You Found Me

"Hey, O'Callaghan!" Kean bust through the door and I heard his voice boom down the hall. I was having dinner with John and my parents when he went in the dining room.

My mother, father, and John immediately turned their heads towards him.

"You do know that all four of us are named O'Callaghan right?" John furrowed his eyebrow and stared at Kean.

Kean awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and let out a nervous laugh. "Right. Uh, OC, I'll wait for you outside. You said you'll teach me Chem, right?"

"Was that tonight?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "Oh, okay, Kean. I'll be there in a while."

"Sweet," he smiled. "Well, have a nice dinner, Jenny. Mr. O'Callaghan," he waved at them before heading back out of the door.

Our mother gave Kean a small smile while our father rolled his eyes. He liked Kean very much, but most of the time, he was just really irritated him. Then turned back to their plates and continued eating again.

"I didn't know you're starting to tutor people," Mom said while chewing on her mixed vegetables.

"Oh, yeah. She uses the teaching to flirt with guys," John laughed. I swatted him slightly on the arm and I rolled my eyes. "I'm kidding. Where have you hiding the past few years, Ma? I haven't been with March for a long time but I'm aware that by the time she's a senior she could be running for Valedictorian."

"I know, I know. Don't get too sassy with me," she glared at John. "I hope you still have time for your friends, hun," she turned to me with a look that made me roll my eyes.

"Most moms would just be happy that their daughter is at the top of her class and always studying in her room and not going out to get drunk and getting pregnant at the age of 17," I muttered, sticking the fork that had chicken in my mouth.

"Oh you know that I'm more than glad for that," she answered back.

"What your mother is saying is that she's just happy that you're going out of the house and actually hanging out with your friends," Dad shrugged. "March, you could take a little break with the studying all the time. Who are your friends again?"

"Mostly his friends," I pointed at John.

"Well that's good then," Dad said, smiling at the both of us. "I know that they're good kids. Except for that Pat boy. I'm terrified of him."

I saw the corner of John's lips tug upward and so did mine. "He's harmless," I laughed and John laughed along.

"Aside from him, I think everyone's fine," he nodded. "Be careful with the people you hang out with, okay? Like Kean."

"What's up with Kean?" I scrunched my eyebrows and looked at him curiously. John was suddenly so interested in his food and he just kept eating what was left, finishing everything quickly.

"It's nothing, March. I just don't like some of the people he hangs out with," he explained, finishing the rest of his mixed vegetables. "There's been more than one occasion that I've caught him with his friends doing some shenanigans."

"Did you really just say shenanigans?" John chuckled.

"Shut up and help me clean. It's boys' night so we have to clean the dishes," dad rolled his eyes and picked up mom's dishes. "You," he said, pointing at me. "You go to Kean but I want you back by ten."

"Uh, dad. Kean's house is right next to our house," I said.

"Good. That should be enough for you to get back here on time," he said, going to the sink.

I ran up to my room and grabbed my chemistry book and my phone before going straight to Kean's. Laura, Kean's mom was the one who opened the door. She gave me a hug before letting me go up to Kean's room.

When I went in, he wasn't in the room. I called for him and I heard a reply that came from outside the window. I walked up to it and stuck my head out. I saw him sitting on the concrete roof with a bottle of beer in his hand.

"Are you buzzed?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

"I'm not," he laughed. "It's just one bottle, OC. Chill. It's not going to do any harm with me."

"Be sure of that," I rolled my eyes. "Now come here because when you asked me to tutor you, I'm so going to teach you Chemistry."

He stood up from the roof and slipped back through the window and into his room. He set the bottle down on his study table and stepped towards me with a small smile on his face.

"You want to teach me chemistry?" He raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Show me how chemistry works."

I stared at him and took in how his dark brown hair was disheveled and all around the place. I could imagine how many times he ran his hair through it just for it to look like that and I bit back the smile that I knew was already creeping on my lips.

"Sober up," I shook my head and headed over to his bed. I put the book on it and turned the pages, finding the topic we were already at. "I'm going to help you memorize these."

"I'm sober," he laughed and followed me on the bed. "Like I said, it's just one bottle. I haven't even finished it."

"Since when did you start drinking?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Just a week ago I heard you saying that you wouldn't want to drink on a school night."

"Relax, March. It's an unfinished bottle of beer," he said walking over to his study table and to the window. "Look, okay?" He threw the rest of the liquid in the bottle out of the window and put the bottle back on the table. "So, nuclear chemistry?"

He went back to the bed and I tried to finish everything from alpha decay to electron capture. And it was hard because he kept confusing everything with one another.

"When the hell did you get so smart?" He laughed, falling back on the bed. "It's been an hour and a half and I still can't memorize everything. I wish I had a brain like yours."

"No you don't," I giggled, closing the book. It was enough studying for tonight for him. He had been complaining thirty minutes ago and now that I've explained it, I'm sure he'll catch on. "You know, one of the first things I expected when I got here was I was going to spend a lot of time with you."

"I'm sorry," he said, a sad smile on his face. "I've been spending a lot of time with my other group of friends. I'm not that close with John's group. Just him and Jared."

"They are good guys, you know," I said.

"I know. I know more than you know," he nodded. "I'm just not that close with them. Just enough to get each other to go to each other's parties and to sit with each other during lunch. Don't worry. I'll try spend much time with you as I can."

I bit the inside of my cheek and sent him a smile. He really has changed and by the way John's acting around him, I guess they aren't really that close at all. Just a few hang outs and others. I don't really care though because as long as they're all my friends, I'm okay.

"You want to stay over the night?" He offered, sitting up. "You can go back to your house in the morning. I just really want to be with you right now."

"I would love to but dad told me to be back by ten," I sighed.

"Fine," he said. "Stay here five minutes 'til ten. I just really missed you so much," he breathed out, motioning for me to come closer to him. I set the book aside and crawled near to him, finally plopping down with my head on his arm. We stayed like that and we finally caught up.

I told him all about the drama back where I came from and how everybody turned cold the minute John left. He told me how rough it had been the first couple of months but how it got better when he met his friends now. Apparently, Kat is among 'em which makes him kind of not happy that I'm getting close with Garrett and the other guys.

"Can't we just let that not come in between us? Garrett and Kat don't have anything to do with our friendship," I said, raising my eyebrows.

"How can I, March? Kat's my best friend too," he said, his voice deep.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't mean I'm going to stop going out with the band and Daisy."

"I don't think I have a problem with that as long as we still have time for each other," he chuckled. "But right now, I don't think you have time for me because it's almost 10."

I moved myself out of the bed and took the book on it. "I don't want to go yet."

"You have to or your dad is going to kill you," he shook his head. "Or rather, me. I know I'm walking on thin ice with him."

I tilted my head and looked at him curiously. "Yeah you are. Mind telling me why?"

"Your dad doesn't like Kat and my other friends. That's it," he said. "Doesn't matter, okay? I'm fine." We were now standing in front of his door and there was only a little space between us. Something was telling me that I should move away. I should back up or just say good bye and leave already. But I didn't. "Good night?"

"Good night," I nodded and smiled at him. He took a hold of my arm and pulled me close to him. He was only a few inches away from me when he decided to close in and kiss me just on the corner of my lips. It stopped my heart a bit but I sighed in relief when it was just a kiss on the cheek. He had this smirk on his face when he pulled away and he waved as I went out of his room and down the stairs.

The moment I went in the house, I was met by my dad still watching television. He must've been waiting for me because the moment I set foot in there, he closed the TV and went on in their room. I went up to my room as well but before I could even close the door, John's door flung open and he stared at me carefully.

"How'd your night go?" He asked, a curious look on his face.

"T'was fine. Hard because I can't get Kean to memorize nuclear chem. But y'know. It's okay," I mumbled, pressing a smile. I began to think about how close we were again before I left the room. It shouldn't mean something, but I can't get it off of my head. That kiss that lingered a little bit too long on my cheek.

John must've noticed that my mind was already drifting off because he raised his eyebrows at me. "March, what exactly went down in Kean's house?"

"It's nothing, John," I shook my head. "Why are you getting worked out about Kean? He's been our friend since forever and we were so close to him."

"I don't like who he hangs out with, okay? I'm not being a kill joy, but their little group?" John crossed his arms. I've never seen him this serious before. "They drink all the time and lately I've been noticing that Kean's been spending an awful lot of time with them. If last week, he's the guy that'll prefer being the DD at a party, last Friday, I think I caught him hung over during first period."

"Why? What is Kat's group influencing?" I asked.

"They get drunk. I know I shouldn't be such a hypocrite but I drink moderately," he said, pointing his index finger at himself. I stared at him with my eyebrow raised and a smirk on my lips. "Okay. I do get wasted from time to time but, just trust me when I say that these aren't the people good people shouldn't be surrounding themselves with. They get high, March. They get drunk and they get high."

"That's Kat's group?" I asked, eyeing him curiously. "Then why didn't you make Garrett stop dating her if you knew that she was like this? Influencing people to do bad things? Didn't you think that Garrett might do what they do? Why is he still good. Or is he good? Oh my God does Garrett get high?"

He looked at me like I was the most absurd thing ever. "What? No, Garrett does not get high," John shook his head. "One of the strings Kat pulled for Garrett to stay with her was that he could be good for her. And we already warned Garrett before he and Kat became official. Besides, he isn't that stupid. Besides the cheating on him, the other reason why he broke up with her is the weed problem and the alcohol shit."

"That's too much information for one night," I said, rubbing my temples.

"That was too much information for you for one night?" John said, furrowing his eyebrows. "How the fuck did you become a straight A student?"

"Oh Chemistry and Math and History is so much easier to take in than finding out that your friend might be getting attached to people that are bad influences," I said widening my eyes a little.

***

"I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," I smiled up to him. He snuck a kiss on my cheek and I bit my lip and watched him walk away.

When I turned to go to inside my room, I was met by a brunette boy standing in front of me with his arms crossed. He looked down at me with a curious look in his face. "Since when did you and Kean have a thing?"

"We don't have a thing," I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Kennedy? Don't you have Algebra or something?"

"Geometry actually, but that's not the point!" He said. "You know that he's-"

"Hanging out with bad people? Yeah, John has informed me," I finished his sentence and walked to my seat. I thought that by doing that, he would leave the classroom but he followed me and sat on my desk. "What do you want really?"

"I want you to watch out for yourself, okay?" He placed his arm out with his palms forward. "I'm not overreacting, March. I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't think everything about this has 'bad news' printed on it."

"I've known Kean longer than I have known any of you," I said defensively, widening my eyes at him. "I'm positive that I'll be okay around him."

"Fine but please don't hesitate on telling me or at least your brother if something's wrong," Kennedy said in a quiet tone, a pleading look on his eyes. He looked around, making sure that nobody really heard what he said or what we were talking about. "I've not known you for a long time but trust me when I tell you that I genuinely care for you."

"I don't understand why, but thank you. Now get to Geometry," I shooed him and settled by my desk chair. For some reason, it made me kind nervous because I've been spending most of my free time with Kean. When I get home, I spend my time before and after dinner in his room and from the way it looked, he really did look harmless. Apart from him looking physically different because of the long time I haven't seen him, he still was the old him. The one I enjoyed talking to and the one I goofed around with.

I didn't mind what Kennedy told me and went through the day without any problems. I was out at the parking lot and I was waiting for Daisy so we could go to the mall and shop for her dress when I felt my phone vibrate from my pocket.

Can't make it later. Can we resched it to next Wed? Going over to John because he has girl problems. Sorry x

I let out an exasperated sigh and replied.

Next Wednesday it is. :) Good luck. x

I walked back into the school and settled in the library. I thought about finishing our reading assignment so I wouldn't have to do anything by the time I get home. Nobody bothered me and it's pretty much thanks to the earphones I had on while I was reading so by the time I was done, it was a little dark outside already. I took my phone out and saw that I had a message.

Saw John and Daisy walk home. Want to come over? Mom made cookies.

I smiled and told Kean I'll be home in several minutes. I noticed the yellow car parked next to mine and at the same time, Garrett emerged beside me.

"What are you still doing here?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"I should ask you the same question," I laughed at him. "I'm on my way to Kean's. Don't want to go home yet."

"You don't want to come and ride for a bit? Y'know, just like last time," he said, pressing his lips to a smile and rubbing the back of his neck.

I seriously considered the offer because I remembered what happened that night and it was actually one of the nicest nights for me despite the not getting to go home because of John. I shook my head slightly and let the smile fall away from my face.

"I'm sorry... I can't cancel with Kean," I said, giving him a sad look. "Next time, Gare. I'd want to redo that night again."

"Oh," his smile fell but he quickly recovered it. "It's alright, June. Take care of yourself, okay? Really. Just text or call me if anything's wrong." He gave me a worried expression before smiling and nodding at me then going to his own car.

It made me wonder how much all of them knew about me. Have they ever wondered how I became friends with Kean and have they noticed that I've been spending every free minute with him? Do they ever wonder why John's the one that always takes me home? And as much as it hurts my head thinking about all the questions I could ask about them, it touches me that they're concerned even if they haven't known me for a long time.

I drove past our house and parked outside of Kean's house (and yes, I'm getting better with directions around here). Just before I was about to get out of my car, I saw someone that looked like she just walked away from Kean's house. I didn't get a good look at who it was because she was wearing a jacket and had the hoodie over her head. I decided that it wasn't any of my business and it was probably just Kean's mom's visitor. I went straight up to his room and saw him sitting in front of his study table, going through something on his browser.

I knocked on his door and gave him a soft smile when he turned around. He shut the laptop and made his way over to me a grin present on his face. He snuck a kiss to my cheeks again and I wonder when I'll ever stop getting surprised whenever he does it. I felt my face heat up a little and he smirked, pulling me to the bed.

"You promised me cookies," I said when I plopped down on the bed.

"You'll get them," he laughed, sitting next to me. "You're more excited to see the cookies than your best friend."

"I've been seeing you almost every night. I haven't tasted your mom's cookies in a while," I grinned. I stood up and looked around his room. There were picture frames hung on the side and I'm guessing that his mom was the one who put that there. One picture caught my eye and it was his usual group of friends, with his arm around Kat. It made me think about what's everyone's been telling me. John, Kennedy, and Garrett... Well, technically, Garrett hasn't told me anything but the fact that he told me to call him when something goes wrong tonight had me thinking he's warning me to be careful.

"Hey Kean," I said, glancing at him for a quick moment then turning back to the picture. "When did you meet these guys?" I asked curiously.

"Over the summer with rest of them. Kat's one of the first people I've met here," he said nonchalantly. I noticed the trash can placed near his bed and how there were tons of beer cans in there. I shook it off and turned to him again.

"When did you become close to them?"

"Just this school year, I guess. Why?" He asked, standing up and walking over to me.

I turned to him and eyed him carefully, a sigh escaping my lips. "I've been hearing things, Kean."

"Let me guess... From John and the rest of the guys?" He asked, crossing his arms. "They aren't too keen with the people I hang out with."

"There's a reason for that, Kean. Why?" I tried getting answers out of him just so I know what he thinks of them.

"It's nothing, March! Who do you trust? Me who you've known since you were still fucking young or those people that you've known for only weeks?" He raised his voice and lowered his eyebrows. I stared at him and took a step back, completely thrown off with the way he yelled. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry. But Kat and the others, they aren't a problem, okay? I just enjoy their company very much and there is where I fit in."

I bit my lip. "I trust you, Kean," I said softly, not my gaze at him. "I'm just not that comfortable with the people around you."

"They aren't your problem, okay?" He said, pulling me over to him and wrapping me with his arms. I sighed on his chest and looked up at him. "You want to watch a movie?"

I nodded silently and went back to sit on his bed. We settled on watching A Walk To Remember but I fell asleep somewhere in the middle because I can't help but fall into slumber when he was playing with my hair. When I woke up, the movie wasn't done yet but Kean had stopped it because he said that I had to get home or my father or brother was going to flip out if I weren't there yet.

I walked groggily to our front door with Kean chuckling as I complained that he shouldn't have woken me up. We stood in front of each other and I was just about to go give him a grin and head on out but just after a few seconds, I realized that he was leaning in to press his lips on mine.

His hands went to my lower back and pulled me in slightly with my hands going up to the collar of his shirt, melting into his kiss.

"I-uh... What?" I stuttered as he pulled away. "Why'd you-"

"I like you. Simple as that," he smirked, cutting me off before I could finish my question. I could feel my cheeks blushing and my neck heating up. "Now go. Or else your dad or John is going to kill me."

I simply nodded and ran back into the house and into the room. No one really minded me when I got back.

Was it really possible that I'm slowly getting attracted to Kean? I haven't given thought about liking him because I only thought of us as strictly platonic. If I was going to be honest with myself, I think I want to kiss him again.

I sighed and put my palms on my face.

John's going to kill me.