Resentment

Phase Three

9 am approaches and Kam keeps herself occupied by fiddling around, failing to notice how fast the time is passing by. She decides to go for a walk in the woods behind the house. Kam wanders further and further away, pursuing a continuous path deeper into the grove.

The sound of running water takes over her ears as she approaches a steep cliff. As she gets closer, she leans over to glance at the scenery, and at the bottom lies a narrow lake.

Kam searches the ground and picks up a stone. She launches it over the ledge and counts the seconds it takes to reach the bottom.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eig.."

Startled by suddent movement in the trees causes Kam to discontinue. She turns around abruptly to find Ashley standing a few feet away.

"Ashley, you scared the hell outta me." Kam says, holding her hand up to her chest.

"What are you doing out here Kamilah?" Ashley asks curiously.

Kam turns her back. "I don't know, just thinking."

Ashley walks closer. "About what?"

It takes a while for an answer to come out.

"What makes you love her more than you used to love me?" Kam's voice becomes firm.

Ashley let's out a strong sigh. "Kam, please.. Can we not do this right now?"

Kamilah turns to Ashley and looks at her with rage. "Well then I'm gonna need you to leave, I came out her to be alone."

Ashley falls silent. She begins to turn around and head back toward the house.. But something stops her.

She replies.. "Kam, she makes me feel like I'm on top of the world.. I don't feel that when I'm with you."

The atmosphere is filled with tension and anger. Kam suggests that Ashley should walk away. After she does so, Kam hangs around outdoors for a while longer, enjoying the time she has to herself.

When Kam gets back to the house, Shanice is up sitting in the living room. She greets Kam.
"Good morning champ." She says with a crooked smile.

"Morning" Kam says stiffly.

She starts to walk toward her bedroom.

"Ash left." Shanice says. "She told me you two had a little argument? I think you scared her."

"Left? To go where? Kam asks. "She might have said something I didn't like.. I didn't intend for it to run her off."

"She didn't say where, someone came to get her.. but she did give me this to give to you." Shanice pulls a folded sheet of paper from her blouse pocket and hands it to Kamilah.

Kam anxiously unravels the paper and starts to read.

: "Kamilah, I'm sorry. I think that it would be best if we didn't see each other. Maybe it'll be healthier for our friendship if I spent time away from you. This isn't easy for me. I don't want to hurt you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Goodbye."

Kam stares at the paper for a minute and a tear drops from her face onto the page. She crumbles it up and tosses it into the trash bin.

Shanice stares at her, craving for words.

"Well, what did it say?" She asks in a soft voice.

Kam uses her sleeve to wipe her damp cheeks. She answers, avoiding eye contact.

She heads toward her room again, "Nothing important." She closes the door behind her.

Shanice being as curious as she is, uncrumbles the paper and reads it for herself. Minutes later she's knocking on Kamilah's door.