "You wanna walk, then fine; but right now, my daughter needs me."
"Shh, shhh, there, there, it's okay, I'm sorry we woke you up." Lincoln gently rocked and rubbed the baby. Trying to be as calm and collected as possible.
Agnes simply stared at his efforts. He held her gently and hummed a lullaby. Even if the cries got louder, he held firm. At that moment she had realized the choice she had made and the consequences that came with it.
The next morning, Lincoln woke up to an empty bedroom. He looked around for Agnes, but she was nowhere to be found. Her belongings had already been taken, leaving only a letter on the nightstand.
"This has been a mistake for both of us. I cannot change what we did. This has been my fault. Therefore, I have decided to start over with my life, and I think you should too. So I've decided to do what is best for us. Don't ever contact me again."
Before long, loud bangs came from the door. Lincoln peeked to reveal two officers and one lady. And judging from the seriousness of their expressions, it was anything but a wellness check.
"Hello sir, we received an anonymous tip that there is a child being abused here."
In the meantime, the former teacher stood at a bus station with a ticket and suitcase. "This is for the best…" She whispered, before taking one final tearful glance back and boarding the bus.
The teacher awoke in a cold sweat, her mind searching frantically for Lincoln, only to find a note in his place.
"Went to go get more art supplies, catch you later."
She felt herself ease slightly, though she could still feel her heart pound.
A month had passed since they got together, and finally summer was coming to an end. Sudden;y, her stomach growled, so, she helped herself to a plate full of food.
As she rested, her mind began to wander once again. She found herself loving again but… was it right? To have a partner this young… was that to be the future of their relationship?
Before she could think further, Lincoln came in, holding a bag of art supplies. "Hey Agnes," He planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Hi Lincoln."
Lincoln noticed her full plate of food. "Wow, that's quite a spread you got there, I'm guessing you're hungry, huh."
"Nah, I figured I'd take advantage of the buffet, it is our last day here after all."
"Oh right, checkout is the next day. Summer's ending' after all, huh?"
"Yeah, the time sure did fly by," Agnes took a big bite out of her sausage and eggs.
Lincoln held his hand out to Mrs. Johnson, "So why don't we make the most of it? Ya know, before we have to return to Royal Woods." He then noticed her frown.. "Uh, something on your mind?"
"No, I'm fine Lincoln, sure let's go out." She quickly responded while putting on a fake smile.
They spent that sunny afternoon enjoying their time together. They walked along the beach, allowing their bare feet to soak into the watery sand. She watched as his smile reflected the afternoon sunlight. As they walked along, she started to relax, and yet, could not shake her feelings of unease. Before the moment could resolve however, she slammed her toe into a random object.
Thankfully, Lincoln was able to catch her before she hit the sand, wasting no time bringing her up to his level."Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, looks like someone left trash on the beach."
Lincoln chuckled and dug up the object, holding it out for her to see."If by trash, you mean a nice seashell?"
"And it seems like someone is still home." Agnes pointed to the crab inside the shell… which promptly pinched his finger.
"Ow!" In response he swung around and launched the shell into the sea.
Shaking her head, the homeroom teacher dragged him into the shade, taking a moment to tend to his cut. "You need to be more careful."
"Yeah, I'll try to be…" Before he could finish, Agnes rushed off.
Before Lincoln could pursue, he watched her run into one of the restrooms, prompting him to wait outside.
Inside the restroom, Agnes felt unfamiliar knots in her stomach. These sensations that had been recurring for the past five weeks. Nausea overtook the teacher, causing her to vomit. It was… familiar to her, yet so foreign. What could… no.. it couldn't be." Her mind raced to her nights with Lincoln. How he overtook and claimed it as his own…
Was she on the pill? She had to have been, right? Her eyes widened "No, it can't be… I can't be…"
Taking a moment to get a hold of herself, she pushed herself up and splashed water in her face. The GF took a deep breath and stepped out, instantly being met by Lincoln and a water bottle. "Are you okay?"
Without hesitation she drank it up. "I'm fine Lincoln; I guess I just had too much to drink last night."
"But you didn't drink." Lincoln raised an eyebrow.
"Ah of course, silly me, guess my mind was just a bit hazy."
Lincoln continued to eye Ms. Johnson. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Don't worry about it, alright; it's complicated for women like me." She smiled at Lincoln
"Okay, if you say so."
"Come on, we have the whole day ahead of us Lincoln." Agnes pulled Lincoln.
The day continued with them relaxing at a small café for a drink, when suddenly music started to fill the air. This got Lincoln to step onto a wooden dance platform and offer Agnes a hand. Despite her initial reluctance, he smiled, urging her to join him.
As the music played along, Lincoln followed the beat urging her to follow. And in turn, Agnes followed, matching his movements.
"My, my, Lincoln; I never imagined you would be such a great dancer."
"It's nothing, just something I got from my dad. He and mom won tons dance competitions when they went out." He spun her. "Dad always told me that many women love a guy that can bust some moves."
And with the final beats of the song, Lincoln did some twirls, and lifted Agnes by her hips, then performed a final dip. The dance left their lungs inhaling and sweating. Both of them laughed as they embraced each other.
Within the next few minutes, Lincoln led Agnes' last activity. The last stop took them back to the Ferris wheel. Lincoln grasped Agnes hand happily, savoring the moment. He watched as the lights reflect from the water. Agnes on the other hand had continued to have her mind somewhere else. No matter how much she wanted to have a good time, her mind continued to drift to what was to come.
Lincoln leaned in a gave Agnes a peck on the cheek. "I hope this moment between us can last forever."
"Lincoln." Agnes spoke.
Lincoln turned to face her. "What is it?"
"Where do you see yourself in a few years?"
"Being with you honestly," Lincoln replied. "Maybe I might move in with you after high school." Lincoln paused for a moment. "Well, maybe I might take a gap year and get a job, after all Flip's might be hiring."
"So are you gonna support us with a minimum wage salary that Flip will try to not pay you?" She inquired. "I mean what about college?"
"Hey, lots of people don't go to college."
"True, but lots of people don't pass up school with a chance to expand their talents." Agnes sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"Lincoln;, I've been thinking…" She paused. "But, I think we should end this."
The boy looked at the woman in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"All of this Lincoln, I mean our age gap is just too big, not to mention, you're still a kid and I'm an adult."
"I don't understand, where is this coming from?" Lincoln shouted as the ride began to descend.
"I've been thinking about it," She bowed her head. "And I don't think I can be as strong and ambitious as my parents in this situation."
"Well it's nothing we can face together right," Lincoln grasped her hands. "Remember, I've always been the man with the plan."
"Your determination to be sweet, but it's much more than that Lincoln." Agnes explained. "I mean, just look at us?" Before she continue, Lincoln rose up.
"So you're now having second thoughts? That's never stopped us before, so why now? We have a good thing going together. We face it together then we can-"
"That's the thing Lincoln!" Agnes shot back. "You think just because you're the man with the plan, you have everything all figured out!"
Lincoln stuttered, "Look, we will figure something out, I mean that…"
"The difference is, you don't have much to lose in all of this, but I do." She stated. "This situation is much more complicated for me than you. Have you ever thought about how the world will react to us? You really think this is not gonna turn some heads?"
"And you think, I'm not afraid about the backlash I might get from all this?" Lincoln barked. Both of them sat quietly for a moment, before the ride came to a complete halt. "I'm gonna go out for a bit."
Lincoln left the woman behind, leaving her to her thoughts. For a moment, she wondered if she made a mistake and yet, resolved herself. "If only you'd understand…"
In the next moment, she froze. Her thoughts overtook her, jumping from idea to idea. Was this right? What was going to happen next? It took time to push herself up again and leave, her mind trailing as she made her way back to the room.
That night, she sat down in her bed quietly, her mind still racing from what had happened. She glanced at her phone, without a response. She could feel her body tense up. She needed someone to talk to… And so she picked up her phone and dialed.
"Hello sweetie," Pearl answered the phone.
"Hi mom," Her voice broke.
"Is there something wrong sweetie?"
"It's Lincoln, and me," Agnes could barely speak. "I think I may have done something awful."
"What is it, Agnes?" Pearl pushed.
"I don't think I have the courage to go through this, and when I told Lincoln, well, he didn't take it too well." Agnes lied down in bed, turning her face to the starry sky.
"You want to break up with him, because you don't feel you can handle what comes next?"
"Yeah."
"I see, well that's a shame, Lincoln seems like a nice boy and very mature for his age. But ultimately it is your choice of whether you want to stay together and face the obstacles what the relationship might bring, or you want to avoid the scorn and criticism it may bring. Nevertheless, if Lincoln truly loves you, then he would be understanding, but either way, you two do need to talk to each other."
"Yeah I know, I don't want to end up with him hating me."
"Whatever decision you make, your father and I will always love you."
"Love you, mom."
"I love you too Agnes."
Agnes wasted no time rushing out into the night in search of her young boyfriend. While she didn't have a clear idea where to look first, she started in his usual hangout spots. However, the comic and art stores were already closed. Dread started to fill her body as Lincoln continued to be unresponsive. The last text she sent an hour ago was "we had to talk" but he hadn't replied yet.
Within the steps within the boardwalk, her eyes caught wind of a person in white hair. Her eyes widened as the teacher rushed to the person sitting on the beach. As her feet sank into the sand with every step, she called out to the figure.
Agnes brushed her hair back, "Lincoln."
The person turned his face to reveal Lincoln. His confused expression met with the distraught face of his girlfriend. After much exhaling, Agnes threw her arms around Lincoln's neck, pushing her face into her chest. Lincoln embraced her back, stroking her hair.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was, Lincoln?!" She shouted, as she threw her arms around him.
Lincoln held her tightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."
Together Lincoln and Agnes shared this moment of closeness as the water, winds and sand overtook them them. They watched as the stars glistened above and as moonlight reflected on the waters.
"I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls… I just, I was thinking too. I'm sorry, I didn't consider what it may do to you rather than what it will do to me, with our ages, and I guess I was acting selfish. It's just that, well, I really enjoyed my time together with you."
"I enjoyed my time together with you too Lincoln. But I really did mean it when I said to consider your future."
"I didn't really think of that to be honest, just about you."
Agnes cuddled with Lincoln, grasping his hand. "I care about you Lincoln, not as a teacher, but as a person. I don't want to hold you back from exploring your future."
Lincoln bowed his head. Even if she could not see it, Agnes could sense the unease he felt. While it did hurt, she knew what must be done.
Lincoln sighed as he continued to look at the sky. "So what now?"
"Take this time to discover more about yourself and continue to not only be a good brother, but a good uncle to your sister's future kids. Don't just do it for me, but do it for yourself. And then when the time comes, you can decide what you truly want."
"So this is how it ends huh?" He snarled, trying to hide his obvious heartbreak. He felt Agnes continued to rest her head upon his shoulders. And so, they spent that night watching the lights and the sea collide with each other, as both hearts filled with uncertainty.
The next afternoon began with awkward silence as they departed from the hotel. It was a few days before the school started again. They drove back in silence, with Lincoln spending most of the time watching the clouds as they drove and Agnes debating mentioning the gnawing feeling in her abdomen.
No matter how much the two wanted to chat, neither knew what to say. When they hit a light, Agnes' fingers brushed against Lincoln's palm. In that moment, Lincoln was pulled from his thoughts and turned to face Agnes'. bAfter a motionless exchange, frowns had turned into smile. And as their eyes met, they felt like a weight was lifted from their shoulders.
Within an hour, they arrived back home in Royal Woods. The vehicle came to a stop around Agnes' home. As they departed from the car, the first task was extending their limbs, after a long drive. Secondly, Lincoln helped Agnes bring her stuff inside.
"Home sweet home." Agnes chimed, falling into her front couch, in exhaustion.
"Well, that was fun." Lincoln carried Agnes' bags. "Thanks again, for inviting me on the trip."
"You're a very welcome Lincoln. It was fun with you around."
Lincoln stood up and said. "I guess this is it."
"Yes, it is." Agnes rose to face Lincoln, tilting her hair bangs.
Suddenly Lincoln jerked the women into a hug, as Agnes rested her head on his chest and hands around his arms. They let the little moment sink in as their hearts warmed in unison.
It took every ounce of strength to release his ex-girlfriend, as he still felt drawn to her like a magnet.
"I don't regret the moments we spent together." He said holding her shoulders. "I love you."
Agnes held his hands, hiding the tears in her eyes. "Neither do I. I love you too."
"No regrets." He asked.
"No regrets." Agnes answered, sharing one last touch on his young lips.
She watched as her lover left her house, trying not to look back. Her heart sank as she watched Lincoln walk out on her, and possibly her life. Little did she know that the boy also held back his tears as he kept wiping them away, but pushed himself to move forward.
As the white-haired boy made it back home, he spent the rest of the afternoon scrolling through the summer memories, reflecting on what could have been, but could not be. No matter how much his heart wanted to, he knew deep down Agnes was right. In a way, he couldn't blame her for ending it.
As he was about to start scrolling, he received a call from his parents. "Hey mom and dad."
"Hey there sweetie," Rita answered back. "We are just calling to check up on you, how is everything? We've been missing you."
He held his tongue. "Oh my trip was eventful, just got back home. So how was the trip with everyone?"
"Oh it was okay, all things considered, despite Aunt Ruth constantly complaining most of the way about the hot tubs being bad for her bunions or how she expected the hotel staff to cater to her every need. Now I can see why you kids don't wanna be around her most of the time."
"That must have been pleasant to sit through." He joked, sitting up.
"Oh you have no idea." Rita responded. "We're sorry for leaving you behind."
Lincoln shook his head. "Don't sweat it, I'm over it.."
Rita laughed. "Well look at you acting all mature. I'm sure you'll make any woman happy with that level of maturity."
"Haha, good one mom."
"Either way, we just wanted to let you know that we will be home in a few hours."
"Okay mom, see you guys soon." Lincoln hung up the phone and laid down
Meanwhile, the teacher's air hissed from chest to mouth throughout the session. For every second, she felt her body go numb as her strength failed her. The feeling between her legs became tense, then after the final release. Agnes took a final breath. And in a moment she moved her finger, revealing the result.
"Well, what will you think of me now, Lincoln?" Agnes whispered, clutching the stick, its small screen displaying two red lines. Tears began to roll down her face as she dropped the device. "What have I done?"
FIN
A/N: Sorry for the delay, Writer's Block been hitting me hard with this one. Hope you guys enjoy this story, still jumbling ideas, so it's unknown if I would ever do a follow up, but we will see what happened.
