In Between

Part 4 - What got into Kevin?

A week after going back to school, Katie and Carly met up with Sam in the school hallway "You think Kevin feels stupid after what happened with Mr Wilder?" Sam said laughing "Oh please! Kevin has never HAD a friend who cared." Carly replied as Kevin walked over "Um, I uh want to say something to you 3." Kevin said not in his normal manner, but in a calm manner "After what happened at the mall I felt bad, Katie I felt bad for what I said." he added "Do you have any idea what I went through when they died? You're an 8th grader bullying another 8th grader" said Katie showing signs of anger "I know, my mom was furious that night with me" he responded "So, does that give you any rights to bully her then?" Carly said pinning Kevin against his locker, the Principal walked by and stopped "Uh what is going on here?" said Principal Roberts "Sir, he was talking about Katie's family." replied Sam "Is that right, Katie?" asked Principal Roberts "Yes, but at the mall sir." she replied "Does this LOOK like a mall, Katie?" asked the Principal "No, sir sorry." Katie replied back. The Principal with a stern look upon his face escorted the 4 of them to class where Mr Wilder was waiting.

Mr Wilder walked over to Katie "You haven't said anything all morning, let alone done anything in my class." he said kneeling down to her "I know, I don't think I can do anything." she replied "What do you mean? You're a smart kid, don't throw everything away Katie." Mr Wilder replied "You don't know what it's like, sir" she replied hiding her face in her hands "Katie, I have lost people too." replied Mr Wilder. Mr Wilder headed back to the front of the class to resume his teaching. Kevin, who's sat beside Katie looked over at Katie and hesitated "Katie?" he whispered to her carefully "What?" she replied, confused as to why Kevin was being nice "Sorry about the mall, Principal Roberts and Mr Wilder both said I needed to apologize to you." replied Kevin, before finishing off his work assigned by Mr Wilder.

At lunch, Sam and Carly went with Katie to lunch "Kevin was uhhh nice?" Katie whispered "What do you mean?" asked Sam "He apologized in class to me for what happened at the mall." replied Katie "Who put him up to that?" asked Carly "Mr Wilder and Principal Roberts did." replied Katie. Kevin walked over to them "No hard feelings guys?" asked Kevin, sitting down with them "Kevin, have you even got friends here?" asked Sam puzzled at Kevin sitting with them "No, kids always turn their backs to me in school." he replied "Look, what I said was wrong." he added to his sentence "You're looking for forgiveness, Kevin?" asked Sam "I just want to apologize to Katie for my actions." replied Kevin "Kevin, you can sit with us and I accept the apology." replied Katie.

The last class of the day, everyone was almost ready to go home, Kevin went his own way before being stopped by Katie "Kevin wait." said Katie stopping Kevin by the lockers "Where are you going?" she asked "Home." he replied noticing Carly approach "What's happening?" asked Carly "Kevin was going home apparently." replied Katie "Nonsense! Come on, come with us if my mom asks what your doing just let me handle it." Carly replied "Where's Sam?" asked Katie "Oh, um he had to meet his cousin." replied Carly "Ah, I see." replied Katie "Ready?" asked Carly "We're ready." replied Kevin. They all went back to Carly's house for the evening, Carly's mom noticed Kevin "Why is he here?" asked her mom "Kevin just wanted to be liked, he apologized to Kate about his actions at the mall." replied Carly. Carly's mom was skeptical but as long as Kevin was respectful to both Carly and Katie, she didn't mind him being there.

That night, Kevin went back home and the girls sat up to watch some TV in Carly's room "Kevin seems to have changed." said Katie "Yeah, he has.. didn't you notice his approach this morning in the hallway?" said Carly "It was weird, I mean he is never nice to anyone." replied Katie "Sam looked as if he didn't trust Kevin." said Carly. That same night, Katie found something in her room that she forgot she had, she grabbed what appeared to be a stuffed animal. She headed back to Carly's room "I forgot I had this with me." Katie said "What is it?" asked Carly "This? Oh it's a rabbit my mom bought for me when I was younger, says it never left me." Katie said chuckling "Must be hard for you now." replied Carly "It is but I know my parents would want me to be myself, right?" replied Katie "Oh, of course! Heck my mom always reassures me over literally everything." Carly replied "We should be getting ready for bed, it's almost 10." said Katie.

**To Be Continued**