Mentions Of Kennedy

Maybe The End Of The World

The first thing I noticed were her eyes.
Chocolate brown with flecks of hazel, she wasn't wearing her purple contacts.
And her hair- it was blue once, and now it was long and brown.
I shouldn't have recognised her.
But I did.
"Josh?"
Those eyes, I remember them now, they widened in surprise.
"Kennedy, what the actual fuck is going on? Everyone thinks you're dead. I came here for looking for you and Daniel.. What were you thinking? You lied."
As always, she takes my words with her head held up high.
That hasn't changed at least.
"Josh, I'm so sorry. I couldn't stay, and I saw an advertisement for a job opening in the paper; I was desperate. It'll pay rent for a while partially, I've used most of my savings. Dropping out of school was not- not desirable. But the job allows me to help out with the graffiti wall, and the music-"
"Shut up."
She hoists herself up to sit on the counter and looks me in the eye, holding my gaze.
"I said, shut up. I don't care about your job, I don't care about your art or your music, I care about you. Tell me what happened. I didn't come all this way for nothing."
In that moment, looking at her, studying her face as if I'll never see it again, I've never hated nor loved someone so much.
"You better come with me."
She grabs my hand, pulling me away behind the store.
'Eliza, can you cover for me? It's an emergency," she calls over to a smoking teenager.
Eliza nods and ambles over to the counter.
Before I can blink we're behind the store against a tiny alley.
"Okay let's talk."
"Talk?"
"Well what's there to say?"
She whispers softly, and I'm lost in her eyes.
"Why are you here?"
She leans against the wall.
"I already told you about the job. I've rented out a room for Daniel and I, and I've enrolled him in the local non fee-paying preschool."
"You can't do that, you're underage!"
She winks.
"As far as the teachers know, I'm forty three and work as an accountant."
"You pretended to be your mom?"
"I didn't have a choice."
She hasn't changed.
I don't know why I'm relieved.
"Why did you leave? No- why did you lie?"
"I had to go because of my parents. But not just because of their often absence in our lives," she says.
Kennedy grits he teeth.
"My dad died when I was little. I never told you because you never asked."
Sometimes there are no words, so I just listen.
"After Daniel was born, my mom was left alone. She started drinking. One thing led to another, and I couldn't leave Daniel alone with her. So I studied hard, sent in my exams early. I had the time of my life with you, knowing it might be the last time I truly could live, not survive. So when my mother left for work, probably drunk, I ran away with him."
I'm sobbing now, in her arms.

How did I let myself become so fragile?
When will I ever stop loving her?
When will her stop breaking my heart?

We're crying in each other's arms, and I'm kissing her like it's the end of the world.
And maybe, maybe it is.