A/N: Here's Chapter 4, like I promised. Hope you enjoy it!
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KICKIN IT! IF I DID, JACK & KIM WOULD'VE KISSED ALREADY!
CHAPTER 4: WHAT THE?
JACK'S POV
It was Friday, Thankfully. Everyone was excited about the carnival tomorrow. Today felt weird though. I told Kate & Jerry what happened at the treehouse. Then, Jerry told me he saw her crying on the beach. So I know that she's being threatened or hurt in some way I just have to figure out who & why.
I walked down the stairs, on my way to my locker when I spotted Kim. I stopped in my tracks & just looked at her for a few seconds. She was in dark denim skinny jeans & her long blonde hair was flowing down her back. I took a deep breathe & walked up to Kim. My straight face turned into a smile the closer I got to her.
"Hey Kim!" I said. She turned around from her locker. My smiled quickly faded when I saw her bruised lip. Everything that happened the other day started playing through my head. "Kim...What happened?"
She rolled her eyes & turned back around. She closed her locker & turned to face me. "It's nothing." She said.
"Kim! That's not nothing. There's stitches in your lip. What ha-" Then it hit me. "Kim, did someone do this to you?"
"No! Why is everyone asking me that! I fell on my way home & cut my lip open. Rudy saw & insisted on me going to the hospital to get stitches." Kim finished.
I'm not buying it!
"Okay! Fine!" I said, putting my hands up in defense. Kim sighed & turned to walk away. But she turned back around to look at me. I made it look like I wasn't looking at her, but I was. Her face looked sad & she walked away. When she was gone, I opened my locker. I saw a picture on the door of the guys, Kim & I in the dojo. My arm was around Kim & she was smiling big. I missed that Kim.
"Hey! Is Kim in school today?" I turned to see Milton standing behind me.
"Yeah! You just missed her. Why?" I asked. I turned to grab my books while Milton explained.
"We usually walk to school together. She never texted me & she wasn't waiting outside. I left without her, I didn't wanna be late." I chuckled at the thought of Milton being late. I closed my locker & turned to him.
"She's here & she's lying to us." His eyes widened.
"What?" Milton said. I opened my mouth to tell him what I knew when the bell interrupted me.
"I'll explain later, we gotta go." He nodded & headed down the hall. I sighed & made my way up the stairs to a boring class.
...
I was walking back to my locker to drop off my books before lunch because I had no more classes involving textbooks. When I got to my locker, I threw my books in & sat on the steps, waiting for Kate & the guys. Then Kim came out & she saw me. She froze. I jumped up & she ran. I chased her out the front doors & when she reached the sidewalk, I gripped her waist & pulled her over my shoulder. She screamed for me to release her, but I ignored. We walked back into school & everyone was staring. I saw Milton, Kate & Jerry. I gave them a look & they started following us. I walked all the way up the stairs to the roof, before I put her down. (A.N: The roof of the school is like the roof in HSM3.) She stood there & then punched me really hard in the arm.
"WHAT THE HELL JACK!" She yelled.
"It's the only way I can get you to talk to me."
"Jack, I don't have time for this." She said frustrated. She tried to walk passed me. I put my arm out & she groaned. "COME ON!"
"Not until you tell me what's going on!" I said. She stepped back & took a breathe.
"I told you that I can't! I thought you understood that!" She yelled.
"I don't! Give me one good reason why you can't tell me." I snapped.
"BECAUSE I'M SCARED!" She yelled. "OKAY! YOU HAPPY? Now you know." I felt guilt take over me.
"What are you scared of?" She gulped & ran her fingers through her hair.
"What will happen if I tell someone." She answered softly.
"We can get through this just let me help you." I grabbed her wrist in a comforting way. She pushed me off & stormed off. "Kim...Kim! KIM!" I yelled. She kept walking away. I sighed & watched her run down the stairs. Kate, Milton & Jerry came out of hiding & walked to me.
"So are we going with plan B?" Jerry asked.
"Only if Kate's ready for it." I said. We all turned to Kate. She took a deep breathe & nodded her head.
"It's best for Kim." she said.
"So what exactly is plan B?" Milton asked. I smirked & started explaining the plan.
KIM'S POV
"Kim...Kim! KIM!" He yelled. It killed me not to turn around. So I started running. I ran down the stairs & out of the school. I kept running as the tears spilt out of my eyes. I stopped running when I reached the dojo. Rudy was never here while we were in school, he was still at home. I took the opportunity to take out my anger. I took off my shoes & walked up to a dummy. I could barely see it because of the tears but I was fuming. I got into a fighting stance & started hitting & punching with all the strength I had left. I kicked the dummy down & I didn't stop there. I walked up to the punching bag & hit it until I couldn't feel my hands anymore. I stopped to catch my breathe & I sat on the floor.
It killed me to lie to Jack, To my friends. I wanted to tell them what was happening. But I was afraid of what my dad would do if he found out I told someone. I thought of all the possibilities & then immediately shook them out of my head. I sat up & put the dummies & punching bag back in place. I went into Rudy's office & wrote a note down on a post-it. I put that note on the door of his office. I grabbed my bag & went home.
The only thoughts in my head were about my mom. She'd be so disappointed in me. She knew I could probably kick my dad's ass if I wasn't scared of the outcome. She would want me to fight him off & stand up for myself & her. One day I knew I would, but that day was not today.
I saw my dad's car in the driveway & just when I was about to run away, he opened the door. "Get inside." He said. I nodded & walked passed him into the kitchen. "The school called...They wanted to know why you are sporting bruises on your face." I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "Why didn't you cover them up you dumb bitch!" He yelled. "They could find out & send me to jail! Do you want that to happen?" He shouted in my face.
This is it Kim. You can do it.
"Yes." I said simply. He bit his lower lip & took deep breathes. He lifted his hand and struck me across the face, sending me straight to the ground. I forced out a sob that I was holding back since I ran from Jack. I was trying to get my breathing under control, but I was freaking out. I held my cheek gently with my left hand and looked up at the angry man that stood in front of me. I tried to stand up, but he pushed me back down & kicked me in the stomach. I laid there, on the kitchen floor, unable to move any part of my body. With every kick and punch, I bit my lip to keep from screaming or crying, knowing he wouldn't stop. After a few minutes of agony, I started to grow weaker. The sad part about this was, my dad wasn't drunk. Which meant that he knew he was hurting me & didn't care.
I let tears flow down my cheeks. I was covered from head to toe with bruises and cuts. My dad gave me one last slap in the face. I could've sworn I heard something crack. He pulled me up roughly by my hair & brought his face close to mine. "Next time, it'll be a lot worse. So I suggest keeping your mouth shut." He hissed. He threw me to the ground. "Oh, & stay away from your 'friends'. I don't want them catching on." and with that, he disappeared from the room.
I heard the front door slam & the car engine start. I tried to stand up, but I fell back. I gripped onto the handle of the spare room & pulled myself up. I limped all the way upstairs & locked my door. I picked up a picture of my mom, my dad & I. I threw it across the room, hearing the glass in the frame shatter into a million pieces. I didn't even care. I ran my fingers in my hair & gripped onto it. I wanted to pull it out & scream. Times like this where I wish I had a punching dummy in my room like Jack did. I couldn't feel my body. I walked over to the mirror & gasped. No amount of make up could cover up all these bruises. I grabbed the cover up & tried working my magic.
DING DONG.
SHIT! I quickly put on sweats & a sweatshirt. I slowly walked downstairs, ignoring the pain shooting through my body & opened the door. It revealed a brunette with long, soft hair & brown eyes.
"Heyyy!" Kate said.
"Kate? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Can I come in?" I turned around & realized some of my blood was still on the kitchen floor. I turned to her & shook my head.
"Can we go talk on the beach?" I asked. She smiled & nodded. I closed my door & we walked across the street. Once we got to the boardwalk, I leaned on the railing with her next to me. I knew what she was about to ask, & I knew what I had to do.
"Look, we need to talk." Kate started. I nodded my head. "Your hiding something from us & we wanna know what it is!" Kate finished. My eyes widened.
"I told Jack just to leave it alone. But no he has to tell everyone." I said.
"Kim! He's my brother, I didn't give him much of a choice. I made him tell me everything & I want answers!" Kate said.
"I told him already that I can't."
"Please! Don't shut us out!" Kate said.
"GOD! Can't I just be left alone!" I yelled.
Kate grew angry. "Can't you see all we want is to know what's wrong! Kim it's KILLING us to see you like this. We want happy Kim again. I hate seeing you hurt & alone & scared." Then it hit me. I didn't wanna do it, but I had no choice.
"Well then don't stick around to watch. Because I don't want you to talk to me. Got it!" I yelled. Kate's eyes looked hurt & sad. She gulped & looked down.
"Fine." She started walking away & then turned to me. "We're just trying to help, Kim. Call us when your ready to tell the truth." I watched her walk home & I sat down on the bench & cried my eyes out. I didn't wanna push them away, but I had no choice. I leaned my head back & covered my face.
JACK'S POV
I walked to the dojo & saw Milton, Kate, & Jerry sitting on the benches. They saw me & all stood up. Kate looked like she'd been crying. I stopped & she ran into my arms.
"What happened?" I asked. She cried into my shoulder.
"Plan B didn't work, Jack." Milton said. Kate pulled away & wiped her face.
"And I lost Kim in the process. She doesn't wanna be my friend anymore." Kaye said, wiping her eyes. My eyes widened.
"Kate! Kim would never say that. If she did she didn't mean a word of it." I reassured her.
"Then why would she say it?" Jerry asked.
"To push us away. She started with me, then Milton, now you & she knows Jerry will either stick with us or not even notice."
"You think she's doing this intentionally, but doesn't want to?" Milton said. I nodded my head.
"Now what?" Kate asked.
"I have no clue..." I said.
"Umm...duh! It's obviously Plan C. Don't you guys know your ABC'S?" Jerry asked. We all rolled our eyes & sat on the bench. It got silent as we all tried to think of a plan.
Rudy walked in a few minutes later. "Hey guys. Why so glum?"
"Kim's pushing us away & won't tell us why." I said.
"Why would she do that?" Rudy asked.
"Because she's hiding something important from us & she just keeps saying she can't tell us." Milton said.
"& I can see that it's killing her." I finished.
"That doesn't sound like Kim at all." Rudy said. We all nodded & Rudy walked to his office. He stopped in front of his door & pulled off a post-it.
"Dear Rudy, had an emergency. Can't make it to practice. Love Kim." He read out loud.
"What kind of emergency?" Kate asked. Rudy shrugged.
"Rudy, do you know anything that could help us?" I asked.
"Well..." My eyes widened. Rudy knew something.
"You know something. Spill your beans!" Jerry said.
"Okay, so you know how when you join the dojo, I need access to your medical records?" We all nodded at him & ushered him to continue. "Well, Kim's medical records are pretty scary." We all exchanged worried looks.
"What do you mean by scary?" Milton asked.
"Well, she was brought in to get stitches multiple times, & she was brought there once after she fell down the stairs & got knocked out." Rudy explained.
"What does all this mean?" Kate asked.
"Well, I called Mrs. Crawford here once to talk about it & she said that Kim was just very Clumsy. But then I noticed something about Mrs. Crawford." Rudy said.
"What?" Jerry asked.
"She had bruises on her arms, & one on her face." Everyone's eyes widened. "That's why I've always kept a close eye on Kim & always asked her questions. But Kim never showed any sign of being hurt or in danger. Then when her mom died, well..."
"I think we know the rest." I said.
"And just the other day, I took her to the hospital for stitches in her lip. She claims she fell down & cut her lip, but...I didn't buy it. That's why Kim has a key to the dojo. I told her that she was always welcome to crash here."
"Rudy, If you've suspected this, why haven't you said anything?" Milton asked.
"I don't have enough proof to go making false accusations about someone." Rudy said.
"Have you tried talking to Kim?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, but she just shut's me out & tells me she's okay." I turned around to face my friends.
"Do you believe me now?" They all nodded & I sighed. "Okay, no matter how hard she pushes us away, we never give up on her. Got it?" Everyone agreed. Kim need us now more than ever.
A/N: The next chapter is going to be the carnival & I'm pretty happy with how this story is turning out so far. I'm hoping you all are enjoying it!
Not sure when I'll be posting Chapter 5. I'm busy this weekend & I'm gonna be having a very hectic week. I'm aiming to post on Monday/Tuesday.
Be patient. The next chapter is interesting & full of KICK!
Have a good weekend!
