The comfort of darkness
Part one of my Destiny series
Kyle lit the match and brought it to the candle. When the flame burned at its tip, he extinguished the match.
"There," he said, looking over his shoulder to Liz, who still held on to him, "We've got light." She smiled weakly. They were now in the dining room. They could still hear the thunder, lightning and rain outside. "How about we sit down, and then we can talk," he suggested.
"O... okay," she whispered. She finally let go of him and sat. He took the chair next to hers.
"Looks like we're not going anywhere for a while so... I'm all ears." She looked lost then, she didn't know where to start. "Relax, okay? I won't let anything happen to you and I'll help you, I promised. Remember?"
"I just can't take it anymore. Everything that's happened this year... I can't go back to before, to the things that made me feel like this," she said calmly but strongly.
"Alright... it'll be like a new you," tried Kyle. She looked up and nodded. "But can I give you one advice?" She nodded once more. "Don't push them away. It may seem like the thing to do, but you'll end up regretting it."
"I don't know that I can face them again."
"You have to. Trust me on this. I'll be right there with you if you ever need me. Anytime, okay? Even if it's four in the morning. You need me? I'm there." Liz smiled. "Ah, see? That's good! Keep it up!" She started laughing. "The new Liz Parker, ladies and gentlemen," said Kyle loudly.
She bowed her head slightly and smiled up to him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said. He looked around then, deep in thought. "I got an idea."
"What?"
"Come on," he said, getting up.
"Where are we going?" she asked. He took the candle and held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a second, then took it. He led her back into the living room. He made her sit on the couch, before walking off to a bookshelf in the corner. "What are you doing?" she asked him.
"Just... wait, I almost... found it!" he called, pulling out a couple of books and walking back to sit next to Liz.
"What are those?" asked Liz.
"Photo albums," explained Kyle, "Should help get our minds off the storm." She nodded and he opened the first one. "I think we should skip this page," he said quickly.
"No, wait!" She grabbed the album and looked. "Awww... look at that... bath time... That is so sweet. And our star athlete had a cute little butt..." she said with a grin.
"Moving on, please?"
"Alright, fine," said Liz as she turned the page. "Oh my goodness," she said suddenly.
"What?" asked Kyle.
"Look!" she pointed to a picture in the top left corner.
"That's me and..."
"Me!" she exclaimed.
"What?" He looked again at the two toddlers sitting in what looked like... "That's the Crashdown! That's you?"
"Yes! It was the opening. I know, I have pictures at home and I was wearing that," she said, pointing to the little antennas on her head.
"Unbelievable," said Kyle. He took the picture out of the album. "I'm gonna ask my dad about this," he said with a smile.
"Alright," she said turning the page again. Next came class pictures. They started pointing at people randomly.
"I know this girl," said Kyle pointing to one.
"Of course you do, that's Maria!" said Liz with a smile.
"Wow, I didn't even remember she was in our class."
"Yeah well, she was much more reserved back then," said Liz.
"Maria? Reserved?" said Kyle.
Liz laughed. "Weird, uh?"
"Extremely," he said.
"And here's Alex," she said, pointing to another.
"That I remember. I wasn't very nice to him back then," he said.
"Yeah, I know. How did you come up with all those pranks? Remember the time you switched his coat with this little kid's..."
"Yeah, he thought he'd grown all of a sudden, he was freaking out. It wasn't one of my best though."
"Yes, well, I think we shouldn't talk about those..."
"Agreed," said Kyle.
"Look," she said, "Our little alien friends." She pointed to the three kids standing together. Ten years, and some things never changed. Isabel was smiling, Michael was frowning, and Max looked... confused...
"When they first came into the picture, they were always together, didn't speak to anyone except each other... Isabel was the first to make a new friend, of course. I always wondered why they all acted so strange," said Kyle.
"Now we know," said Liz. She looked down.
"Hey, come on now. The new Liz Parker, remember?"
"Well the old one is having trouble leaving." He put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his as he brought the second album to his lap.
"Let's see," he said, turning pages with his free arm. He stopped when he came to one page in particular. Liz noticed and looked at the single large picture on the page.
"Oh, wow," she said, "That's your mom, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that was their wedding."
"She's beautiful..."
"Thank you," said Kyle slowly.
"Oh... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay, it's okay... I haven't seen this picture in so long."
"You've never heard from her since?"
"No. She sends cards on our birthdays and Christmas, but that's it," he said sadly.
"You miss her a lot."
"Yes, I do." There was a moment of silence.
Liz turned to Kyle and said, "I've never seen you like this."
"You don't remember the months right after she left? At school?" She thought.
"Vaguely." He turned to her.
"You don't remember what you did?" She shook her head. "Your mother made your lunch everyday. It would change from day to day, except for..."
"Two cookies!" finished Liz.
"And for months after my mother left..."
"I'd give you one... I remember now. I can't believe I forgot that!" He smiled.
"I would look forward to it everyday, it kept me going."
"And then you told me to stop."
"I was feeling better and well... the other kids were..." She grinned.
"It's okay, I understand."
"I missed it... getting my cookie," he said with a small smile. They looked at each other for a few seconds, until Kyle noticed something past Liz. "Look," he said, "It stopped raining." She looked and it had.
"Oh," she looked down, "I should get home... my parents are probably worried about me."
"Yeah," he said, "I should go study a bit... finals..."
"Yeah," she said. Both laughed gently and got up. She put on her coat and they walked to the door.
"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow in school," said Kyle.
"Alright," said Liz, "Thank you for tonight. You really helped me."
"It was my pleasure." The two hugged.
"Bye," said Liz.
"Bye." He opened the door for her and she walked out. After closing it, he walked to the window and looked at Liz. He hoped so bad that she would feel better.
When she reached the sidewalk, she turned and saw him in the window. She laughed a bit before walking off.
Once she was out of sight, Kyle stood by the window shortly. He went back to the couch and picked up the picture he'd taken out of the album. He knew there was more to this picture than a restaurant opening. He smiled knowingly. There had to be.
Part one of my Destiny series
Kyle lit the match and brought it to the candle. When the flame burned at its tip, he extinguished the match.
"There," he said, looking over his shoulder to Liz, who still held on to him, "We've got light." She smiled weakly. They were now in the dining room. They could still hear the thunder, lightning and rain outside. "How about we sit down, and then we can talk," he suggested.
"O... okay," she whispered. She finally let go of him and sat. He took the chair next to hers.
"Looks like we're not going anywhere for a while so... I'm all ears." She looked lost then, she didn't know where to start. "Relax, okay? I won't let anything happen to you and I'll help you, I promised. Remember?"
"I just can't take it anymore. Everything that's happened this year... I can't go back to before, to the things that made me feel like this," she said calmly but strongly.
"Alright... it'll be like a new you," tried Kyle. She looked up and nodded. "But can I give you one advice?" She nodded once more. "Don't push them away. It may seem like the thing to do, but you'll end up regretting it."
"I don't know that I can face them again."
"You have to. Trust me on this. I'll be right there with you if you ever need me. Anytime, okay? Even if it's four in the morning. You need me? I'm there." Liz smiled. "Ah, see? That's good! Keep it up!" She started laughing. "The new Liz Parker, ladies and gentlemen," said Kyle loudly.
She bowed her head slightly and smiled up to him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said. He looked around then, deep in thought. "I got an idea."
"What?"
"Come on," he said, getting up.
"Where are we going?" she asked. He took the candle and held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a second, then took it. He led her back into the living room. He made her sit on the couch, before walking off to a bookshelf in the corner. "What are you doing?" she asked him.
"Just... wait, I almost... found it!" he called, pulling out a couple of books and walking back to sit next to Liz.
"What are those?" asked Liz.
"Photo albums," explained Kyle, "Should help get our minds off the storm." She nodded and he opened the first one. "I think we should skip this page," he said quickly.
"No, wait!" She grabbed the album and looked. "Awww... look at that... bath time... That is so sweet. And our star athlete had a cute little butt..." she said with a grin.
"Moving on, please?"
"Alright, fine," said Liz as she turned the page. "Oh my goodness," she said suddenly.
"What?" asked Kyle.
"Look!" she pointed to a picture in the top left corner.
"That's me and..."
"Me!" she exclaimed.
"What?" He looked again at the two toddlers sitting in what looked like... "That's the Crashdown! That's you?"
"Yes! It was the opening. I know, I have pictures at home and I was wearing that," she said, pointing to the little antennas on her head.
"Unbelievable," said Kyle. He took the picture out of the album. "I'm gonna ask my dad about this," he said with a smile.
"Alright," she said turning the page again. Next came class pictures. They started pointing at people randomly.
"I know this girl," said Kyle pointing to one.
"Of course you do, that's Maria!" said Liz with a smile.
"Wow, I didn't even remember she was in our class."
"Yeah well, she was much more reserved back then," said Liz.
"Maria? Reserved?" said Kyle.
Liz laughed. "Weird, uh?"
"Extremely," he said.
"And here's Alex," she said, pointing to another.
"That I remember. I wasn't very nice to him back then," he said.
"Yeah, I know. How did you come up with all those pranks? Remember the time you switched his coat with this little kid's..."
"Yeah, he thought he'd grown all of a sudden, he was freaking out. It wasn't one of my best though."
"Yes, well, I think we shouldn't talk about those..."
"Agreed," said Kyle.
"Look," she said, "Our little alien friends." She pointed to the three kids standing together. Ten years, and some things never changed. Isabel was smiling, Michael was frowning, and Max looked... confused...
"When they first came into the picture, they were always together, didn't speak to anyone except each other... Isabel was the first to make a new friend, of course. I always wondered why they all acted so strange," said Kyle.
"Now we know," said Liz. She looked down.
"Hey, come on now. The new Liz Parker, remember?"
"Well the old one is having trouble leaving." He put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his as he brought the second album to his lap.
"Let's see," he said, turning pages with his free arm. He stopped when he came to one page in particular. Liz noticed and looked at the single large picture on the page.
"Oh, wow," she said, "That's your mom, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that was their wedding."
"She's beautiful..."
"Thank you," said Kyle slowly.
"Oh... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay, it's okay... I haven't seen this picture in so long."
"You've never heard from her since?"
"No. She sends cards on our birthdays and Christmas, but that's it," he said sadly.
"You miss her a lot."
"Yes, I do." There was a moment of silence.
Liz turned to Kyle and said, "I've never seen you like this."
"You don't remember the months right after she left? At school?" She thought.
"Vaguely." He turned to her.
"You don't remember what you did?" She shook her head. "Your mother made your lunch everyday. It would change from day to day, except for..."
"Two cookies!" finished Liz.
"And for months after my mother left..."
"I'd give you one... I remember now. I can't believe I forgot that!" He smiled.
"I would look forward to it everyday, it kept me going."
"And then you told me to stop."
"I was feeling better and well... the other kids were..." She grinned.
"It's okay, I understand."
"I missed it... getting my cookie," he said with a small smile. They looked at each other for a few seconds, until Kyle noticed something past Liz. "Look," he said, "It stopped raining." She looked and it had.
"Oh," she looked down, "I should get home... my parents are probably worried about me."
"Yeah," he said, "I should go study a bit... finals..."
"Yeah," she said. Both laughed gently and got up. She put on her coat and they walked to the door.
"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow in school," said Kyle.
"Alright," said Liz, "Thank you for tonight. You really helped me."
"It was my pleasure." The two hugged.
"Bye," said Liz.
"Bye." He opened the door for her and she walked out. After closing it, he walked to the window and looked at Liz. He hoped so bad that she would feel better.
When she reached the sidewalk, she turned and saw him in the window. She laughed a bit before walking off.
Once she was out of sight, Kyle stood by the window shortly. He went back to the couch and picked up the picture he'd taken out of the album. He knew there was more to this picture than a restaurant opening. He smiled knowingly. There had to be.