Kelly shot up a glance as Matt woke up and headed over to the kitchen counter.
"Good morning!" She greeted sheepishly, trying to remain natural as possible.
"Hey." He replied, making his morning coffee.
"Listen..." She got up and headed over to him, "I wanted to talk to you about... something." She fidgeted.
"Can't now." He sighed, "I've gotta get to the office."
"Oh." She swallowed a gulp. "Well-"
"Shouldn't you be minding the store? While Donna plans her wedding." Matt interjected
"Oh shoot!" She gasped, rushing over to the bathroom, "I completely forgot! Okay then, erm... maybe we could have lunch together or after work?" She asked,
"Yeah..." Matt sighed, "Then we can discuss where you snuck off to in the middle of the night." He replied, nonchalant in his stance. Kelly was caught by surprise, speechless.
"I... I can explain that..." She fumbled. He ignored her, heading into the bedroom to get dressed. She dragged herself to the bathroom and put on the shower head.
Kelly stood under the shower, closing her eyes in desperation as the water flowed down her face to her back. Feeling completely lost as the aching feeling in her stomach began. She knew she had to do it. But telling Matt the truth was extremely hard. She knew she would have to hurt him, someone who had never hurt her. Dylan had hurt her so many times, and yet she was always ready to risk it all for him again. How could she explain that to Matt?
Maybe I'm just crazy, she thought. To the outside world her and Dylan were a train wreck. No wonder everyone, including her mother couldn't understand why she would pass up every woman's dream man like Matt Durning, for Dylan... an uncertain, unreliable life with Dylan. And yet, despite all of the flaws and tumultuous emotional adventures, she couldn't help but smile. She felt guilty about what she had to do, but whenever she thought of the hardships her and Dylan had faced, she also remembered the incredible, tender moments they shared. And that was something no one could understand. The connection between them, and how happy it made her. The happiest times of her life were with Dylan. There was something about those moments that made time stand still. He lead her to an escape, and it was the most peaceful, most satisfying, safest place to escape to.
Her mind began to reminisce her memories with Dylan, as she wondered what it was that made her throw everything else away for him. As the she stood still under the hot water, her head rested on the back of the wall. She thought about all the memories, the dark ones to the most passionate ones... Right from the beginning of where it all began, and how it was always there...
"Kelly, you gotta help me!" A seventeen year old Brenda begged as her and Kelly headed over to her car.
"Brenda, what's wrong?" She asked
"Dylan called me last night... He was yelling and crying. Jack had called him from jail. His mother came... it's always a lot for him and he never talks about it. He hung up and stopped answering his phone. I tried going over there but my dad wouldn't let me. I'm afraid of what he might do to himself."
"Brenda, he's an alcoholic." Kelly said firmly, "You can't save him from that."
"Kelly!" Brenda said hysterically. "He hasn't shown up at school today. Please, I don't know how to handle this. You gotta help me, after all, you have experience with this because..." She paused
"Because of Jackie." Kelly added
"Please." Brenda pleaded, "You know how to deal with their addictions..."
Kelly sighed, "Fine..." She finally spoke, we'll head over after school."
"Oh my god!" Brenda gasped, as they snuck into Dylan's from the back door. He was lying on his living room floor. Empty bottles of scotch scattered around. "Kelly what do we do?!" Brenda panicked.
"Drag him into the bath tub." Kelly began. Both girls dragged his body, finding it hard to muster up the strength. Taking off his clothes and managing to place him into the bath. Brenda holding onto his upper body as Kelly held the end.
"Nice package." Kelly joked, and Brenda let out a chuckle as she rolled her eyes,
"Now's not the time Kelly!" Brenda scoffed
"No wonder you wanted to lose your virginity so badly." Kelly smirked, before placing him in the bath. She blasted cold water on his face as he grew conscious.
"What the-!" He yelled, his hand pushing the girls off of him
"Dylan!" Brenda yelled, "What were you thinking?!" Dylan pulled himself up as Kelly handed him a towel.
"Just leave me alone!" He yelled
"I will not!" Brenda yelled back.
"Brenda, stop." Kelly urged, "You don't argue with someone who's not in their right mind. Dylan go get dressed, Brenda come with me." Kelly grabbed her arm and headed into the living room.
"What do we do?" Brenda cried, "Look at the state of him"
"Don't panic!" Kelly assured, "We're gonna take all the alcohol we find and pour it down the sink."
"But he'll get mad..." Brenda said nervously
"Don't let your emotions get in the way." Kelly warned, "You gotta do what's best for them... even when they might not like it."
As Kelly poured them down the sink, Brenda began cleaning up the empty bottles that were scattered across the floor. Dylan entered once he was dressed and noticed what was happening
"Hey!" He yelled, rushing over to Kelly, "What are you doing? I need that!" He grabbed the bottle from her.
"Give it back, Dylan." Kelly warned
"Both of you, just get out!" Dylan yelled,
"Dylan, give her the bottle!" Brenda snapped
"No." Dylan glared at her, "You don't get it! I can't!" He stood there shaking
"I get it..." Kelly slowly made her way towards him, "I do... You feel hopeless and you just want to forget." Her voice was so soothing, she made him calm down. No one had said that to him before. "You think at the end of the bottle, things will be different. But they won't. They weren't for my mother. And to be honest, it never is, even for me. You don't depend on the bottle."
"I... it's all I have." Dylan sighed, "I can't give it to you."
"Fine. Drink it." Kelly urged
"Kelly!" Brenda yelled, "What are you saying?"
"It's fine. He can drink it, while we are here. But that's it. Then you let us take the rest of the bottles." Kelly stared him straight in the eye.
Brenda looked nervously from her to Dylan. Dylan kept his eyes firmly on the bottle. "Deal." He finally replied.
Brenda and Kelly watched as Dylan enjoyed his final glass. Brenda whispered over to Kelly, "Thank you... I didn't know what to do."
"It's okay." Kelly reassured.
"I gotta go. My dad will be fuming if he knew..." Brenda sighed, "Could you... watch him? I don't wanna leave him like this, but I also don't want my dad to know I'm here."
"It's fine. I'll stay." Kelly nodded
"Thanks, Kel. I'm sorry for dragging you into this, I know with Jackie it's hard enough." Brenda rubbed her shoulder.
"It's cool, Brenda. Don't mention it."
"Done?" Kelly asked him once Brenda had left. Dylan nodded and handed her the bottles.
"No." Kelly shook her head, "You pour them down the sink."
"No." Dylan refused
"I let you have a couple drinks." Kelly warned, staring Dylan down till he eventually obliged. She stood beside him as he poured them down, one by one. Once he was done, he sank to the ground. Sitting on the kitchen floor, his head rested back on the kitchen cabinets. She bent down and sat with him
"Thanks." He whispered... "I'm sorry you had to..."
"I'm used to it. You did well." Kelly smiled gently
"You and I... we've never been that close. Considering we've known each other for so long."
"Things changed after 2nd grade." She chuckled
"You and Sanders becoming the school's power couple." He rolled his eyes
"Still hate popularity...?" Kelly joked
"Yeah but... well, what you did for me today... you're still the same blonde from second grade who gave me half her cookie." He smiled
"She's not here anymore." Kelly sighed
"She was today... she is now." He assured, she looked into his eyes and smiled with gratitude.
"I gotta get going... you gonna be okay?" She asked
"Yeah... thanks and... sorry." He shrugged, letting out a chuckle.
"Take care of yourself." She pleaded
"Maybe I'll see more of you around..." He floated out the idea, knowing that they had hardly talked since they were kids. He watched her date Steve for years. She watched him date Brenda for the past year and a half. But just reconnecting after all this time, felt very comforting and familiar, no matter how long it had been.
"Okay, buddy." She joked
"Okay, red." He winked.
"Hey, you haven't called me that since..." Kelly pondered
"Since my pool party 2 years ago." He smiled and she smiled back, waving goodbye.
Kelly got out of the shower and headed into her room to get dressed. Glad she had to work at the office today because it would buy her some time before she saw Matt tonight.