Stepping Out of Me

30

KIERA

"Lance texted me last night," Kiera said as they walked in the hallway. She still hadn't replied since she saw the message. She didn't know how to respond. It's not as if he acknowledged anything that happened the past couple of weeks. He just simply asked 'How are you?'.

Kiera looked around at Josie and Halle who were walking next to her. Halle briefly glanced at Josie then said, "What did he say?"

"He just asked how am I."

"Did you answer him?" Josie asked next.

Kiera shook her head.

"You already know where I stand," Josie replied.

"I think you should talk to him. Maybe he had an epiphany and realized he missed talking to you." Halle added.

Kiera looked at her with furrowed brows. Halle averted her eyes as if she knew something that Kiera didn't. Instead of asking about it, Kiera shrugged it off.

A part of her did want to reply to that text. But she didn't know why he sent it, so she shoved that part of her down. What if he just wanted to clear things up with her and officially end whatever they had going on? Maybe he just didn't want any loose ends like what was left with Mariah. That explanation seemed to make the most sense. There was no way he'd still be interested after all that happened.

When they got to the second floor, Kiera said bye to Josie and Halle as they went to their separate classes. She failed to pay much attention in class which kind of earned her a stern talking to afterwards. The teacher was convinced whatever rumors that were flying around the school, were affecting Kiera's performance. Kiera swiftly assured her that wasn't the case. She wondered how the teachers at Berkton seemed to know all the drama that was going on.

By the time lunch came, Kiera headed downstairs to meet up with Halle and Josie but bumped into someone else instead.

"Sorry," a familiar voice said.

Kiera looked up and her eyes met with Lance's. "Kiera, hi," he said quickly.

"Hi," she replied and walked around him. Her heart hammered in her chest as he followed her down the stairs.

"Kiera, can we talk?"

That question amplified the nerves that she was already experiencing. He couldn't have possibly wanted to say anything good to her.

"I mean, do you want to go for lunch together?" Lance corrected himself as Kiera turned to face him.

"Sure," Kiera replied. She wasn't actually sure why she agreed. Other than her curiosity, it seemed like a bad idea. What if she regretted it?

Lance abandoned wherever he was heading to and walked with Kiera to the parking lot. They decided to take his car since it was closer and drove out to the familiar lunch spot. The drive was awkward as neither of them spoke. Kiera was surprised by how long Lance could go without talking her ear off. She smiled a bit at the thought, turning her head to the window so that he didn't notice.

* * *

When they got to the restaurant, Lance ordered their food then he and Kiera found a place to sit while they waited.

"How are you?" Kiera was the one to ask that time.

"I'm okay, I missed you," Lance said. "You know we never really broke up." He added with a smile.

Kiera nodded and looked down at the table. She expected him to bring it up but not right after saying her missed her.

"Kiera," Lance said.

She looked up at him. He tilted his head to the side as he stared at her with warm eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you with all that is going on. I figured you'd want me to keep my distance."

"Why'd you decide to talk to me now?" Kiera asked him.

Lance smiled to himself. "I wanted to for a while. I hated how things were left the last time we spoke. Then Halle told me how sad you were, and Josie...surprisingly encouraged me to talk to you. That was the push I needed."

"What about that day you went to talk to Mariah?" Kiera blurted out. She couldn't help that it was on her mind and she finally had the chance to ask him about it.

Lance sighed. "It's not what you think. I talked to her about why our relationship didn't work out." Lance explained. "I felt like it was my fault she spread those things about you and I needed to do something about it."

Kiera nodded.

Lance stretched across the table and took one of her hands in his. "I know you didn't lie about anything. I know who Daniel is, and he's a shitty person."

Finding out how Lance knew Daniel wasn't a priority at the moment. Kiera felt a lump in her throat as he said that. Though she didn't feel like crying so she kept silent. Lance didn't push her to speak but just waited.

Soon, one of the workers brought their food to the table. Kiera picked up the water and drank some immediately.

"You okay?" Lance asked as she placed the bottle on the table.

"Yea," Kiera replied. She knew it was the time to say something about the word she threw at him the last time they spoke. "I called you something the last time...I don't think you'd do that. I was just going through stuff."

"I know," Lance said softly.

"I get it now. I have to get some help and talk about it at some point." Kiera dipped a frie in the sauce. "But do you think I should report it?"

"That depends on what you feel comfortable doing," Lance informed her. "Something happened to you and you get to choose how to heal from it. If reporting it isn't a part of that then you don't have to. And I'll support you no matter what you decide."

"Thanks." Kiera felt relieved at the answer he gave. She figured if he told her that she absolutely had to report it that she would have to push herself to do something she didn't want to. Her dad made it seem like that. But maybe she did have a choice.

"What happens next?" Kiera asked after a moment of silence. "This talk wasn't to end things for good?"

Lance chuckled. "No, definitely not." He rested his elbows on the table and then continued, "That's the last thing I want. I would love if we could start over, a second time. So, will you be my date to the winter formal?"

Kiera didn't reply immediately. The school dance was the furthest thing from her mind at that moment. She wasn't even planning to go since she figured she'd see Lance there with some other girl. But that wasn't the case anymore. Her mouth hung open for a bit before she remembered that she had to answer him.

"Yes," Kiera replied.

A wide smile formed on Lance's face. They started eating their food and talked a bit after realizing that he lunch period was running out. Though deep down Kiera really didn't care about getting back to school. She and Lance were finally on good terms again and she wanted to talk to him all she could.

* * *

Kiera sat on her bed with a smile as she recalled her talk with Lance. She finally had a reason to wear that dress Halle gave her.

Her eyes glanced around her room then landed on the mental box beside her desk. Immediately, she felt like she wanted to talk to her mom. She wanted to tell her all that happened in her life within the year. She wanted her to know that she actually had some good friends and a guy she really liked.

Kiera sighed as she picked up the box and placed it on the desk. She opened it for the first time in a while and genuinely looked at the poems she wrote. As Kiera read each one, she could remember when she wrote it and what her mom said about it. She remembered the feelings of joy she used to have from writing. Maybe that would happen again. Not right then, but one day.