Note: This chapter is a continuation of a short series with multiple characters. Some context may be missing if you have not read the previous entries.
Disclaimer: All characters in my stories are 18 years of age or older. Within this series there will be interactions between family members that will border, if not cross over into, the taboo category.
Whilst I'm not setting out to write a story with this as the main focus, I want to give a warning to anyone who may be offended/upset by that. If that's the case, you may want to give these stories a miss.
Chapter 3 - Katelyn
The conversation with her parents had gone about as well as Katelyn had anticipated. With Bryce there for moral support, Katelyn had sat her family down and told them of her acceptance to FSU, and her plans to begin her studies.
Her father's reaction had been the most volatile. Brian Fischer was a conservative, loud and domineering presence, and his immediate reaction had followed exactly as Katelyn had expected.
Putting a fist down on the table, Brian had stated his adamant refusal to contribute, and said that no daughter of his would be seen within a hundred miles of that school. Upon Katelyn informing him of her full scholarship and the fact that her mind was made up, he had turned a dark shade of red.
Over the next half hour they had verbally sparred, Brian voicing his disapproval, Katelyn defiantly standing up for her own autonomy. Bryce had come to her aid, defending her right to choose her own path and offering his support in the absence of their father's.
Katelyn's mother Vanessa had remained uncharacteristically quiet for the majority of the conversation, silently turning her attention to whoever was talking, hearing what they had to say.
Vanessa Fischer was herself an academic, having studied at Harvard, a path followed by their oldest daughter Beth. Calm, patient and assertive, she provided a commanding presence wherever she went.
Katelyn had expected her to mother to be disappointed, angry even, at the decision that she had made. She knew that her mother would want her to follow in her footsteps, picking a respectable institution, somewhere that her family would be proud to brag about to their friends and neighbours. Which is why it came as such a shock to all three others at the table when she had finally voiced her support for Katelyn.
Vanessa had calmly explained that, as an adult, Katelyn was free to make her own decisions, and it was their job as a family to support her. And with that, any further discussion had been put to bed.
The following weeks leading up to the beginning of the semester had been tense. The looming date of Katelyn's commencement hung over the house like a dark cloud, and many further attempts were made by Katelyn's father to dissuade her. But with the active support of her brother, and the passive approval of her mother, Katelyn was more certain than ever of her path forward.
When the day that Katelyn had both dreaded and longed for finally came, it was Bryce who took the long drive with her. It was only on the morning that they both departed that her father had finally softened, letting her know that he was proud of her and that he would miss her, and insisting that she came back home immediately if anything didn't work out.
It had felt strange for Katelyn, packing her suitcases full of clothes, knowing that she would likely not get an opportunity to wear even half of them. Still, having the cases with her felt like a kind of security blanket, almost like a parachute that she could pull if the need arose.
As they arrived at the large open gates of the university campus, Bryce eased the car down the main drive, pulling off to the side into a small carpark next to the administrative building. Off in the distance they could see the sprawling campus, its buildings dotted around open green spaces.
It was early, and only a few figures could be seen moving across the paths and fields, too far away to discern any details. Katelyn's heart jumped in her chest as she caught a glimpse of an apparently unclothed woman passing in front of a large gymnasium entrance.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Bryce asked her, snapping Katelyn back to reality.
There was an almost hopeful tone to his voice, and Katelyn felt the familiar welling of gratitude that she been experiencing for her brother and his recent support.
"No...I'm ok...thank you," she replied, nervously eyeing the entrance to the admin building. "I feel like I need to do this alone."
Climbing out of the car, Bryce unloaded her bags and set them on the ground beside her. He could see his sister trembling with nervous energy, casting her eyes around the slowly filling carpark.
"You'll be great," he said, pulling her into a hug. "And if there's anything you need, I'm only a phone call away."
Katelyn squeezed her brother back tightly, thanking him. "Promise you'll come and visit once I'm settled in?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Of course, anytime you want." He replied, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.
Katelyn took a deep breath, picked up her bags, smiled one last time at Bryce, and made her way inside. She didn't look back to see him get back in the car, not trusting herself not to run back and try to leave with him.
Stepping through the door from the warm sunny carpark into the cool airconditioned reception area, Katelyn was greeted by her first surprise of the day. Seated behind a wide reception desk, her hair pulled up into a severe bun, was a completely naked middle-aged woman. Her eyes were cast down, scrutinising the screen in front of her, her large pendulous breasts shaking slightly with the movement of her forearms as she typed.