To Kiss Kate

8. Angela

Katiya Carpenter's Point of View:

My phone rang loudly, waking me up from a much needed sleep. I looked at the screen.

Jason

I groaned loudly before answering.

"Hello."

"Hi, Katie. Do you wanna get lunch today?" I looked at the time. 11:02.

"I'm sleeping." I told him blandly, hoping he would get the hint.

"Listen I know you don't want to hang out with me, but I really want to make it up to you. Make everything up to you." He said. He really wasn't letting it go, which made it easy for me to fall back into.

"Not today, Jason." I told him. "But I'll see you tonight, right?" I tried to be nicer. He was trying, and even though I wasn't falling for it, he deserved my kindness.

"Yeah. Right, okay."

"I'll see you then. Bye Jason."

"Bye, love you." I hung up, not responding to his love you. Now that I was awake, I might as well get up. I stood up and went downstairs, where I was somewhat surprised to see my dad sitting at the table drinking what I hoped was coffee. He didn't work on Saturdays, but he still was usually much busier by 11am, in a good way or not.

"Hi dad." I said. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Morning, Katiya." He looked back down at his newspaper. "I talked to some people about that boy I met. Jack, was it?" I rolled my eyes, not surprised at all that he was being over protective.

"Yeah, Jack." I walked towards the kitchen counter and poured coffee.

"Some guys from town said the family is a lot. They're city people, nothing new, but they... well. They're not really very open to people who aren't... from the city." He said slowly, trying to figure out the words to say it nicely. I chuckled a little.

"They don't like people who aren't rich is what you're saying?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

"Sure, right. That's just what I heard."

"I don't think Jack is like that. But, we're just friends, Dad. It's not a big deal." I told him, taking a sip of coffee.

"I know. Just be careful, you know how people talk around here." I nodded slowly, staring ahead and thinking about everything. My dad and I seemed to be a hot topic of conversation in town, which was not pleasant. But it just seemed to work out that way.

I made plans with Genny to go to the Rocky Harbor mall around noon to shop, which I couldn't afford but needed an excuse to get out of the house. I had work at 5.

She picked me up a little after twelve and we headed to the mall. Genny was my best friend, and I felt like I hadn't spent a ton of time with her recently, so it was nice to just talk and relax with her. We talked about graduating, and the town gossip from the past week. Until she brought up Jason.

"I thought you dumped him.. but then at the party." I let out a long sigh.

"I did. It's just so easy to fall back into my old routine with him. Then once I do it I regret it. He's not giving up this time though." I told her, finally opening up a little bit.

"That's the thing with him, Kate. He just isn't used to not getting what he wants. He hurt you. It doesn't seem like you're gonna get over that." I loved Genny for her honesty, even when I didn't want to hear it.

"I know. But it's Jason. He's been there through everything. I just... it's hard to forget."

"I know Kate. That doesn't change the fact that he hurt you. Where was he then? But you have to make a decision for yourself. You can't keep making yourself miserable for Jason." I looked at the floor and stared at my vans which were brown with mud.