Kelen locked her door quietly, and laid down on her bed. How could Mikey
tell them, she thought. Now they were all going to ask what's wrong. She
would tell them and then that would be it. They would practically stop
talking to her, because they wouldn't want to upset her. Like she might
break if they say the wrong thing.
What would she do if they asked? She couldn't lie to them. Not after all they'd done for her. But she couldn't tell them the truth either. Could she? No, they wouldn't understand. No one will ever understand.
Kelen was so mad. Not at Mikey. Not at anyone. She was just mad. Mad that life had dealt her an awful hand. Hot tears poured down her face, but she couldn't explain why. For a while she had been mad at her mom. Mad for leaving her behind. Mad for not trying to stop what was happening. But she moved past that. She finally realized it wasn't her mom's fault. This wasn't what her mom had chosen to happen. It just…happened.
She rolled over and buried her face into the pillow. She tried to subside her tears; she didn't want anyone to know she was crying again. Kelen couldn't ever remember crying this much. When she finally suppressed her tears, she raised her head up. The pillow was streaked with tear stains. She turned her head and rested it on the pillow. Her eyes came into perfect sequence with the pictures on the nightstand. One was of Lauren and she. They always had the most fun goofing off. Once they had filled up water balloons with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The picture was the result of that food fight. Another picture was of Kelen's mom. It was her favorite picture. Her mom was in her sweats and a t-shirt. She was holding Kelen in her lap and they were sharing a tub of Rocky Road ice cream. Kelen wondered who took that picture. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Dinner's ready," said Lauren. 'Dinner?' thought Kelen. She had been up here much longer than she thought. Kelen suddenly realized she had no appetite. "No thanks," she told the door, "I'm not really hungry." The door was silent for a few seconds. But it soon responded, "Alright, come down when you get hungry." Then she heard footsteps, signifying that Lauren was gone. Kelen hated being worried about this much. It was nice, in a way. But enough was enough. She put her head back on the pillow, and tried to sleep.
Lauren walked back downstairs. Kelen was always hungry. She was like a bottomless pit. Lauren always wondered how Kelen had stayed so skinny. She entered the kitchen, the guys had already started.
"Is she coming?" Mikey asked. Lauren felt so bad for Mikey. He thought it was his fault that Kelen was so upset. If only he knew. "No," Lauren sighed, "she isn't very hungry right now, but she'll be down later." Mikey looked sad. But Lauren gave him a reassuring smile, and he started eating again.
Dinner was pretty quiet. Kelen was always laughing or talking about something, so there was never a silent moment. Leo was looking at something on the refrigerator. Lauren directed her attention to the spot. It was a picture of three year old Kelen. "Cute, huh?" Lauren said to him. "Everyone used to tell her she looked exactly like Snow White. She really did too. She had really fair skin, dark eyes and hair, and bright red lips. She was a real beauty." Leo smiled. Raph smiled too. She did look like Snow White. "What about that one?" Mikey asked pointing to a picture of she and Kelen. They were both wearing long gowns, and looked absolutely gorgeous. Lauren blushed a little. "That's Prom Night." She said. They all looked at her. "You guy's have boyfriends?" Mikey asked. Lauren laughed.
"No, some of our guy friends took us." This went on for the rest of dinner. Lauren's 'fridge was covered in pictures, and there was a story behind each one. She had another copy of the food fight one on there. They all got a laugh out of that. Then Don pointed to one of an older lady. "Who's that?" He asked. A period of silence followed the question. "Ummm…" she started, "That's uh, it's Kelen's mom." There was no question about it either. Kelen was a dead ringer for her mom. "What's wrong with Kelen's mom?" Raph asked, noticing the way her voice shook. "Nothing," Lauren said. "It's just that…" she didn't finish. "Just what?" Leo insisted.
"Kelen's mom, well she, she uh," Lauren couldn't do it. Kelen would be furious if Lauren told. But they weren't going to give up that easily. They would find out sooner or later. Lauren gave in. "Ten years ago yesterday, Kelen's mom… she was murdered." Lauren closed her eyes. She couldn't believe what she just said. The boys gasped. They couldn't find words to talk with. But then another gasp was heard. One that hadn't come from any of them. They all turned to find Kelen standing in the doorway.
What would she do if they asked? She couldn't lie to them. Not after all they'd done for her. But she couldn't tell them the truth either. Could she? No, they wouldn't understand. No one will ever understand.
Kelen was so mad. Not at Mikey. Not at anyone. She was just mad. Mad that life had dealt her an awful hand. Hot tears poured down her face, but she couldn't explain why. For a while she had been mad at her mom. Mad for leaving her behind. Mad for not trying to stop what was happening. But she moved past that. She finally realized it wasn't her mom's fault. This wasn't what her mom had chosen to happen. It just…happened.
She rolled over and buried her face into the pillow. She tried to subside her tears; she didn't want anyone to know she was crying again. Kelen couldn't ever remember crying this much. When she finally suppressed her tears, she raised her head up. The pillow was streaked with tear stains. She turned her head and rested it on the pillow. Her eyes came into perfect sequence with the pictures on the nightstand. One was of Lauren and she. They always had the most fun goofing off. Once they had filled up water balloons with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The picture was the result of that food fight. Another picture was of Kelen's mom. It was her favorite picture. Her mom was in her sweats and a t-shirt. She was holding Kelen in her lap and they were sharing a tub of Rocky Road ice cream. Kelen wondered who took that picture. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Dinner's ready," said Lauren. 'Dinner?' thought Kelen. She had been up here much longer than she thought. Kelen suddenly realized she had no appetite. "No thanks," she told the door, "I'm not really hungry." The door was silent for a few seconds. But it soon responded, "Alright, come down when you get hungry." Then she heard footsteps, signifying that Lauren was gone. Kelen hated being worried about this much. It was nice, in a way. But enough was enough. She put her head back on the pillow, and tried to sleep.
Lauren walked back downstairs. Kelen was always hungry. She was like a bottomless pit. Lauren always wondered how Kelen had stayed so skinny. She entered the kitchen, the guys had already started.
"Is she coming?" Mikey asked. Lauren felt so bad for Mikey. He thought it was his fault that Kelen was so upset. If only he knew. "No," Lauren sighed, "she isn't very hungry right now, but she'll be down later." Mikey looked sad. But Lauren gave him a reassuring smile, and he started eating again.
Dinner was pretty quiet. Kelen was always laughing or talking about something, so there was never a silent moment. Leo was looking at something on the refrigerator. Lauren directed her attention to the spot. It was a picture of three year old Kelen. "Cute, huh?" Lauren said to him. "Everyone used to tell her she looked exactly like Snow White. She really did too. She had really fair skin, dark eyes and hair, and bright red lips. She was a real beauty." Leo smiled. Raph smiled too. She did look like Snow White. "What about that one?" Mikey asked pointing to a picture of she and Kelen. They were both wearing long gowns, and looked absolutely gorgeous. Lauren blushed a little. "That's Prom Night." She said. They all looked at her. "You guy's have boyfriends?" Mikey asked. Lauren laughed.
"No, some of our guy friends took us." This went on for the rest of dinner. Lauren's 'fridge was covered in pictures, and there was a story behind each one. She had another copy of the food fight one on there. They all got a laugh out of that. Then Don pointed to one of an older lady. "Who's that?" He asked. A period of silence followed the question. "Ummm…" she started, "That's uh, it's Kelen's mom." There was no question about it either. Kelen was a dead ringer for her mom. "What's wrong with Kelen's mom?" Raph asked, noticing the way her voice shook. "Nothing," Lauren said. "It's just that…" she didn't finish. "Just what?" Leo insisted.
"Kelen's mom, well she, she uh," Lauren couldn't do it. Kelen would be furious if Lauren told. But they weren't going to give up that easily. They would find out sooner or later. Lauren gave in. "Ten years ago yesterday, Kelen's mom… she was murdered." Lauren closed her eyes. She couldn't believe what she just said. The boys gasped. They couldn't find words to talk with. But then another gasp was heard. One that hadn't come from any of them. They all turned to find Kelen standing in the doorway.