The Reason Why

Chapter 17: Live With Lonesome part 2

That day turned out weird. Kimberly keep reminding herself that Karen was tired and nothing else. Even though she looked kinda sad, but who doesn't when she's tired?
Between Jimi and Karen everything was fine too. Kimberly had caught them laying in one bunk together again when they were back on the road.
Kimberly is the morning person of the band. She sadly has to deal with five grumpy people with a bad morning mood but she's used to it. Reading a magazine and drinking coffee before everybody wakes up is always fine. Well, that's what Kimberly finds.
Karen stepped out of the bus first. She was only wearing a big grey shirt who probably belongs to Jimi.
"Honey, your make up is all over your face." Big mascara stripes down her cheeks.
Karen looked shocked and wanted to say something, but instead she ran away toward the venue.
"Okay..." Kimberly said to herself. She wouldn't stay away that long, she thought.

"Where's Karen?" Phillip asked.
"She ran away to there," Kimberly pointed to the direction Karen had ran to. "but that was thirthy minutes ago." She looked on her watch. "Yeah, but I thought she wouldn't stay away that long because she is only wearing a shirt."
"Only a shirt? Nothing under it or something?" Rebecca joked.
"Of course something under it." Kimberly snapped. She startled of her own words. She jumped up and started to stutter. "I-I, eh-" she ran away, away from the table.
"Three things: one, what's wrong with Karen? Two, what's wrong with Kimberly? Three,why did Kim just ran away?" Rebecca asked.
"Well, to answer two and three," Schlap started. "i don't know if you noticed it but Kimberly just snapped at you. That's why she probably ran away, she feels guilty because she has been mean to you." 
"Well, if that's mean in her eyes."
"That's how she explains it to me."
"I didn't even noticed she snapped. Oops. But question one: what's wrong with Karen?" 
"Dunno." Phillip said.
Schlap stayed quiet and all eyes where on Jimi now.
He looked up: "What? How do I have to know that? She doesn't say a shit."
"Poor you." Rebecca closed her eyes. Westbrook drama. She sighed.
"I'm going to look for my wife." Jimi stood up and walked to the direction Kimberly had point to.
"Did they had a fight?"
"No, Karen's not herself the latest weeks. Haven't you noticed that?"
"I saw her for maybe three days or something and she looked fine."
"I don't know what's wrong with her, but I feel sorry for her. She looks so sad."
"Poor Kiki. Do you think her looks still bother her?"
"Could be. I don't know how to explain her sadness, I'm just thinkin' of options and did think about that too but three doctors comfirmed she doesn't have anorexia anymore."
"But still, you always read about declines."
"But she eats."
"I'm going inside, I have to do something! This makes me upset." Rebecca left Phillip and Schlap alone.

Schlap was almost done with writing and wanted to look for Kimberly after that, but she already came back.
"Sorry Schlappy." She took a seat against him.
"It's okay. Rebecca didn't even see it as snapping."
"Oh! Then it's okay. Whatcha doin'?"
"Writing in this little notebook." Schlap waved with it.
"Aahh! Kinda writing down all ya secrets, ha?"
"Hm. Karen told me that writing down your thoughts makes your life less heavier with problems and all."
"Karen already writes down her whole life since she could write!"
"It's cool."
Schlap looked a kind of sad too and Kimberly saw that he wrote down a name starting with a 'K' a lot. And it wasn't hers since it's too short for 'Kimberly' and too long for 'Kim'. Karen maybe? Schlap's handwriting is hard to read upside down.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah? Why?"
"You're so quiet."
Schlap had to laugh. "I'm just writing, Kim."
Kimberly sighed and stood up. "Everybody's so boring 'round here. I'm going to look for Philly and Becky."

"Aha! There you are." Kimberly found Phillip and Rebecca in a little Pizza Hut next to the venue.
She took a seat against them and watched them eat.
"I'm sorry that I snapped at you, Rebecca."
"Girl," some pizza fell out of Rebecca's mouth. "it's totally fine. I didn't even considered it as snapping."
"I'm just so worried about Karen." Kimberly whispered.
"We all are. Maybe she is depressed?" 
Rebecca dropped her fork and gave Phillip a killer look.
"Look at that poor girl," she pointed to Kimberly. "she almost gets an antiexy attack, you idiot." She grabbed Kimberly's hand. "Honey, Karen's not depressed."
"I- I had this dream where Karen ended up in the hospital and... Died..." Kimberly said slowly.
"That doesn't mean anything." 
"But it was on the day she was really in the hospital..."
The two kept quiet.
"But," Phillip started. "She died in the hospital and our Karen is still walking around."
Rebecca agreed.
"You should not worry to much, Kimmy, Karen will be fine. Why don't you think about something funny? "About her?"
"Ooooh, I know a lot!" Rebecca laughed.
"Well, one time she licked a pizza slice and slapped it in my face." 
"And what did you do?"
"Nothing! That's the point!"
"Oh my, I'm not going to sit next to Karen anymore when we eat pizza!" Rebecca laughed.
"Sometimes Karen randomly slaps food in people's faces." Phillip shook his head. "What kind of friends do we have."
"See, Kimberly? Soon Karen will be fine again and slaps food on our faces."