DAMAGED

chapter21☪

•••
Kassie's POV

I finally arrived home, still feeling the ghost of the nervousness I'd experienced in school. I clutched the night school detention slip in my hands. It's a good thing this doesn't go on record.
I examined it thoroughly until I saw one thing that made me panic.
Parent/guardian signature.
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. Well, isn't this just wonderful?
I went inside the house, which was unlocked, much to my pleasure. Jarett was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading a newspaper.
"Hey, Kassie."
I folded the slip nervously before giving it to him, scanning his eyes for a reaction. He read the paper and looked at me. "Cutting class now, huh?"

I remained quiet, praying that he wouldn't get angry.
"I'll have to call the school board." He spoke with a clear hint of laziness.
"I can just serve it. It doesn't go on record." I mumbled.
"I know you can just serve it. That's not the problem, Kassie. I transferred you to another school, and-"
"What?" I whispered. He hadn't forgotten.
"The all-girls school right in front of town. 'Course, you're going to have to wake up earlier-"
"But I don't want to go to another school." I whimpered.
Jarett sighed before opening up his newspaper again. "Kassie, I already told you I'd do this. If this doesn't work, of course, I'll have to switch you to military school, and if that - Well, I know it will probably work, but if it doesn't - then there's always the option of that nice orphanage down by-"
"No. No, please." I begged him frantically, dropping to my knees. "Please... Please...I'm sorry..." I spoke in between desperate sobs.
"What are you doing? Get up from the floor and stop acting like a soap opera person."
I felt the water running from my eyes and onto my hands. "I-I'm sorry."
"Don't you have a life? Gosh, stop that. Look, there's dirty dishes in the counter. Take care of that, will ya?" Jarett ordered.
I felt immediate hurt from his careless words which made the tears run faster.
My legs were wobbly from the sudden crying.
"You need to grow up." He spat coldly just as Tuvi came downstairs.
"D-Dad?" She whimpered. "Why are you bullying Kassie?"
"I'm not bullying Kassie, Tuvi. She needs to learn that just because she's all depressed doesn't mean everybody has to do what she wants." He explained, making me shake harder.
"Yes, you are. You're verbally bullying her. That's really mean, Dad." She cried, her face red as she ran back upstairs.
"You see what you're doing?" He hissed. "Oh, and by the way, your first phone bill came out. Have fun paying." He threw an envelope at me with a defiant smile.
Now, because of him, I won't be seeing Wolfie tomorrow or the day after. He's going to go to Florida and keep getting abused by his parents and probably be with other girls 'till who knows how long.
I dropped my bag on the floor emotionlessly, letting depression wash over me.
You see, I mean that quite literally. Depression comes suddenly, making you feel like your eyes are drooping, making you walk with your head down, and making you numb, unable to feel anything, therefore unable to smile.
I headed outside. I felt like I needed to be anywhere - anywhere that wasn't in that house.
Wolfie walks around when he's stressed. Maybe I should do that, too.
I began walking, putting my hands in my pockets as I looked at the cloudy skies and shuddered.
Pretty soon, I was around town. To my luck, I ran into someone walking as well.

Wolfie's POV

Kassie immediately wrapped her short self around me just as I felt her tears staining my shirt. I honestly could care less.
"Hey, angel." I mumbled into her hair.
"D-Don't g-go." She whimpered quietly. God, she's so vulnerable.
I held her trembling self tighter so she felt more secure. "It's okay." I told her, trying to mentally guess what happened.
"Kassie, listen to me." I shook her lightly and nudged her chin so that she was looking at me.
"W-Why does he hate me?" She cried.
Oh. It's the about the stupid adoptive father.
I had no response. "I don't know. What I can tell you is that it doesn't matter. I'm here, right?"
"You won't be here in three days." She reminded me, her big brown eyes looking innocently at me.
I sighed. "Maybe I will."
"I love you." She sniffled. I looked at her irresistible pouty lips and managed to kiss them, letting my lips linger there for a few seconds before I looked at her again.
"I love you more, baby." I mumbled as she let go of me and held on to my hand.

Kassie's POV

"I wish I could go." I sighed, letting the wind push back my hair as we walked. "Florida?" He asked. "Yeah. I mean, I'd like to go to the beach and enjoy the sun. Maybe one day I'll go." I sighed.
"Maybe one day we'll both go somewhere without having to worry about Jarett or my parents or-"
"That's never going to happen." I laughed sadly. "They're just going to keep ruining everything."
"Kassie, that's not true." Wolfie told me.
I raised my eyebrow, challenging him to prove it.
"We have this moment right now. There's no tension, no people to mess it up - I think it's perfect, actually." He explained as we stopped walking, and he put his arms around my waist.
"In three days-" I began, but he finished the sentence for me. "In three days, we won't have this moment, right? Might as well make the best of it."
I was only able to give him a tiny nod before our lips came together, igniting metaphorical sparks neither of us could see; only feel within us, and only we had the power to control where that would go.

~~~

I looked down at the green, soft grass before looking back at the bubbly, strong current of the waterfall.
"Why do we keep coming here?" I asked, the corner of my lips forming a smile.
"We feel like it." He shrugged, making me laugh quietly.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. "It's funny, though. Every normal couple has a secret place that only they know about. I mean, I guess this is ours...Except we aren't normal."
He laughed. "Yeah, it's like this is the only place that holds our sanity."
I laughed before looking back at the water. I couldn't shake the thought that this would all be over soon, that my life would return to the same way it was - filled with misery, memories, and heartbreak.
Soon, the familiar feeling of wet eyes had returned. "Hey." He nudged my chin so that I'd be looking at him.
"Sorry." I mumbled sheepishly. I didn't want him to know I cried for everything.
"Why are you apologizing? You didn't even-" He stopped, as if thinking for a few seconds, before the mischievous spark shone brightly in his eyes.
Oh, Lord.
I frowned. "What are you scheming in your crazy mind this time?"
He rolled his eyes before looking at the waterfall.
"No. I'm not going to get wet." I said immediately.
"Sure." He smirked, the spark never vanishing from his eyes. "At least put your feet in."
I took my shoes off cautiously, watching his every move until my feet came in contact with the water, allowing me to relax. "Okay, look. I did it. Happy?" I asked, but when I turned around I didn't see him.
I turned back around to face the water for a few seconds until I was suddenly pushed into it from behind. I squealed as the cold water gave me a tight hug, wetting me everywhere in the process.
I heard Wolfie having a fit of laughter. "You're so stupid."
I scowled, rolling my eyes. How didn't I see that coming?
He went in with me as well, still laughing.
"Idiot." I mumbled.
"Stupid." He fired back as his arms wrapped around my waist and guided me to the waterfall.
"I don't want to get my hair wet!" I protested.
"Too bad." He shrugged before both of us were under the soothing current of the falls.
I felt happiness bubbling through me for a moment, getting rid of the depression.
I gazed at his flawless, gorgeous dark blue eyes -- they held too much mystery, yet managed to shine whenever they could.
"I don't want you all sad while I can still have you." He mumbled, his lips too close to mine for me to resist kissing him.
He returned the favor slowly and desperately all at once, pressing me closer to him and making my knees weaken immediately.
"You don't need to tell me to be happy around you," I breathed, putting my arms around his neck, "Because I already am."
"That's absolutely fantastic, Kassie," He whispered, his hands finding their way under my shirt and trailing slowly along my sides, making my heart race. "...But I know another way to make you happy."