I walked back into the house, pulling my headphones out my ears as I closed and locked the door. It hadn't taken as long as I thought it would have. The fries were still warm too so I walked in search of my father. I found him in the kitchen, hugged up against his wife; their backs were turned to me. His arms I could tell where wrapped around her waist. I cleared my throat and the two jumped.
My father turned and looked surprised, his eyes widened at the sight of me. I held up the bag and said, "I got your fries."
He didn't reply, didn't even look away from my hair. My frown couldn't get any deeper. Then his wife gasped as she turned from the dishes. Her hand over her mouth as she stared at it as well. I figured that was the reaction I was going to get from the dramatic change.
"What did you do to your hair, Katherine?" My father asked.
I shrugged. "I wanted to look different, for a new life. You know?"
There was silence before he said, "I understand. But is that truly the hairstyle you wanted?"
I bit on my bottom lip and nodded. "I think it helps me get out of my shell and lets me express myself more."
"That's for certain." His wife said her big round blue eyes couldn't leave my head.
I turned and walked out the room, up to my bedroom where I sat my salad down on my desk. I turned to the mirror on my dresser and stared at the newfound stranger that looked back at me. I don't know how this had happened.
After I had agreed to go with the redhead girl, she took me to the shop. I noticed that she was a trainee. So I requested someone who was a professional. I soon found that she was the only available hairstyle person. I went along with it, hoping she wouldn't ruin my hair.
She did what she had said outside. She put in a relaxer and leave-in conditioner. But then after blow-drying it, she said, "Don't you want a new style?"
After considering it, I thought I should make a new me for this new life so I agreed. She started busting out with ideas and I shrugged saying the stupid words, "I don't care. Just change it."
And then all hell broke loss. It was terrible. I shouldn't even have agreed to the insane girl. As soon as I got outside people stared as I jogged back home. I didn't like attention but now I really attracted it. My hair wasn't long anymore; the back was cut all the way above my neck, exposing it. In the front I had a large side bang that covered my right eye almost completely. She had dyed it black but that wasn't the part that attracted people. All the back of my head was black but the bang; the stupid side bang was a bright pink. That's not all though; there was strip of a black and white checkered piece at the very edge.
Now people would stop and stare at me like I was just getting out of girl jail. My eyes looked mysterious, a change of color that lead to it being a light emerald green. My messy curls were gone, my hair jet straight. I guess that was beneficially. I looked older and more dark and mysterious.
Then I realized something when I looked in the mirror, noticing the name on my laptop. Katherine spelled out with sticky letter on it. Katherine. I noticed that the name didn't match the new look I had going on. It appeared, like it knew I was calling for one.
Kylie.
It matched me perfectly. I decided that was the name I would go by from this point on. I turned from the mirror and went over to my salad, eating it slowly. Out the window I watched as the sun began to crawl underneath the sky for the moon to shine its own light.
What was going to happen from this point on? Then what happened yesterday hit me back in the face. My stomach curled in disgust and my heart ached. I hated that those were my last words to her. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the home number to her house. But my finger lingered on the call button. Was I really prepared to talk to her? Did I even want to talk to her? I felt guilty and sad but I couldn't always be the one to crawl back.
I decided I'd wait for her to apologize or call first. I wasn't going to be the one to do it. She had to realize it herself and talk to her daughter when she felt like she wanted to. I didn't want to force her into talking to me. I wanted her to want to talk to her daughter like she was meant to. Why was I meant to do it? I signed as I stuffed my leftovers back into the bag and popped myself down on the bed.
What was I going to do?
I threw the unnecessary questions out my head and turned over, closing my eyes. But sleep never came and I turned over again, trying to get comfortable. But my body was used to staying up through night and day. At night my mother and her boyfriend argued and it kept me up, to the point where I just couldn't sleep anymore. The hitting and the sounds of loud voices, it just never stopped.
Even now when I closed my eyes, I could hear them screaming, I could hear her sobbing. I still heard it even when I was away from her. I turned over again and glanced at my alarm clock. 9:45pm.
Still no sleep had reached me. I signed and sat up, ranking a hand through my hair. I took off my hoodie and put on a black sports bra with my Jordan black jogging pants. Maybe I could go for a jog and come back without my father noticing I was gone. Or I could just lie, which seemed like a better plan. I slipped on my black sneakers and decided to throw back on my hoodie, just in case it was cold. As silently as possible, I walked out my room and down the stairs. Luck was on my side, the stairs didn't creak at all. Once I was out the front door, I shoved my headphones into my ear and began to jog in the opposite way of the stores.
Quickly, I passed out of the neighborhood and was near a park that was by the large cluster of trees. Why put a park so close to trees? Strange.
I continued forward and saw a skateboard park. It was full of twisting railings and curved ramps everywhere. I noticed that they were groups of kids out, bikes and skateboards all about. Some wore helmets and others didn't. I watched as a boy on a bike went onto a deep ramp, throwing him in the air and curving back into a flip, landing perfect back on the ramp and doing it on the other end. Amazing. I stopped jogging completely and watched another person on a skateboard went across a railing, flipping off of it into the air. He too landed perfectly.
Suddenly I heard someone say something but with my headphones in I couldn't hear the exact words coming out their mouth.
I turned at the sound of the voice and noticed someone on a skateboard charging towards me. Before I could even move, they slammed into me, knocking the oxygen out of my lungs. I landed hard on the ground beneath me. The person on top of me wasn't even breathing hard as they climbed off of me and then picking up their skateboard. The person, a boy about my age, stared down at me.
I stumbled to my feet and pulled my headphones out my ear. I took a deep breath and rubbing my back, a little bit of pain stabbing me from the fall.
"Sorry about that. I did give you a warning though." The boy said, smiling and rubbing the back of his neck.
I held up the headphones and said, "I didn't hear you."
The boy nodded, his light blond hair moving easily. "I figured that out."
Two people rolled up on bikes, slapping the boy on his back. One of the two took of their red helmet; it was a girl with long blonde hair, her bright blue eyes shining.
"Nice going, Jeremy."
The other of the two pulled of their helmet; it was a boy with dark brown hair and light brown eyes.
"Yeah, Sarah's right, you could have killed her."
Jeremy continued to smile and said, "But I didn't."
I was about to put my headphones back in and continue about my business when Sarah glanced at me and said, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." I replied.
Sarah nodded and continued to talk, "I'm sorry about Jeremy. He's kind of absent minded."
"Hey!" Jeremy responded, but that bright smile still on his face.
He had a young boy's face, with his really light blue eyes almost grey to me. I nodded and was starting to turn away from them when the other boy said, "You not from around here, are you?"
I stared at him before I shook my head. "No, just moved yesterday."
Now, I was really done talking. I turned around and put my headphones in and continued to jog, taking the route around the skateboard park so I could keep watching. I was going past the darkest part of the park, where the large lights didn't shine, when I banged into someone, again.
I stumbled back and muttered, "Sorry." I pulled out my headphones and shoved them in my pocket, just as I was about to continue on, I heard someone speaking.
"Who the hell is she?" Someone said, but I couldn't tell in the dark.
I was just about to retreat and go back the way I came when I felt someone gripping my arm tightly and I was yanked forward. The grip of the hand was digging into my skin causing me to wince. I could feel the bruise coming up through my hoodie. I tried to yank my arm away but their grip was too strong, telling me it was a guy.
"Let me go." I growled to the air.
"You know your not supposed to bring people into this, Evan." The mysterious guy scowled to the person, Evan.
"I didn't bring her into anything." The Evan person said, his deep voice ripping through the air sharply.
I was starting to get seriously annoyed. "I wish you would let me go. Goddammit. I don't have time for this crap. I don't know what your talking about so let me the hell go. Get your dirty hands off me."
Silence before I heard a chuckling sound and from the way my arm was shaking, it was the mysterious guy who was finding this situation funny. I wanted to slap the humor right out of him.
Before I could process another thought, I felt his other hand wrap around my waist and I pulled back into his chest or something hard. I figured it was his chest. Suddenly, his hand was on my thigh, trying to pull them aside. My cheeks heated up with angry and he clenched my arm yet still and I struggled to get away from him.
"What the fuck do you think your doing? You old disgusting pervert! Get your damn Diego exploring hands off me!"
He chuckled and my back moved from the movement. His breath was on my ear when he replied, "I bet you I'll find my destination."
My eyes widened at his words and I kicked back with the heel of my sneakers, making contact with the bone of his leg. I heard hum grunt and his exploring hand left my thigh, but his gripping hand only tightened.
I flinched but replied angrily, "Well, dumb ass, I'm not the goddamn map so find another." I ripped at my arm but he wouldn't let me go.
"Evan, you've got a feisty one right here. I didn't know you had it in you." The mysterious man said.
There was a prolonged silence before I heard Evan say, "I don't know her."
"Thank you! And I don't know him or you or anyone. Just let me go, god!" I yelled at the person behind me.
I was pushed forward, the front of my body pushed so far I banged into something, a tree. Instinctively I screamed for a hot second before I was brought back and then slammed again into a tree.
My head spun and it felt like my brain had popped out of my skull. I felt something dripping down the side of my head, the part that was facing the tree when I was slammed those two times. A pain so hard made my vision flash white was coming from my head.
I kicked back with my arms and legs but I made no contact. That's when my body went weak, the pain inside of me draining all my energy away. Something was pressing me up against the tree and I felt hands underneath my hoodie. I yanked them back with my own, but they were gripped behind me almost too quick.
"Let me go." I spitted, something metal like filling my mouth. I spit it on the ground next to me.
"You be quiet." The mysterious man growled in my ear. "Evan, you're making a fool out of me. You didn't think I'd see this little spy or helper you have for yourself. How long as she been around?"
What the hell was going on? Suddenly, I hated that I had come outside in the first place. My stomach curled as I tried to keep my breath calm even though my pulse was racing way to high. There was a lump in my throat that was growing more and more larger.
"I'm not trying to fool you, James. I don't know her, at all." Evan said, flatly.
I just now noticed that he didn't have any emotion in his voice since I had heard his voice. Did he even care what was happening? Why wasn't he helping me? That's when I thought of something. Why was I acting like some needy girl? I didn't need a boy to help me with my own problems. I could help my own self. I won't drop down to the level of other girls, relying on the guy when there's danger around. No, I'm my own girl and I'll deal with my problems my way.
I pushed my head against the tree before yanking it back as hard as I could. I made dead contact with the man's head behind me. My head instantly complained about the hit, but I ignored the pounding coming from it as I turned around.
The moon's light was shining in our direction now and I could see the man bent over and holding his forehead. With all my might I kicked at my target. It was perfect; my leg went straight up between his legs and hitting him dead on. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he grunted and groaned before dropping to the ground.
I watched as the man stood and spitted words at me. "You'll pay you little bitch. You too Evan."
And with that he ran into the cluster of trees. Where? I didn't know and didn't feel like figuring it out. I slumped against the tree, my whole body drained. What had just happened? I couldn't understand any of it. I was heavily confused and my body didn't want to move. The aching in my head was harder and I lifted my hand to my temple, feeling something wet. I pulled my two fingers down and stared at the deep redness in them. I signed and breathed slowly.
A memory of my mother's first boyfriend's appeared in my head. The memories I tried so hard to keep blocked appeared in my mind. I had tried to help my mother, back when I was sixteen years old. I had just gotten home when I heard my mother screaming. I raced to help her and told her boyfriend off. However, he turned on me, beating me until I couldn't even feel the pain anymore, I was numb. He left me there, bleeding, turning back to my mother and beating her some more right before my eyes. What had hurt more than the pain that day was the way my mother wouldn't look at me, wouldn't touch me or help me, just left me there and went downstairs.
I felt tears running down my cheeks from the memory and I quickly wiped them away. I opened my eyes that I hadn't known I had closed. I found a boy staring at me as he leaned against the tree across from mine. He must be Evan and it startled me that he was the same boy I had bumped into at McDonald's. I remembered his black hair covering half his face and those midnight blue eyes.
Soon, my breathing was under control I said, "First, what the hell was that? Second, who the hell was that man? Third, just what the hell was that?"
His mouth was in a straight line but I saw the edge of his mouth twitch a little than it stopped. I noticed that I was looking at his mouth a little too much and returned to glaring at him in the eyes. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited. My stomach was curling in a disturbing way and the pain in my head made me want to drop to the ground and sleep forever, but I ignored it all.
He spoke, "You shouldn't have done that."
I raised my eyebrow at him even though it made my temple's pain increase even more.
"Let me get this straight. I shouldn't have been jogging around a damn skate park? Are you crazy? That makes no freaking sense."
Again, his mouth twitched but only in a slight second before it was still. "No, you shouldn't have made him mad."
I threw my hands up into the air, asking god to please save me from this disaster.
"I shouldn't have made him mad. Right, yes. When a guy is exploring you with Diego hands, trying to find your destination, you let him get to it and create a new population for this generation. Yes, that's what a girl does. No, no it is not. I wanted him to get off me and stop exploring my damn map. You are not going to put this on me. He got what he deserved and if he wants to do something about it, he can get go to the Grand Canyon and drop dead." I let out an angry breath and crossed my arms again.
He stared at me and finally a small smile appeared on his face and then it disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"That's not what I meant." His voice flat, which I think it'll always be.
"Well, shit if you put it that way, I know exactly what you mean. Because you know I can read goddamn minds now." I stated, my tone turning very sarcastic.
That's when I felt something coming up my throat and I could instantly feel the color draining from my own face. I stumbled over to a few bushes and bent down, my salad from earlier pouring right back out until I was left gagging on air. I straightened, my stomach still jumping and twisting disturbingly. I pressed the palm of my hand against the tree and my other hand wrapped around my stomach.
Then I heard Evan, he was right next to me. "What I mean is, he's going to come after you."
"For kicking the son of a bitch in the balls? That's mighty petty." I said, my voice coming out more strained and shaky as my vision became dotted with black spots.
My pain was starting to disappear and I knew I was about to pass out. I struggled not to, pushing my hand off the tree and almost falling over, but I managed to catch my balance but still I was swaying like I was drunk. I blinked, trying to wake up and I heard Evan speaking.
"It's more serious than that. Who are you?"
I was mumbling now, couldn't even get my voice higher than a whisper. "Who the hell am I? Who are you, motherfucker? You and your stupid drama pulled me into this shit; I think you should be the one explaining to me. And you better start talking before I--" I lost track of my words as my vision slowly began to fade. I could feel the ground titling upwards as I began to fall into a peaceful darkness.