Kari is a compassionate girl on the geeky side with budding culinary talents. After her family had to move halfway across the country, Kari is unable to adjust in her new high school where she is an outcast. Repeatedly forced to do group assignments...
"Kari, just tell us. We're worried about you." James said, concerned, his hand on her shoulder.
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This was not the first time they asked, only now they were directly confronting her about it, as if holding an intervention. They'd been watching her withdraw back further and further into herself, much like she had done when they first moved, so they knew something had to be wrong.
Kari wanted them to go away. She couldn't just keep it from Milo. She had to keep it from everyone in her life. Friends, family — her parents. But her parents would never get off her back unless she gave them something. Kinda like Milo before.
"Y-Yyou were... right. I do love Milo...! But... he—"
She trailed off to think about how exactly she was supposed to phrase it.
"Ohh... I'm so sorry..." went James.
Linda likewise felt sympathetic. "Aww..." Like most adults, they both experienced the feeling they were thinking Kari was feeling. She tried her best to form advice.
"When I was your age— actually, a little younger, I was fourteen. There was a boy I liked, he was my first love. We got along well, we'd talk in class and in the halls. When he asked me for my number, I was so excited. We went to the movies, went bowling... I thought I was doing everything right ...then I saw him kissing another girl. And I'm telling you about this, because I want you to understand something I didn't understand. Your first love feels like the one and only... but it isn't. And it's hard to remember that, when you love someone so much—"
"No, no, no." interrupted Kari, for a reason her parents didn't expect. "I didn't... tell him. But I know he'd reject me so I'm not going to."
They both opened their eyes wide. Teens say and think ridiculous things sometimes, that's just how they are. But... seriously? They didn't want to invalidate how she felt though. So they tried to tread lightly. "Why do you think he'd reject you?" her mother asked.
Yet again, she hesitated to figure out the phrasing, to dodge having to 'come out of the fridge'. Her parents always saw her as this pure, innocent little saint who always did the right thing. She's the last person one would expect to have such twisted desires. And who even tells their parents about something like that anyways!?
"He'd hate me if he knew the real me."
"What?" "What are you talking about?" James and Linda said respectively, in unison. James kept going.
"The real you is kind, smart, generous, selfless, talented— I've seen how he acts around you. I would be shocked if he didn't love you back. I think he'd be crazy to not!"
Kari shook her head. He turned to his wife and kept going, smiling.
"And take it from me. Guys love girls who know how to cook!"
Linda laughed and she nodded. "Milo looks like the kind of guy whose type would be 'girl who's a good cook.' And you're always cooking for him. Because he loves your cooking, right?"
