One and Only

The Plan

Kylie woke up with a sore throat and aching ribs. She forced herself onto her feet and took a nice, cold shower. Her muscles relaxed a little, and she was able to get ready for school. She made sure to be ready before her parents were up so that she could leave before them.

Kylie made it to the bus stop before the bus, so she sat down on the bench and slowly began to stretch her sore, aching muscles. Her hoodie hid most of the bruises that had formed on her arms, but she knew she had two lovely purple spots on her face that weren't fully hidden by makeup. One scattered itself across her right cheek while the other decorated her forehead. If anyone asked, she would just say she had fallen down the stairs. Given her non-graceful daily habits at school, it should work.

"Kyles!" she was greeted as soon as she stepped off the bus at her school. As always, her best friend, James, was waiting for her at the gate.

"Jamie!! I missed you!" Kylie replied joyfully, hugging him weakly. She bit her lip as he returned the embrace. Of course, he was careful not to squeeze too hard. He knew about what the girl dealt with at home.

"How bad was it last night?" he asked in a whisper.

"Let's talk later," she replied, not wanting to be late for class. They separated and went inside, heading to their shared homeroom.

"It didn't go well," she said softly as they seated themselves in the classroom. His eyes scanned hers skeptically, since that was the same answer Kylie often gave. She sighed and pulled the hem of her shirt up, showing him the dark bruises that had formed on her stomach.

"Ky," he started, his eyes beginning to show his worry. She bit her lip and looked away, not wanting to cry at school. "Meet me at the gate after school."

"But they expect me home."

"You're not going home today," James said, placing a hand on her knee. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then rose in realization.

"You couldn't..."

"I have everything planned, from your contact to your new home. All in England until everything blows over."

"How?" Kylie asked, having to cover her mouth to keep her emotions in check. She was on the verge of tears.

"My folks said they would house you and take care of you," he replied with a bright smile. "We just have to get you there."

"But what if they catch us?" She looked down, worried for their safety.

"You won't get caught."

The statement was meant to relieve her somewhat, but she heard an underlying hesitation. "You can't get caught," she said once she realized what he had insinuated.

"I want you to listen to me," he said, and the serious tone of his voice shocked her. James was never like this. Kylie nodded, her eyes trained on his. "No matter what happens, you will not get caught. You will keep running, hiding, whatever it takes until you get to England."

She couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes. "James..."

"We're in school now. Please, just trust me," he said, his tone dropping to a whisper as the teacher came in. Kylie let some of the tears fall, wiping them discretely with her sleeve.

**************

Lunch rolled around, and the kids all went to their favourite hangouts, some to the courtyard, others to the actual lunchroom. Kylie met James at the door to the roof, knowing they would be the only ones up there. The school had rules against going onto the roof. James was such a good, honest kid that he was given a key to the roof two years prior to have a quiet study place with nice air flow.

They stepped out into the roof and sat side by side against the wall of the building entrance. "Are you tired?" James asked.

Kylie looked up at the sky, letting out a soft breath. "My whole body hurts." She usually avoided telling anyone if she was hurting, but James was an exception. After having been friends for eleven years, their bond had strengthened to where they were able to share their most private, personal thoughts.

"You didn't take any pain meds?"

"You think I had time?" she replied. "I wanted to get out before they woke up."

"Was your dad drunk or high last night?" James continued.

"I think he was about to start his high, but he hadn't taken anything before I got home."

"He was sober?" Kylie sighed and closed her eyes.

"What can I say? He's the biggest criminal there is. You know he tried to drag me into a trip with him," she said, shifting to rest her head on his right shoulder.

"You didn't do it, did you?"

"No, but it was tempting. I kind of wanted to not feel anything for a little while."

"Ky."

"I didn't, I swear. I know how bad it would be if I got addicted too."

"Have any neighbours called the cops?"

"No," Kylie replied. "They don't hear anything. If they did, I would be punished more."

She felt an arm move around her waist and pull her closer, a small kiss planted on the top of her head. "I'm so happy I can help you escape."

"Me too," she agreed. They sat in silence for most of the time, neither moving out of both laziness and comfort.

Finally, James broke the silence. "Have you eaten today?"

"No."

A sandwich was placed in her hands, to which she opened her eyes. "Tuna salad, just how you like it."

"You're the best," Kylie said with a soft smile, looking up to give him a kiss on the cheek. She shifted again, resting her back against his side as she began to eat.