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Reassess and readjust.
For all intents and purposes, Katie could admit when she messed up. Had it been any other day, maybe she would’ve taken the grand opening (and closing) of her KFC better. She’d kick, scream, and yell at everyone, but then she’d go home and figure out how to do it all over again.
But now she had no home to return to. She messed that up completely, and had she not been so defeated she’d be at Schlatt’s house right now trying to talk her way back into his good graces. And yet by some twist of fate, she managed to lose her business and home all in the same day.
Katie was so tired. Tired of the undeserved hostility, tired of the jokes made at her expense, and tired of the constant attempts to destroy anything that gave her anything to call her own above all else.
Some would call her dramatic, probably even selfish for ignoring the voices of the people she called friends chasing her as she ran off. Right now, Katie didn’t care much about anything that anyone thought of her. That’s why she found herself where she found herself now, after all.
From the top of her tower, Katie felt untouchable. There was nobody to undercut her intelligence, no attempts to destroy what she had because she had nothing. In the quiet of the night, Katie felt the weight of loneliness finally catching up to her. There was no talking herself out of feeling alone, no way to make herself busy with things until she couldn’t think of anything else anymore.
It’s not until she looks down that she feels the wind rushing. It’s so strong it almost knocks her off-center, falling down far faster than she planned. Katie inhales deeply, and stares down, taking the view. In another world, she imagines she’d be looking down at the rest of the island with friends. That for once, she’d be allowed in on moments of intimacy with friends.
The jump feels shorter than it looks. One second one foot is off the platform and the next she’s dumped into water while people crowd around her. The water is cold and somebody is already wrapping Katie in their jacket. She can’t tell if tears or the water is blurring her vision and there’s so many voices around her, and she doesn’t quite know how to answer the question of ‘why?’ that everyone seems to want an answer to.
“Nobody loves me,” She said, voice little more than a whisper. She doesn’t think that’s the only reason, isn’t enough words to encapsulate how ostracized everyone has made her feel. Doesn’t think that it’s enough to explain that it’s one thing to not be loved, but another to feel belittled constantly.
“Let’s get you home,” Graf hums, guiding her into the boat. “It’ll be okay,” he promises, stepping into the boat. Katie’s gaze is stuck on the way the moonlight reflects of the water, all words escaping her.
The trip back to Schlatt’s house is long and silent. If it was anyone else, Graf would have thought it odd but likely not concerning. To say that he was worried about Katie didn’t even begin to describe it. He always viewed Katie as somebody who was always talking, someone who hated silence. She took to conversation like a duck to water, and he supposed it said more about himself that he couldn’t imagine Katie beyond how she always presented herself to other people. In retrospect, it should’ve been obvious. Of course Katie also got sad.
“It’s not true,” Graf spoke for what felt like that first time in forever. “The people here, they love you. They care for you, at the very least,” He finished, waiting for a response. When it became apparent that he wasn’t getting one, he supposed he should fill the space left by Katie.
“What they did— no,” Graf said, swallowing a lump in his throat. “What we did, it wasn’t right.” He said, the guilt feeling somehow heavier after speaking it aloud. The ride is silent up until they’re on Schlatt’s doorsteps, an uneasiness resting between them.
Seeing Schlatt is embarrassing to say the least. Her hair and clothes are soaked from the water, and her teeth are still chattering from the cold. Above all else, she didn’t know how to face him. He had only known her to be a loud, abrasive person, and she didn’t have the energy for that anymore.
Graf’s knock on Schlatt’s door sounds heavier than it is, and the seconds that pass between then and the door opening feel like a lifetime. When it finally does open, Katie holds her breath.
“Jesus, kid— what the hell happened to you?” He asks, pulling her inside. Graf hovers at the doorway awkwardly, watching the interaction between them. Katie sits down on the couch and stares at some spot on the wall, pointedly refusing eye contact with anyone.
Schlatt goes upstairs to fetch an old hoodie and sweats for Katie, nearly tripping over the second step on the way down in his haste. His gaze lingers on Katie’s state before he tosses her the clothes. His eyes then look towards Graf, closing the door behind him as they stand outside. “So?” Schlatt prompts, Graf letting out a deep sigh.
“We need to have a talk about Katie.”
The days feel longer than they used to.
The scenery doesn’t change much, days spent on Schlatt’s couch or at the edge of the island staring out into the water. She doesn’t cry, not anymore, but her silence is just as disconcerting. People came and went, but never stuck around long enough once they realized she still wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
Schlatt had grown used to seeing her curled up on his couch once he had returned home. He tried to maintain the banter they had before he kicked her off his island (and God— if he wouldn’t be kicking himself about that for the rest of his life), and even when he didn’t get a response he just carried on like nothing had happened.
He was home more.
Not that Katie knew, always off on her own adventures, but he made an effort to keep an eye on her. He always found some excuse, tinkering and fussing about things that were never really broken.
More often than not, they spent afternoons on the couch watching some old movie that Katie didn’t know and Schlatt seemed to hate, always complaining about the acting or plot. Sometimes, he heard a laugh slip through her lips and he felt his shoulders loosen.
The day a knock sounds at the door, his hackles are immediately raised. The past few days have felt akin to caring for a wounded animal, and he’d be damned if anyone got rid of all of her progress.
Katie doesn’t even get to see who it is before the door is closing behind Schlatt. The ‘conversation’ doesn’t last long, only a few seconds before Katie hears Schlatt’s yelling and telling someone to get off of his lawn in no uncertain terms. The door swings shut behind him when he reenters, still grumbling about ‘the gall of some people’.
“Who was it?” Katie asks, shifting her body to face him. Schlatt stares at her for a second, feeling like it’d been forever since he heard her speak. “Nobody you need to worry about,” he responds as he settles back onto the couch.
“What if I wanted to talk to them?” Katie volleys back.
“Did you?” Schlatt asks, doubt written all over his face.
Katie pauses for a second to think. “No,” she says, the words leaving her as if she only just made the realization. “No, I don’t think I did.”
“Well then,” Schlatt shrugs, reaching for the remote.
It’s clear that Katie isn’t watching the movie, not really, but he supposes that’s okay. He’ll pick up the slack and pretend things are normal enough for the both of them.
It took two weeks before Schlatt cracked. He never claimed to be a patient person, and he could only let Katie recede into herself so much before he had to say something.
“Alright. I know that— I know everything didn’t work out the way you hoped, and that’s life,” Schlatt begins, body sinking into the seat next to Katie. His body tilted towards her, but he doesn’t make eye contact. “There’s a lot in this world that isn’t going to be what you want, and it won’t treat you the way you want,” He continues, looking towards Katie.
“The world— the people aren’t kind. They will tear you and everything you have down. But you can’t— don’t let them take it from you forever.” Schlatt says, leaning towards her. “We keep fucking going.” Katie wiped tears out her eyes, nodding.
“I’m trying— I always do, but—” Katie’s sobs interrupt her. “Fuck, this is so— so fucking embarrassing,” she mutters, turning away from Schlatt. “I try so hard, and look where it got me.”
“I have— hold on.” Schlatt says, he gets up to grab a bag, settling back on the couch with a sigh. “I have these for you, if you ever decide to try again.” Katie looks inside the bag, tears immediately welling up once she looks inside. “And if not, well. I’m sure we can find something for you to do on the island.”
Katie put the eggs to the side, wrapping her arms around Schlatt. Her tears fell onto his shoulder, quiet sobs escaping her. “Jesus, you’re getting your snot on my suit.” He griped, throwing an arm around Katie anyways.
“Okay?” He asked, voice the closest to soft he could muster.
“Yeah,” She started, the word little more than a shudder. “I’m okay.”