Still Waters

Chapter 25

"No." I smiled like we were having an everyday conversation.

"Aight. Let me know if there is." He looked at my eye for an incredibly long time, then down at my cast again. Then he just stood there and gave me one more chance to come clean. When I turned away from him and didn't say anything else, he stepped up beside me and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him, and leaned in real close to my ear. "I will jack this dude up. Just say the word," he whispered and pulled back to look me in the eye, waiting for me to take him up on his offer. I shook my head no and looked away from him again. "Ok," Drama nodded like that wasn't the end of our conversation, and then motioned to Shayna. They both looked at me one more time before leaving the room.

It was a long time before I got up the nerve to turn towards Kenney. The minute I did it, I was sorry.

"What the fuck is going on, Natasha?" Kenney demanded, as soon as Drama and Shayna left the room.

"Don't cuss at me, asshole!" I yelled, unreasonably taking out my past two days on poor unsuspecting Kenney.

Then I stormed back to my room and tried to slam the door behind me. Unfortunately, Kenney was there in a flash and stuck his foot in the doorframe to keep me from closing the door all the way.

"Ouch mayne! Doggone girl! I know you're pissed, but don't take it out on the new Tims!"

I stopped and turned around to look at him. The gentle forgiveness on his face quickly put me in check. "Kenney..." then I burst into tears.

Kenney was by my side in two steps, and led me by the hand over to the bed. He stayed there too, and didn't flinch once as I snotted all over his brand new shirt. When I finally finished bawling, Kenney pulled away slowly and feigned a look of disgust.

"You finished droolin' on me?"

I smiled up at him. "I think so."

"So...you want to tell me what happened?"

I looked away. "No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright." He picked up my newest Cosmo and started completing the half-finished "Is He Your Soulmate?" quiz.

"What are you doing, Kenney?"

"Waiting," he replied without looking up.

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for you to tell me what happened to you. Take your time," he closed the magazine and looked over at me. "I have all day."

"Kenney, I...I just don't want to tell you, ok?"

"Alright," Kenney clenched his jaw and stood up. "No problem. At all..." and he walked towards the door.

I followed right behind him and quickly grabbed Drama out of the kitchen before Kenney had the chance to leave.

"Drama, you have to go with him."

"I was."

"Drama, he..."

"I know why."

"No, no you don't." I looked into his unyielding face and shrank away. "I didn't tell him anything. I'm just afraid that he might try to blame this on Collin." I pointed to my eye and shook my head. "And Collin didn't do this."

"Natasha. Don't waste my time." For some reason, Drama always made it impossible to lie to him.

I looked down, feeling two feet tall. "If I tell you...don't tell Kenney, alright?"