Faults, Scars, and Guitar Strings

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I quickly pushed away from Alicia, "What the hell is happening to me?!" I yelled at her, "I'm seeing things, I have to be. You're a ghost who's tormenting me because I'm finally starting to recover."

"Kayla, that's not it. Let me explain," she said calmly.

How could she be calm at a time like this? I was seeing a ghost...I had to be. I stood up and ran out of the cemetery. I ran down the street as fast as I could. My heart racing like never before and I didn't know what to do. My brain was going everywhere at once. I didn't even know where to go. I abruptly stopped running and started looking around. I was downtown. I didn't want to go home because David was there and I wasn't ready to face him yet. He was my only friend...except Lolita. That's when I remember I had her cell number. I pulled my cell from my pocket and dialed her number. It started ringing and I was getting more anxious after each ring. I found myself jumping up and down and shaking waiting for her to answer.

"Kayla, what's wrong?" Lolita asked.

"I need to see you," I said, "Something happened, I can't go to David. Please don't tell him, I'm begging you!"

"Of course, where are you?" she asked.

"Downtown," I replied, almost crying.

"I'm at the hotel. 2nd floor room 232. Come on up," she said.

"Thank you," I said hanging up the phone and rushing towards the hotel.

I looked around me and starting panicking hoping Alicia wasn't following. I tried to look calm as I walked past the front desk and found the elevator. As soon as the door opened, I was running out trying to find her room as fast as possible. I started banging on her door until she answered.

"What's happening?" she said opening the door.

Before replying I walked in and started pacing around the room. The entire time she was just staring at me waiting for a response. She probably thinks I've completely lost my mind. We only met today after all so she still has no idea who I am.

"Kayla?" she said, "You're scaring me."

"I'm scaring you?!" I said, "I just saw my dead sister."

"What!" she yelled.

"Yeah, my dead sister. I bought flowers and walked to the cemetery. I heard someone coming and I turned around hoping it was David or something, but it wasn't. It was Alicia," I said.

"Your sister?" she said.

"Yes, and she said she could explain but she died! I started yelling at her and I didn't know what to do. I mean she said she didn't really die, but her grave was right there," I said.

"Why didn't you go to David with this?" she asked sitting on the bed.

"Because she said that he knew. He was a part of it, this whole time he knew she was alive. She kept talking, but I was freaking out. I ran. I didn't know what else to do and I didn't know where to go. I don't have any friends. She was dead Lolita! Dead! I watched her die!" I yelled.

"Kayla, it's okay. Calm down okay? Sit down and explain everything. It will make you feel better," she said.

I took a deep breath and sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm just...freaking out."

"It's okay. I'm kinda freaking out too and I didn't even know her," she said.

We both laughed and I started telling her everything, "She's older than me but younger than David. She wrote a lot of poetry and stories, but never showed anyone. She and David were really close. When he became famous and the secret was created, they didn't talk much. She kept to herself. One day we got a call that there was an accident. We got there and the car blew up. The police said that the body was destroyed. We were devastated. David came home and we all had a private funeral. The vehicle was destroyed when we got there, but it didn't blow up until after we got there. We watched it go up in flames. My mom started screaming and the police had to hold us back."

Lolita was speechless. We just sat in silence. I knock on the door sent me flying off the bed. Lolita and I were just staring at each other.

"Who is it?" she yelled.

"David."

I looked over at Lolita and mouthed, "Don't tell him I'm here."

She nodded and walked over to the door. She opened the closet and I snuck in. Closing the door behind me she walked to the door and answered it. David stepped in the room and started pacing just like I was minutes ago.

"Kayla is gone," he said.

"What do you mean?" I heard Lolita ask.

"Have you seen her?" he asked.

"No."

"Lolita, you're the only other person she knows. You have to know," he said.

"I'm sorry but I don't. Yes we are friends, but we also just met. She wouldn't tell me where she's going," she said.

I knew Lolita was amazing. I am here hiding in her closet and she was covering for me. Just another reason I loved her.

"Lolita please," he begged her.

"I'm sorry," she replied, "I don't know."

"If you hear from her, tell me," he said.

"Why? What's going on?" she asked.

Lolita was brilliant. I wanted to hug her for trying to get information out of him.

"Someone just...came to town and it didn't make Kayla very happy," he said.

"Really? Like whom?" she asked, "Your sister?"

I wanted to scream. What was she doing?! I put my hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming. Something bad was about to happen. At that point, we all knew it.

All David could say was "Lolita...." and he slowly just trailed off.

"What? Was my guess right?" she said, sarcastically.

"You don't understand," he said.

"Oh I think I do. What good did you think would come from faking your sister's death? You can't even imagine how many people you have hurt," she said.

"She asked me to, but that's not the point. Kayla doesn't understand," he said.

"She doesn't need to David! All she needs to know is that you faked her sister's death. What did you think was going to happen when Alicia showed up and started talking to her?!" Lolita started yelling at him.

"Stop!" I yelled opening the door to the closet. I stepped out and saw both David and Lolita staring at me. Lolita looked more pissed than David.

"Kayla, what the hell?!" David said.

"Don't you dare," I said, "I don't care what your reasoning was. How dare you!"

"Kayla, let us explain," he said.

"No," I said, "You have to explain to me, mom and dad."

"They can't know," he said.

"BS. They are going to know. I may not know who I am, but I know that's not right," I said.

"Kayla please just keep this secret, for me," he begged me.

"No. David you know how much Lolita inspires me. If I have learned anything from her, it's to stay true to myself. I'm not letting you convince me to lie about my own sister. I'm sticking by what I know. You can't change that," I told him.

I looked over at Lolita and she was smiling at me.

"I'm so proud" she said to me, "I love you. I couldn't be happier."

I can't believe Lolita just said that to me. I didn't even care that I was in a big fight with David. I started tearing up and she came over and hugged me. She will never know how much I love her. I can't put into words how much she inspires me. It's something only I will understand. For the first time in my life, I was proud of myself. I listened to Lolita's advice, and I stuck up for myself. Obviously things are bad, but I don't care. I was finally figuring out who I am, and I wasn't going to let this stop me.

"Kayla please?" he begged.

I quickly replied, "No! After everything I've been through lately and trying to convince me to be myself and trying to convince me that everything will be okay you turn around ask me to keep a huge secret. I can't do that."