keyed

sneak preview

"Alright, see you later." I stood, watching Leila walk away. She flashed me her sweet smile before rounding the corner and heading to her next class. Normally, I'd walk with her, but I had to run down to the nurse's office for my student assistant period.

I trotted down the main stairs, counting the seconds until the bell rang. I was a bit distracted, which is probably why I got counted tardy. It's hard focusing when the last thing you saw was her. I was just lucky she liked me back, because even if not, I'd have a hard time keeping myself away from her. The way her hair curled around her face... How she could wear a jacket and sweatpants and still look like the world revolved around her... Wow. She was so nice, and smart, and she liked me! I honestly feel like its fifth grade again, and Jenny-told-Mike-told-Katy-told-Jake that she likes you back. But now it's sophomore year, and a girl who's way out of my league texts me first and hugs me back.

"Kyle, you have a vision screening today." The nurse told me as I rushed through the door as the bell finished chiming. Every three months my school required these stupid things. Honestly, they're just a waste of time. I picked up my information card the nurse left on my desk for the screening and strolled into the vision room down the hall.

The normal hearing and vision bozo wasn't there today. The mystery person who I assumed would be administering the screening's back was turned to me. It was a woman, probably in her mid thirties. She had a sweatshirt dotted with stains drowning her whole upper half, and baggy jeans to complement it.

"Kyle Lewis. Sit up here." She said without even turning around. I do what she says, whatever's happening will be over soon anyways. Instead of telling me to cover one eye and look at a poster, she handed me some kind of screen.

"What is this for?" I asked her, holding the tablet up confusedly. "Look." She told me. It's then I saw her face. Whoever she was looked like she hasn't slept in months. Her spiderweb eyes are assertive... And kind of scary. I look down at the screen.

"What...?" I call sort of loudly, pushing the tablet back to her. I didn't look for long, but all I saw was some girl bawling on the screen. "Look!" The tired woman practically hollers at me, jabbing a skinny finger at the screen. I look down hesitantly again.

Why the Hell is she showing me this? What kind of vision screening... Some girl is on the screen. Mascara runs down her face like she's a member from KISS, her blond hair is matted and falling out of its ponytail. She's crying hysterically, screaming into her pillow, and it makes me uncomfortable.

Oh shit. That's Leila.

I don't ask the woman what's going on. Someone put my kind-of girlfriend on camera at obviously a time she didn't want to be, and that's not ok.

"Who did this to her." I don't realize how angry I am until my words come out. I don't take time to wonder where she got the video or who she is, or what's happening. All I can focus on is that Leila's hurting in a video and I can't help her. My fists are clenched at my sides and I feel my forehead heating up. The woman stares at me creepily, unstable. Suddenly, she tilts her head back and just starts cackling.

I turn on my heel and rush to the door, this is weird. I shouldn't be here. I'm running to the nurse's and telling her there's a psychotic woman with a video--

The door! It's locked from the outside!

"Let me out!" I scream at her, she's still cackling. I feel uncomfortable, unsafe.

"You did it to her!" She suddenly screeches, sending her into more fits of cackles. What the Hell... I cautiously walk back in her direction and pick up the tablet once again. It's definitely Leila. She throws her head back to sob and I can see her precious lips and shiny teeth, but this time they aren't arrayed into a smile like the happy girl I know. I don't want to see her like this, I never would do this to her.

"I didn't do this." I inform her. She stops cackling and looks at me sideways. "Of course you don't think you did. You boys always say that. You break Leila's sweet heart in about eight months. You had potential with her, too. She thought--" the woman stars laughing again, "--she thought you were getting married to her!" That sends her into a tantrum of cackling and laughing. Each of her breaths makes my heart pump faster and my blood louder in my ears. I'm trying to think of the quickest way to call the police or get out, but her words have stunned me. I could never break Leila's heart like that. 

I turn my back to her and watch Leila on the screen. There's no way, I would never do this to her, no matter what the circumstance! Sure we wouldn't last forever, but I'm a decent enough guy to end things placidly. I couldn't have done this to her!

...but I I have this weird feeling. I'm not a fortune teller. Maybe I did do this to her. But that just makes me even more angry! And finally, I can feel the testosterone, anger, confusion, and fright rip straight through my veins and out my mouth.

"Listen, I don't know who you are, I don't know how you got this video, and I don't know why you're at my school. Please leave me alone! Let me go back to class or something." I squeak at her. My voice is tight from the attempt not to cry and to keep my feelings wrangled up inside.

"Class? That's what Leila dreaded! You know, you idiotic boys hurt these girls more than you realize. She didn't want to come to school because you broke her heart! She dreaded the moment she had to pass you in the hall, but you don't know that! And the worse thing of all, even after showing you this, it's going to end the same anyways. Clueless children." She babbles, half to herself.

I try at the door a bit more, doing anything to distract me from the crazy woman. I try to ricochet her words from coming into my thoughts, I mean, she's some crazy lady who will probably be arrested once I get out of here.

But there's no denying it... I know she's right. I just can't believe I could do that to her. She's my world right now. It's almost unhealthy how head over heels I am for her, and I caused that breakdown on the screen. No girl deserves to feel like that... Especially not my girl.

But like the crazy woman cackling behind me said, no matter what happens, it will always end up with me crushing her.

Part of me wishes that I crush myself in that destined process.

But how much do I have to change, or how much does she have to change, for us to end up like that? I try closing my eyes but it only haunts me with her in tears. She looks so sad, so distraught. I broke her heart. What an idiot, I broke her heart! I will break her heart!