Chapter 741: Beaulieu Manor
Wednesday, March 22nd, Evening
She sat at her desk, staring at the book. For English, she had to read chapters and be prepared to discuss them tomorrow. Her dad was the head of the English Department, so if she didn't perform well, he heard about it, and she would hear about it. Yet the book never applied to her, and the writer was supposedly one of the greats of the American Canon, but she didn't enjoy the writing. She also, honestly, didn't care for writing and books. It wasn't her thing; it was something in common she shared with her brother and one of her sisters.
Sawyer heard the door open behind her. From the sounds of the hinges, it was the bathroom door. She shared a bathroom with Keni and was the only one to come through it. She took a deep breath, counted to five, and screwed on her all-so-familiar Happy Sawyer game face. Once settled, she turned around to see Keni standing at the door.
"Why do you look sour?" Sawyer asked.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," Keni said.
Sawyer tilted her head, "I asked you first," she said.
"That you did," Keni said, stepped through the door, and closed it behind her. She walked over to the desk and looked down at what Sawyer was attempting to read, "I read that book earlier this year."
"I bet it hadn't improved since then," Sawyer said.
"I quite enjoyed it," Keni said.
"Eh!" Sawyer said.
"You also never enjoy literature," Keni stated.
"Is it that obvious?" Sawyer asked.
"Only as clear as the nose on your face," Keni said.
Sawyer unconsciously reached for her nose and looked into Keni's eyes. "Hey, I happen to think my nose is cute," Sawyer said.
"Not the point, Sawyer," Keni said.
"So, what is the point?" Sawyer asked.
Keni took a seat on Sawyer's bed. "I was teaching Callie to shoot pool," she said.
"Callie doesn't know how to shoot pool?" Sawyer asked.
Keni shook her head, no. "It seems her parents thought because people gamble on it, playing it is a sin," she said.
"Oh, how interesting," Sawyer said.
"No, not really," Keni said.
"What are you so sour about then?" Sawyer asked.
"She beat me," Keni said.
"Did she hustle you?" Sawyer asked.
"No, I don't know, she only shot well during one game," Keni said.
"So, how did she beat you?" Sawyer asked.
"I sank the eight ball and scratched on the eight ball twice," Keni said.
"So, you played like shit," Sawyer said.
"You don't have to rub it in," Keni said.
Sawyer chuckled, "Okay," she said.
"There's the Sawyer I know," Keni said.
"What? I've always been here," Sawyer said.
"No, you haven't; you've been some broody stick in the mud since the party," Keni said.
"I'm a Sawyer and a Scott, we brood, it's our thing," Sawyer said.
"Not for Sawyer Brooke Scott, she doesn't brood," Keni said.
"Maybe I'm taking up the family business," Sawyer said.
"I doubt it," Keni said.
"What are you getting at, Keni?" Sawyer asked.
"You've not been the same since the party," Keni said.
"I don't know about that," Sawyer said.
"You said what happened between you and Keir was consensual," Keni said.
"It was," Sawyer said.
"What happened? Sawyer, we never discussed it in depth," Keni said.
"I never wanted to talk about it," Sawyer said.
"What happened, Sawyer?" Kari said.
"Are you going to do this, Keni?" Sawyer asked.
"Sawyer, you're falling apart," Keni said.
"So?" Sawyer asked, "That's your opinion."
"I'm not the only one who thinks this," Keni said.
"So, someone has noticed me, what a surprise," Sawyer said.
"Sawyer, what happened between you and Keir?" Keni asked.
Sawyer sighed and looked away. After a few moments, she turned to look at Keni. "We did it that night, and then he ghosted me," Sawyer said.
"Yeah, Keir's an asshole," Keni said.
Sawyer shook her head. "Keni, you don't get it; he made me feel special and seen. I've never had that before; he made it seem that he was interested in Sawyer, the person, and not Sawyer the Scott," she said.
Keni shook her head, "Keir just wanted sex and to say he had sex with you," she said.
Sawyer nodded and started to cry. Keni took a step forward, but Sawyer held up a hand. Keni stopped when Sawyer held up her hand, and Keni looked Sawyer over. Sawyer was starting to shake as she cried.
"I know, I now know," Sawyer said.
Keni nodded and hugged Sawyer. "It's okay," Keni said.
Sawyer cried on Keni's shoulder. Once the taller girl went slack, Keni took over to her bed and laid Sawyer down. Keni stood back and watched Sawyer grab Jon-Jon and cuddle the well-loved plushy.
"What's wrong? What did I do?" Sawyer asked.
"I don't know," Keni said.
"That's not helpful," Sawyer said.
"Talk to your dad and ask for help," Keni said.
"I can't; Dad has too much on his plate," Sawyer said.
"You have to, and I think your dad can handle it, Sawyer," Keni said.
"I'm also scared, Keni," Sawyer said.
"I know," Keni said, lying on the bed beside Sawyer and holding her.