Hey ya'll! So rehersals today, I fell asleep. Heh, my directors were not happy. Oh well! So that's why this is so late.
This is for briorca18 and I really hope you like it. I also changed the name from Show Me the Way, to What's the Worst That Could Happen?
Again if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them.
So before I start rambling, here you go! Show me the way!
(Kendall POV)
I glanced back at my six year old sister, her eyes were closed and her little pink lips in a perfect circle. We were driving up to our summer cabin for the first time in four years. We used to come up here every summer, but when Dad died, we stopped. My mom had finally agreed to bring us again, and we were all excited.
The total drive time to get there was about four hours; fortunately, we only had one hour left. And even more fortunately Katie had been asleep for two hours. Don't get me wrong I love my sister, but when trapped in a car with her, she can be a little much.
Katie turned in her sleep, causing tangles in her thick dark hair. As if she could sense me watching her, her dark brown eyes fluttered open.
"Hey Katie." I smiled.
"How much longer?" The classic kid response in a car. "Are we there yet?"
"Soon." Short answers were easier with her. Less to argue about.
Katie began to whine, she hated to be stuck in the car. Being six, it was much more fun to run around then ride in the car.
My mom glanced at me in the mirror, the look in her brown eyes, not a particularly kind one. "Kendall, the whole point of you sitting with her, is to keep her quiet."
"You don't think I know that?" I snapped. Turning to face my sister, I said, "Hey Katie do you wanna play a game?"
"Not really." She replied flatly. Her small hand tugged at the handle in attempt to open the door. Thank god for child lock.
"Katie why don't we read?" I suggested, reaching down to my sister's bag. I pulled out her favorite book for me to read aloud and showed it to her.
"Okay." She agreed and patted the seat next to her.
I ignored my mother's warning glare and unbuckled my seat belt and slid into the seat next to my sister and snapped myself into that seat.
"I wanna read." Katie took the book from my hands. She was just learning to read and loved to practice every chance she got.
"Katie I don't know, this book is harder to read than the books you read at school." I reasoned.
Katie shrugged and opened the book to the right page. "My…sc-hoo-l is…hav-ing…a c…con…contest." She slammed the book shut. "You read."
I laughed and took the book and help it in my lap, I opened it to the correct page and began to read. Katie leaned her head against my hockey toned shoulder and put her fingers in her mouth. A childish habit she had never outgrown.
Unfortunately, the book only managed to keep Katie's interest for about ten minutes.
"I'm bored." She complained, gazing out the window. I looked out too, and watched as the trees went by. We were deep in the woods, on the final sprawl to our cabin.
I sighed and reached across the seats to my bag and pulled out my IPod Touch. I unwrapped the white ear buds from the metallic blue case. "Here Katie." I turned on a playlist I had made for us to listen to. I put one ear bud in her ear and set the other in mine.
After a few songs Katie piped up. "Kendall, you sing."
"Katie I don't sing."
"Yes you do!" She insisted.
"No, I don't." I argued back.
"Yes you do." She made a monkey face and made her voice go higher than normal.
"No I don't." I knew what was coming.
"Yes you dooo!" Katie fake cried.
I frowned. "I knew it was a bad idea to let you watch Full House."
Katie bopped her head up and down, making her hair balloon around her shoulders.
"What song am I singing?" I gave up.
"None now." My mom put in. "We're here!"
I gazed out the window and smiled at the two story wooden cabin. It looked exactly how I remembered it.
I opened my door and jumped out of the high SUV. I turned back around and reached up to lift my sister out of it.
"Can we go inside?" Katie hopped from one bare foot to another.
"Katie where are your shoes?!" I picked her up off the mucky drive way.
"At home." She giggled.
My mom tugged the suit cases out of the car. "Lucky for us, I packed her extras."
I smiled. "You want help with the bags."
"No, I've got them. Go give your sister the grand tour."
Katie wriggled from my arms, took my hand and pulled me to the door. "Come on Kendall!"
I took the key out of its hiding place and opened the red painted door. Katie rushed in in front of me. I set the key on the counter and looked around the living room.
The blue shag carpeting was still soft and the light brown paint on the walls still needed a touch up. There was a black couch against the far wall, facing the flat screen TV on the wall. Our old coffee table still held candles and old magazines. The whole room was so poorly color coordinated it gave me a head ache, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Right off the living room there was one of two bathrooms and the kitchen. The walls of the kitchen were painted yellow and the appliances were all stainless steel.
Katie began to open the brown cabinets in search of something to eat.
"Katie, mom has all the food, remember?" I reminded my sister, grimacing as she pulled some four year old crackers out of the cabinet.
I looked around at the family pictures mounted on the walls. It was really easy to tell my dad had decorated this place.
"Kendall can we go upstairs?" My sister took a bite of the stale cracker, which was about as hard as a brick.
"Ew Katie! You know how old that is?!" I put my hand under her mouth. "Spit that out!"
She spit the half chewed cracker into my hand, which I promptly threw in the trash.
"Good girl. Now let's head up stairs." I confiscated the rest of the cracker, throwing that away too.
Katie placed her sticky hand in mine and let me lead her up the steep staircase.
"Ouch!" She cried out as she stepped on something.
Then it dawned on me. "Katie this isn't the best place to go without shoes. The wood splinters easily."
She glared at me. "Now you tell me!"
I leaned down and picked up my-light-as-a-feather sister. "Come on, there are some tweezers in the bathroom."
"Noooo!" She wailed, trying to twist away from me.
I carried Katie to the small bathroom and set her on the sink. I tugged open the medicine cabinet and pulled out the tweezers.
Katie pulled her foot close to her.
"Come on baby sister." I coaxed.
Reluctantly, Katie gave me her foot and I managed to pull the splinter out of it with ease. "You're feet are dirty."
Katie grinned. "I know." She hopped off the sink and landed on the cold tiling below. "Our room?"
I nodded and took her hand. We walked across the blue carpeting to the room at the edge of the wall. Katie ran her fingers along the wall, leaving oily streaks.
We reached the tall door and I put my hand on the gold colored door knob, then in shock, pulled it back off.
"What's wrong Kenny?" She hopped from one foot to another, in pure excitement.
"Nothing." I answered trying again. "It was just cold. It surprised me." I pushed open the door and led Katie into the small room. The walls were painted green and the carpet the same as the hallway. There were two sets of bunk beds on either side of the room. My three best friends used to stay over sometimes. On one set of beds "Kendall" was scrawled across the top railing and "Logan" was on the bottom. On the other side, "Carlos" was written at the top and "James" was signed on the bottom bunk.
"Bunk beds!" Katie cried with glee.
I nodded and slunk across the room to peer out of the large glass window that over looked the forest.
There were two tall dressers pushed up next to the bunk beds and mirrors hung almost everywhere, reflecting me from every angle. And of course, reflecting Katie. She was attempting to climb up to the top bunk on the "Carlos and James" bunk bed.
I rushed over to her. "You want some help?"
"No." She answered simply, pausing halfway on the ladder. I shrugged and picked up the bags that had been deposited at our door by my mother. I took the bag full of clothing and set it on my dresser then took the other bag and tossed it up to my bunk, then crawled up there with them.
I began to arrange the pillows in the way that I liked them; then leaned back to keep watch over my sister.
My mom appeared at the door. "Katie, time for a bath. You've been running around here barefoot."
Katie, who had never gotten past the middle of the ladder, complied and I was left alone in peace for about ten minutes.
I had been writing out a list of things I wanted to do this week when the heavy bedroom door swung open and hit the wall causing me to jump.
Katie ran in giggling in nothing but her underwear.
"Katie! Where are your clothes?" I cried, scaling down the metal ladder.
She shrugged. I was thankful no one else was here to witness this. I pulled out shorts and a tank top for my sister to put on then climbed back to my bunk.
Katie started to climb the ladder up to my bunk but paused halfway.
I leaned over the railing and pulled my sister into my bed.
She curled up next to me as I laid down.
Katie rested one hand on my stomach. "I like this house."
I nodded. "I do too. I wish we came here more often."
Katie sensed I was not in the mood to talk and became silent.
I noticed her big brown eyes watching me. "What Katie?"
"You seem sad."
"Well I'm not." I answered back.
Katie frowned and lowered her eyes again. "I love you."
I smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you to baby sister."
"Forever?"
"Forever." I agreed.
Katie sat up her brown hair falling to her shoulders. "Promise?"
I linked my pinky with hers, a gesture I would never let the guys on the hockey team see me partake in. "Promise."
Katie was satisfied. "Then will you tell me why you're sad?"
"I'm not sad!" I protested.
"Kendall I'm six. That's a whole hand plus a finger! I think I can tell when my big brother is sad."
I pulled her onto my lap. "I'm just tired."
That managed to shut Katie up for a few seconds until she began to stroke my shaggy blonde hair. "You need a haircut."
"You're one to talk!" I finger combed my sisters thick bangs until they were straight and hanging past her eye lashes.
"Will you give me a haircut?" My sister shook her hair back out.
"I think you should wait until we go home." I didn't trust myself with scissors especially not near her head.
"Kendall?" My mom entered our bedroom. "I realized I forgot to bring milk so I'm going to run into town to get it. Do you think you can watch Katie for a few hours?"
I looked down at my innocent sister who was sitting on my lap. "Please don't make me go with Mommy." She whispered. "Please?"
"Yeah, I can watch her." What's the worst that could happen?
"Perfect, thank you. I'll be back in a few hours." She vanished and a few moments later we heard the car start.
"All right Katie, you want some lunch?"
"Yes." She answered and began to climb down the ladder. I followed her down to the kitchen; thankful we both had shoes on.
I got Katie to sit at the counter while I made sandwiches, she only finished about half of hers and while I was putting the dishes in the sink I heard the back door open; then slam shut.
I dropped the dish, it shattered in the sink, but I paid no attention to that. I tightened the laces on my shoes and ran out the back door.
I had no clue where Katie was going but I did know that I could catch up to her. I sprinted straight and caught sight of my sister. I couldn't stop fast enough so I ended up colliding with her taking us both to the ground; she was on top of me since I had grabbed her around the waist.
She screamed.
"It's just me!" I stood up with her in my arms. "You can't run off like that!"
"I wanted to go on a walk." Katie shrugged herself away from me.
"Well then you should have waited for me!" I scolded, patience thinning.
Katie looked at me with big eyes. "Kendall can we go for a walk?"
I sighed. "I meant before you left!"
She looked at me, waiting.
"Fine, what's the worst that can happen? We can go for a walk." I snarled. Katie dashed ahead of me. I hurried after her. "You can't keep running off!"
Katie made her eyes as big and sad as possible and stuck out her bottom lip. "I'm sorry."
"Hold my hand." I instructed. She took my hand and led me on a path I had never been to before. I continuously looked back over my shoulder, making sure I could still see the tips of our house.
It wasn't until Katie spotted a bunny and decided to chase after it things got a little tricky.
"Katie!" I called running after her. "Don't touch the bunny!"
Katie managed to chase the thing for at least half a mile and by the time she stopped I had completely lost sight of the house and had no clue where we were.
"Kendall! A lake!" Katie pointed to the water coming up the rocky bay.
A lake? Our house isn't near a lake!
"Can we go swimming?"
I wasn't sure how to break the news to her. "No Katie we can't."
"Why not?" She whined, untying her shoes and walking towards the water.
"We're lost! I can't see the house anymore!"
Katie paused as the water lapped her toes. "Just go back the way we came."
"Come on." I waved. It took her an extra second to tie her shoes. We walked across the pathway and after a few minutes I couldn't recognize anything. "Katie I think we're lost."
"We can't be lost!" Katie protested.
"But we are!" I didn't know what to do.
Katie stood for a second, processing the information. "We're lost?!"
I nodded.
"It's all-my fault!" Katie whispered.
"It's not all your fault." I told her.
"Yes it is!" Katie looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Come here." I opened my arms and she ran into them, sobbing into my chest. "It'll be okay. I promise."
Katie pulled back to look at me, her dark lashes wet, "Do you have your phone?"
I unwrapped one arm from my sister to check my pockets, they were empty. "It's on the counter."
She started to cry again. "I wanna go home!"
"Shhhh," I cooed then sank onto the dusty ground. "We'll be okay."
I waited for Katie to calm down, slightly rocking her in my lap, I thought of a plan. "All right I know what we're going to do."
"Really?" Katie sniffed, her eyes were still wet but she was no longer crying.
I nodded and lifted her off my lap, standing up. "You stay right here, I'm going to climb that tree and see if I can see the house."
Katie nodded as I leaned to kiss her cheek, she tasted salty. "We'll be okay, I promise."
I walked over to the tree; it was much harder to climb than it looked. I had never been a fan of heights, but I had to push through it. It seemed like forever until I found a sturdy resting place and peered out. "Katie! I see the house!"
I started to climb back down eagerly. I stepped on a branch and it bent under my weight. Crraaaack! It snapped and I fell. The gap between me and the ground narrowed as I fell in slow motion. I prayed that I would be okay, that I could get Katie and I home, that everything would be fine. I hit the ground with mighty force.
Owwww. My back! My vision blurred and I blinked a few times.
"Kendall?" Katie shook me violently. "Are you dead?! Great! I'm lost in the woods and my big brother just died!"
"I'm not dead." I struggled to sit up.
Katie threw herself at me, knocking me back on the ground.
"Ahh! Katie easy! That hurt!"
"Sorry." Katie hugged me tighter.
I managed to stand up, the pain fading into a dull pain. "The house is that way. Let's go."
Katie trotted alongside me; I took her hand and hoped for the best. After ten minutes of walking nothing looked any more familiar.
"Kendall!" She whined. "I'm tired."
"Get on my back." I knelt down and let her jump onto me. We walked continuously in the same direction for another twenty minutes.
"We are so lost." I whispered.
"We can't be lost!" Katie protested. "I wanna go ho-o-ome!" Her voice cracked.
I set her down then pulled her into a hug. "We'll be home soon. Please don't cry."
I started to walk again, pulling my crying sister with me.
We reached the end of the pathway and saw a house. "Katie! Look a house!"
"Our house?"
"Afraid not." I started to walk towards the door. "Let's go ask for directions."
I walked up the stone steps, Katie a few steps behind me, and rang the doorbell.
An older women answered. "Oh, hello there. Can I help you?"
I took a breath. "Yes, actually, my sister and I are very lost; do you think you could tell us how to get back to our house?"
"Of course. But where is your sister?" She asked me.
I turned but Katie wasn't there. I spotted behind the wall. "Katie come here."
She took slow steps, knowing that we were watching her. "What?"
"She's going to tell us how to get home." I held my hand out and Katie took it stepping closer.
"Do you know your house address?" The lady asked us.
I shook my head, putting one arm around my sister.
She frowned. "Well how long have you been out here?"
"A few hours." I admitted.
"You must have been walking in the opposite direction!"
"Kenny." Katie tugged on my hand. "You told me the wrong direction after you saw the house."
"Well I fell out of a tree, I was just happy I could still remember what was happening." I hissed.
The lady thought for a second. "If you were walking for a few hours, you must be renting the Knight's house!"
I smiled. "Well technically we are the Knight's so I don't think we're renting the house."
"Then you must be Kendall! I haven't seen you since you were much younger, I didn't recognize you. And Katie, you've gotten so big!"
Katie smiled.
"Let me give you a ride back to your house, I know exactly where it is." She stepped inside and grabbed her car keys, then led us to the car.
Katie and I crawled into the back of the small car. The ride was short and quiet, Katie was freaking out besides me because I guess she knew enough from kindergarten to not get into cars with strangers. Honestly, I was scared too, but if she knew who we were then most likely she was trust worthy.
She parked the car in front of our house. "There you go."
"Thank you so much." I said before getting out and running to the backdoor that was still unlocked. I was relieved to see that my mom was not home and we weren't busted. "Hey Katie do me a favor and don't tell mom about this."
"Okay." She shut and locked the back door.
I cleaned up the broken plate and threw it away. When my mom came back she asked if we wanted to go on a walk.
"Absolutely not!" I cried.
"Why not? There's a lake near here. I'll show you!" Mom insisted.
"Show me the way!" Katie followed my mom out the doors. "What's the worst that happen Kendall?"
"Oh I've heard that one before." I rolled my eyes. What was the worst that could happen when I babysat Katie? We got lost.
My mom and sister shrugged then left.
I waited a few seconds; then ran after them. "Hey! Wait up!"
After all, what's the worst that could happen?
What's the worst that could happen? Leave your ideas in the reviews. I was thinking bear attack but that's kind of graphic...Any way! Byeee! I hoped liked this briorca18. Talk to you on Monday. XOXO~Tay
