Not Telling Anyone

Past and Present

The next day, Saturday, I sat in my room listening to music and reading.
      "Kat! Asher! Please come here!" My dad shouted.
      I ran downstairs, and my brother slid down on the railing. We stood in front of our dad, who looked pretty nervous. He motioned for us sit down, and sat in our perspective spots on the couch. I looked at Ash, and he just shrugged.
       "You know how lately I've been working late?" He asked us. We nodded our heads. "I haven't been working late. I've been seeing someone."
      I felt mixed emotions. Excitement, caution, and worry. "Who is it?" I asked keeping my face blank.
       "Linda," he said his eyes twinkling with amusement.
        "Linda?! Mom! Really?!" I exclaimed.
       "Yes," he said laughing slightly, Asher joining in.
       "Yay! The ship has sailed! Ariel and I can be sisters for real!" I jumped up and hugged my dad. I can finally have a real mom.
       "Does Ariel know yet?" I asked.
       "She should by now," he nodded.
       "Can I head over?"
       "Yeah go ahead."
        I put on my jacket and boots and left in a hurry. Five minutes later I knocked on Ariel's door. She opened up with a big smile.
        "Did you hear?" I asked.
        "Yes!" She squealed.
         "We're going to officially be sisters!" I exclaimed. She screamed in excitement, which attracted mom to the front door.
         "Hey Kat. I guess your dad told you?" She asked smiling.
         I nodded my vigorously. "I finally get a decent mom!" I whispered as she pulled me into a hug.
       
     After spending time with Ariel and mom I got a text from Isaac asking if I wanted to hang out at his place. I replied with a yes, and told them that I had to go. I walked back to my house and ran up to my room  to get properly dressed. 
      "Whoa! What's the rush?" My dad asked when I ran back down the stairs almost falling down the last three.
      "Isaac asked if I could go over. May I pwitty pwease go?" I asked pouting.
      "Yes, but if I have a grandchild in nine months I'll strangle him," my dad replied with a stern face. He held it for two seconds before we both started laughing. "Yeah have fun kiddo be home by 8, 8:30 at the latest. Okay?"
     "Okay. Bye dad!" I said has Isaac pulled up honking the horn.
      Isaac lowered the passenger window. "Hey Mr. Ranson!"
      "How many times do I have to tell you? It's Peter!" My dad exclaimed.
      Isaac laughed as I climbed in. We both waved to my dad and drove off.
     
                         * * *

    "So you were right in saying that they'd get to get?" Isaac asked for clarification after I told him what happened.
      "Yup! It's great!" I replied enthusiastically, laying back on the blanket we were sitting. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. Today was good day.
      "You're really excited," Isaac observed laying on his side facing me.
      "Well yeah. I can have an actual mom," I shrugged.
      "Your mom left when you were like a month old right?" He asked curiously.
       I sighed and sat up facing him. I tugged my jacket closer, and began playing with my necklaces.
      "Hey it's okay. I'm sorry for bringing it up," he said said sitting up as well.
      I shook my head slightly. "It's okay you deserve to know the truth." He gave my a questioning look. "My mom, she left four years ago, but I like to forget she was ever around. She was a good person. She was in the very beginning, but something changed. She. Became cruel. She'd punish my brother and I a lot and for no reason. Once she wouldn't allow me to eat at home for a week.
         "It just got worse and worse, and my dad couldn't do anything because he didn't have money to buy a new house or do anything. She constantly threatened him too. Then four years ago she'd comes  home drunk, and angry. She saw my brother and I and went bonkers. She threw things, and what not, but the worst part is when she saw a knife she decided to use it. She came after us, it was terrifying. We ran, but running wasn't good enough. She managed to cut me." I took off my jacket and instructed Isaac to pull the back of my shirt and expose the skin just above my shoulder blade. He gasped at the jagged scar. 
      "That's terrible! What kind of monster could do this?" He exclaimed angrily, letting go of my shirt and I put my jack back on.
       I shook my head. "My brother somehow managed to lock her in the bathroom. He the carried me to Ariel's house and her mom brought me to the hospital and called my dad. When he heard what happened he was done he called the cops and she got her butt thrown in jail. I haven't her since the day I sat in front of her in a court saying all the terrible things she'd done throughout the years."
      I looked him in the eyes an my world instantly got brighter. I felt safe.
       "I'm so sorry that all happened to you. I'll always be there for you," he said leaning close to my face.           
       We closed the space and it was the same magic, but today it was a little more magical, so magical that it started snowing. We pulled apart an looked at the sky, smiling.
      "Nice going cheeseball," I said laughing. "You made it snow!"