Kimberly's Story

Here We Go Again

“So when are you free?” Keith asks me as we walk down the path towards our houses.

I slip on a patch of hard ice and Keith’s strong arm around my waist clutches me closer to his side to hold me up. I feel my face grow hot despite the icy cold weather surrounding me. “Sorry?”

He chuckles. “I was asking when you were free so we can meet.”

I laugh, nervously. “Oh, right. Um, well, I have to check to see when I have time but I’ll tell you at school, alright?” I’m actually free most of the time since it gives me a reason to get out of the house but I don’t want to come off as a desperate loner. No offense to those people, I mean, I am sort of one myself.

“Yeah, sure. Hey, um, so about the whole Stephanie thing. . . What are we doing about that?’ he asks me and I throw a quick glance at him from the corner of my eye to catch an amused smile play at the corner of his lips.

I let out a sigh-half-huff and shake my head. “I don’t know. Just, if she comes up to you. . .” I struggle for words.

“If she comes up to me and just wants to talk then I’ll talk. But if things get off-track I’ll tell her the truth,” he finishes for me, his voice strong.

“The truth?” I ask, hesitantly.

He looks at me and I am compelled to meet his warm chocolate brown eyes. “I’ll tell her that we are going out. The truth,” he enunciates the last two words and it makes my knees wobble.

I nod, weakly, and look away. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say but it ends up turning into a question.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” he responds, smiling. I see his gaze flicker to my house and then back to me. The pain in his eyes causes my smile to falter. “Will you be alright?” he asks, his voice soft and low.

“Of course. I’ve lived this long with everything, haven’t I?” I try to joke.

He doesn’t smile, instead, the crease in his forehead deepens and for a moment I am worried that he is considering telling someone about what I told him this morning.

“Kim, I think we should tell someone about your father.”

Yep, I was right.

I groan and turn away from him, not wanting to hear his tempting pleads. “See you at school, Keith,” I call over my shoulder and stumble toward the front door of my house.

It isn’t until I feel a hand on my shoulder that my frozen fingers stop groping for my house keys in my pocket.

“I’m sorry, Kim. Forget I said anything, please,” Keith’s alluring voice floats from behind me.

And then I hear a loud crash from inside my house and I straighten, feeling the color drain from my face.

“You need to go, now,” I hiss, urgently and start to shove Keith away from the windows of my house.

“What was that? What are you doing, what’s wrong?”

“Shh!” I hiss, again. “We’ll talk later. He can’t see you, do you understand?” I look at him, begging with my eyes for him to listen to me.

He nods. “Alright, just—…Promise me you’ll be safe.”

I nod my head, frantically, not caring if I have to lie. “Yeah, I promise. Bye, Keith.” I’ve made sure that Keith is out of the view of any wandering eyes inside my house and start to slip in my front door but I get stopped, again. “Keith, I need to go,” I plead.

“I know I just need to do something before I leave.”

I look at him, waiting impatiently.

A smile forms at his lips and before I know it, Keith’s arms are going around me and I being hugged tightly to his chest. This time, his embrace wasn’t awkward, at all. It was warm, welcoming, and magical. I let myself hug him back for a moment before pulling away.

“Thank-you,” I whisper and then I run back to my house, open the door, and shut it behind me.

“WHERE WERE YOU?” my father growls at me.

I dodge a sold object he throws at me and run toward my room, locking the door and pushing my dresser against it.

Here we go again.