looking for forever

chapter no.17

secrets and soil

The next morning, Kelly called the number. She had no idea why. She had no expectation as to what was going to happen. She had no idea who was going to pick up the phone. She just dialed the number and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello?" The voice was Asher's, no doubt, but why the crabs then?

"Asher?" Kelly asked, even though she knew for sure who it was. Kelly likes extra reassurance for many things.

"Kelly?" Asher asked. Kelly felt a weird feeling in her stomach. Happiness, that he remembered her voice? Guilt, because she was talking to a guy over the phone who wasn't her boyfriend?

"Yeah." Kelly told him, he laughed and even through the phone she could tell he was smiling.

"I'm so glad you called. How your hotel or resort or whatever?" He asked her. She told him about the stunning view and the new area's that she and Sierra had found. He laughed at every joke she told and commented on her stories. Kelly noticed that he was a very good listener.

"Why did you right crabs on the paper?" Kelly blurts out before she can stop herself. Asher stops talking and Kelly can tell the silence is not a comfortable one.

"Sometimes my phone goes on lockdown because of my, um, parents." Asher admits, and by the tone of his voice Kelly could tell he was being honest.

"Lockdown?" Kelly pressed.

"They turn it off sometimes, and you need a password to talk to me. I come from a wealthy family and my parents are really protective. They don't want just anyone calling me. The thing is, my dad is really, professional, and he was getting stricter and stricter on who I could hang out with and talk to. He was controlling my life and I wasn't okay with it. I told him to stop one day and he blew up. I ran away from my house that day, which was a couple days ago. I came to Mexico to visit my buddy, who lives here. So I wasn't entirely honest with you on the plane. I plan on staying here for a while. But my parents still control my phone, so they randomly put it on lockdown sometimes. I don't know why, it always gives me a notification of what the password is. It's just stupid because people think that it means something bad. You're one of the first people who have just called me and not disregarded what I gave you. Thank you." Kelly tried to process that entire story.

Over protective dad.

Running away from home.

Hiding away in Mexico.

Random phone lockdowns.

Crabs.

"Got it." Kelly said nonchalantly. "I know what it's like to have wealthy and protective parents. Mine aren't that extreme, thank goodness, but it is kind of bothersome when they try to protect me from stuff that I don't need protecting from. If you ever need to talk about that stuff you can text me or call me anytime. I'm always open to listen." Kelly told him. Kelly intended on keeping that promise. She's never met someone with the same problem. When someone like her needed help, she was happy to oblige, she never wanted anyone to feel the way that she feels.

"Thank you." Asher breathed again. Kelly was about to reply when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Kelly, you in there? We're about to go on the waterfall hike." Andrew called. Kelly was already ready, but she had to act quickly. She covered her phone with her hand and yelled back.

"Yeah, just finishing up." She called and went back to Asher.

"You have to go?" Asher asked her. She laughed.

"Sadly, yes. But remember, talk to me anytime–"

"Kelly!" Sierra called.

"Ah, I gotta go!" Kelly hung up the phone, then instantly felt guilty. She just left him. She dashed out of the bathroom and to the group of people. They all smiled when she joined them and they filtered out the door, ready for their first activity of their vacation.

——

They had already hiked through the mud for three hours. It was an enjoyable hike, but it was exhausting. They trudged up muddy hills, climbed across muddy trails, and waded through extremely muddy rivers. By the time they stopped for their fourth break they were drenched in the wet dirt. Though Kelly enjoyed the fresh smell she did not enjoy the feeling of it on her clothes and skin.

"This is awesome!" Andrew said, wiping some mud on his face to look like war paint. Kelly laughed at his infatuation with the mud.

He is such a guy, Kelly thought as she smiled.

He gave her a muddy hug and kiss and the family continued their hike. As they walked along the mud covered trail, Sierra and Kelly fell behind.

"Did you call him?" Sierra whispered, Kelly looked at her best friend with a smile. She always managed to read Kelly's mind.

"This morning, yeah." Kelly whispered back. Up at the front of the pack, Mr. and Mrs. Williams were having a conversation with Andrew about the upcoming baseball season. Sierra looked at Kelly with wide eyes.

"Well?" Sierra pressed. Kelly let out a breathy laugh.

"We talked about normal stuff. He asked how the resort was, I asked how his friend was, we talked about other things, et cetera, et cetera." Kelly told her. It felt weird lying to her best friend but it wasn't technically lying, just not telling the whole truth. Sierra looked at her again.

"What else? I can tell your not saying something." Sierra stated simply. Kelly sighed.

Curse her for being able to read me so well, Kelly thought.

"We have something in common." Then Kelly told her the whole story. About the passcode and the running away. Sierra listened as Kelly whispered her new friend's story. Kelly left out no detail, everything that Asher had told her, she told to Sierra.

Sierra was officially caught up with all of it, and she loved being in the know.

__________

sorry about the crab part it was kind of random but i didnt know what else to do HAHAHAHA

kylie