Kayleigh POV
“Follow me, everything is alright, I’ll be the one to tuck you in at night, and if you wanna leave I can guarantee, you won’t find nobody else like me” I was singing along to Uncle Kracker in my car, with the top down. I was on my way to dance. I really needed to de-stress and let out some emotion. My dance instructor was really cool and let me use the studio whenever I needed it. Today, I definitely needed it. I plopped my bag down on the hardwood and stretched out. I turned on some classical music with seedy undertones and intense string solos. It was my favorite to dance to. I always started out with a ballet number I learned when I was a kid. It was incredibly simple, but it warmed me up. As a particularly driving base line in Beethoven stirred me up, I felt myself fly around the room. The music moved through me like I was made of water. My mind went blank as I felt the calluses on my feet cry out. I ignored them and felt my body go numb, like it usually does when I get really into it. My thoughts all faded away and it was just my body and the music. My arms flew over my head and as the song slowed down, so did I. I felt myself come back down to earth and I just lay on my back on the floor, catching my breath. Thinking. It had worked for the most part, but there really are some pains that friends and dancing just can’t fix. I decided it was time for that date with my mom.
I pulled up in my driveway and made my way into the house.
“I’m home!” I yelled into the house. My brother and sisters were in the kitchen and my mom was coming down the stairs.
“Hey baby” she said to me, distracted. “Cadence!” she yelled to my older brother. “Can you please drive your sisters to dance? I’m going out with Kayleigh. Katrina, Carissa, go get changed for ballet!” (My parents had a thing for K/C names) she turned to me “shower up, baby; we can go to dinner, too! I want to hear all about PROM!” she put her hands up and had a crazy look in her eye when she said ‘prom’. What a weirdo. But I loved her. We haven’t hung out in a long time and I kind of missed her. Cadence walked passed me and yanked my ponytail as he grabbed the keys off the hook and yelled for my little sisters to hurry up. They came around the corner looking so cute in their tutus. Crrissa was eleven and Katrina was six. They still looked adorable. I gave them each a kiss on the top of the head as they ran out the door and into the minivan. I ran up the stairs and jumped into the shower. While in the shower, where I do my best thinking (and singing), I thought about how much I was dreading telling my mom about what an awful night I had actually had. I was just glad Cara was coming over tonight to sleep over. I got out of the shower and dried my hair. I threw this on- http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=41227897 – and joined my mom downstairs.
“Ready?!” she asked, very excited.
“Ready.” I smiled back
We jumped in my beetle and she drove us to the outlet mall. We were walking around in ‘Chanel’ and browsing around, looking at things we for sure couldn’t afford.
“So tell me all about last night!” ‘ugh’ I thought. I told her everything that happened as we walked in and out of the shops, buying some cute tops and a bag. I almost started crying again when I brought up what happened with Liam. She ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘ahh-ed’ and gasped at a few moments. When I finished, she hugged me and I let out a sniffle.
“I’m so sorry baby.” She rubbed my back and left her arm around my shoulder. “Let’s eat yeah?” we headed to ‘Alice’s Place’ a cute café in our town. The whole way there she distracted me with stories from work and funny things my dad had said to her on the phone earlier today. When we got there, we got a table outside, summer nights were nice and warm. We ordered and she said:
“So…Now that Liam is single again… do you think it’s time for you to move in?!”
“Oh my GOD mom.” I should have known she would take this time as a match-making experience. She must have been talking to Karen again. Whenever she talked to Liam’s mom (which was like every day), they talked about how Liam and I will get married one day and blah blah blah. It was SO irritating.
“What!? What’s so wrong with me wanting my daughter to end up with a really good guy?” she said, trying to justify what she had just suggested.
“Mother, even if I did like Liam like that, he is in such a fragile state right now, I wouldn’t even think of moving in on that.” I said cringing at the thought. Liam and I just never thought of each other that way. Or at least I never thought of him that way….my thoughts were interrupted by:
“Well maybe not now, but someday, you’ll see how perfect you are for each other.” She paid the bill and we headed home. On the way, I texted Cara to tell her it was okay to come. By the time we got home, she was already on my couch, playing ‘Miss Mary Mack’ with Cassidy.
“Hey!” I said to them.
“Kayleigh!” Cara said to me as she jumped off the couch and grabbed my arm as she dragged me upstairs. I could see my mom laughing and rolling her eyes at us. We got into my room and she shut the door behind her.
“What’s your deal?” I asked her as I put my bags on the bed.
“I’m just really excited to see you!” she said.
“Well I’m happy to see you too, but it’s only been…”I looked at the clock…”like seven hours.” I chuckled “what’s really on your mind?” I asked, knowing she had something to tell me.
“Okay, fine! Twist my rubber arm why don’t you!” she gave up and flopped onto my bed
“I think I like Harry.”
“Oh gosh.” I responded, rolling my eyes. Cara hadn’t been single since we were like thirteen. “Okay, here’s a question. Do you actually like him, or are you just so happy that you’re not with Alex anymore, that you see him as a guy who treat you right and just want to be loved back for once?”
“Kayleigh Spencer Foster.” Cara said to me “Why the bloody hell do you have to be so much smarter than me?” she looked at me smiling “So you think I should wait to see if the feelings are real and all?”
“Yeah, for sure. You have to take things slow this time.”
She let out a long sigh and said “Oh you’re right. As usual.” She smiled up at me and said “But he’s so CAYUTE!” she yelled jumped on my bed “His dimples. Ahhh!” she grabbed my hands and made me jump with her. We laughed and fell back on the bed. We talked about prom again, and I cried again. We talked about Harry and what my mom said about Liam and even about Alex a little. Then it was her turn to cry.
“I was so weak, Kayleigh.” She said between sobs I hugged her around the neck and she cried into my hair. “I just took it. I just…”
*shhhhh* “I know. But it’s over now.” I comforted her.
*BRINGGG* my phone rang. “Liam” read the caller id. I silenced it and pushed it aside.
“No, it’s ok, answer it.” she said wiping her tears. “Seriously, he needs you too” she forced a smile.
“Hey Liam” I answered, not taking my eyes off Cara, who was now reading a magazine she found on my desk.
“Kayls?” he said. I could tell right away that he was upset. “Can I come over? Please?”
“Uhm.” Cara nodded to me and mouthed ‘yes’ to me. “Yeah babe, of course, but Cara is here too is that cool?.”
“Thanks. Yeah that’s cool. I’ll be there in two.”
“Sorry Care Bear. I think he’s still really upset.”
“No worries, he’s hurting, I understand.” We watched SpongeBob as we waited for Liam to show up. When he did, we all talked about our problems and Cara actually helped a lot. She said things to Liam with experience that I didn’t have. I told him about what my mom said and he told me that his mom had said something along the same lines when she found out Jennifer was out of the picture. This made Cara lough out loud and me and Liam just sat there annoyed with our moms. We talked until really late and all fell asleep on my bed watching Full House.
