Not That Simple - Chapter 5
Kay tied her hair back in a messy ponytail as she crept up the stairs, trying not to disturb her parents who were watching television in the next room. They musn't know what she was up to or it would be the end of her plan for good.
She had spent most of the early afternoon in the park, soaking up the warm sunlight and enjoying the quiet and blissful peace that surrounded Harmony. All her life she had taken that for granted, claiming that she wanted adventure and excitement. Well, she got her wish all right, but in the worst way possible.
She thought a lot in the park. Sitting on her favorite wooden bench, she viewed the large stone foutain and the pathways paved with flowers. It helped calm her; set her mind at ease a little. She wished she could say that it had helped a lot, but with her impending doom growing near nothing could stop the panic that tugged at her heartstrings.
Even now, alone in her bedroom as she quickly packed her suitcase, throwing in t-shirts and jeans here and there, knowing that she was going to have to sacrafice some things because she had to travel light.
Stopping for a second, she glanced over at the small pictureframe which resided on her bedside table. Inside was a simple photograph of herself, Miguel, Charity, Jessica, Reese and Simone at the beach. They had wide smiles and goofy grins plastered on their faces and it was all so innocent and blissfully normal that Kay wanted to puke.
Had she known, that in just a few weeks time her life would turn upside down maybe she would have done things differently. Maybe she would have told those whom she loved how much they ment to her, instead of casting them aside for superficial matters. It all seemed so trivial now that she was gone.
Or she would be, in a day's time. This time tomorrow she would be aboard a bus, on her way to a city far, far from Harmony where she would build a new life. She couldn't face the shame. She knew mentally that the rape wasn't her fault, that she shouldn't feel shame, but she did. And the worst part of all was that she felt rage. Complete and utter rage at those around her. Sometimes the rage would get so intense that she would spend hours punching into her feather soft pillow at night.
Kay sighed, as she looked around at the mess that was her life. Being a single mom in a strange town scared the hell out of her, but she knew in the long run that it would be better for herself and her child. Besides, they never wanted her anyway.
They being, her parents, Miguel, and most recently her friends. One by one they all fell away from her, try as she might to hold onto them. Even before the incident, she could see signs of them moving on. And who did they move on to? The person she hated most in the world: Charity.
Charity was like a vulture that had swooped in on her life and stole every piece of meat available, leaving Kay with rotten decayed scraps.
Before her rage could build any farther, the phone rang and she lunged for it. She had to get to it before Charity did, in case it was Miguel. She had to say goodbye to him, in her own little way, even though she couldn't tell him that she was leaving. It was going to be tricky.
"Hello?" she breathed rapidly into the phone, waiting for a reply.
Sure enough, it was Miguel, calling his Sweet Charity the minute he had returned from school.
"She's not home from school yet," Kay was actully telling the truth this time. Charity and Jessica had headed to The Book Cafe after school to plan for their school's next fundraiser, and wouldn't be home for a few hours. "Uh, Miguel, I know this is short notice, but do you think you could come over?"
"Sure Kay, but may I ask what for?"
"Oh, to, you know. Talk. Do you remember when we were younger? It was hard to keep you away from this place. Actully, not much has changed, except the reason you come," Kay gave a bittersweet laugh, reflecting back on their friendship, the way it used to be.
"Yeah, I have Charity now, and you have Reese. A lot has changed," he said softly. "Anyways, I'll be over in about half an hour, because I still have to put dinner on. I'll see you then,"
"Okay."
"And Kay?"
"Yeah."
"I think you're a great girl, and a great friend. Don't forget that."
"It's hard not to be forgotten," Kay said whistfully.
Miguel didn't know what to say to that. He paused for a moment, then finally spoke. "I guess I'll see you in a little bit."
"Goodbye Miguel."
"Goodbye Kay."
There was a click and then there was silence. A deafening silence. Kay stood holding the phone, a void expression painted on her face. Suddenly she realized what she must do. What she should have done from the beginning.
She quickly took out a pad of paper, grabbed a pen, and began writing. The words flowed to her with ease, and within ten minutes she had several pieces of paper in which to lay ontop the counter for when they returned.
A moment later she was down the stairs, her suitcase lagging at her side. She peaked into the living room, making sure her parents were still there. They hadn't even moved.
She slapped the notes on the countertop and was out the door, looking back only once at the place she had called home for the last seventeen years. It was not the same. The paint had started to peal, some of the ferns were wild and unkept. And it didn't have the same homey sense to it anymore. The place where she, Miguel and Simone used to play in the swimming pool in the backyard was long sense forgotten. It was not the same.
She was not the same. It was time to move on from Miguel, from her old life. Something she should have done awhile ago. It was true Miguel had once played a great role in her life and she was greatful for that. But they had both changed so much - they were not the same people that could talk with ease to each other on the phone for hours. That scared and yet relieved her. It scared her because she didn't want to leave the safety net of his friendship and it relieved her because it ment she was finally growing up, finally growing away from the person she used to be.
"Maybe the child won't turn out so screwed up afterall," Kay mumbled to herself on the way to the bus station.
As she boarded the bus, she took one last look at Harmony, at the place that made her who she was. And she smiled.
"Good-bye Miguel Lopez Fitzgerald. I won't forget."
THE END
Kay tied her hair back in a messy ponytail as she crept up the stairs, trying not to disturb her parents who were watching television in the next room. They musn't know what she was up to or it would be the end of her plan for good.
She had spent most of the early afternoon in the park, soaking up the warm sunlight and enjoying the quiet and blissful peace that surrounded Harmony. All her life she had taken that for granted, claiming that she wanted adventure and excitement. Well, she got her wish all right, but in the worst way possible.
She thought a lot in the park. Sitting on her favorite wooden bench, she viewed the large stone foutain and the pathways paved with flowers. It helped calm her; set her mind at ease a little. She wished she could say that it had helped a lot, but with her impending doom growing near nothing could stop the panic that tugged at her heartstrings.
Even now, alone in her bedroom as she quickly packed her suitcase, throwing in t-shirts and jeans here and there, knowing that she was going to have to sacrafice some things because she had to travel light.
Stopping for a second, she glanced over at the small pictureframe which resided on her bedside table. Inside was a simple photograph of herself, Miguel, Charity, Jessica, Reese and Simone at the beach. They had wide smiles and goofy grins plastered on their faces and it was all so innocent and blissfully normal that Kay wanted to puke.
Had she known, that in just a few weeks time her life would turn upside down maybe she would have done things differently. Maybe she would have told those whom she loved how much they ment to her, instead of casting them aside for superficial matters. It all seemed so trivial now that she was gone.
Or she would be, in a day's time. This time tomorrow she would be aboard a bus, on her way to a city far, far from Harmony where she would build a new life. She couldn't face the shame. She knew mentally that the rape wasn't her fault, that she shouldn't feel shame, but she did. And the worst part of all was that she felt rage. Complete and utter rage at those around her. Sometimes the rage would get so intense that she would spend hours punching into her feather soft pillow at night.
Kay sighed, as she looked around at the mess that was her life. Being a single mom in a strange town scared the hell out of her, but she knew in the long run that it would be better for herself and her child. Besides, they never wanted her anyway.
They being, her parents, Miguel, and most recently her friends. One by one they all fell away from her, try as she might to hold onto them. Even before the incident, she could see signs of them moving on. And who did they move on to? The person she hated most in the world: Charity.
Charity was like a vulture that had swooped in on her life and stole every piece of meat available, leaving Kay with rotten decayed scraps.
Before her rage could build any farther, the phone rang and she lunged for it. She had to get to it before Charity did, in case it was Miguel. She had to say goodbye to him, in her own little way, even though she couldn't tell him that she was leaving. It was going to be tricky.
"Hello?" she breathed rapidly into the phone, waiting for a reply.
Sure enough, it was Miguel, calling his Sweet Charity the minute he had returned from school.
"She's not home from school yet," Kay was actully telling the truth this time. Charity and Jessica had headed to The Book Cafe after school to plan for their school's next fundraiser, and wouldn't be home for a few hours. "Uh, Miguel, I know this is short notice, but do you think you could come over?"
"Sure Kay, but may I ask what for?"
"Oh, to, you know. Talk. Do you remember when we were younger? It was hard to keep you away from this place. Actully, not much has changed, except the reason you come," Kay gave a bittersweet laugh, reflecting back on their friendship, the way it used to be.
"Yeah, I have Charity now, and you have Reese. A lot has changed," he said softly. "Anyways, I'll be over in about half an hour, because I still have to put dinner on. I'll see you then,"
"Okay."
"And Kay?"
"Yeah."
"I think you're a great girl, and a great friend. Don't forget that."
"It's hard not to be forgotten," Kay said whistfully.
Miguel didn't know what to say to that. He paused for a moment, then finally spoke. "I guess I'll see you in a little bit."
"Goodbye Miguel."
"Goodbye Kay."
There was a click and then there was silence. A deafening silence. Kay stood holding the phone, a void expression painted on her face. Suddenly she realized what she must do. What she should have done from the beginning.
She quickly took out a pad of paper, grabbed a pen, and began writing. The words flowed to her with ease, and within ten minutes she had several pieces of paper in which to lay ontop the counter for when they returned.
A moment later she was down the stairs, her suitcase lagging at her side. She peaked into the living room, making sure her parents were still there. They hadn't even moved.
She slapped the notes on the countertop and was out the door, looking back only once at the place she had called home for the last seventeen years. It was not the same. The paint had started to peal, some of the ferns were wild and unkept. And it didn't have the same homey sense to it anymore. The place where she, Miguel and Simone used to play in the swimming pool in the backyard was long sense forgotten. It was not the same.
She was not the same. It was time to move on from Miguel, from her old life. Something she should have done awhile ago. It was true Miguel had once played a great role in her life and she was greatful for that. But they had both changed so much - they were not the same people that could talk with ease to each other on the phone for hours. That scared and yet relieved her. It scared her because she didn't want to leave the safety net of his friendship and it relieved her because it ment she was finally growing up, finally growing away from the person she used to be.
"Maybe the child won't turn out so screwed up afterall," Kay mumbled to herself on the way to the bus station.
As she boarded the bus, she took one last look at Harmony, at the place that made her who she was. And she smiled.
"Good-bye Miguel Lopez Fitzgerald. I won't forget."
THE END