Chapter 562: Tree Hill High School

Tuesday, February 28th, Morning

She gently excused herself from her friends in the field house. Walking across the school building, she stepped out of the building. Outside the school, she pulled her jacket closer to her against the cold. She looked out to where the buses had dropped off.

Kendall "Keni" Stafford looked at the crowd that came off the most recent bus. Scanning the crowd, she spotted the person she was looking for. He walked towards the door with his jacket pulled right to him and his typical watch cap on his head. He had his backpack slung over his shoulder.

Once he got close to the door, Keni stepped out and approached him. Gareth Reuter looked at Keni, he was about a head taller than Keni, but Gareth was a bit nervous upon seeing her.

"What do you want, Keni?" Gareth asked.

"We need to talk," Keni said.

"About what?" Gareth asked.

"About what the hell you're thinking," Keni said.

"Again, about what?" Gareth asked.

"What the hell, Gar? You just cut off your whole friend group in one fell swoop. Why the hell did you go scorched earth?" Keni asked.

"I had my reasons, Keni," Gareth said,

"What are those reasons?" Keni asked.

"My business, and not yours," Gareth said.

"That's bullshit," Keni said.

"It's the truth," Gareth said, "So, she didn't even bother to come here."

"Sawyer doesn't even know I'm here; I came here on my own, Gar," Keni said.

"So, why did you come here?" Gareth asked.

"I already told you, Gar," Keni said.

"What did you tell me?" Gareth asked.

"I want to know what you were thinking by scorched earth," Keni said.

"I did it for myself," Gareth said.

"For yourself?" Keni asked.

"Yes, for the first time in my life, I did something for myself," Gareth said.

"That's what you call it? Cutting all your friends off," Keni said.

Gareth shook his head, "I've been the bag holder and spear-carrier for you and Sawyer since we were in grade school. It's time for me to do me and step out on my own," he said.

"So, you cut Sawyer's heart out in the process?" Keni asked.

"She's been stepping on my heart for years," Gareth said.

"Gar, are you not aware?" Keni asked.

"Aware about what?" Gareth asked.

"That Sawyer isn't self-aware as she put out there. When she says she's only fifteen and doesn't know, that's her at her most honest, especially about herself," Keni said.

"What?" Gareth asked.

"Sawyer's broken, she's always been broken, and you broke her more," Keni said.

"What?" Gareth asked.

"You were important to her, and yet you crushed her," Keni said.

"She never told me," Gareth said.

"Sawyer can be open, but she's more often than not closes off her heart. You got to see it; that makes you special," Keni said.

"I see," Gareth said.

"So, are you going to set this right?" Keni asked.

"Excuse me?" Gareth asked.

"What are you going to do to set this right?" Keni asked.

"I have to set this, right?" Gareth asked.

"Yes, your actions broke her; you need to set it right," Keni said.

"Exactly," Keni said.

"Okay," Gareth said.

"So, when can this get done?" Keni asked.

"I didn't say I was going to do it," Gareth said.

"What?" Keni asked.

"Have you always been this entitled, Kendall?" Gareth asked.

"What?" Keni asked.

"The nerve you have coming after me to take back a choice I made for myself," Gareth said.

"I came to you to be selfless," Keni said.

"Right, I've been nothing but selfless," Gareth said.

"Gar," Keni said.

"I'm standing by my actions, Keni," Gareth said, "Don't bother me again."

Gareth pushed past Keni and entered the school. Keni stood looking at the door close behind Gareth. The cold air finally bit Keni shaking her out of her stupor. After a heavy sigh, Keni watched her breath come out as mist.

Keni entered the school and walked towards her locker. She opened up her locker and put her coat back into her locker. Closing her locker, Keni headed back to the field house.

Keni walked over to the bleachers in the field house and took her seat among her friends. Keni leaned back and looked up at the truss beams that held the ceiling up.

"Everything okay, Keni?" Alesha Gregg, the newest member of their little group, asked.

Keni nodded, "Yeah, just needed to get some fresh air," Keni said.

"Okay, are you ready for tonight and Hillside?" Alesha asked.

Keni nodded and looked over the field house. "Yeah, we're home tonight, last home game of the year," Keni said.

Alesha nodded, "Yeah," she said.

Keni leaned back and closed her eyes. The thoughts of her conversation with Gareth rang in her head.