The Lost One

Chapter 11: New plans

I sat nervously on my bed for a moment before standing up and giving my parents a hug. My mom winked at me and smiled. "Why didn't you write back that you had a boyfriend?" I smiled weakly, still feeling completely embarrassed. "I must have forgot. I was worrying about finals."

I looked up at my dad, who was towering over me. My head barely reached his shoulder. He looked down and smiled at me. "Well you must have studied quiet a bit. We saw your scores." He gave me a hug. "Good job." My dad was always a kind person, but things were obviously still a little awkward with what happened now, and back then too. I don't blame him.

Kale stood up and walked up to my father. "It's nice to finally meet you sir. I'm Kale." They shook hands for a moment. My mother broke the awkwardness with a warm tone and smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Kale. Why don't we all go out for a short lunch before we get going?"

I shook my head, eager to just leave. "I already ate and have to pack. I'm sure Kale has to get going too." My mother looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but Kale just shook his head, smiling. "No, I'm not going anywhere for the next few weeks." My mom raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" Oh no. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was thinking about something. "Then why don't you come with us to our cabin for a week? It would be nice to get to know you more."

My father looked a little angry at the idea. "We only have two bedrooms at the cabbin." My mother simply nodded. "That is alright." I mentally sighed. She intends for us to share a room. I didn't see my mom too often, but I knew her well. My father...not as much. He's always been a puzzle to me; a puzzle that showed a warm, bright sunset when I saw it put together.

After what happened last year, my parents worried about me a lot. I was almost never felt alone, except after I fell asleep. I barely spoke to them except to answer questions in short answers. Since then, my mother has been trying to get me to express myself again. I had a feeling she knew that if Kale came along, I would express something.

Kale gave them a questioning look. "I don't want to intrude." My mother just shook her head, still smiling and sounded happy, like always. "None sense, we'd love for you to come." Looking at me, she nodded. "Your father and I are going to talk to the chairman about a few things. Can you both get packed up and ready while we do?" We both nodded. "Alright. We'll meet you back in the parking lot."

They walked out of the room, my mother was still smiling and my father seemed a little angry still. I turned to Kale, frowning for a moment. "What?" He asked, confused. I turned around, walking to my closet at the other end of the room. "What?" He asked again, louder and making his confusion clear. I sighed and shook my head. "That was..." I started to say, but stopped. "Awkward?" He tried to place in.

I grabbed my suitcase from my closet and placed it down on my bed. "Embarrassing!" I couldn't help but put my hands to my cheeks, feeling them flush as I remembered what Kale was doing. "I've never felt more embarrassed than I did right then." I sighed, sitting down on my bed. "Even after everything I endured during the bullying, I've still never been more embarrassed."

It was true. I knew why too. It was because that moment was so private, and intimate, and my parents saw who knows how much of that. I felt my cheeks get hotter. Kale walked up to me, bending over so his face was in front of mine. He smiled warmly at me. "It's not like we were having sex." He took my hands into his. "Besides, your mom didn't seem to be too upset about it." He paused and looked up in the air. "Although, I couldn't tell what your dad was thinking at all."

I nodded. At least both of us were in the same hole right now. I sighed. "I'm sorry about my mother. She's been wanting me to be myself again since...you know." I looked up at him apologetically. "I'll ask her to not to put us in the same room." He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. For some reason, seeing that look on his face...excited me. I felt like he was going to act the way he just did a moment ago, before my parents walked in.