Chapter 11:
I went back to where Charity and Grace were standing in the living room,
looking smug. How I wanted to wipe those looks off their faces!
"Alright, Kay," Charity began. "This is my plan. I want no interruptions as I tell
you all of this. You are to do exactly what I want or you can say goodbye to Ricky.
Pack up your things because you're leaving Harmony. You're off to college! You have
just enough time to enroll for the spring semester at the University of Connecticut. It's
a couple of states away, far enough to make sure you never return to Harmony within
those 4 years."
She paused to look at my expressions.
She wanted me to go to college in another state? That's how she was going to
keep me away from Miguel? It horrified me but was also amusing to know that she
thought shipping me off to college was the only way she would keep me apart from the
man we both loved.
She continued. "So ya, Kay, I don't want you to ever come back here for a visit.
Not even during summer or Christmas break. Say your busy. Make up a lie. Anything.
You don't write letters to anyone in Harmony, you don't send emails, no phone calls.
Absolutely no communication. You tell Miguel that you were planning on going to this
university for some time now and now that your life is back in order a little bit you can
and will do it. You take Ricky with you. You can return once you graduate. But that is
the only time I want to see or hear about you, ok?"
"That's your plan?" I asked her. "Sending me off to college? You think Miguel
will come back to you once Ricky and I aren't around?"
"I know it," she smirked.
"Miguel loves me," I informed her. "He would never be with you, even if I am
not around for fifty years! He used to love you Charity, back when everyone thought
you were 'good.' He sees you for what you really are. Besides, he has me and Ricky to
love now."
"Tell me that again in four years," Charity sneered.
I slapped her hard on the cheek. I was losing my temper. But who wouldn't
when they were in my position?!
Charity gave a small laugh and pointed upstairs. "Well?" she said.
"Well what?" I asked rudely.
"Go start packing! You're a college student now. You leave in two days. We
already took care of everything, including where you will be living, and the plane trip to
Connecticut."
She gave me a slight push in the direction of the stairs. "You can tell Miguel
tonight why you're leaving. But I have specific instructions on what you can and cannot
tell him."
I sighed as I began to pack. I thought about what Charity had said. There must
be something I could do to stop her! I should tell Daddy. But I knew Charity. The
police weren't even going to be able to stop that psycho from getting what and who she
wanted. I couldn't believe she was doing this to me! Here was a girl I met just half a
decade ago: In five years she had systematically taken over all the important aspects
of my life. She stole Miguel, she got my bedroom and car, she made Mother despise
me and now she was shipping me out of Harmony! When and why did I become
Charity's puppet?
Tears fell from my cheeks as I looked around my bedroom. Pretty soon, this
place was going to be a memory. 20 years I had spent growing up in this house and now
I was involuntarily leaving?!
What hurt the most was my having to tell Miguel that I was leaving soon. But it
was inevitable. He came over that night, when Ricky was asleep and Charity and
Grace had already left. Jessica decided to stay and keep me company. She knew I
needed her support and she was there for me.
"Hi, Kay," he said, giving me a small kiss on the lips.
I kissed him back, my heart feeling a pang of regret. This could very well be the
last time he'd kiss me like that. But I didn't want to think of that. I just had to make
him understand that I wanted to leave and go off to college. Those were Charity's
instructions.
"Miguel," I said. "There's something I need to tell you. Something you're
probably not going to like. But I'm going to do it. And say it."
He looked at me with worry. "What is it, Kay?"
"I'm leaving Harmony," I managed to choke out.
He stared at me as if his world had just crashed. Mine had, too. How could I
leave Harmony when I knew that I had a great love here? How can I abandon
everyone I love? Daddy and Ivy? My brother, my uncle, my friends? I looked at
Miguel, pretending that going to college was something I really wanted to do.
"Why?" he asked, upset. "For how long?"
"I'm going to college! The University of Connecticut to be exact." I faked
cheerfulness. "You know, Miguel, I never really got the chance to go like planned
because of Ricky being born. But now I can go and why shouldn't I? Right?" I waited
for a response from him.
He didn't say anything. He just kept staring at me, disappointment covering his
whole face.
I couldn't look at him because I knew how much what I was saying was hurting
him. It was hurting me, too.
**** What do u all think? Do u like the direction this story is going in? r/r plz!! ****
I went back to where Charity and Grace were standing in the living room,
looking smug. How I wanted to wipe those looks off their faces!
"Alright, Kay," Charity began. "This is my plan. I want no interruptions as I tell
you all of this. You are to do exactly what I want or you can say goodbye to Ricky.
Pack up your things because you're leaving Harmony. You're off to college! You have
just enough time to enroll for the spring semester at the University of Connecticut. It's
a couple of states away, far enough to make sure you never return to Harmony within
those 4 years."
She paused to look at my expressions.
She wanted me to go to college in another state? That's how she was going to
keep me away from Miguel? It horrified me but was also amusing to know that she
thought shipping me off to college was the only way she would keep me apart from the
man we both loved.
She continued. "So ya, Kay, I don't want you to ever come back here for a visit.
Not even during summer or Christmas break. Say your busy. Make up a lie. Anything.
You don't write letters to anyone in Harmony, you don't send emails, no phone calls.
Absolutely no communication. You tell Miguel that you were planning on going to this
university for some time now and now that your life is back in order a little bit you can
and will do it. You take Ricky with you. You can return once you graduate. But that is
the only time I want to see or hear about you, ok?"
"That's your plan?" I asked her. "Sending me off to college? You think Miguel
will come back to you once Ricky and I aren't around?"
"I know it," she smirked.
"Miguel loves me," I informed her. "He would never be with you, even if I am
not around for fifty years! He used to love you Charity, back when everyone thought
you were 'good.' He sees you for what you really are. Besides, he has me and Ricky to
love now."
"Tell me that again in four years," Charity sneered.
I slapped her hard on the cheek. I was losing my temper. But who wouldn't
when they were in my position?!
Charity gave a small laugh and pointed upstairs. "Well?" she said.
"Well what?" I asked rudely.
"Go start packing! You're a college student now. You leave in two days. We
already took care of everything, including where you will be living, and the plane trip to
Connecticut."
She gave me a slight push in the direction of the stairs. "You can tell Miguel
tonight why you're leaving. But I have specific instructions on what you can and cannot
tell him."
I sighed as I began to pack. I thought about what Charity had said. There must
be something I could do to stop her! I should tell Daddy. But I knew Charity. The
police weren't even going to be able to stop that psycho from getting what and who she
wanted. I couldn't believe she was doing this to me! Here was a girl I met just half a
decade ago: In five years she had systematically taken over all the important aspects
of my life. She stole Miguel, she got my bedroom and car, she made Mother despise
me and now she was shipping me out of Harmony! When and why did I become
Charity's puppet?
Tears fell from my cheeks as I looked around my bedroom. Pretty soon, this
place was going to be a memory. 20 years I had spent growing up in this house and now
I was involuntarily leaving?!
What hurt the most was my having to tell Miguel that I was leaving soon. But it
was inevitable. He came over that night, when Ricky was asleep and Charity and
Grace had already left. Jessica decided to stay and keep me company. She knew I
needed her support and she was there for me.
"Hi, Kay," he said, giving me a small kiss on the lips.
I kissed him back, my heart feeling a pang of regret. This could very well be the
last time he'd kiss me like that. But I didn't want to think of that. I just had to make
him understand that I wanted to leave and go off to college. Those were Charity's
instructions.
"Miguel," I said. "There's something I need to tell you. Something you're
probably not going to like. But I'm going to do it. And say it."
He looked at me with worry. "What is it, Kay?"
"I'm leaving Harmony," I managed to choke out.
He stared at me as if his world had just crashed. Mine had, too. How could I
leave Harmony when I knew that I had a great love here? How can I abandon
everyone I love? Daddy and Ivy? My brother, my uncle, my friends? I looked at
Miguel, pretending that going to college was something I really wanted to do.
"Why?" he asked, upset. "For how long?"
"I'm going to college! The University of Connecticut to be exact." I faked
cheerfulness. "You know, Miguel, I never really got the chance to go like planned
because of Ricky being born. But now I can go and why shouldn't I? Right?" I waited
for a response from him.
He didn't say anything. He just kept staring at me, disappointment covering his
whole face.
I couldn't look at him because I knew how much what I was saying was hurting
him. It was hurting me, too.
**** What do u all think? Do u like the direction this story is going in? r/r plz!! ****