Bad Girls

Samuel Moore

Honestly, everything seemed so...boring. There had been so much drama before, and now suddenly, everything was perfect and happy and...boring. Ryan was doing better, Dylan and Emma-Lynn were like the couple of the century, and Kyla...ah, Kyla. She just seemed back to her usual mysterious self. For once I have nothing to say, no stories to tell...

Kyla's POV-

My head was not in this world. All I could think about was Samuel. I kept having dreadful flashbacks back to when we were an item. There was a lot of smiling and giggling and hiding and soulful looks. Thinking back, it made me retch. How could I have let it get so far? I remembered that night clearly and felt my cheeks flush red. How, how, how did that happen? 

"Hey, Kyla!" Joelle called. "Come here."
I jogged quickly to where she was standing; right by our cabin.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Just a quick question. You wanna take a shower first or me?"
"Can I?"
"Sure thing. I'll throw in the laundry."
"Okay." I walked into the cabin and jumped in the shower. I turned it onto freezing. I needed that. I stood there under the ice cold water, letting each drop burn me slightly.

Once my hair was blow-dried, I had soft, warm clothes on, I walked out, quietly. I wanted to go outside and clear my head, regardless of what the goddamn schedule said I should be doing. Once I was far enough for no counselor to see me, I ran.

I just ran and ran and ran. I had no idea where I was going. I was just going. I just wanted to let go and be free and--
WHAM!
I ran right into someone, My head by his chest. He was TALL. And I mean, tall. I looked up to see his face clearly. I gasped.

"Samuel!"
"Kyla." He spoke quietly. There was no movement. We both stood there, an inch apart, completely still.
"Kyla." He repeated. His breath smelled of smoke and vanilla and cranberry. He stood there, tall, giant, muscular, a man that was obviously strong and easily able to kill a man with his bare hands. But I knew Samuel as so much more than that. He was gentle and kind and had a heart of gold. He wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Kyla, what are you doing out here? It's not outside time on the schedule." he spoke with a distance in his voice.
"Screw the schedule, Samuel. I don't care about the goddamn schedule. I need to think."
"You want me to leave you alone to think?"
Slowly, I shook my head.
"You want me to stay?"
I nodded.
"Okay." he said, like that settled everything. "I'll stay."

We sat by a large tree, leaning against it. He was holding my hand, stroking it. We sat like that for a while, just calm and quiet.
"Sam, I..."
"Shh."
"No." I struggled a little as I choked down my tears. "Sam, I need to tell you something."
"Go ahead then."
"Sam, I'm...I'm sorry."
He blinked at me. "Sorry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry." The tears started to rise again and I battled to keep them down. "I'm sorry for retreating like that. I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry for breaking up like that. And I'm mostly sorry for being to immature to not realize what I had when it was right in front of me."
He sighed and looked into my eyes, from which tears had escaped my guard and poured down my cheeks, wailing "we're free!".

"Kyla, you know I still love you."
More tears flew from my eyes. "I love you too, Samuel." I choked. I'd be surprised if he understood what I had said.
"You know we can't be together, Kyla."
I dried my tears quickly and swallowed, and when I spoke, I was glad to hear my voice was back to normal.
"I know, Sam." I kissed him gently, stood up, and walked away from him.

"Hey Kyla." Joelle's voice was quiet.
"Yeah?"
"I need to talk to you about Samuel."
I gulped. "Umm...okay."
"You still feel for him, don't you?"
I sighed. Might as well get it over with, huh? "Yeah, I do."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing. There's nothing to do. We can't be together, he's a counselor, I'm a juvie kid. There's a huge Romeo and Juliet shitty thing going on here, only not as profound. There's nothing either of us is gonna do."
She looked at me with a heartbroken look in her face. "Man, Kyla, I'm so sorry."
I laughed; pretty much an empty, hollow laugh. "No need to be sorry. It's nothing to do with you."
She grinned. "Amen to that."
I grinned back at her.

Oh, how different I became because of Samuel Moore.