Paths The Middle School Years

Chapter Fourteen~How Could You?

Lala's Pov
Kanoa giggles and pulls me in closer. I sat on his lap and stared into Kanoa's dark chocolate eyes. I slowly move closer to Kanoa until we hear someone yell, "HEY!"

I push myself off of Kanoa's wheelchair and stand up straight. Kanoa and I look back to see two figures. Both of them I remember. One was Jiwon, and the other was Cecilia. The ones I met in the park after running away.

Jiwon comes running to us at full speed and looks like she was ready to tackle me away. Cecilia was slow to keep up but was able to run up to me. Jiwon, almost 10 feet away, yells, "GET AWAY FROM THAT BITCH!!! HE WILL MAKE YOU FEEL MORE PAIN!!! GETAWAY!!!"

I quickly react and move to Kanoa's side, hoping to stay there, but when Jiwon came, she tackled me onto Kanoa's lap.

Cecilia stands back a bit as the Savage Jiwon comes and begins to yell back crazy at Kanoa. "YOU HURT THIS CHILD'S FEELINGS! YOU MADE HER CRY! WHEN I SEE SOMEONE CRY, I'LL BEAT YOUR ASS!!! DIE YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!"

Kanoa's POV

The girl, I believe to be Jiwon, was ranting and yelling at me for my sins. Inside, I feel hurt that I failed and actually hurt someone. I went through all this effort and now look at where I'm at. I'm stuck in a wheelchair and will always be buried in the sins of my past. I'm an idiot.

Lala tries to stand up and defend me, but I stop her and gently push her to tell Lala in a subtle and serious tone, "Lala. Go to Starbucks. Please. I need to talk to her alone. Take Cecilia too..."

Lala looks down and clenches her hand, but let's go.  She then looks at me and smiles.

Lala goes over to Cecilia and walks with her to Starbucks. Now it was just Jiwon and me.

"So. It's just us now, huh? You put me in this situation over my sins and..." I say to Jiwon but get interrupted by her, "YOU FUCKING BITCH!!! WHO CARES IF YOU ARE IN A WHEELCHAIR!!! LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO HER!!!"

Jiwon comes up to me and grips my shoulders, and yells into my face.

Tears began to fall down my face as I say under my breath and the yelling, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

DEVILLALA WAS HERE!!! (12/30/18)

Jiwon looks at me with disgust. "Sorry? SORRY?!?! THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!?!? I feel disgusted. I'll see you later. You are coming back with me to Lala, and you are proving to her that you are sorry."

Inside, I feel weak, but I still have a bit inside of me ready to say the words, "For all, I have done, please, let me have Lala. I want to feel better and apologize to her. I'm sorry."

Jiwon pushes my wheelchair to Starbucks. When we walk in, Lala got up from her chair and hugged me tightly. Jiwon whispers to Lala, and we are brought outside to Albertsons. "So, KANOA, what is it that you are going to say to Lala?"

I sit there quite. I open my mouth to say a word, but before I even say a word, Lala interjects by saying, "Jiwon. Kanoa never did anything. It was just I who couldn't bear the pain. Yes, we broke up, but we are both hoping to be friends together. Yes. From the start, it was I, but hey, I can't bear for my feelings to hurt. Please, Jiwon. Kanoa has just been stuck in the middle of this. Please, don't hurt him."

I was so stunned when everything Lala said was just me being in the center of it. Like I couldn't believe that it was all of this and what I get is no word to speak over me being in the center of it. "Lala. Stop," I tell Lala while stunned by what I heard. "Lala. Please. How could you? You shouldn't have. I'm sorry," I pleaded to Lala.

Jiwon stood there, confused about the words that were just thrown around. "You don't want me to hurt him because he cares for you so much, but yet he hurt you?" Jiwon asked in a very concerned expression. Lala looks down. Her hair covers her face, and she answers, "I asked for the breakup..."

"Jiwon stepped back with a confused look. "So wait, SO you broke up with him, and you ran from the unbearable pain?" Jiwon asked with recollection in her voice.

Lala nods and turns her back against all of us. I go over to Lala and tug her jacket's sleeve and lay my hand on her arm. I heard Jiwon slowly approach. I first think that she would kill me, but when she was behind Lala, she gave her a big hug. "Hey. Don't worry. I'll be your... companion? No. How about an older sister?"

Lala nods, but we heard her sobbing softly. I hugged Lala as Jiwon came up and hugged her too. Under Lala's cry, I heard, "Thank you, Jiwon, for understanding. Kanoa. Is it okay if I can talk to you, private?"

Jiwon nodded her head up and down against Lala as she stayed there hugging her until she let go. "Go. Talk to him. I won't intrude, but I want to be here to help you."

Jiwon steps back and heads back to Starbucks to head back to Cecilia.

As I watch Jiwon walk back to Starbucks, Lala slowly walks up to me and pushes my wheelchair to hide behind me. I stayed quiet as I watched the buildings pass by us. After a few minutes of silence, Lala speaks in a cracky voice, "Kanoa, you will be fine, okay? I'll always be here for you; no matter what happens, I'll always be here with you."

We came to a sudden stop, and I looked back at Lala and saw her with her head down silent. What Lala said made me feel better. Although we had everything rushed, I can at least see us being friends instead of a couple. Being there for me made me feel happy. It makes me feel better after what has happened to me, but still, I feel empty with Lala's words echoing through my head. "Lala," I asked Lala as I tried to keep my tears from falling, "Thank you. Can I make a promise to you? Can we please," I state in a sudden pause? The words I was going to speak made my tears fall. "Lala, Can we meet up someday and make up for our sins of the past? Please?"

Lala looks at me with amazement and nods. I tried getting up from my chair and was able to stand a bit while trying to grasp the wheelchair for balance. I . hugged Lala tightly and let all of my tears fall. Lala hugged me back as I heard her whisper, "I'll be there. I'm sorry. I'll be there for you."

After hugging for what I felt was forever, we let go, and I carefully got into my wheelchair and sat down. I looked back at Lala and saw a tear running down her face. I wiped the tear away using my sleeve and said, "Let's go back to them, Jiwon and Cecilia. We can explain everything to them there, and we can begin to make new friendships with them even though it may be a little hard for me to get through what has happened. Anyway, there will always be a way for us. Nothing will be impossible for us."

Lala nods, and a small smile was on her face. Lala turned the wheelchair and pushed me back to Starbucks. We went to Cecilia's and Jiwon's table. They looked worried, and worst; they were sitting at a table near a window facing Albertsons, the direction where Lala and I were talking. It wasn't as packed and full of middle schoolers, but there were still many. I was able to get the wheelchair to fit next to the table.

Cecilia offers a seat for Lala next to her, and Jiwon steps in and sits next to her. I hide my face by facing down and hoping they can't see my face from dried up teardrops.

I say with my head faced down, "Hello there. You may all know me already. Kanoa. How are all of you?"

"We are good. Can you please fill us in on what is happening, you two? We want to help you two, so please, tell us what is happening?" Jiwon says in a calm and relaxed way.

I peaked at Lala and saw she was looking at me. I looked up, revealing my face and telling them the story of what is happening.