Troubled Boy

Five

                       ***********

"Shit!" Kylie said , leaning forward letting the seat belt stretch against her chest. Harry glanced at her, then at the road looming ahead of them.

"What? What's wrong, love?"

"Mia!" Kylie's palm thumped against her forehead. "Shit. She's still at the cafe."

"Did you drive there?"

"No. I walked but I don't care about that...she was there when I arrived." She sighed a breath of relief. "Nevermind. She probably walked or got a ride. I'm overreacting...sorry, Harry."

Harry smiled. "No problem."
Kylie whipped out her phone and shot Mia a text.

Hey I'm sorry Harry offered to drive me home so I said yes ;) I hope you're fine with that...I didn't mean to leave you xoxo -K

She tapped Send and pressed her phone in between her thighs and sat back against the cloth seat.

"Sorry." She said again.

"Kylie, it's okay! Don't worry. You're cute when you freak out."

"Um..." Her cheeks flushed a light pink shade and she giggled nervously. "I don't know how that's cute but thanks...?"

"Trust me. It is," he said.

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

When she got home, she slung her book bag on the back of her white chair behind her vanity-turned desk. She looked in the mirror at her scraggly chestnut hair and sighed. Running a brush through her knotted curls would only make it worse so she dragged her exhausted body toward her bathroom, spun the knob of the shower on, and slipped out of her clothes. The scalding water hit her shoulders as she stepped over the tub and she clenched her teeth.

Moments later, the tension all throughout her body relaxed and she could only wonder why she was so stressed. She thought about her mom, Jack, and her dad. She didn't hear anyone once she got home; just ran up to her room to jump in the shower.

After rinsing for fifteen minutes, Kylie cracked her bedroom door open but heard nothing. Not even a whimpering Jack. She stood back in front of her mirror above the vanity and scooped her damp hair into a loose bun then changed into sweatpants and an old Harvard hoodie her dad had loaned her months ago before venturing downstairs. She peeked her head into the kitchen where it was quiet and vacant.

"Hm," she shrugged her shoulders, pursed her lips, and walked back toward the living room. The ten-year-old couch sat against the back wall and on the finger-printed glass coffee table in front of the sofa, cups and paper plates were strewn about. Kylie rolled her eyes and lazily picked them up.

I mean, she didn't blame them. Her mom was busy enough with Jack and her absentee of a father was too busy working to even notice. Kylie had only started being the housewife about two years ago when Jack was born. Before then, it was always her, her mother, and her father. Well, kind of her father. He still worked at the time but not as much. Without Jack to take care of, her mother was always there. She was a stay-at-home mom and Kylie loved that. She loved that her mom always took care of her and helped her with even the easiest tasks. The way she would call a mandatory girl's night whenever she saw that Kylie was not in the best mood. Kylie remembers it so lucidly that she sometimes expects her mother to call up to her room after a long, hard day for one of the girls' night.

*FLASHBACK*

"Hey sweetheart. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, mommy," eight-year-old Kylie said, not looking into her mothers crystal blue eyes.

Her mom grinned wide and sympathetically. "Mandatory Girls' Night!" she announced. Kylie's heart jumped. Her mom rushed upstairs and when she clambered back down, a hairbrush, a Ziploc bag full of multicolored hair ties, and nail polish were piled up in her arms. Kylie beamed at the objects then her mother. They spread all of the necessary supplies on the white carpet of Kylie's bedroom. The walls were pink and surfaced with purple flowered decals and her bedspread was purple with pink swirls protruding from the hidden stitching.

"What first?"

Kylie tapped her chin with a smirk. She extended her arm and pointed to the sky blue matte nail polish next to the hairbrush. "That one!"

Her mother gently swiped the blue-coated brush against Kylie's bitten nails as they reminisced on her mothers past and the endless stories she told as Kylie gazed at her with amusement. She always loved her mothers stories. She thought of them as a personal storybook that only they knew and that made Kylie feel more than special.

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

Now, as she threw away the paper plates and gently placed the glasses into the dishwasher, she felt a weak pang in her heart at the memories her mother and her had shared years ago. She knew she shouldn't be angry toward her, though. Jack needs her. He's almost two. But Kylie still yearned for her parents to at least acknowledge her, to love her, to care. She wanted those days of mother-daughter bonding. As for her dad, they were never close. She mainly worried about her and her moms relationship. It was starting to fade and Kylie had to think fast about what she was going to do to about it. She needed a solution to make not only herself happy...but her mother happy. So, as she slumped down on the black leather couch and thought of ways to make her mom notice her, the front door opened.

"Kylie, honey. Help me with these groceries, would you?" her mom said with two Walmart bags in one hand and three in the other. Jack was in her left arm with his nose nuzzled into her pale neck. Kylie shot up and jogged to the door.

"Here, I'll take Jack," she said. Her mom trudged toward the kitchen with heavy bags and Kylie swore she heard her mumble something about taking the easy way out of everything. Kylie rolled her eyes and followed her into the kitchen with Jacks arms around her neck. He picked his head up and looked around the kitchen with groggy eyes.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, sweet pea?" Kylie saw her mom drop the bags on the granite counter top and look at Jack. Kylie rolled her eyes and looked away while holding Jack out toward her mom. After helping her tired mother with the groceries, Kylie stumbled up the stairs two at a time and strode to her bedroom, closing the door behind her before glancing at her phone for any missed calls, texts, or any other notifications rarely ever seen. As the screen illuminated her bleak face, two blips filled the air around her.

Two new messages.

Wow, perfect timing, Kylie thought. She tapped the screen and Mia's name shone in front of her eyes.

Hey lovely! It's all good as long as you are having fun with mr yummy yummy ;) I'll see you later! Bye! Xoxo -M

Kylie smiled and tapped the next message...from an unknown number.

Had a great time though it wasn't planned haha. I hope to do it again, love. I'll call you later tonight;) can't wait! :) -Harry

Kylie grinned ear to ear and her stomach did a little flip of excitement. She didn't care or even wonder how Harry had gotten her number. Nothing could ruin her moment of fulfilled happiness. Nothing at all.

At least that's what she thought...