Pushing My Limits

I sat myself across from Mark. He as dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and a leather jacket over. He had styled his thick black hair and had moved up a size in his plugs, "How are you, Kathrine?" He asked, picking up a menu.

"Could be better," I replied and he sighed.

"You haven't told anyone what happened, have you?" He asked, setting the menu down to look me in the eyes.

"No, Mark, I haven't," I answered shamefully and he shook his head.

"This isn't a healthy thing to keep bottled up, Kat. A family is ruined, yours is getting there, and a girl suffered," He replied and I shook my head, tears threatening to fall.

"I promised I wouldn't, Mark. You don't understand. This isn't easy to do," I snapped at him.

"Kat, you're the only one besides Elliot and Danielle that know the whole story. Now, Elliot is M.I.A. and Danielle is in a mental hospital and hasn't spoken a word since that night," This time he was the one to snap at me, venom dripping from his voice.

"It's not what you think, Mark. A lot of other things happened that I can't bring myself to say," I softened my tone.

"And what about Chris? You know he really cared about you. You've pushed him away and he doesn't even know why. If Elliot were around, he wouldn't be much longer because Chris has a vengeance."

"I know, Mark," I answered quietly and he sighed.

"It's killing him, Kathrine. He thinks about it every day. He wonders day and night what the hell could have happened in those woods."

"He shouldn't want to know. I don't want to burden him with bad memories."

"He'd give up everything for you, Kat."

"Well, he shouldn't," I snapped before standing up, whizzing past our waiter and out to the night air.

Mark would be out here soon, convincing me to get in his car so he can drive me home. I didn't want that, so I turned left and started walking. The cafe wasn't far from my house, but it was the fact that my house was on a large hill.

I grabbed my cellphone, calling a taxi service before sitting down at a park bench to wait. Not fifteen minutes later, a yellow car pulled up and I got in the back seat. He drove me up the hill to my house and I paid him his forty dollars before walking up my front steps.

The television wasn't on, but Dad's office light was on. I could see two shadows through the curtains, but I couldn't make out who it was. I entered my house and shut the door quietly before placing my ear to Dad's office door.

^^^^^

"I don't know what to do, Matt," Zacky almost wanted to cry, but he felt embarrassed to do so in front of his friend.

"I can't imagine how hard it is, Zack," Matt was compassionate, and felt sorry for the situation his good friend was in.

"I mean, with Gena pregnant and Alexandria's modeling. I don't know anymore. We need money for the new baby, and Alex needs money for some of her modeling contracts."

"I'll help you out, man," Matt placed a hand on Zacky's shoulder.

"But you don't understand the amount of guilt I feel for them. We're two missed payments away from losing our house. One of the cars was already taken!" Zacky put his head in his hands to hide his bloodshot eyes.

"It happens to the best of some people. I can spot you for your house payments, Zack. Don't worry about it. And whatever Alex needs, just come to me. I won't tell anyone what's going on."

"You can't tell Kathrine either. Alex doesn't know what's happening. Gena and I don't want her to panic."

"It'll be okay. The school year is almost over and then we can go back to touring, and you'll get some money then. I'm sure once the new album comes out, kids will start buying Vengeance University again and everything will fix itself."

"I can't thank you enough, Matt."

"Don't worry about a thing, Zack. Just worry about your family right now and take care of Gena."

"I will. Thank you."

^^^^^

I walked back out the door and stood on the cement to make it look like I was just coming home. As the front door opened, I was walking up the steps, "Hi, Uncle Zack," I gave him a hug and he smiled.

"Hey, Kat," He greeted before walking to his car. It was the first time I had noticed that he no longer drove a Mercedes, but an Audi. It was still a nice car, but was nothing compared to the car he used to drive.

Dad and I watched him drive off in the direction of his house and I turned to him, "Is everything okay, Dad?" I asked and he nodded.

"We were just talking about tour, Sweetie. Let's go inside," He put an arm around me and we walked into the house silently.

It was the first time, to my knowledge, that he had lied to me.

My head throbbed like no tomorrow. When I opened my eyes, I saw everything sideways. I was on the grass, head turned to the side. I lay flat on my back, with nothing supporting me. I sat up slowly, glancing at my surroundings.

For a few minutes, I couldn't remember that I had agreed to come here with Chris. I didn't remember that it was summer, or that Dad was on tour. When everything rushed back to me, my eyes immediately scanned the crowd for Chris. He was no where to be found, to my surprise.

I got up, shakily, on my feet and stumbled over to Elliot and the girls, "Where's Chris?" I slurred.

"He left," Elliot laughed, "But you can hang with us if you promise to be nice," He smirked and I sat down on a chair across from him.

I put my hands in my head and groaned. This wasn't right. Chris had left me, but how could he? I had to get home. I had to find dad. Maybe if I tell the truth, he won't be so hard on me. Maybe he'll be more worried than mad.

"I want to go home," I said and Elizabeth looked at me sadly.

"C'mon, sweetie, I'll take you," She tried to help me up, but she was almost to drunk to notice that she was just dropping me instead.

Elliot reached over and tossed me over his shoulder before lacing hands with Danielle and carrying me somewhere. With my face pressed into his mid-back, I couldn't tell where we were going, just that grass turned into dirt and the fire slowly faded away.

It was cold, making my bones ache with agony. My head spun at a hundred miles per hour, and I couldn't speak any words, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the buses," Elizabeth snapped.

"Will you shut-up? We're taking a short cut," Elliot answered.

"That would make sense if we were going in the right direction, Elliot. We're heading the totally opposite way," Elizabeth had grabbed Elliot's wrist to make him turn around, but a he quickly slapped her.

"I told you to shut the fuck up! We're going my way so you need to just calm the fuck down!" He yelled, making me wince at my headache. Danielle smirked and ran her long fingers through my hair.

"M. Shadows' daughter used to be so good. What happened, Sweetie?" She mocked.

"Leave her alone, Danielle! You're being a bitch," Elizabeth tried to stick up for me when I couldn't form my slurred words right, but that earned her a punch in the face by Danielle.

"Let's just stop here since they're being difficult," Elliot tossed me from his shoulder onto the ground and I landed hard. I couldn't find the will power to move, so instead I just let my eyes wander to him, Danielle, and Elizabeth.

"Kathrine, Alex is on the phone for you," Matt walked into my room, "She sounds upset," He whispered as he handed me the phone.

"What do you want, Alex?" I asked, glancing at the blank wall in front of me.

"K-Kathrine... I need h-help," She had been holding back her tears when Dad answered the phone, and now that it was me, she let them out.

So Alex and I don't get along. So what? She's family, and I can't imagine what would bring her to tears besides Zacky's financial problems.

"Alex, where are you?" I demanded and she coughed.

"A-At home... Please c-come here!" She was sobbing uncontrollably now, and I sighed.

"I'm coming. This isn't over a boy right?" Once she had called me crying as if someone had died, when it was just that her boyfriend broke up with her.

"It's m-more than that," She replied quickly before hanging up.

I told Dad that he needed to take me to the Baker house, and that it was important. He became worried, and instantly jumped in the car before speeding off. It was ten minutes before we pulled into the driveway and parked next to Zacky's Audi.

I opened the door and stepped inside, "Hello?" I called out and Dad followed me into the kitchen.

"Kathrine, could you please talk to her?" Gena pleaded, almost in tears herself.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"She came home early and overheard us arguing," Zacky explained, "She's found out that we're having money problems."

I thought it had something to do with this. I jogged up the stairs as the parents waited in the kitchen, drinking their coffee nervously. I tried to open Alex's door, but it was locked, "Alex, it's me. Open the door," I said. She must have been waiting close by, because the door opened and she roughly pulled me inside before locking the door again.

Sobbing, she dragged me across the room and into the closet before shutting the door again. She collapsed on the floor, clothes scattered around her. She looked pathetic, "Alex, what's going on?" I asked and sat down next to her.

"I came home and heard Mom and Dad arguing. Your dad is going to lend us money because we don't even have enough to stay in our house! With Mom pregnant, I don't know what to do. Babies are so expensive and I don't think I can handle it!" She exclaimed.

"Alex, everything will be alright. After the summer tour Zacky will have money again and it will be alright," I assured her.

"You don't understand, Kathrine! It's more than that!" She yelled and I sighed.

"Tell me what else," I said softly and she bit her lip.

"You have to promise to not tell anyone, Kat. Please," She begged and I nodded. She held out her pinkie and I did the same.

"So what's going on?" I asked.

"I left modeling school for a reason, Kat," She paused, "Me and Jared had been dating for a while. He didn't live at school though. He had his own apartment on the upper East-side."

"Own apartment? Alex, how old is this guy!?" I asked frantically.

"Nineteen... Well, he's twenty now," She muttered and my eyes bulged out of my head.

"What the hell are you doing with a twenty year old, Alex Baker?" I demanded and she let out a whimper.

"I didn't mean to!" She sobbed, "One night I told him I was a virgin and he said that he would be a good experience for me. So we did it and a few weeks later," She paused and I could almost feel what was coming next, "I missed," She whispered and a hand shot up to my mouth.

"Are you?" I asked and she sobbed.

"I took a test later and as soon as I found out, I told Dad I wanted to come home. I couldn't stay there! I would get bigger and soon they would find out and be forced to tell Dad," She whispered and I sighed.

"Well, he's going to find out anyways," I pointed to her stomach, which did seem a little bigger than the last time I saw her.

"Kathrine," She whispered, "I can't be pregnant right now. Not while Mom is and not while we're going through all of this. We're broke and another baby is on the way. I can't make this worse than it is," She cried.

"You're going to put up for adoption?" I asked.

"Well, I thought about it. But when you have a child in your stomach for nine-months, it'll be hard to let go," She trailed off.

"Don't tell me you're thinking about abortion," I said darkly and her eyes met mine.

"What else am I supposed to do?" She asked, and I could understand. Alex, underneath her hard fashionista exterior, was a loving person on the inside, and wouldn't be able to give up her child. She wouldn't be able to raise it, especially with a little sister on the way and Zacky going broke.

"I have money saved up in my room. I'll spot you the five-hundred. That's how much is it isn't it?" I asked and she nodded.

"You won't tell anyone right?" She asked and I shook my head.

"I don't approve of what you did, Alex. This is something that's going to haunt you for a long time. However, there really isn't anything else we can do. I won't tell anyone," I assured her and she fell into my arms.

"Thank you so much, Kathrine! Thank you!" She sobbed and I rubbed her back.