A/N: Thank you all so much! I am so glad you're enjoying this and your reviews mean the world to me! Thank you for all the faves and follows as well! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know some of you were waiting to see Kate's reaction to some canon things so here we go. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 41

Robin and I talked until night fell.

It was amazing. And relieving. It felt like I had my friend back. She swore that she wouldn't tell a soul, not even Veronica, that I could trust her. She knew what it was like keeping a secret about yourself from everyone.

When she finally went home, it was like I could breathe again. One thing finally seemed like it was going right. I didn't realize how much I had missed or even relied on Robin's friendship until it was finally repaired. Or on its way to being repaired.

"What are you wearing?"

I looked up to see Max standing on the sidewalk, staring at me. She had her skateboard flipped up with one end in her hand. I glanced down at the uniform I was dressed in.

"It's a Gi. I'm headed to my Karate class. What's up?"

"Oh," she shifted slightly. "I was wondering if we could…never mind." She shook her head and moved as if she was about to drop her board and take off. Obviously something had brought her to me.

"Why don't you come with?" I called out. "I mean if you're not busy."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Do I have to wear that?"

I grinned. "No. Come on, it'll be fun."

She thought about it for a moment before she shrugged and moved towards me. "Okay."

I got in and unlocked the passenger door. She sat down and I waited until she had her seatbelt on before I started the car and drove off.

"So like…what do you do there?"

"We learn to fight."

"Like…like you did my stepdad?"

"Yup."

"Cool."

Max stuck close to me as we walked in. I waved and greeted a few people before heading to the teacher. If it wasn't cool for Max to join, I'd skip and find out what was up with her. He took one look at Max and asked her to help as his assistant, she seemed to take it all in during the class and was eager to try everything.

I headed up to them once it was finished. "Alright?"

"Yeah!" Max grinned at me. "It was way different than I expected. More…thinking than I expected."

"More brain than brawn?" I asked, teasingly.

"Exactly. It was cool but…he'd never let me join." She looked away at that. I turned to the teacher, wondering if I might be able to work something out. He raised his eyebrows at me and I tried to convey how much of an asshole her stepdad was in a look. I wasn't entirely sure I succeeded but the teacher turned to Max.

"You would be welcome to be my teaching assistant in return for help setting up and cleaning afterward. If you would be interested."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Oh my god, that would be stellar! You won't be sorry. I'll be on time, early even. Every class! Thank you!"

He smiled at her and nodded. "You can grab a schedule at the front. Find when you're available and let me know when to expect you."

"Thank you!"

I grinned and thanked him myself before I tapped Max. "Come on, let's grab the stuff and then maybe head to the arcade?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

We paused for milkshakes before we hit up the arcade.

"Are you sure we can sit up here? Won't we wreck it?"

"It's fine," I waved the concern off. "It's sturdy enough to hold us."

The two of us were perched on the trunk of the car. We were parked by the local burger joint but were just far enough away that while we could see everything happening, we could also talk without being overheard.

I waited in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable and I knew that Max would say whatever was on her mind that caused her to originally seek me out eventually.

"Hey, Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"You've…dated boys, right?"

I snorted slightly. "Yeah," I said, trying not to smile. "A few." Probably more than she was thinking considering I had an extra 10 years of experience under my belt.

There was another beat of silence. "Do you…what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"When you like someone? Like, really like them. What's…that like?"

I paused and took a sip of the milkshake. That was an interesting question. "Well, it depends."

"On?"

"How much you like them," I said. "And how you get along. It's one thing to be attracted to them, to think that they're handsome or pretty, but if you can't get along and just spend time together without any real demand on…" I remembered her age quickly. "Kissing and stuff, then it's not a good fit. It has to be more than just liking their appearance. You have to like their personality or how they have your back and the way they get excited about things or how they want to share things with you. Relationships that last are more than just looking good or how they make you feel physically. You have to respect each other, trust that they'll listen to you especially if you say no about something." I pushed for a moment before I added, "and if they continue to press for something after you've said no, kick them in the groin and leave."

Max grinned at that. "Hit them hard and fast?"

The repetition of the common phrase that was said over and over in the Karate class made me smile. She was picking it up quick. "Exactly." I took another sip of the milkshake that was melting faster than I liked before I continued. "You know what you should do? Since you're thinking about boys and relationships," I lightly teased. "Look at the relationships of the people around you. If they're happy, try to see why. Look at how they treat each other and work together. If they're unhappy, look for the cause and try to recognize it in other places." I sighed before moving on to my last real important advice. "You also have to realize that some relationships are for right now and not for always. That's okay. As long as you're honest with the other person so that you're both on the same page."

She frowned slightly. "What if you don't know?"

"Then be honest about that too," I shrugged. "You can take your time in deciding what you want, as long as you communicate about it. It wouldn't be fair, for example, if I didn't want anything serious and knew that I was just…having fun and I dated a guy who wanted more. If he wanted to get married and settle down, and I wanted to just…keep partying or whatever, then we're probably not the best fit at that moment but we'd save each other a lot of heartbreak and anger if we were straight up about it in the beginning." I reached over and nudged her slightly. "Remember, you're not the only one figuring things out. They are too."

"Yeah," she scrunched up her face. "I guess you're right."

"Gee, thanks," I said dryly.

Max laughed. "Can we hit up the arcade now?"

"Sure." I jumped off the trunk, taking the cue that the conversation was over. "This is just chocolate milk now anyway. You ready to lose at Pacman?"

"I never lose."

I felt like dragging my feet now that I was forced to go back to school. It was the same feeling that one got the first day back to work after vacation. I clung to the coffee in my hands. It was a lifeline, one I desperately needed more of. Especially if I was supposed to get through Statistics.

I knew I chose it myself but the fact that it couldn't have been a half credit and replaced like typing made me regret it. At least first thing in the morning. I got there in enough time to grab a seat next to Robin. She looked highly amused at my state of being.

"Shouldn't you be used to this by now?"

I glared over at her. "Mornings are for sleeping and coffee. Not math. I was spoiled over break."

"I don't know how you can drink that stuff."

"With relish." I took a long sip. I grinned at the face she made.

"I see you two made up," Billy said as he walked in. I rolled my eyes as he stood next to me for a moment, just enough to glare at whoever was sitting behind me for them to get up. He plopped down once it was free. I turned toward him.

"You know you don't have to sit near me in every class, right?"

"And miss your sparkling commentary, Queenie?"

"I'd be able to miss the smell of smoke wafting off of you."

"Like I said, sparkling commentary."

It didn't take long to get back in the swing of things.

What did was the reminder that I apparently needed to apply to colleges and universities. I had no real desire to do that over again, but then the universe didn't seem to care what I thought.

"Uh, hey," I looked over to see Steve walking next to me. I was walking to Chemistry so it wasn't entirely unfounded. We sat together after all.

"Hey, what's up?"

"You, uh…" he ran a hand through his hair. "Are you…friends with Billy?"

I frowned, trying to think of how to answer that. "Sort of. I mean, it's new. I think he finally understands that I won't sleep with him so…"

Steve seems to pause before grabbing my arm and leading me to the side. "We need to talk."

"About?"

He takes a deep breath. "It's about Billy. You remember that night…"

I found Billy at lunch.

He looked surprised as I sat down next to him, ignoring the way I knew Robin and others were watching me. "You lost, cupcake?"

"Is it true that you tried to attack Lucas and fought Steve over it?"

I saw him stiffen. It took a few moments before he finally answered.

"Yeah."

"Tell me what happened. In detail."

He glanced around before he turned to face me. "I got shit from my dad and had to find Max. Took me ages before I tracked her to that house. I warned her to stay away from them, from him. I saw how they looked at each other. I just…snapped."

I had a feeling it was more than that. I also knew Billy's father and had an idea of what he grew up with. That didn't give him an excuse, especially with how he treated others but it also meant all things weren't lost.

"Do you realize," I started slowly, "that some of those kids have been in my care and I still consider them to be continuously in my charge?"

He swallowed tightly. "No."

"How do you think I should respond to something like this?"

"Kick my ass and tell me to fuck off?"

I looked at him. "Is that what you want?"

He looked away, "when has it ever mattered what I want?"

"I'm asking right now," I said. "Is that what you want or what you're used to?"

He looked like I struck him. "No."

"Okay," I nodded. "Then what you need to do is think about what got you here, Billy, and what steps you can take to make sure it never happens again. When you think you're ready, you should give Lucas a sincere apology with this parents present because you owe him that feeling of security since you stomped all over it with your bullying and terrorizing him." I took a deep breath. "I've met your dad. I know the type of example you live with and I'm willing to extend a lot of understanding as you try and become someone you want to be. But only if you actually try. I cannot and will not tolerate violence towards children. Got it?"

He was quiet for a moment, pulling out a cigarette. "Yeah," he finally said. "I will."

"Good. Now did you do the English homework because the last two questions sounded weird to me?"

I sat on the counter. I knew I shouldn't but Joyce had yet to tell me to get down while I faced her. I was pretty sure she didn't mind as long as her boss didn't show up.

"How are you doing?"

"Me?" Joyce looked a little surprised that I asked. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" I swung my legs, keeping myself from kicking the siding. "Because I'm not so I figured others aren't."

"You're not okay?"

I waved it off. "It's the usual stuff, don't worry. But what's wrong?"

"It's nothing I mean…" She paused for a second and stopped fixing whatever she was trying to adjust. "I think Will's…lonely?"

I frowned at her. "Lonely? Doesn't he have friends? Isn't he part of…that group?" I didn't know if they had some nickname for it or something.

"He is," she nodded. "But I think…I think they're starting to…get different interests. I've heard him say no one wants to play the game they all used to play together. Something about dragons?"

I knew which one she meant. "Dungeons & Dragons?"

She smiled at me. "That's it! You know it?"

"I've heard of it." I played it a few times with my cousins but not religiously. D&D was popular enough that you could find it in social media back home. I also remember my Uncle Anthony telling us about how people thought it was Satan worship…in the eighties. I sighed. "He doesn't know anyone else who plays?"

"Do you?" Joyce asked.

"Fair point." I thought about it. "There has to be at least someone else in this town. I'll ask around, see what I can scrounge up." The books had to have been bought initially somewhere. I doubted they found them in a magazine and got their parents to agree to it without asking or doing research.

"I just wish he had…more interests."

I watched Joyce for a moment. "That's understandable," I said with a shrug. "You always want your kids to be…well rounded. Or at least have more hobbies."

"He likes art."

"Yeah? Why not art classes? Gets him surrounded with people who like it too."

"I can't…" Joyce gave a small smile. "I can't exactly afford art classes."

"Don't we have a community centre? Check there."

"Oh, um, maybe, yeah." She gave me a smile. "That's a good idea." I made a mental note to check it out myself. I had to find some way to fill my time, especially if I wasn't going to go to University or Nashville. "Hey, you babysit, right?"

The problem with acting out an anxiety attack about not being prepared for the future was that Tammy's parents were now set on making sure I was. Part of it involved filling out forms and going through bills with Sam and Deanna and going to the bank. It also gave me a chance to tell them I wanted to consider investing. I was sent home from paying bills by hand at the bank and filling out deposit forms with a guide and list of things I could choose to invest in.

I already knew what I wanted to invest in, at least some of it. I wasn't sure how much it was or what was available though.

"Don't worry," Sam said. "You don't have to decide now."

"I have some ideas."

"Oh?"

"Apple. IBM. Microsoft. I think computers will be big."

He gave me a surprised look. "Really?"

"Sure. We're learning about it in class, right?" I was not entirely sure that was true but I knew they had a computer class. "If technology continues to progress, we can go from the big machine that does calculations for NASA to one the size of our pocket."

He looked like he was giving it some thought. "And you learned that in class?"

"Class, the library…common sense, printing press to typewriter. You find the patterns in history, you can see the way things are going to go. That's what we talk about in statistics. Patterns, numbers and people. That's what computers use." I paused for a second before I asked, "do you invest?"

"We have mutual funds which give us a wider investment. You also have a couple GICs from your grandparents."

"Really?"

He nodded. "How much do you want to invest in each?"

"...how much do I have?"

It was odd being at the Byers house. Maybe because the last time I was here was for Christmas and dropping off the gift for Joyce. That had been awkward.

Will and I stared at each other. I was getting flashbacks to every other kid I had babysat since I had been here.

"I don't need a babysitter," Will said.

I shrugged. "Maybe I do."

"What?"

"Maybe the whole reason I'm here is that your mom knew I needed something to do and she knew you could handle looking after me."

He gave me an incredulous look. "You need looking after?"

"You'd be surprised." I glanced around the place. "So, I heard you like D&D?" That was apparently the winning question.

"You know D&D?"

"Yeah. What's your class?" That was all it took to fill the rest of the night with conversation.

[tbc]