Chapter three

Shawn 

Nine months later...

Beth and I have been going steady with our relationship. I haven't been bullied all year and prom is in two weeks. Melanie and I have become close friends and are planning to telling everyone our plan to join the military after I graduate next month. I also plan to ask Beth to marry me at graduation. 

I was wearing a pair of dress slacks and a white dress shirt tucked into my pants. I had a bouquet of white roses and a teddy bear. I ring the doorbell and Mandy answers the door. "Beth, it's for you," she says with a smile, letting me in.

She walks in with her mother and Aunt and Uncle and she looks at me in shock. "We've been dating for nine months and guys are still trying to ask you out," I say with mock annoyance. "I heard that Rob was going to ask you out to prom tonight and should be ringing your doorbell any minute..."

Ding dong

Mandy opens the door and in walks Rob. He glares at me, but I kept a neutral face. "Should have known the freak would be here," he sneers. 

Beth's eyes never left mine and she walks up to me. She takes me in a passionate kiss and says, "I thought you'd never ask."

"You won this round freak," Rob sneers, bumping my shoulder and knocks Beth down in the process. 

I grab him by the arm and stare him down while extending my free hand to Beth. "I think you owe her an apology," I say calmly.

"She made her choice, I owe nothing," he growls and Beth's uncle walks up to us.

"You show up to my house, disrespect my niece and her girlfriend, knock my niece down and refuse to apologize," he asks angrily, getting in Rob's face. "I know your parents Rob, I can have their jobs terminated if I find out you did anything to them!"

His eyes grew wide and runs out of the house. I kiss Beth's forehead and look at her mother. "Can I talk with you in private," I ask nervously and everyone looks at me confused. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

She nods and I follow her to the kitchen. "What's up Shawn," she asks curious. 

"I want to ask for Beth's hand in marriage at graduation," I say and bit my lip nervously. 

Tears fill her eyes and I start panicking. "Are you asking because she's pregnant," she asks quietly and my eyes widen.

"No, we've been safe and honestly we're not as active as most teenagers. I'm asking because I'm crazy about your daughter and I can't imagine life without her," I choke quietly. Tears roll down my cheeks and choke in a whisper, "She has brightened up my high school experience and has given me strength to move passed these last few years."

She takes me in a comforting embrace and says in a soothing whisper, "You have my blessing Shawn."

"Thank you," I choke with relief. 

We join the others and get weird looks. "You were crying," Beth says with concern, wiping my eyes. 

"She asked me to allow you two to rent a room for prom night and I said yes," her mother says to cover up what I really asked her and I mouth a thank you to her and she nods lightly. 

"I have to go, my parents have this important business meeting to attend and I have to go," I say with a sigh. "Annie wants to take over the company, but I still have to attend as part of the family." 

"I'll see you tomorrow," she says giving me a kiss. 

"I'll pick you up for school," I say with a smile and leave to the meeting.

Beth

I was sitting in class the next day and one of the guys from the basketball team, Randolph I think is his name, walks in. He had a bouquet of mixed flowers and stops in front of my desk. I glance at Shawn two seats away from me and saw how nervous she looked.

"Randolph, I know what you're going to ask, but I have to politely decline. Shawn already asked me and I said yes," I say quietly and his features fall. "I'm sorry."

He gingerly nods his head and walks up to Shawn. I watch her Adam's apple bob as she swallows nervously. He extends his right hand and she shakes his hand, confused. "You have my respect," he says softly. 

"Thanks," she says skeptically about his demeanor. 

He briskly walks out of the classroom and we all go back to our essays. I watch as Shawn aggressively runs her hands in her hair with her right leg bouncing anxiously. She grabs her things and turns in her essay before leaving the classroom with a panicked face.

"What's wrong with Shawn," Mandy asks from behind me and I shrug. "I think he said something only she could hear."

I finish my essay, pack my bag and leave to look for Shawn. As soon as I step out of the classroom, Randolph and Rob were there and grab me. I scream and Rob covers my mouth. Randolph rips open my shirt and Rob holds me and unzips his pants. 

I bite down on Rob's palm and he pulls his hand away. "HELP," I scream in fear.

Shawn comes running from around the corner as several classroom doors open. Shawn knocks both of them out before removing her shirt for me to put on. She's left in her tank top tucked into her jeans and takes me in her arms.

Mr. Albright pushes through a crowd of students and teachers, looking down at the two unconscious boys. He sees one with their pants unzipped with my ripped shirt on the floor and looks at me with concern. "Are you okay," he asks in a soothing tone. 

I vigorously shake my head and hide my face in Shawn's chest as uncontrolled sobs escape my lips. Her arms hold me close to her tall frame and I felt safe from whatever would be thrown at me next. "I'm here," Shawn soothes over and over again.

I felt myself slipping in her arms and she lifts me bridal style. "Take her home," Mr. Albright says in sympathy. 

I woke up on my living room couch, feeling a weight over my side and look back to see Shawn was behind me sleeping. I snuggle closer to her and her arm tightens over my side. I hear shuffling from the kitchen and look to see my mother and Shawn's parents walk in with worried expressions. 

My mother's eyes fill with tears and asks in a choked whisper, "Are you feeling okay? Shawn said you passed out after what almost happened."

Tears fill my eyes and hug Shawn's arm to my chest."I don't know what I would have done if there were others or if I'd been knocked out," I choke in broken sobs and feel Shawn kiss my shoulder. 

"I'm not leaving your side again," she says in a protective tone and I let out a calming breath. 

"We're setting up security deta9for your prom incase something happens," her father says softly.

"Thanks dad," Shawn says with relief. 

"We're also letting you use a limo and paying for your hotel room," her mother says with a smile. 

Melanie 

Shawn came home distraught from school today. She was knocking on the guest house door and when I opened the door she had this anxious look on her face. I let her in and she makes sure we're alone. "I want to tell them this weekend that we're new recruits and begin our training after I graduate. I want to wear my uniform for prom night. A couple of guys nearly raped Beth in the middle of the hall today," she chokes in anger.

"I can't wait either, its killing me. Let's ask them for a family dinner tonight and tell them tonight," I choke quietly as I run my thumb over my parents dog tags. 

It was a couple hours later and we were all gathered in Shawn's parents living room. The two of us stood before them and they all had anxious looks on their faces, waiting for us to say what was on our mind for this big meeting.

"We're joined the military, our training starts after I graduate from high school," Shawn says full of confidence, standing tall. "I want to build respect for myself, especially after what almost happened to Beth today."

"I joined to honor my parents," I choke quietly and Abbigail finds her way towards me. 

She feels my face to see if I was serious and constricts her arms around me, afraid to let go. "You better come home safe," she chokes in broken sobs and I hold her in my arms.

"I will, Shawn and I will take care of each other," I say in a soothing tone and she lets out a calming breath. 

"Are you sure about this," Joyce asks Shawn in a choked whisper.

"I want to prove something of myself and joining the military will do that," Shawn says as tears roll down her mother's face. She takes her in her arms and says, "I'm tired of people treating me differently."

"I'm so proud of you Shawn," she chokes as she holds her tight. "You just better come home safe, you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am," she chokes quietly and looks at her father. "I want to follow the dream you had at my age. We're only signed for two years."

"I couldn't be more proud to call myself your father," he chokes quietly and takes her in a manly hug.

Annie and Beth were holding each other as Shawn walked up to them. She takes them both in her arms and no words were needed. I've come to learn that Shawn and Annie have a tight relationship and often don't need verbal communication. I know Beth was waiting for privacy and for now, holding onto her was enough. 

"Shawn," Carolyn chokes quietly, motioning for Shawn to follow her and the two of them walk off to the kitchen. 

Her parents had a knowing look while the rest of us looked confused. Moments later they walk back in and Shawn walks up to Beth. She gets down on one knee and says, "Beth, I was originally going to ask you after you collected your diploma, but I can't wait. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Beth chokes in a whisper and Shawn places the ring on her finger.

Beth pulls her in a passionate kiss as we all cheer their engagement. Abbigail turns to face me, tears frozen on her cheeks and asks in a choked whisper, "Will you marry me Melanie? I got this in the mail from your mother. It arrived last week."

She removes a ring from her finger and I recognize it as my mother's engagement ring. I break into uncontrolled sobs and take her in a passionate kiss. She places my mother's ring on my finger and I give her my claddagh ring with my birthstone. 

Abbigail 

Melanie took me to the guest house she's been living in since her parents died. I told my parents I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could before she left for training. They granted it and we were stumbling to her room, clothes being removed along the way.

We made passionate love forgetting a condom in the heat of the moment. In all honesty, if I end up pregnant and something happens to her, I'll still have a piece of her with me. She took her time with me unlike our usual sessions where we rush into everything. 

She was worshipping every inch of me, giving gentle glides of her hips. Our kiss was slow and extremely passionate. A mix of emotions were running through me right now and I played my fingers in her hair. I'd give anything to look in those icy blues one more time.

It felt like hours before we both came in perfect harmony and Melanie's seed shooting deep inside me. I hold her in place with my legs wrapped tight around her waist. "Don't pull out," I moan in a breathy whisper and she continues to gently pump her hips into me sending her swimmers deeper inside me. Tears roll down my cheeks and choke quietly, "I love you Melanie."

"I love you too," she chokes in a whisper and releases another load inside me and I let out a blissful moan as another orgasm rips through me. 

Melanie and I were joining Shawn and her family for breakfast the next morning in the main house. As soon as we walk in I smell Beth's perfume as she pulls me in a different direction. "Shawn and I had unprotected sex last night," she chokes quietly, but I could hear the joy in her voice. "I hope I end up pregnant before she leaves. I have this bad feeling."

"Me too," I choke quietly and we hold onto each other as we cry silently.

"Sorry for interrupting, but are you two joining us for breakfast," Shawn asks softly and I could hear the concern in her tone.

"We need a minute," Beth chokes quietly.

"Okay," Shawn says with understanding and I feel her lean into Beth, kissing her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," Beth chokes quietly as I hear Shawn walk away. "How did we get so lucky?"

"I don't know," I choke quietly and trace my thumb over the band on my left ring finger.