Nineteen

Katherine Thorne:

“M— Mother!” I tore away from Alexander’s lips immediately and was face–to–face with the immensely angered scowl on my mother’s face. My body dilated with fear.

“Katherine Oliva Throne! What the hell are you doing kissing—” She paused, taking a moment to stare down Alex in a demeaning manner and the frown on her face deepened. “— this rascal deviant of a boy!” She completed her statement with so much disdain evident in her tone.

My mother was boiling and raging mad, the reason wasn’t only because I was kissing Alexander, but it was also Alexander himself. He was everything a responsible man shouldn’t be in my mother’s books; bizarre and numerous tattoos, ear piercings, chains on his neck and wrists, and the typical bad–boy smirk slapped across his face right now. Why the heck was he smirking at this? What was so amusing?

And my mother just caught me kissing him, I’m done for.

“Mother, it’s not what you think. I’m telling you the truth!” I protested, trying to defend myself. Honestly, it isn’t what she’s thinking right now. She probably thinks I purposely moved out of the apartment just so I can be away from her constant scrutinizing watch, in order to slack off on studies and frolic around with boys like him.

But on the contrary, I have actually been trying to focus on my studies as much as I can and Alex has been an unending pest and a distraction. And now, he forced his lips on mine.

Although, I didn’t resist…

“Then what exactly is it, Katherine? This is who you want to get yourself involved with instead of studying for good grades right? You’re a disappointment Katherine!” My mother seethed angrily, her tone soaring heights due to her anger.

I stepped away from Alexander and walked towards my mum. I do not understand what he’s still doing here in the first place, he should’ve gone away at the mere sight of my angered mother. Sigh, the guts of this boy! And he’s just making matters worse for me by just standing there and not even trying to apologize or something.

“Mum, you have to listen to me. I’m trying to explain to you tha—”

“Why would I want to listen to you, Katherine? Have you been listening to me? Because if you had been listening to all the advice I’ve been giving you and focusing on your studies just as I had instructed, you wouldn’t be here spreading your legs for this delinquent barely two weeks since you left the house!” My mother snapped and my eyes widened. I was immediately taken aback by her claims.

Is that how low she thinks of me? Does she think I’m sleeping with Alexander? And I went through all the trouble of moving out of her house just so I can have the freedom to have sex with him? Is that how much she rates me? Wow. Disappointment is an understatement of how I felt at that moment.

I opened my mouth to speak the pent-up words that threatened to spill from my throat, I closed it back in fear that I would be being too rude to my mother. But then I decided to speak up because I have to clear up the absurd notion she had conceived of me.

“Mum, I can’t believe you think that I would throw away my innocence to such a boy. What you saw just now was a misunderstanding and I’m sorry it happened and I’m sorry you had to see it. But I think accusing me that I’m sleeping with him just because of what you saw is a bit far–stretched.” I began, the confidence to air my mind surging in my veins.

“Or don’t you think if I wanted to sleep around I would’ve done it even under your watch? I just chose to do away with boys and focus on my grades because I want to and not because of your choking overprotection and strangulating watch!” Half of what I said was a blatant lie, but it felt so good to get that off my chest, her parenting was really suffocating.

However, my words just made her more angrier than before.

She looked so angry and at the same time, she looked like she wanted to tear up. “Katherine, you call my parenting strangulating? I’m doing my best as a single mother since your dead–beat father decided to leave us all alone. I just want you to study hard and become the best in life so you won’t end up like me, yet you call me strangulating?” Her words came out in a form of fury and hurt, and I started feeling a bit guilty for what I had said. I was the one at fault for kissing a boy.

“All I want is to experience things other young people do too!” I blurted out the words that have been at the tip of my tongue for so many years and I regretted it immediately. It made it seem like I don’t appreciate what my mother does for me— well, some of the things my mother does for me, but the look on her face right now is making me wish I should’ve kept my damn mouth shut.

Her face scrunched into a scowl, “You ungrateful girl! I can’t be—”

“Ma’am, I apologize on behalf of Katherine. She never meant to disobey your orders. I was the one who kissed her forcefully.” Remind me why Alexander is still here again. And why is he speaking to my mother?

I swung around to face him, he was right behind us. I turned back to face my mother again and her demeanor was so angered that it looked like smoke would be coming out of her ears in the next moment.

“And who the hell do you think you are?” My mother shot at him furrily.

“I am Alexander Walters, Katherine’s boyfriend. Your daughter and I attend the same college, ma’am.” What the actual fuck? Why is this idiot still here and talking bullshit?

“Go away, Alex!” I yelled at him, he was making matters extremely worse for me. If he’s too dense to comprehend that his cue to leave had expired long ago and he should’ve been long gone by now, then I’ll interpret it for him.

“Look at the disrespectful idiot you decided to soil yourself with, Katherine.” My mother directed at me with a disappointed expression and then she turned to face Alexander. “Listen to me young man, I want you to get lost and never come around this house or my daughter ever again. Do you understand me?” My mother’s warning and stern and direct and she didn’t even wait a moment for his response before she got a hold of my wrists and dragged me all the way to my apartment.

She let go of my hand, almost shoving me to the floor and then she locked the door. My other hand immediately went to my wrists to pacify the aftermath of her tight grip.

“You’ve disappointed me, Katherine.” I looked away from my wrist and stared at my mother in front of me, hands clipped to both sides of my waist.

I decided to say nothing this time. Just keep shut and let her direct all her anger at me.

“You really want to ruin your life, don’t you? The time you’re supposed to be investing into your studies and being a better woman, you’re spending it with boys? This isn’t how I raised you, Katherine Thorne.”

“You should focus on your studies and grades, stay away from men, Katherine, they will do you no good. Study hard, every day and every time because that’s all that matters.” No, that’s all that matters to you, mum. And that’s all you care about and want from me. Oh, how I wish I could say this to her face.

“Listen to me Katherine, I can sense that you’re slacking off in studies. And so help you God, that you don’t give me good grades at the end of this session. Trust me when I say, I will end your freedom.”

Tension and fear waved in my body, “You can’t do that mum.” My voice came out in a low whisper, shrunken from the fright I derived from her stern words.

She chuckled, “Watch me do it, Katherine.” And with that, she turned around and exited my apartment.

I’m in a deep mess.