Problems

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It's been a week since Dad hit both Lexie and I. I probably will never be able to forget the burning sting. My father has literally gone out of control. Seeing him do this hurts me inside. He used to be such a good man, then it all went away because of drugs. I used to want to be like my father, wealthy because of success, not drugs. A good man to his family, not an abusive one. I just don't get why he would want to throw all of that away just for a few addictive substances. I know it has that silly effect on people, but my father? These questions have been running through my head for the past two years, and I don't ever think I'll know the answer to them.

I whip out my phone and dial Kevin's cell.

"Hey babe," he answers.

"You want to come over today? Or we could meet in the park? Or the coffeeshop?" I ramble on about other places we could meet other than my house. I need to get out of here, even if it's just for a few hours. "The park sounds great," he says. I smile, even though he can't see it. "Meet me there in an hour," I demand. I hang up before he can object. This would be our first official date as boyfriend and girlfriend, and that makes my smile grow wider. Nobody knows were dating either, so this is also a sort of big step for us. I don't know what Kevin is going to wear, so I think I just play it simple with a transparent mullet dress. It's not too fancy, nor too casual. And it's not slutty so it's a win for everyone at the park.

I grab the dress from my closet and throw it on over my bra and panties. I find a white sweater to to over the straps. I'm so glad it's spring, other wise I probably wouldn't be wearing this outfit. I eye my makeup bag and bring it into my bathroom. Kevin always tells me how beautiful my eyes are, so black eyeliner would really make them pop on this date. A little mascara wouldn't hurt, because they go together really. I don't need blush, because I'll be blushing throughout the whole date anyway. A soft pink lipstick would match my dress. I put all of those on and turn to my mirror. I look much different. I remember two years ago, I was a little shorter, my hair was shorter too, and I was never wanted to even think about wearing makeup until I was eighteen. I would always wear my hair in a side pony, and my signature jacket and converse. I still wear that, but today's not the day. A lot has changed, and a lot more will change.

I walk off the bus and smell the sweet smell of daisies and grass. Being outside, out in the open feels amazing. I feel the grass prickling my ankles as I cut across the grass instead of taking the sidewalk. I see a messy-haired boy standing near a park bench, feeding the ducks by the pond some spare bread. He's wearing slacks and a blazer, and nicely polished shoes. That has to be Kevin, because that outfit is just his sense if style. I run a bit to get to him, as he chuckles at the duck's silly movements. I tap on his shoulder and he turns around. His expression grows more happy when his eyes catch mine. He wraps his arms around my waist and I wrap mine around his neck loosely. He closes his eyes and leans in closer to my face. His soft lips land on mine, and I feel safe. I feel like nothing at home matters. Not the beating, not Lexie's pregnancy scare, not the drugs, nothing. It feels like everything and everyone is at peace in the world. No crime is happening, in the little world I'm in right now.

He pulls away and I try to regain focus. "You look very darling today," he says. I blush, knowing he would say something instead of "pretty" or "beautiful". Kevin is not your average guy, which is what I like about him. He holds out his hand and I take it, and we walk along the paved path the park creator planned out. "You don't look so bad yourself," I tell him. He grins his goofy smile. He guides me to a park bench that oversees the pond, and we sit down, shoulder to shoulder. I rest my head on his shoulder, and take in the sounds of the duck's quacking and the fountain gushing. "So why did you want to get out of the house so badly?" He asks me. I lace our fingers together as his hand rests on his knee. "I needed to get out of that house. School just isn't enough time away from there," I explain. I lean my head up and look at him. He automatically looks at me back, without me telling him to. "May I ask what happened?" He asks.

"My father hit me," I whisper. I look back at the pond, avoiding any other direct eye contact. My face grows from a grin in a placid expression. Whenever I think about it, I replay the sene over in my head, and when his hand comes in contact with my cheek, I wince.

Kevin puts one of his arms around my back, and the other arm around my chest. He squeezes me tight, but I just sit there. "You shouldn't have to put up with that," he says, moving the arm that was around my chest back to him.

"But I have to. The perks of living with a..," I begin to say. He hovers his finger over my mouth, and leans in close to my ear. "I'll protect you. I don't need this to get any worse," he reassures me. He puts his lips on my again. I have a feeling he may be able to stand up to my dad. Kevin doesn't show it offten, but he has muscles. When I saw him change his shirt, I saw those things, and they were pretty impressive. And Kevin's young to. He can last longer in a fight than my dad could. Let's just hope if Kevin does ever defend me one day, he'll get there in time.