Bad Influence - popular girl x nerd boy

36- Lucas

I stroke Rome's hair and rub her back as she cries into my shoulder, a mix of confusion and hurt growing as I watch her sob.

"I'm so sorry," she hiccups, causing more tears to spill from her eyes. "I didn't have anywhere else to go."

Considering asking her what happened, I hold my tongue when I notice the bag she has strapped around her shoulder. I can't guess what happened exactly, but it's clear she can't go back home.

Rome falls asleep within seconds of laying in my bed, her exhaustion clear in the stress marring her face even in sleep. I slip into my mom's room, catching her filing a lengthy report from her day at work before she can go to bed. Her eyes are full of concern and eager for an explanation of why Rome's crying on our doorstep at ten PM.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened," I start, biting my lip with the awful details I don't even know about yet. "But Rome's parents kicked her out of her house. She doesn't have anywhere to go unless she can stay here for a couple of nights. Please, mom?"

It takes the one word, the reference to her maternity, that has her falling apart in a teary mess. Flowing down her wrinkled cheeks, she sniffles to control her emotions.

"How could a parent do that? How could anyone look at any child and take away their shelter, their home?" I wrap my mom in a hug, knowing she needs the support as her hearbreaks at the concept.

My entire childhood felt like I didn't have a parent, one of them abandoning me while the other was overworked. It would have been easy for her to take out the unfairness of our lives on me, blaming my every imperfection or demanding more from me to make up for the loss of my father. But she didn't. My mom never so much as yelled at me in the years it took to raise me, and she never would have kicked me out of our home because she didn't aprove of my choices.

"She can stay here for as long as she needs," she takes a shaky breath, finding control over her emotions as the sadnes shifts to rage. "I love Rome, and much rather she be here with us than those bitter excuses of parents."

Relief floods me, easing a small part of the concern I still feel for my girlfriend.

I search for all of her belongs until I realize the small bag she brought on her back contains all of her possessions. I've imagined how our lives would look together plenty of times, moved into a small apartment where she would take up all of my closet space with her wardrobe. Drawers, containers, every space would be filled with every extravagant thing she owns.

Nothing I imagined ever looked like this, everything she owns stuffed into a tiny duffel bag on the floor behind my bedroom door. It doesn't seem to bother her that her entire life has been packed away in a small bag, but it saddens me. Someone used to so much space and property her entire life, has had it all stolen and squished into nothing.

It feels like no time at all has passed when I wake up the next morning in bed besides her sad brown eyes. She rests her forehead on my shoulder, fidgeting with the sleeve of a hoodie I lent her weeks ago.

"My parents found out we were dating," she omits how, biting on her lip to ease the tension of her words. I massage her back in an attempt to comfort her, but we both know no touch will be able to erase the awful things her parents must have said to her. "They trashed my room and threw away a lot of my photos or gifts from you, like stealing the memories would make me any less of a failure." She scoffs, not noticing my wide-eyed stare.

"They called you that?" My voice is hoarse, anger rising as Rome gives me a small nod. I feel my heart tearing apart in my chest, wondering how anyone could ever say that to their child, let alone Rome who's never been a failure in any sense of the word.