CAUGHT OFF GAURD

CAUGHT OFF GUARD: CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

MAIN CHARACTER 👆🏾

KHALIL💕

Well I managed to get home without causing any wrecks. By the time I pulled up in front of my house, I was pretty zoned out. I was trying not to think about Tyson and my guilt, to just focus on my reunion with Cole; but everything was so muddled in my brain, I just ended up feeling kinda numb and flat as I walked up the driveway.

I got to the rear bumper of Mom's car and stopped in my tracks. 'Oh shit! How the hell do I explain why Ty's not with me? Oh man, shit!' I shuffled around anxiously trying to come up with some lie that would sound plausible. 'Maybe I can say he's...'

My little emergency strategy session was abruptly interrupted by the front door flying open and the shrill voice of my mom at her most upset. "Khalil Murray Kyse! Get in here NOW!" The distorted view of her form through the screen door disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared.

What the hell?! What brought this on? A 'DefCon Four' situation??? In the call to an ass-chewing, whenever my proper first name was used was DefCon Two. If my last name was added, it was DefCon Three, and if my middle name was included, it was DefCon Four-- serious shit. Yeah, I read too much sci-fi.

'Man, I really don't want to deal with any bullshit right now, puleeeze! I've had enough for one day!' I thought as I grudgingly moved forward. I tried to think back on what I could have possibly done in the last day or so that would warrant this level of severity in her tone and volume and came up empty handed.

'Ok, try to keep calm. Just listen, apologise, admit you were wrong, whatever it was, promise to never do it again and make your escape to your room. Call Cole as soon as you think it's safe to use the phone. Get on in there, or she'll get more pissed off.'

I trudged like a beast of burden to the door, feeling like I didn't even have the strength or resolve to turn the handle. I just didn't want to deal with anything else today. I was so exhausted and strung out from all the intense emotional ups and downs, I didn't know if I could even remain calm if she really chewed my ass for some stupid thing I'd done that I didn't even remember doing.

Just as I turned the handle of the screen door, a light bulb came on in my head

'That's gotta be what it is! I bet she found out I skipped school those two days between the two sick days back when... Well fuck that! So I missed four days in four fucking years of high school! Big Fucking Deal! It's not like I'm gonna flunk out now or anything! If that's what this is about, I'm gonna go off! No. Calm down, Khalil. You're tired and stressed out. Stay calm.'

I stepped into the living room and saw her pacing the floor with a piece of paper in her hand. She whipped around and almost knocked me over with the look in her eyes and on her face. I had never seen this look before. It scared me.

This wasn't about skipping school. The look was about evenly mixed with anger, confusion and sadness. I didn't know what to make of it. My initial reaction was to try to comfort her and find out what it was about-- but having had my full name invoked, I was apparently the cause of her distress.

She looked like she was too upset to speak and began shaking the paper In her fist at me. I had been too busy gauging her expression to look at the paper until now. My jaw dropped when I recognized it.