Reliving a Lost Past

9. Kolbey Rezlin

I was clinging to Mitch’s shirtsleeves praying he would not swerve and cause me to fall off. His shoulders were tight and muscular and about to rip through the sleeves of his shirt. I was uncoordinated enough without him speeding up and slowing down without warning. My neck was still in pain from being chocked by Mitch. My heart was skipping beats and being replaced by short, quick breathes that I did not fully breathe before exhaling and becoming dizzy. I didn’t want to be with Mitch; I wanted to be able to stand next to Danny again and feel his shoulder brush up against mine; I wanted to be threatened to get on the bike or else. I felt ADD because of how many thoughts were flying through my mind.

One: Who was Ryan? Two: What does he want with my Danny? Three: Who else wants Danny? Four: How the hell am I going to be dragged into this nightmare now?

One simple thought occurred in the sea of tremendous thoughts: that was not Mitch’s old helmet, because Mitch’s hair is swimming through the air as we were riding the bike. I looked behind me to see if the others were following, but I saw no one. Mitch made a sharp turn and instinctively I grabbed around Mitch’s stomach, as I did with Danny. He didn’t budge one bit, as if he was expecting me to do that. I was familiar with the street we were on; it was Danny’s street, and his house is the last one, the one we turned into.

Mitch pulled on my arm and I jumped off and lost my balance, but Mitch pulled me straight back up, effortlessly. He continued pulling on my arm until we got in the house and he pushed me back on the couch before walking back outside. I could hear footsteps and knew he was going on the roof. I continued sitting alone in the dark with only the lights from the lampposts outside lighting the room. I was paranoid that Ryan was coming back, but then I remembered, he was following someone who was looking for Danny as well; Ryan is not who I need to fear the most.

I couldn’t take it anymore: sitting there. I jumped up feeling a rush of power and I stomped out the door, but then paused and listened. There was a sniffling noise and then footsteps. I tiptoed up the stairs and peeked over the roof ledge. The noises were coming from Mitch. I continued up the stairs and, as calmly as I could, said, “Mitch? Are you okay?” I saw him turn his head just enough to see me out the corner of his eye, but he turned his head back and hid it in his palms. “Just go away, Kolbey. Leave me alone.”

“No, I won’t Mitch.” I stood up to Mitch for the first time, and hopefully the last. I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach as I did. “Not until you tell me why you hate me so much. I never did anything to you. What is your deal? Nobody has a reason to be this hateful.” He stood up, and I lost the good feeling I had. He walked towards me with his finger pointed at me; Mitch towered over me when he was up close. “Don’t you dare think for one second that I don’t have a reason to be angry all the time. You don’t even know me! You are just some girl from a foster house with no parents because they are dead! Poor you, you little selfish brat for thinking I like being mad and angry!”

There was a waterfall of anger that rushed over me. It started at my head and worked its way to my fists, that clenched and swung at Mitch, but he caught them before they could hit him. He twisted my arm and I dropped to my knees; the pain was excruciating as I let out a cry. He let go of my hand and tried pulling me back up. I shoved him back and yelled, “Don’t touch me! Fine, I’ll leave if that’s what you want so bad!”

I went for the stairs but he grabbed my arm, again, and pulled me back. “Kolbey, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just said that, I…I- didn’t mean it. I just-” He let go and went back to the edge of roof and sat down. I heard sobbing noises again and slowly walked towards him. I sat down quietly and waited for him to say something. He lifted his head again, this time I could see his face was red and wet, and I have to admit, I never thought I would live to see the day when Mitchell Sanders was crying.