(17) Kelsea - Friday 24th August., 11.13 p.m., Kale's Truck & then My Room
Lucy and I woke up at exactly the same time this morning. It was some time around seven, and for some reason I still managed to keep in the big question - What was the nightmare about? We both sat up and then I hugged her. It seemed she was all out of tears, and she was thankful I hadn't asked her a whole load of stuff.
But I will find out later.
I made her some toast, and a hot chocolate just like yesterday. She thanked me and hugged me. Then she bursts out, "I dont know what has been wrong with me. I need to start acting properly, Kelsea. I'm sorry. I'm going to go to the library today, and maybe the park. You know, to get out a bit."
I nodded and said it was okay. She didn't give a hint of an invitation for me to come with her, so I decided I'd have to find something for me to do today.
Lucy showered and dressed, definitely looking happier than she had in months. I should probably mention that mum still wasn't here, and neither was her car, but I wasn't going to let it weigh me down. I dawdled around for a while - painting my nails, reading old magazines . I had a shower and dressed, then looked out the window.
Oh my Gosh. That rush of pure energy and surprise and relief and euphoria when I saw the boy with the golden hair and the sea green eyes. Kale wasn't sat on the back of his truck today though, he was taking boxes out of his dad's black Land Rover which was parked at the side of the road, in front of the house.
He was shirtless.
I know I shouldn't have been staring. I'm blushing even as I write this, because he could come back at any minute (I'm in his truck). But he had it all - the tan skin, the toned muscles. He had defined abs, and the back muscles were just right too. His arms were long and muscular, but not over the top like a wrestler.
God. The guy is perfect.
Wait. Um... Oh. Did I really just write that? Face palm. Yes, yes I did.
Anyway. I waited until he was finished before I grabbed my bag and slipped out of the house. I wanted to make it look like I was, you know, just going out for the day. Definitely not intending to just talk to him.
But he saw me right away and let out the usual greeting of, "Mornin', Kelsea Richardson!"
I couldn't help but smile. He's a nice person. "Hey."
"Thank you." he suddenly grinned charmingly.
I was so confused. What was he on about all of a sudden? I think he saw my confused face because he just beamed right at me, the smile lighting his whole face up. Gosh. It was enough to light up a whole town.
"Just translating greetings. Apparently, 'Hi' means, 'I like you', 'Hello' means 'I wanna get to know you better', and 'Yo' means 'I have a crush on you. Oh, and, 'What's up' means 'I'd like to go out with you'."
"Then what does 'Hey' translate as, I'm your strange world?" I remember replying, as if I was bored. But secretly, I was amused, and interested. And trying to remember what he had greeted me with last time I saw him.
"It means 'Your sexy'. That's why I said thank you."
Typical Kale. I rolled my eyes, then reached out to swat his arm lightly. "You're so cocky."
He just grinned at me with those dazzling eyes of his shining away. I could tell that, again, it was like he was trying to suss me out or figure out who or what I really was. I had no other option but to grin back, and it was all I could do to hope I didn't look like an idiot. I always look so darn random when I grin.
"So... Where are we going today?" he asked me, and then arched an eyebrow. He was actually interested. Interested to know where I was going.
"Um... Just to town."
The look on his face then was as if he was trying to cram all that he wanted to say into the next few words he spoke. "Is it important? Cause I thought maybe we could ... Well, there's this place. And I think you'd like it."
I was dumbstruck. We had only had a few full conversations and suddenly he wanted to take me to some place. I was suspicious, I remember the full-on, sudden feeling of knowing he was waiting for my answer too. Then again, I enjoyed the times I had talked to him.
You know. I cant believe that now I don't mind admitting I like Kale. Before I was dead-set on hating his cocky attitude, and I was always determined to be angry with him. But now...what's with me?
"Okay," was all I said, but it seemed to please him. I could see it surprised him as well, and it surprised me too. I hadn't stammered, hadn't frowned, hadn't questioned him.
I like surprises anyway.
And what is with this big goofy grin on my face at the moment? As I write about him I am smiling and my heart is warming. Maybe he could be a good friend.
A good friend. Yes.
Anyway, whilst he ran off to get a shirt I sat on the front of his truck, my legs swinging. Suddenly I heard voices that drifted round from the end of the street, and I realised it belonged to some teenage boys that always hung around in dark clothes, riding bikes around town. And with them, Christiana Atticus was always present.
I heard her before I saw her. She was shouting about something and nothing, and I didn't have time to climb off Kale's car before she came round onto the drive, accompanied by four of those boys.
She saw me and a mixture of shock and amusement landed on her face. I don't know how I'm being so descriptive and how I'm remembering all this but it doesn't matter right now. I'm telling a good story here.
-
Okay, Kale is back. Hold on... I can't write with him around.
-
11.40 - Back home, half an our later. Or something. Anyway, time to finish the entry.
-
"Hey, Kelsea!" she bounded up to me and I was stunned. It was as if I talked to her everyday. I'm not going to lie when I say that she's likeable (I do not lie in here anyway) and I don't know how Lucy said she was mean. I suddenly felt so stupid and unreasonable for going all cold with Kale on that first day when I talked to him about her and Lucy. Maybe believing my sister all the time isn't a great idea.
Because Christiana began to talk to me with such friendliness and enthusiasm about Lucy and about how she missed hanging with her. I know she's a year older and I think that's nice of her to still like Lucy. Then she talked about Kale and how annoying he was and if I was his new girlfriend.
"No!" I remember screeching. She just laughed, and for the first time in the day I blushed.I'm sure I did.
Kale came out soon enough. Christiana rolled her eyes as he scowled at the boys who were messing around chewing gum and kicking a football round the road. She soon went back to them before her brother could say anything and they left.
Soon enough, I was riding shotgun in Kale's truck with all the windows fully down so that the Nirvana song on the stereo could blast out onto the streets. Don't even ask me why I trust him. I just do. He's carefree and thoughtful and just... Just true. He's not hiding anything, and he doesn't reject me. That's got to be enough.
We talked about music in the car. Kale said he hated all the new "Radio crap" that was going on these days and I definitely agreed. Although he didn't strike me as a retro-cool kind of guy, he admitted he likes The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and a load of Mowtown stuff. He also loves Coldplay, Nirvana, The Fray and a ton of other proper, good ole music.
Brilliant.
I don't know if it was because he was bored and had nothing else to do today, or because he was in some strange mood, but he really seemed to want to be with me. Have me as his company. I liked that. I liked the feeling of knowing your company is being requested, knowing someone is having fun because you're there. I am so sick of dad telling me I'm not welcome and having mum just being moody old mum. Apart from Gram, I didn't think anyone wanted to spend time with me. But don't get me wrong - it isn't the only reason why I like Kale.
We finally stopped down the end of a country lane, by a massive field with long swaying lush green grass and the golden, radiant sun shining down. It was actually hot. Kale killed the engine and stared out at it all, before muttering, "I love this place to death."
"Do you own it?" was the first, insensitive question I asked.
He looked at me with something in his eyes that put me on edge. But then he smiled, showing those pearly whites, and I knew everything would be okay. "Um... It's complicated. I come here everyday, but... It isn't really anyone's. Not anymore."
And as I just continued to look at him, somehow willing him to explain, he rolled his eyes and said, "Come on. Get out. I'll tell you... Some other day."
He opened my door for me after I got out. A guy had never done that, and I'd always imagined it to be someone who I went on a date to the cinema with. Or a guy I loved. Not Kale, really.
He surprised me yet again when he took out a cool-box that looked pretty heavy from the back of the truck. He beckoned me to come and sit on the edge of the field and then plopped down beside me with the box. I stared as he began to unload several items - a light blue drink in a large unlabled glass bottle, two glasses, Oreos, and cinnamon rolls. There were also strawberries and blueberries.
"Whoa. How did you... These are all my favourite things," I laughed, then pointed to the blue drink. "Except that. What is it?"
"You haven't lived if you haven't drank this, Kelsea Richardson." Kale grinned, his sea green eyes staring at me from under his golden curls that fell over his forehead. Then he began to pour it as he lay back onto his elbows. "This, is blue lemonade. Forget beer, forget vodka, forget red wine. Blue lemonade is the drink of the Gods."
"Is it alcoholic?" I remember asking cautiously as I received a glass from him. When he shook his head, I took a sip. I remember all the flavour that burst onto my tongue. I knew that after one sip I would be addicted. And I was. The whole way through our conversations I was drinking this as well as eating the snacks he has brought. Kale was officially my favourite food provider. And when one bottle was finished, another one was brought out. I had never been happier at that moment, and that was when I realised how good the stuff was, and the effect it had on me.
But enough about blue lemonade.
The longer I talked to Kale the harder I laughed. We spent most of the day rolling around on the grass laughing our heads off at absolutely nothing. Sometimes it was me. Sometimes it was Kale. After the taster of what Kale could be like as a philosophy freak, I was now reminded today of just how much of a joker he is. And I learnt even more about him. His parents want him to go to university in September but he's taking a gap year to get music work experience. He doesn't want to be a accountant like his dad or a teacher like his mum - he wants to do music. He's nineteen in December. He can play the guitar. He wants to travel the world.
And I told him about me. How I love to write and I can't we myself doing anything else. How I hate not being wanted. How I wish I could sing. He laughed at that, and I ended up laughing too.
We played hide and seek. Truth or dare. I ended up eating leaves and he had to tell me about his first kiss. Maybe it was a bit lame, but Kale makes you forget things like that.
I think that blue lemonade had something in it that made us high. There's a space of time that I don't even remember during the course of the day, and looking back I think we both fell asleep for about two hours near the end. I woke up wit flowers threaded threw my hair and Kale chucking leaves at me.
To be honest, I forgot about my fallout with Demi, forgot that Lucy was wailing in her sleep last night. All for the whole of today.
Kale had to make a petrol stop on the way back at the garage and that's where I wrote the first part of this entry. I couldn't wait to just write it down. I had to get out this feeling of complete enjoyment.
And when he stopped in front of my house, Kale patted my knee and said in the slightly crazy way we'd both been speaking all day. "Well, Kelsea, you're not bad to drink blue lemonade with. I'll see you when I see you, huh?"
----
I got home and both Lucy and my mum's bedroom doors were closed. I couldn't believe it was twenty to eleven - I mean, how did I even stay out on a field all day? My brain's fuzzy and so my handwriting is mental, I know. Okay, that's not correct English.
I think I'd better rest now...
There might be trouble tomorrow...
Okay, bye.
HAHAHA.
Kelsea xxxxx