The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 384: Chapter 384 - Good to Know

Roxie was done checking her phone.

She had spent most of Saturday pretending she wasn’t waiting for Karen to message. Sunday had been worse because every few hours she caught herself opening their group chat, staring at the same old messages and closing it again like she hadn’t expected anything new.

Karen hadn’t answered her.

She hadn’t answered Angela either.

No stupid meme. No random complaint about school. No insult thrown into the chat just because she was bored. Nothing about Friday night either.

At least Roxie knew she was alive.

Mason had confirmed that much before disappearing into his own weekend, and Karen’s aunt would have called if something serious happened. Roxie kept reminding herself of that whenever her mind started wandering toward everything that could go wrong after alcohol and a pill nobody could even identify.

By Sunday night she had gotten tired of being scared.

Anger was easier.

So, when Karen appeared at the end of the hallway Monday morning looking completely normal, Roxie felt irritation hit before relief.

She was standing beside Angela near their lockers before first period when they both saw her. Karen’s hair was tied back, her uniform looked fine, and there was nothing about her appearance that suggested she had spent Friday night barely able to stand while Roxie watched her like she might stop breathing at any moment.

Karen saw them too.

Her steps slowed.

Then she turned toward the side hallway.

Roxie stared after her. ”Oh, absolutely not.”

Angela caught her arm before she could move. ”Rox.”

”She had all weekend.”

”I know.”

”And now she’s going to walk away again?”

Angela looked toward the hallway Karen had disappeared into, sighed, then let go of Roxie’s arm. ”Fine.”

They caught up with her before she reached the stairs.

”Karen.”

Karen kept walking.

Roxie moved faster and stepped directly in front of her. Karen stopped hard enough that her shoes squeaked faintly against the floor.

”Move.”

”No. Our classroom is on this floor. Where the hell are you even going?”

Karen looked around them like she was seriously considering taking another route just to avoid the conversation.

Angela came up beside Roxie and folded her arms. ”You can’t avoid us forever.”

Karen’s mouth tightened. ”This is exactly what I’m talking about.”

Roxie stared at her. ”What are you talking about? We haven’t spoken to you for two days.”

”Because I didn’t want to talk.”

”Fine. You could’ve said that.”

”I thought ignoring you made it obvious.”

Angela gave a short laugh that held no humor at all. ”Yeah, it did.”

Karen looked at her, and Roxie saw Angela’s expression change. She knew that face. Angela had been quieter about everything than Roxie, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten what Karen said.

Roxie really didn’t want another fight. She had spent the weekend angry and hurt, but underneath all of it she had missed Karen. That annoyed her almost as much as Karen herself did.

”We were worried about you,” Roxie said, keeping her voice lower this time. ”That’s literally it. Nobody was trying to control you. You scared the shit out of us.”

Karen looked away. ”I was fine.”

”You couldn’t stand.”

”I was drunk.”

”You took a pill you couldn’t even name.”

Karen’s eyes came back to hers. ”I know what happened. Stop lecturing me.”

”Then stop acting like we made the whole thing up.”

Karen’s jaw tightened, and Roxie saw the argument coming before it started.

Angela spoke first.

”You could’ve told us you wanted space. You could’ve told me to fuck off and I would’ve been pissed, but whatever. You didn’t have to use Caleb against me.”

Karen went still.

That shut everything else down.

Roxie looked at Angela.

Karen had always been harsh. Sometimes she said things before thinking and sometimes she absolutely knew they would hurt and said them anyway. But what she had done Friday had been different. She had known exactly where Angela was weakest and gone straight for it.

Angela kept her voice calm, which somehow made the words hit harder.

”You knew what happened to me. You knew how bad it got. You knew what I did after Caleb, and you still threw it at me because you were angry.”

Karen looked down.

For the first time since they caught her, some of the fight left her face.

Angela noticed too. ”I’m not asking you to beg. I just need you to stop acting like we’re the problem because we came looking for you.”

Karen rubbed her palms over the sides of her skirt, and for once there was no immediate answer waiting.

Roxie stayed quiet.

Eventually Karen looked at Angela. ”Okay. I know I was being a bitch.”

Angela lifted an eyebrow. ”That’s still not an apology.”

Karen’s eyes snapped toward her, and for a second Roxie thought they were going right back into another fight.

Instead Karen’s shoulders dropped.

”I’m sorry.”

Angela stayed still.

Karen looked uncomfortable enough saying it that Roxie believed her.

”I shouldn’t have said that about you or Roxie’s mom. I was angry and embarrassed and everybody was looking at me like I was some fucked up problem they had to fix.” She swallowed and adjusted the strap of her bag. ”You both didn’t deserve that.”

Angela’s face finally softened.

”A little more convincing.”

Karen glared at her.

Angela almost smiled.

Roxie felt some of the tightness in her chest loosen, although hearing Claire mentioned still made something inside her twist. She had spent most of the weekend trying to convince herself that Karen had been too drunk to understand what she was saying.

Apparently, she had understood enough.

Still, Karen looked miserable now.

The apology didn’t erase Friday night. It didn’t erase the pill, the drinking or the way Karen had shut them out afterward.

But Roxie had missed her and that was the stupid part.

She had been furious with Karen and still spent two days wanting her back.

Karen glanced between them. ”Can we stop standing here like we’re doing group therapy?”

Roxie rolled her eyes. ”There she is.”

Angela laughed quietly.

Karen looked at her again. ”I really am sorry.”

Angela stared at her for a moment before finally stepping forward and wrapping her arms around her.

Karen stiffened at first, then hugged her back.

Something warm pressed against Roxie’s chest.

She hadn’t realized how badly she needed to see that.

When Angela stepped away, Karen looked at Roxie.

Roxie folded her arms.

Karen sighed. ”Are you going to make me hug you too?”

”Yes.”

”You’re annoying.”

”You traumatized me. Pay up.”

Karen gave her a look but stepped forward anyway.

Roxie hugged her harder than necessary.

Karen made a small sound of protest. ”You’re crushing me.”

”Good.”

Karen’s arms tightened around her for a second.

That was enough.

When they finally pulled apart, Roxie felt lighter than she had all weekend.

They headed toward class together, and for the first time since Friday night it almost felt normal. Angela started complaining about an assignment she hadn’t finished. Karen immediately told her she had procrastinated too long, which earned her a reminder that she had lost the right to criticize anyone for at least twenty four hours.

Roxie walked beside them listening to the argument and smiling.

She had missed this.

Maybe that was all they needed.

A terrible weekend. Some space. A real apology.

Maybe Karen had scared herself enough too.

Roxie wanted to believe that.

By lunch, things were almost comfortable again.

There were still little moments when Karen went quiet if Friday came too close to the conversation, and Angela was more careful around her than usual, but Roxie wasn’t going to push. They were talking again. That was enough for today.

They sat outside because the cafeteria was too loud. Angela was halfway through complaining about something from class when Roxie noticed Mason walking toward them.

He had his bag slung over one shoulder and looked tired.

”Alone again?” Roxie asked when he reached the table.

”What can I say? They’re busy.”

He answered Roxie, but his eyes had already gone to Karen.

Karen immediately lowered hers to the table.

Roxie noticed.

Mason noticed too.

His expression shifted slightly. ”You good?”

”I’m fine.”

There was a sharpness in Karen’s voice that made Roxie glance at Angela.

Mason paused. ”I was just asking.”

”And I answered.”

Roxie and Angela exchanged a look.

Something had happened.

Roxie had known Mason stayed with Karen Friday night, but as far as she knew nothing happened then. After that Karen disappeared on all of them for the weekend.

Apparently, Mason had seen her again.

”Mason, sit,” Roxie said, mostly because the tension between them was starting to make her uncomfortable.

He reached for the empty chair.

Karen looked at him. ”You don’t have to stay.”

Mason stopped with one hand on the chair.

Roxie’s stomach sank. ”Karen.”

”What?”

”You literally apologized this morning.”

”To you and Angela.”

Mason gave a small laugh that wasn’t amused at all.

Karen looked at him and that was enough to irritate him.

”Oh, so I’m different?”

”I didn’t say that.”

”You didn’t have to.”

Karen leaned back in her chair. ”Why are you starting something?”

Mason stared at her. ”I’m starting something?”

Roxie looked between them, trying to put together whatever she had missed. Mason had spent Friday night helping them with Karen. Karen had barely tolerated him then, but he had stayed anyway.

Had something happened after that?

Why was Karen acting like she wanted him gone before he had even sat down?

Mason shook his head. ”Forget it.”

He turned to leave.

Karen muttered, ”Good.”

Mason stopped.

Roxie closed her eyes briefly.

There it was again.

Karen knew exactly where to push whenever she felt cornered.

Mason turned around slowly. ”You know, you weren’t acting like this last night.”

Karen froze.

Roxie’s eyes went straight to her.

Angela stopped eating.

Roxie looked between them. ”What happened last night?”

Karen’s eyes stayed on Mason. ”Shut up.”

That told Roxie enough to sit straighter.

Mason laughed once and looked away, but there was nothing funny in it. Roxie could see the hurt in the way his jaw tightened.

Karen saw it too.

”Mason, leave it.”

”No. You want to act like I’m bothering you because I asked if you’re okay, fine.”

”Mason.”

”We kissed.”

Everything at the table stopped.

Roxie stared at him.

Then at Karen.

Angela’s eyes widened beside her.

Karen looked furious. ”You fucking asshole.”

Mason’s expression hardened. ”Why? Because I said it?”

”You had no right to tell them.”

”Wait.” Roxie looked at Karen. ”Last night? You were with Mason last night?”

Karen crossed her arms. ”It wasn’t a big deal.”

Mason gave a sharp laugh. ”Right.”

Karen looked at him. ”I was drunk.”

Something changed in his face.

Roxie caught it immediately.

Obviously, Mason knew she had been drinking. That wasn’t new information to him. It was the way Karen said it now, like being drunk erased whatever had happened between them.

Mason nodded slowly. ”Yeah. I know you were.”

”Then why are you making it into something?” ℯ

”I’m not.”

”You clearly are.”

Mason stared at her.

Roxie wanted to interrupt before the whole thing exploded, but she also wanted to know what happened. Angela seemed to be thinking the same thing because she hadn’t said a word.

Karen looked around the table and apparently realized everybody was waiting for her.

”It didn’t mean anything. I don’t like you. You took...”

She stopped.

Her eyes moved between Roxie, Angela and Mason.

Whatever she had been about to say died there.

Mason’s expression changed anyway. He didn’t even look angry anymore. He just looked like he was trying to decide how much embarrassment he could swallow while standing in front of all of them.

Finally, he nodded once.

”Okay.”

Karen looked away.

Mason adjusted the strap of his bag. ”Good to know.”

Then he walked away.

Roxie watched him go until he disappeared into the crowd. Roxie turned toward Karen.

”What?” Karen asked.

Roxie just stared.

Karen immediately got defensive again. ”I was drunk.”

”I heard you.”

”So?”

”So he likes you.”

Karen’s expression tightened. ”I know.”

Angela leaned back. ”That somehow makes this worse.”

”I didn’t plan it.”

”Nobody said you planned it,” Roxie said.

Karen rubbed a hand over her forehead. ”I was drunk, okay? He picked me up, we were talking, and it happened.”

Roxie frowned. ”He picked you up?”

Karen looked away.

Roxie waited until she looked back. ”You went out again?”

”I wanted to get out of the house.”

”After ignoring us all weekend.”

”Yes.”

”And you drank again.”

Karen’s jaw tightened.

Roxie immediately saw the walls coming back up.

She lowered her voice before Karen could accuse her of lecturing again. ”I’m asking. That’s it.”

Karen looked suspicious anyway, but after a moment she sighed.

”Yes. I drank. So what?”

Angela rubbed her forehead but stayed quiet.

Roxie’s stomach twisted. Friday was still close enough that hearing Karen had gone drinking again made her want to start yelling. She forced herself to stay where she was.

”And you called Mason.”

Karen nodded.

”Why him?”

That question irritated her more than anything else had.

Karen looked at Roxie. ”Because I knew he’d come.”

Roxie stopped.

Angela did too.

For a moment nobody said anything.

Because that answer was worse than Roxie expected.

Karen knew Mason liked her.

She knew he would answer.

She knew if she called while drunk and needed someone, he would come.

And she had used that certainty without even seeming to realize what it might mean to him.

Karen seemed to understand what Roxie and Angela were thinking because her expression changed almost immediately.

She pushed her chair back and stood.

”I want to be alone.”

Roxie frowned. ”Karen, we’re just talking.”

”No. You’re interrogating me again.” Karen grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. ”I already said I’m sorry. I’m not doing this all day.”

Before Roxie could answer, Karen walked away.

Angela looked at Roxie.

Roxie watched Karen disappear toward the building but stayed in her seat.

This time they didn’t chase her.