Reflections; a KOTLC fanficion

Chapter 8

"Wake up!" Eve was shaking Caroline's shoulders. She must have fallen asleep on the couch. Caroline had just been having a perfect dream about...

Eve interrupted her thought process. She dragged Caroline up the stairs and pointed to Eve and Kyreen's open door. Across the hallway, the boy's door was open as well. Eve quietly crept into Kyreen's room where a slight draft blew in through an open window. They peeked out the opening and saw Kyreen and Christian talking below under a fairytale willow.

"I just can't wrap my head around it," they heard Kyreen say. Both girls crept out the window and onto the thin roof to hear better.

"What don't you get?" Christian replied.

Caroline could hear quiet sobs coming from Kyreen. She had never seen the girl like this. Kyreen's usually curled black hair fell in tangles around her face and her skin was red and blotched.

"Why would he do this to us? To me," Kyreen answered. Caroline realized she was talking about Ash. She suddenly felt bad for the girl. They must have been so close before Caroline unknowingly took all that from her.

Kyreen suddenly fell against Christian, sinking to the ground, and whispered something Caroline could barely hear. "I thought he loved me."

At that moment, all of Christian's silliness drained from him and Caroline saw a side of him she had never seen before. It was a compassionate, empathetic side.

Christian pulled Kyreen off the ground and she set her head on his shoulder.

"Love can be...mysterious...confusing...painful...," he replied, "and also hopefull..."

Kyreen looked up at Christian, the moon shining in her sea glass eyes. "Even if he wants to come back, I don't really want to try again."

"Why?"

"This will sound really wimpy, but I'm afraid of being heartbroken again," Kyreen confessed.

Christian looked down at her, the height difference much more apparent now. "This was a once in a lifetime thing. Not every guy you meet is going to betray you like this. You could probably even get back together with Ash."

"I think he's taken." A pang of hurt sliced its way through Caroline. "And I don't think I'm quite ready."

Christian hugged his friend. "I'll be here when you are." Caroline didn't realize what he was saying until Kyreen lightly kissed him. She pulled away moments later. Eve let out a small gasp. Caroline suddenly felt awkward snooping on them.

She could see Christian's cheeks light up a bright red as Kyreen spoke. "I know you will." Kyreen snuck to the door and crept inside.

When they could no longer see Kyreen, Christian let out a sound of joy and fell onto a low branch of a nearby tree. Eve quietly motioned to Caroline and held out a water balloon. She pulled back her arm, aimed, and threw—hitting Christian dead on.

"What? Who hit me?"

Eve and Caroline tried to contain their giggles, but they escaped nonetheless. Caroline forgot all awkwardness.

"Are you kidding me?" He growled. Eve and Caroline tried sliding down a post like a fireman pole but failed and fell on their bottoms.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Eve exclaimed. "I never knew that you had it in you!"

"I wasn't trying to do anything," Christian said. "I was just helping a friend." Eve was jumping up and down and Caroline tried to calm her.

"You're the first one to kiss someone. My money is on Caroline and Ash next." Eve cried out. Caroline's cheeks went red, but she covered it up.