The List

Chapter 4

I never leave my seat at Starbucks. After Kev and the guys leave I just sit there in awe. If I'm being honest I am extremely shook and I just don't want to leave the place where I just had the best conversation with Kevin freaking Smart. I look around at my surroundings, the people bustling to and from work. College students messing around before class. Blind people out strolling with their service dogs. 

I finally break out of my trance and quickly get up. As I click the unlock button on my keys, I hear a familiar voice. 

"Mari?" 

I turn towards the voice and see the one person who changed my life for worse. "Dad?" 

"What are you doing in New York honeybun?" He tries to move closer to me but I back up, trying to avoid every part of him. 

"I live here. Why the hell are you here?" I turn away, knowing he can read my emotions.

"I'm here for.." he pauses, trying to think of just another lie. "business." 

"Yeah, sure, business. Like everything to you is business." I rolls my eyes and try to continue towards my car but he follows, like always. 

"You can't still be mad at me after all these years." 

"Yes I can!" I finally turn toward him, fed up. "You fucked with my head since the day I was born. You ruined my fucking life. You hurt me in MANY ways. Business has always been your excuse when in reality you're just a worthless piece of shit and I'm sorry but you have NEVER been a dad to me." With everyone around me staring, I storm away from him and hop in my car. The things he did to me, and the rest of my family...I could never forgive him.

I pull into the Kohl's parking lot, knowing the minute that I walk in, I'm going to be bombarded by Kyle, my oh so favorite Kohl's employee. In all honesty, the only reason I come here is to snatch his discounts. 

As I walk through the automatic doors, I'm attacked by  wild Kyle asking me questions. I can't quite hear everything he's saying considering he's talking at 150 words a minute but I do hear something about Twitter, Kevin and the list. 

"Dude K, calm down. Breathe. Slow down." I put my hands on his shoulders to calm him.

"Someone saw you and Kevin. They took pictures and posted them everywhere. People are asking questions hun. They want to know if you and Kevin are a thing." He slows down his words per minute but still speaks at a quick pace. 

"I JUST met him Kyle. Why would people be asking that? What in the literal hell is going on?" I run my hands through my frizzy ass hair and pace past Kyle. "Just. UGH. I'll be in my car to take you home." 

After waiting almost an hour for Kyle to walk out the Kohl's automatic doors, he finally hops in my car, hitting his head on the way in. 

"There's a car there Kyle." I look over at him to see him glaring at me while buckling his seat belt. 

As I drive him to his dorm, I tell him about my small...date? with Kev and my dad showing up. 

"How the hell did he recognize you? He hasn't seen you since you were, what, 16?" He throws his hands around, obviously as infuriated as I was. 

"I haven't changed much since Sophomore year Kyle. My face is literally the same just without horrifying braces. And I know how to do my makeup now." I let out a laugh and can feel Kyle's eyes on me again, probably glaring. "I'm kidding." I roll my eyes as I pull into the college parking lot. Kyle hands me his parking pass to hang on my mirror and we both get out. We slowly walk towards the dorms so we have more time to talk in private without Kyle's annoying roommate butting in every five minutes. 

We walk inside the dorm room to find Kyle's roommate and...Crow. 

"No. Nope. This is way too coincidental. I'm tired of the bullshit. I'm breaking the fourth wall. Fuck you." With that, Kyle walks out. 

"Okay... Anyway, this guy actually DMed me. Told me you'd be here today." Crow looks at me. 

"My name's Eddy." The roommate rolls his eyes. 

"Shut up Paul." I swear he always says his name but I never remember it. Edtard walks out, furious. 

"I just wanted to come see you because well..." He gets up and all I feel are his lips on mine then it seems like the whole world just fades out.