Author's Note: Oh my god! Reviews! I love reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story:)
Oh, yes… The story…
I know we all want Eliot already but… I promise he will be in the next chapter! I just had to get some things clear.
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"Oh my god, who? What… what are you talking about?" Kathy was shocked and deep inside she hoped, that it was just another Kathleen's joke.
"So, this is how you're trying to get some attention now!" John yelled furiously. "Go upstairs immediately! I want you to think about the consequences of this conversation!"
"And your lies!" He added after a moment, looking into her scared eyes.
Kathleen started to cry all over again while Kathy sent Elisabeth to her room and tried to calm down John.
"Mom, it's true, I'm not lying, I swear!" Kathleen sobbed, so it was hard to understand almost every word that came from her mouth. The atmosphere in the house was so tense, that it could be felt in the air. Kathy left John sitting on the couch and blaming Kathleen for lying.
She went towards her daughter. "Sweetie, everything's fine, just calm down and take a few deep breaths, ok?" She sat down near Kathleen on the stairs and hugged her.
The girl still cried and couldn't do anything to stop it. "I… I… I'm not… lying, mom!" was all she managed to say.
"Don't make up things Kathleen, you're just making your mother and me upset, don't you understand!" John shouted before standing from the couch.
"John, enough, not now," Kathy said with a concerned look in her eyes. "Not now? She needs help, Kathy!"
"Shut up… Shut up! I don't need help! It's you the one who needs help! You are sick bastard!" Kathleen was yelling and crying at the same moment.
"Shhh… Kathleen, honey, it's ok…" Kathy rocked her daughter back and forth while she mouthed John to go out of the dining room.
"But..." he wanted to protest. "No buts, John, go. Now," interrupted Kathy.
When John loudly shut the door behind him, Kathleen's sobs quieted down. Kathy carefully approached her daughter. "Sweetheart, can we talk?"
"I don't want to, mom," she whispered into her chest as her mother was still holding the girl. Kathleen thought that she made a mistake talking about it loudly. No one was supposed to know her secret. And no one would believe, though.
"If you don't talk to me now, we will talk tomorrow, ok? But we have to talk, Kathleen," her mother said as a matter of fact. "We don't understand what happened to you and we want to help. John is a part of our family now and you should respect him, he didn't deserve these words from your mouth".
He did, mom… He did… He's the one who torn me apart…"And Kathleen," Kathy lifted Kathleen's chin up "If someone really hurt you, tell me. I need to know".
"No, mom… I… I didn't know what I was saying. I'm so sorry. I ruined everything. It's all my fault," Kathleen quietly said to Kathy while she wiped away her daughter's tears.
"Everything's going to be ok," Kathy reassured Kathleen. "We'll talk later. Now we all need to get some sleep".
"Ok, mom" Kathy went along with Kathleen to her room and kissed her daughter on the forehead.
"Goodnight, sweetheart" Kathleen's mother whispered to her and went towards Lizzie's bedroom. Anyway Kathleen couldn't get any sleep till the early morning of the next day. The awful memories and the events of the evening kept running in her head. She couldn't do anything but cover her face with a blanket and cry. Again.
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It was raining outside in the morning. Everyone knew it would be a definitely heavy day. Kathleen silently got out of the bed and went to the bathroom. After that she grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen table and slipped away.
"Good morning, honey," John said drowsily to his wife. "Did you sleep well?"
"Actually… No, John," Kathy muttered. "I'm really concerned about Kathleen," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Oh… Yeah, me too." It was obvious that John wanted to end this conversation.
"Don't you think I should talk to Eliot about her? After all, Kathleen is his daughter." Kathy asked John for advice.
"What? Baby, don't exaggerate it, Kathleen's only a teenager" John was careful and didn't want that Kathleen would tell everything to her father.
"I don't know, John… What she was talking yesterday… Well, it sounded serious. I'll talk to her today" Kathy thought for a moment. "And I consider taking her to the psychologist. She's been so upset in the past days. And she's not eating".
After these words John felt vulnerable. What if accidentally his secret would be revealed?
No, it won't happen. Kathleen will keep her mouth shut. I'm sure. I'll talk to her first… John thought to himself.
"You decide. Honestly, I think it's just the teen years" he ensured Kathy.
"Well, yesterday you said that Kathleen needed help so I thought about it. And I think she really does." Kathy went downstairs to make some breakfast for her daughters before John could reply anything.
"Lizzie, Kathleen! Come down, the breakfast is ready!" Kathy called girls. It was quiet at first. "Sleepyheads! Hurry up, you'll be late to school again!"
"Mom… Can I stay home today? I really feel like I have a fever…" a sleepy voice from upstairs could be heard.
"No, sweetie, the last time you said you had a fever was yesterday. You are not fooling me again!" Kathy said smiling to herself.
Finally Elisabeth came down and joyfully put a pancake in her plate. She and Kathy talked about random things while eating, including Kathleen's outburst.
"By the way, is Kathleen still sleeping?" Kathy asked curiously.
"No, she got up earlier this morning and went to school, I heard the steps," Lizzie explained.
"Oh. Well, Lizzie it's your time to go now. Don't forget your lunchbox!" Kathy tried to hide her surprise and disappointment too.
"Will Dickie go to school today? Because if not,"
"Lizzie, don't be silly, of course he will. His classmate's Erick's father will drive him. You'll meet Dickie at school".
"Ok. Bye mommy, love you!" "Love you too, honey," Kathy gave Elisabeth a kiss before John drove her to school.
At last Kathy was alone in the apartment. Tears silently welled up in her eyes. Kathleen was keeping her at a distance and there was nothing she could do.
In the afternoon Kathleen was heading towards home as she saw John sitting in the armchair near the front door of the house. He was reading a newspaper. Or pretended to be reading. Kathleen wanted to run, run and never stop, never have to look back.
Unfortunately John noticed her.
"Come here, Kathleen," he told her putting the paper aside. His voice was quiet yet strong.
She trembled.
I can't take it anymore… I just want to die…
Kathleen took a look around. No one could be seen. If John had wanted to hurt her, he would have done it already. But he just sat there and stared at her.
"Don't try my patience. Come here," he repeated feeling even more self-confident.
Kathleen thought she is going to faint as she slowly approached John.
"Good. Now listen." He made a pause looking into her scared eyes becoming wet. "If someone finds out our secret, I'll be forced to hurt you once again." John smiled.
"Or I'll try it with your sister. Yes… That could be fun. Don't you think so?"
Kathleen noticed his smile becoming bigger. She wanted to kill him but she just stood there, frozen, all in tears.
"Now go inside. Your mother is worrying about you," John said wiping her tears with his thumb.
Don't touch me…Leave me alone in my world…Please…Her mother was sitting on the couch holding a phone in the hand.
"Hi, mom." She greeted Kathy still silently crying. "I'll… I'll be upstairs if you need me."
"I need you now. Sit down, Kathleen. We are going to have a long conversation," Kathy sounded very serious and it frightened the girl.
"I… I really don't think that we need to talk. What happened yesterday… Well, it won't repeat again. I promise, ok?" Kathleen responded in a tremulous voice.
"Your teacher called. You are skipping the school for about a week, aren't you?" Kathleen's mother looked concerned but it was evident that Kathy was really angry.
"You are not eating, not talking to us lately and now you decided to skip the school? What's happening, Kathleen?"
Kathleen was silent. Her lips were trembling and she nervously looked around the room searching for John. Noticing that he stayed outside she let out a sigh of relief.
"Kathleen, it's not a joke. Now you must explain everything, including the things you said yesterday."
"Mom, don't you get it? What I said yesterday… it made absolutely no sense! I was just trying to get some attention from you! That's all!" she yelled standing from the chair in front of the couch where her mother was sitting.
"We are not over yet," Kathy was totally lost as she saw her daughter running through the door. "Kathleen! Where do you think you are going?" The answer couldn't be heard.
Just as she ran through the front door, John came in. "So, what happened? Did you talk to her?"
Kathy sighed. "I don't know what to do, John. Kathleen said that she was just trying to get some attention. And I think she isn't lying. I was just too busy…" she felt guilty not paying enough attention to her kids.
"Hey… Honey, it's not your fault," John calmed Kathy as he sat near her.
"No, John, it is my fault." She sank deep in her thoughts. "You know, I called to a good family friend who is psychologist and he explained everything to me. Well, not exactly explained,"
"What did he say?" John interrupted curiously.
"He guessed that the divorce and moving to the new house could have affected her really badly. You see, John, she misses Eliot a lot. And what she said yesterday," Kathy stopped gathering her thoughts.
"What about yesterday, honey?" John felt his heart started to beat faster than normal.
"It's just crazy, really…He said… He said that at the back of her mind she seeks attention from Eliot, too." Kathy shivered.
"You see, El gives all his attention to the rape victims and… that's why Kathleen said these… these words yesterday," she whispered the last sentence.
"We'll help her, Kathy, I promise…" John hugged his wife, pleasantly surprised by the words psychologist has said.
"I hope so… Listen, we really need to find Kathleen," suddenly Kathy's voice became louder.
"Don't worry, Kathy, she'll come back soon… Kathleen just needs some time alone. It's going to be ok," John said still holding his wife. Smiling to himself.
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Kathleen spent her time sitting on the bench in the park. Raindrops gently touched her face but she didn't cry anymore. After the moment Kathleen quietly stood up and started to walk. She needed only one person right now.
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Did I mention that I love reviews? I really did? Oh. Ok then… :)