Chapter IV

"Christopher?" she asked. He pushed against the brake, looking up at the stoplight.

"Hm?"

"Can…uh…" She pointed a little ways down the road to a park, and he looked over.

"What?"

"You mind going to the park for a little while? I don't feel like going home…"

"Okay…" he said, unsure, but pulled down the road, and turned into the park. After a minute, he parked, and they got out, starting into the trees on a path already made.

He slid his hand into hers, and she moved closer to him, sliding her arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. Afni took a breath, and he put an arm around her shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked, looking down.

"I'm good…I'm great. I'm finally home. I get to see my family, my friends…you…" He smiled, and they stopped near the lake, looking over the surface. Christopher moved around, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her back against his chest.

"You positive?"

"Yes, Christopher," she said, smiling. "I'm fine. I just didn't wanna go home. My stepmom doesn't seem to like me much…"

"Oh…Alright…"

They walked for about an hour, before dropping down on a different side of the lake. Christopher laid back, staring up at the sky, his arms under his head. Afni turned herself around, and looked at him.

"Are you…happy?" she asked. Christopher moved his head a little, dropping it off his arms, and looked at her.

"Yeah…Course…Why wouldn't I be?" She shrugged, and stood, moving closer. She lowered herself onto his thighs, smiling down at him. He pushed his head back onto his arms, and smiled up at her.

"I don't know…You seem odd right now…" He shrugged, and pulled her down, kissing her. She giggled as she pulled away, and touched his cheek. "You are so sweet, Christopher…It's kinda hard to believe that just…a year ago, I thought you were really nothing more than a booty-chasing, beer drinking, racist idiot…who thought every girl wanted you, and usually thought that most guys were worthless if they weren't like you…" she said slowly, trying to remember the conversation she'd had with her brother a long time ago. Christopher propped himself up on his elbows, looking at her closely.

"You're kidding…" Realizing what she'd told him, she blushed, and looked down at her hands, shaking her head.

"No…I'm not…I just, I guess…Well…" She sighed, and tried to think. "I mean…You made me feel so…stupid, I guess, when my sister disappeared…Do you remember? I went to Starbucks to see David, and you came in, and interrupted our conversation…You thought he'd done something to me…and you thought that if he'd pissed me off, you could fix it, but when we told you to back off, you wouldn't. And I had to hit you in the face…Do you remember it?" He nodded.

"But…I was nothing more than a booty-chasing, beer drinking, racist idiot to you?" he asked. She lifted her eyes. His eyebrows were knitted together, and he had a look of hurt mixed with disbelief on his face.

"Christopher, I'm sorry. But that is what you were to me. I didn't know anything more about you than that…'cept what Jason told me. Which, actually, backed up my statement…" Christopher pushed her off him, and sat up, Indian style. She sighed. "Christopher, don't be mad…It was a year ago!"

"But…The thought that you had thought it…" He started to stand, but she grabbed his hands, pulling him down, and moving into his lap.

"Don't be mad at me Christopher. Please. It's been a year. I've apologized, and I've learned my lesson. I've suffered for it since then…I just…" He looked up at her, and slid his arms around her waist.

"I guess yer right…" She smiled, and pushed her forehead against his.

"You ain't mad?"

"Nah…Just…Surprised."

"Thank you…" He titled his head, moving his lips over hers, and smiled, pulling her as close to him as he could. She slid her arms around his shoulders, and looked at him as she pulled away.

"You wanna stay longer?" Afni tilted her head back, looking up at the sky. As she watched the dark clouds move in overhead, Christopher bent his head, kissing her neck. She smiled, giggling, and stood.

"Nope…It's gonna rain…" He stood, too, and the two of them ran back to his car. She just tugged the door closed behind her as the rain began to pour. Afni smiled, and looked over as Christopher dropped into his seat, his hair already matted to his forehead from the rain. He paused, hands on the wheel, and shook his head, throwing the water over the windshield, his hands, and Afni. She squealed, holding her hands up to block the water, and looked over at him.

"You ready?" he asked, looking at her with a goofy grin on his face.

"Yes, Christopher. Let's just get going." She buckled her seatbelt, shaking her head, and watching Christopher peel out onto the road again, heading back home.

She dug her hands in her pockets, looking for the key to the front door.

"Damn…" she muttered, pushing her back against the seat and lifting her butt off the cushion to dig in her back pockets.

"What?"

"I can't find my key…Must've forgotten to grab it."

"I'll wait here. Go knock on the door, see if anyone's home." Afni leaned over, kissing his cheek, and climbed out, running thru the rain, around the car, and to the front door. She tried the knob first, which proved the door was locked, and began to knock. No answer. She waited, and knocked more.

"Hello? Hello! Someone, answer the door!" No one came to the door, and she kicked it, jogging back to the car.

"Well, come on. You can stay with me till someone gets home." She smiled, closing the door.

"Thanks, Christopher."

She leaned back against his headboard, and stared blankly at the wall. After a minute, she lifted her eyes, and watched Christopher walk in with the phone.

"Any answer?" she asked. He shook his head, tossing it onto the chair in the corner. "You have a very interesting room, Christopher," she smiled, looking around. Clothes were scattered all over the place, mixed with papers and pens and books. She shook her head, and pulled her feet up near her, sitting Indian style, so he could drop down beside her.

"You doin' okay?"

"Yep…"

"You don't mind stayin' here, do you?" She shook her head again.

"Of course not. It's nice to know I have somewhere to stay when my family isn't home and I forget my key." He smiled, and leaned over, kissing her. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she kissed him back, moving a little so she was in his lap. After a minute, they heard the sound of a car door slam, and then the front door, followed by his mother's voice calling, "Christopher? You home?" He pulled back, slightly surprised, and opened his door.

"Yes, mom! Why?"

"I need you to do me a favor!" Groaning, he walked out of the room, motioning for Afni to follow him. She stood, walking out the door, too, and headed down the steps behind him.

"What?"

"Would you mind staying in tonight? I'm leaving money for a pizza, but your brother is going out, and I have plans, so I need you to watch the house…Oh…Hello…" She'd been rummaging thru her purse, and when she turned, she saw Afni standing in the door way behind Christopher.

"Hi…"

"Oh, Mom, this is Afni. She got locked out of her house, and no one was home, so I told her she could just hang out here until someone got home."

"Oh, hello, dear."

"Hi, Mrs. Hitchcock."

"Ms."

"Sorry…"

"It's alright, honey. Well, you two have fun, it was nice to meet you, I have to get going. See you later!" She went running back out the door, and Afni turned, watching Christopher's mom pull out of the driveway, peeling off down the road. She turned back to Christopher, and smiled, seeing him standing at the table.

"How much did she leave?" she asked, sliding her arms around his waist, and peeking over his shoulder.

"Well…Apparently, she thinks five bucks is enough for a pizza…" Afni giggled, and pulled back, reaching into her wallet. She removed a fifty, and held it out.

"How's this?" she asked.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked, looking up at her.

"My dad gave me money…Told him I was going out, so he just handed me a few bills from his wallet…"

"What kind?" She opened her wallet again, and smiled.

"There's another fifty, a twenty, a ten, and a hundred in here…" Christopher lifted her chin, kissing her hard on the lips.

"God I love you…and your father, for giving you this money." She laughed, and handed him the phone.

"Just order the pizza…"

Two empty boxes sat on the table, with one half empty box on top of it. Christopher sat on the couch, rubbing his stomach, and flipping thru the channels on the TV. Afni wiped the water off her face with a towel, and, after tossing the towel over the curtain rod, she clicked off the bathroom light, walking out to the living room. She snuggled up next to Christopher, slipping her arms around his waist.

"How're you feelin?" she asked.

"Full…Really, really full…" She giggled, and looked up at him, kissing his cheek.

"Damn well better be feelin' full…I didn't let you buy three pizzas fer nothin'," she joked, smiling. He laughed, and put an arm around her shoulder, finally clicking the TV off.

"Nothin' on," he complained, looking down at her. Afni glanced at the clock, and groaned.

"I should call home, see if anyone's there yet…" She pushed herself off the couch, and crossed the room, picking up the phone. After dialing, she put it to her ear, jamming her hand into her pocket, with her back to Christopher. She tapped her foot for a second, before it picked up.

"Hello?" a female voice asked.

"Uh…Hello…Is this Kaitlin?"

"Yes…Who is this?" she asked, slightly annoyed. Afni took a breath.

"Uh…Sorry, it's Afni."

"Afni, where the hell have you been? Your father has been worried sick about you!"

"Well, I'm very, very sorry, Kaitlin…I left my key there, and when I got there, the door was locked, and no one was home…I've tried calling every little while, but this is the first time anyone's answered…"

"You get your butt home right now, young lady," Kaitlin said, anger very obvious in her voice. Afni flinched, and raised her hand to the back of her head.

"Kaitlin, I'm not coming home right now…I'm trying to finish digesting dinner, and I'm spending some time with my boyfriend…" Christopher beamed behind her, but his smile fell as he watched her.

"You mean the boyfriend who, if I remember correctly, is nothing more than a 'booty-chasing, beer drinking, racist idiot' to you?" she questioned. Afni froze, her eyes wide.

"Who told you that?"

"Your brother was telling your sister, and I just happened…"

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you? You are such a hypocrite!"

"Excuse me?"

"No, I don't think I will! You have gone on for hours about how wrong eavesdropping is, and yet you go and do it on my family? You are nothing more than a hypocritical, evil, overpowering bitch, do you know that?"

"Now listen here, young lady, it is my family too. It has been since the day I married your father…"

"No, now you listen here, old lady, it has been my family since the day I was born. You think you can just marry my father and suddenly be one of us? Well you can't! You will never be one of us! No matter how hard you try to make us think you're nice, or sweet, or caring, you will always manage to slip up, and it will lose your place in our family. Okay? My siblings know about this, my siblings don't like you either. In fact, I believe my father is the only one who likes you, because he thinks you're different. But we know the truth. And if you ever, ever eavesdrop on my family's conversations again, I will personally see to it that you don't do it again, do you understand me?" she exclaimed. Christopher stood up, walking up behind her.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that, young lady…"

"Shut up, I don't care anymore. Go ahead, tell my daddy on me, but I will warn you: Ciniya and Jason will always be on my side for problems like this, no matter what you try and do…We are a family that was raised to stick together when we know what's real. My father has never gone against us when it was three against one. Never. So don't think he'll change now…" She clicked off the phone, and dropped it onto chair she stood by. Christopher slid his arms around her waist, and she jumped, spinning around.

"Easy, Afni, easy, it's just me…"

"God, I forgot where I was…"

"What was that all about?" Afni sighed, and lowered her head, rubbing her eyes.

"My stepmother tried to get me to come home by using the statement I'd made about you a year ago…And she only got that by eavesdropping on Jason and Ciniya and…god, I hate her so much…" Christopher pulled her into his arms, holding her. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulder, and sighed. "I swear, my stepmother is pure evil…" Christopher lifted her head, and pushed his lips against hers.