The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 398: Chapter 398 - Grounded

By Sunday afternoon, Karen looked almost like herself again. She was still pale, and there was something tired around her eyes that Roxie didn’t remember being there before. Her hair was tied up messily, she wore an oversized shirt and shorts, and she moved slower than usual when she crossed the living room. Still, she was upright, annoyed and currently glaring toward the kitchen while her mother stood in the doorway holding another bottle of water.

”Did you finish the last one?”

Karen closed her eyes like she was trying very hard to remain civil. ”Yes, Mom.”

”You said that earlier and it was still half full. And you took your medication?”

”You watched me take it.”

”With food?”

”You watched that too.”

Roxie bit the inside of her cheek while Angela looked down at her lap, clearly trying not to laugh. Karen’s mother glanced toward them as if she expected support, but Angela immediately lifted both hands and announced she was staying out of it.

”Coward,” Karen muttered.

Her mother ignored her and placed the fresh bottle on the coffee table. ”She gets tired easily, so if she starts looking exhausted, tell me.”

Karen’s jaw tightened. ”Mom, I’m sitting right here. You can ask me if I’m tired.”

Her mother paused, seeming to realize she had a point, then looked directly at her. ”Are you tired?”

Karen looked almost offended by the adjustment. ”No.”

”Okay.”

The second she disappeared back into the kitchen, Karen leaned her head against the couch with a long groan and complained that her mother had asked if she was hydrated six times already. Angela glanced at the bottle on the table and casually asked if she was, making Karen slowly turn her head toward her while Roxie started laughing.

”I’m just checking,” Angela said.

”Get out.”

”You invited us.”

”Because she’s a nut job,” she whispered looking toward her mom. ” And for the record, I regret it.”

Roxie leaned back in the chair across from her, finally allowing herself to look at Karen properly. She really did look better. Pale, tired and thinner around the face, but far better than the girl Roxie had seen surrounded by wires and monitors a few days ago.

”You look better.”

Karen immediately narrowed her eyes. ”What?”

”You do.”

Angela nodded. ”Still pale.”

”Fuck both of you.”

That made Roxie laugh harder, and for the first time since walking into the house something inside her loosened. Karen sounded like Karen again. She was pissy, sarcastic, already irritated by everyone watching her too closely and ready to fight anyone who asked one more question about water. Roxie could work with that.

Karen noticed her staring and frowned. ”What?”

”Nothing.”

”You’ve been looking at me like I’m about to collapse since you got here.”

Roxie stopped smiling, and Karen caught the change immediately. She sighed, rubbing one hand over her forehead. ”See? That face. The one where you suddenly remember I almost died.” She looked between Roxie and Angela before her expression softened slightly. ”I know what happened. I know it was bad, and I know I scared everybody. I also know you both want to watch me breathe for the next six months, but can we please act normal for like ten minutes?”

Roxie looked at Angela, and Angela looked back before asking, ”Define normal.”

Karen stared at her while Roxie smiled.

”I hate you both.”

”Good,” Angela said. ”That sounds normal.”

Karen tried not to smile and failed, which helped Roxie relax a little more. She had been nervous about visiting all morning. Karen had only been home for two days, and her mother had moved in temporarily while she recovered.

Her car keys were gone, her appointments were already scheduled, and every drink, medication and meal was being monitored. Karen hated all of it, especially since suddenly stopping the alcohol had left her restless, uncomfortable and apparently ready to bite anyone who breathed too loudly around her.

Angela reached for the bowl of chips on the coffee table and asked how grounded they were talking. ”Like normal grounded, or rich parent grounded where they take away one credit card?”

”My car keys are gone,” Karen said flatly. ”My mother checks everything I drink. Yesterday she followed me into the bathroom because I took too long.”

Roxie’s mouth dropped open while Angela looked horrified, only for Karen to add, ”I was taking a shit.”

That completely destroyed them. Roxie started laughing while Angela bent forward beside her, and Karen stared at both of them like she regretted surviving.

”You think that’s funny?”

”A little,” Roxie managed.

Karen grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. Roxie caught it easily against her chest and grinned. ”That was weak.”

Karen reached for another, but Angela grabbed her wrist. ”Okay, calm down, cardiac patient.”

The joke landed badly enough that all three of them went quiet. Angela immediately looked horrified with herself, but after staring at her for a few seconds Karen finally said, ”That was fucking horrible.”

”I know.”

Karen tried holding the glare and failed when she started laughing, which made the relief on Angela’s face immediate.

”You’re such an asshole,” Karen said.

”You laughed.”

”I’m emotionally unstable.”

”That’s the detox talking.”

Karen narrowed her eyes, Angela leaned away and Roxie laughed. ”Careful.”

”I hate this new thing where you both think you’re funny.”

”You almost died,” Roxie said. ”We’ve changed.”

Karen threw the second pillow, but it barely made it halfway across the room before dropping onto the floor. All three stared at it for a moment before Karen pointed at them.

”Say one fucking word.”

Roxie pressed her lips together.

”Roxie.”

”I didn’t say anything.”

”You’re thinking loudly.”

Angela started laughing again while Karen leaned back against the couch like she was already exhausted by them. After a while she reached for her water bottle and took several long drinks without being reminded. Roxie noticed and wisely kept her mouth shut.

Angela eventually asked when she was going back to school. Karen said maybe Wednesday because her mother wanted to speak with the counselor first and she had another appointment Tuesday. When Roxie reminded her graduation practice was Thursday, something changed slightly in Karen’s expression.

”You’re still walking, right?”

Karen looked personally offended. ”Obviously.”

”You just got out of the hospital,” Angela reminded her. ”Your doctor might have opinions.”

”My doctor can watch me graduate. I didn’t survive all that shit just to miss walking across the stage.”

Roxie laughed. ”That would be dramatic.”

”Exactly.”

Angela wondered whether the school might make Karen sit somewhere special, and when Karen demanded to know where, Angela suggested a medical section. Karen stared at her like she had lost her mind.

”There is no medical section.”

”There could be now.”

”Angela.”

Roxie was already laughing again. ”I’m picturing you beside the nurse.”

”I will leave.”

”You’re grounded.”

Karen stared at Roxie long enough that her laughter got worse. ”This is why the teachers are probably counting the days until graduation.”

”Absolutely,” Angela said.

Roxie looked offended. ”Why are you including me?”

Both girls turned toward her at the same time.

”What?”

Karen laughed. ”You’re serious?”

”What did I do?”

Angela gestured vaguely. ”You fought everyone at school.”

Roxie picked up the pillow from the floor and threw it at her. ”Hey, I did all those with you.”

Karen caught it against her stomach and immediately made a face. Roxie and Angela both started moving before Karen’s eyes widened.

”Sit down.”

Roxie stopped halfway up while Angela froze beside her.

”I’m fine.”

”You made a face,” Roxie said.

”Because you threw a pillow at my stomach.”

”You caught it.”

”And apparently that was enough to activate the fucking emergency response team.” Karen waited until both girls slowly sat again, then sighed. ”Normal. Remember?”

”You nearly died less than a week ago. Give us time.”

Karen’s expression softened. She looked down at the pillow in her lap, rubbing her thumb over the edge. ”I know. I’m trying too. And for clarification, I might be with you for about a third, but all those fights are your sole effort.”

Roxie opened her mouth, but Karen had already moved on before the conversation could become heavier. She said the teachers were definitely relieved they were graduating, which made Angela suggest Mr. C probably had the date circled in red.

”He probably bought champagne,” Karen said.

Roxie immediately pointed at her. ”You’re not allowed to say champagne.”

Karen gave her the finger while Angela laughed.

”What about Coach Miller?” Karen asked.

The mood shifted immediately when Roxie and Angela both went quiet.

Karen sat straighter. ”What did you tell him?”

”We didn’t tell him everything.”

”How much does he know?”

Roxie rubbed her lips together. ”He knows you were hospitalized, and he knows alcohol was involved.”

Karen closed her eyes while Angela started smiling.

”Why are you smiling?”

”Because you look more scared of Coach Miller than your mother.”

”I am more scared of Coach Miller than my mother.”

Roxie laughed.

Karen pointed at her. ”How pissed is he?”

Roxie thought about it. ”He wasn’t yelling.”

Karen’s face changed immediately while Angela whispered, ”Oh, that’s bad.”

”Very.”

Karen slowly sank farther into the couch. ”Fuck.”

Roxie laughed at the genuine fear on her face before telling her Coach Miller wanted to talk when she was feeling better. Karen immediately said that sounded threatening.

”He’s your coach.”

”That makes it worse.”

Angela grinned. ”Maybe he’ll make you run.”

”I just got discharged.”

”Then maybe emotionally.”

Karen stared at her. ”What the fuck does that even mean?”

Roxie was still laughing, which made Karen accuse her of enjoying this because Coach Miller liked her.

”He likes you too.”

”He tolerates me because I’m good.”

”That is basically love from Coach Miller.”

Angela nodded seriously. ”That’s true.”

Karen reached for the pillow again, remembered what happened the last time and wisely left it in her lap.

When she asked how practice was going, Roxie told her it was terrible without her. Karen looked immediately pleased until Roxie added that Kendall was back to rolling her eyes every time she breathed.

”Nature is healing.”

Roxie stared at her while Angela burst out laughing.

”I was worried she might’ve matured while I was gone,” Karen continued, looking genuinely relieved by the news.

Angela shook her head. ”This is why Coach Miller is tired.”

”He’s aged twelve years,” Karen agreed.

”Because of Roxie.”

”Because of all three of us,” Angela corrected.

Karen considered it for a moment and nodded. ”Fair.”

Roxie leaned back and smiled despite herself because they really had made Briarwick High memorable. Four years of arguments, gossip, breakups, cheer drama, football drama and enough public relationship disasters to keep the school entertained long after they were gone.

She could already imagine some of their teachers watching the three of them walk across the stage and quietly thanking whatever higher power they believed in.

Karen suddenly reached for her phone. ”Speaking of Briarwick, my cousin sent me screenshots.”

Roxie groaned while Angela immediately moved closer.

”Apparently I overdosed in the girls’ bathroom.”

Angela stared at her. ”You weren’t even at school.”

”I know. There’s another one saying I crashed my car, and somebody else thinks I had a seizure during a drug deal near River Road.”

That one got all three of them laughing, Karen hard enough that she had to press one hand against her side. Her mother appeared from the kitchen almost immediately and asked what happened.

”Nothing,” Karen said quickly.

Her mother looked suspicious, so Roxie waved one hand. ”School rumors.”

”Are they bothering you?”

Karen shook her head. ”They’re too stupid to bother me.”

Her mother hesitated before disappearing into the kitchen again. Karen waited until she was gone and muttered that she was definitely going to ask later whether there had actually been a drug deal.

Angela laughed. ”Are you correcting any of this?”

”Absolutely fucking not. If they’re going to talk about me, they can at least entertain me.”

Angela asked Karen to send the screenshots because she wanted to rank them. For the next several minutes they argued over the most ridiculous ones until Angela found a rumor claiming Karen had secretly been pregnant and collapsed after losing the baby.

The laughter stopped for a moment.

Karen stared at the screen while Roxie’s mouth dropped open and Angela looked horrified.

Then Karen said, ”I wasn’t even good enough at sex to get pregnant.”

Roxie nearly choked while Angela slapped a hand over her mouth. Karen started laughing again, which prompted her mother to call from the kitchen and ask what happened now.

”Nothing!”

Roxie leaned back in the chair laughing until her stomach hurt, and she realized this was what she had needed. Karen complaining about being grounded, Angela saying stupid things, all three of them laughing hard enough to forget for a little while how close they had come to losing this.

Eventually the laughter settled and Karen’s attention drifted toward the calendar hanging near the kitchen. ”Graduation’s next week.”

The words quieted them.

Roxie followed her gaze while Angela leaned back against the couch and said, ”We’re actually graduating.”

Four years had felt endless while they were living through them, but now graduation was close enough to count in days. They had spent so long talking about leaving Briarwick that Roxie had barely noticed they were actually about to do it. For a brief moment the thought came that Karen had almost missed it, but Roxie pushed that away before it could take over again.

Karen was here.

She was graduating.

That was what mattered.

”I’m walking across that stage even if my mother tries to wrap me in bubble wrap,” Karen said.

Angela smiled. ”I’ll push you if I have to.”

Karen looked offended. ”I can walk.”

”I meant emotionally.”

Roxie laughed while Karen stared at Angela in disbelief. ”You two are getting worse.”

”Trauma bonding,” Roxie said.

Angela nodded as though that explained everything.

Karen rolled her eyes, and something about that familiar expression made Roxie smile before she could stop herself.

Karen caught her. ”What?”

”Nothing.”

”You’re doing it again.”

”Doing what?”

”Looking at me like I’m alive.”

Roxie’s smile weakened slightly.

Karen held her gaze for a moment before giving her a small smile of her own. Roxie smiled back, and Angela immediately started looking suspiciously emotional.

Karen pointed at her. ”No. If you fucking cry again, I’m calling my mom.”

Angela laughed through it, Roxie joined her, and Karen shook her head while reaching for her water bottle.

For the first time since Karen disappeared, Roxie could look at her without seeing the hospital first. She saw graduation next week, practice, Kendall’s eye rolls, Coach Miller waiting to lecture her, stupid school rumors, gowns, pictures and whatever came after Briarwick.

Karen was still pale and tired. She was pissed off at almost everyone and currently grounded like a twelve year old.

She was also alive, sitting in front of them and complaining about it.

For today, that was enough.