Hold My Hand

Five

Sean Lew didn't know how long he had been staring at the door with the chipped green paint – he didn't even know why he was there in the first place. He tried not to answer his own question at the moment and once again looked around the small neighborhood.

Kaycee Rice's house and the houses next to hers were almost rundown, something he didn't notice the night before. The place seemed friendlier than last night, and everything seemed peaceful for now. He looked at the door next to hers, Ken's house, and wondered how long he had been going through that with his father, and how frequently Kaycee had been to his rescue. 

Is that why they knew each other in the first place? His stomach swirled at the memory of how he accused her of bullying him, when she probably was protecting him instead.

He looked at his watch and it is just a couple of hours before his first class starts. He couldn't believe that he woke early that morning and first thought of checking up on Kaycee and her family.

Why? He would like to think that he's just merely curious of her, of what happened last night, of Ken's situation, and maybe to confirm his suspicions. Are Kaycee and her brothers parentless?

As if to answer his questions, the green door opened, and out came Kaycee, in her usual black leather and school skirt get-up, with his goth accessories and ridiculous black lipstick. She was ushering her little brothers out with their matching parkas and numbered bags, and he wondered what their reaction must be when they first saw their older sister with all that heavy makeup. Are they triplets? He couldn't see their faces from where he was situated, but they are all of the same height and dress the same so he assumed that they are.

The kids' energy is through the roof that morning; his gaze flitted to Kaycee, and his brows rose seeing she is all smiles as she conversed with her brothers, contrasting the intimidating makeup on her face. One brother with number two on his bag started to sing, and immediately, his brothers followed suit. Soon, Kaycee started to sing with them, bobbing her head as they marched in step down the slope.

She is smiling, and he is momentarily stunned.

He started his car and turned to follow them, and from a distance, he saw the siblings with their fists in the air as they continued to sing. Sean isn't even aware of the small smile etched on his lips as he watched them.

Suddenly, his phone rang and he absently answered the call, his eyes still fixed on Kaycee Rice.

"Hello."

"May I know why you're in that kind of place, sir?" came in his bodyguard's voice, echoing throughout the car through the hands-free.

"Shit." Sean cleared his throat. "None of your business," he quickly dismissed.

"So who's the girl?" Tim asked.

Sean frantically looked at the rearview mirror and then twirled on his seat to look around his surroundings to see his bodyguard's car, but he is nowhere to be found. He purposely woke early to avoid them, and yet, the older guy is sharp as ever.

He reached the intersection for the bus stop, and he could still see Kaycee and her brothers singing and waiting.

"What are you talking about? I'm not following any girl," he lied.

The other line is silent that he almost thought that Tim had hung up on him; until he started talking again.

"Right. So... Kaycee Rice, 17. Goes to your school, obviously, through a full scholarship –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you getting all that information from? And how did you know it's her I'm following?" And Kaycee's a scholar?

"You underestimate my skills too much, sir," was Tim's only reply.