“That’s some next-level positive outlook there, guys. All it would take now is for one of you to get into some dumb argument with someone close to you, and if the trope is true, you’re a goner.”
“Kat,” Julian scolded, pulling on my arm until I fell into him and almost out of my chair, then he wrapped his arms around me and covered my mouth with is hand. “I should have mentioned she didn’t sleep on the plane and has been insufferably irritable since then.”
Mom laughed, heartily. “It’s all right Julian. And I’m sure I shouldn’t be laughing at your pessimism, Katie-did, but I’ve missed it. You’ve always been my cloudiest ray of sunshine, there to keep me grounded.”
Julian eased up on his restraints and I sat back up in the chair. “I do what I can,” I shrugged.
Erik got up from his chair, hugged my shoulders from behind and kissed the top of my head. “Well, my grumpy little miss, we have shopping and naps planned for today, which would you like to do first?”
It was at this moment, I realized how often Erik had called me Grumpy Little Miss, over the years. “Ah, man, I really am a grump aren’t I? I feel like I should probably start carrying cards to apologize for being such a grouch.”
“So shopping first,” Mom declared. “I found the cutest little stationary and print shop a few months ago and I’m kind of obsessed.”
I didn’t get apology cards. I got a new Diary I’d start using once the current one was full.
Chapter 18
Dear Diary,
Julian and I rang in the New Year fast asleep at his place. We arrived home just in time to celebrate but I was so tired, and so cranky, I didn’t even care. I slept in until 1pm, that’s how tired I was — and Julian just let me sleep, because that’s how cranky I was.
One day I’ll have to figure out the mystery of why I can sleep so easily on a bus, but not at all on a plane.
I was lagged by a jet and survived.
I’m a survivor.
-Kat
P.S. No card from The Kyle this holiday season. I guess Mom forgot. Honestly, it’s about time.
・❀・❀・❀・
Dominic was back to being normal, non-holiday Dominic. He was friendly, and witty, but distant, like he was in a perpetual state of being pre-occupied with stuff.
I wished there was something I could do for him, I wished he’d talk to me about it, I mean text me, he’d never share that much with school me. But the only things he’d mentioned over text was that his mom seemed to have lost interest in having him come live with her. If there was something more to be taken from that, I was missing it.
Adria was throwing an end of term party, everybody was invited. I’d planned on going even before she cornered me in the stacks during Independent Study and insisted that I be there, and then made me middle finger promise that I would be. It’s the same as a pinky promise, but with more oomph, she explained.
Of course I became immediately suspicious. So I asked, “Why is it so important that I be there?”
“Because we’re friends. Duh.” She laughed. And then she just stood there, smiling, looking innocent and maybe a little dumb, even though I knew her well enough now to know that she totally wasn’t. “I’m going to text you my address again,” she reached for her phone.
“You’ve sent it to me already,” I reminded.
“Third times the charm,” she grinned, spun in a full circle and skipped away.
My next two texts were Adria’s address, bringing the total to three.
Kayley was now the owner of a driver’s license, so I let her drive us to the party. She was beyond happy about it, but since she hated driving in the cold, icy weather it took us 30 minutes to get to Adria’s house that was less than a 10 minute drive away, even if she did live out in the sticks.
The party was well underway when we arrived, music thumping, people mingling.
Refreshments of some kind were a requirement for entry, we’d brought Rice Krispie treats, soda, and chips. I also brought a bag of carrots. It was my original contribution, which Kayley thought was a solid party foul, so she grabbed a bag of chips to donate to the festivities on my behalf. She called it saving me from myself.
As soon as we were in the house and our coats ditched in a room that might have been a den but was now just piles and piles of coats, Kayley returned my keys and headed toward the kitchen. Kimber went after her. Through the minglers I caught sight of a familiar face I hadn’t expected to see at an actual social event that wasn’t school related. He was nestled into a corner next to a tall fern. Worst hiding place ever.
He was on his phone, texting. “Hey, Dominic.” I felt the buzz in my back pocket the second he hit send and stuffed his phone into his own pocket.
“Hey,” he smiled, then jammed his hands into his pockets, his eyes darting about. “You here alone?”
“Nah. Kims and Kayley are here too. Kayley beelined it for wherever she thought there might be alcohol and Kimber followed to try and limit her intake.”
Dominic nodded. “They sound like fun.”
“Kimber doesn’t really know how to have fun and Kayley doesn’t know how not to, so it’s weird but they sort of balance each other out.”
Dominic was already edging around me, calculating his escape down a nearby hallway if I had to guess, when strong arms and the smell of whiskey swooped in smooshing us together. Our heads came close enough to bonking that our hair touched. Any closer and we would have been rubbing sore foreheads for sure. Our attacker was Ryan and he was toasted. Burnt toast, toasted. “I love you guys,” he blubbered. Before I could react he kissed me, full on the lips, and then he turned his head and did the same to Dominic.
Dominic and I just stood there. Stunned.
“Have either of you two seen the old ball and chain around here?” Ryan grumbled.
Dominic shook his head. “Are you okay, man?”
“Bah,” Ryan booed at his concern, then looking suddenly serious said, “Kiss me again and I will be.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Dominic said. “How about we go get some water, or some coffee or something?”
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to get pass-out drunk?” Ryan slurred. “Dominic, you’re my friend, can you just punch me in the face, like really hard?”
“You’re saying you need be pass-out drunk right now?” Dominic asked.
Ryan looked like he was going to cry as he nodded. “Please? She’s gonna find me, and I just can’t. I can’t do it.”
“Okay,” Dominic sighed. “You act passed out, I’ll take care of the rest.”
“You’re the best!” Ryan gave Dominic a solid hug and then crumpled to the ground next to our feet.
Dominic rolled his eyes and shook his head before he scooped Ryan up off the floor and tossed him over his shoulders. “Dude, are you wearing a cup?” Dominic whispered.
Ryan didn’t respond. Maybe he’d passed out for real. Either that or he was really dedicated to maintaining the act. Dominic started for the door, and I tagged along to help. It was fu-fu-fu-freezing outside and I hadn’t bothered to make a grab for my coat, but I hadn’t figured we’d be going very far anyway. I followed them across Adria’s huge yard, across the street, and down two houses with equally huge yards, before Dominic realized I was there. So like a block, maybe a block and a half. I don’t know, cold makes distances feel longer.
“Why are you following me?” Dominic huffed.
“In case you needed help,” I shrugged. “Where are you even taking him?”
“My place,” he grumbled, then started for the back yard of a red brick house that had a big brown barn behind it.
There was a TV blaring somewhere inside the house, so it was probably safe to assume that his grandparents had hearing problems and that being quiet wasn’t something we needed to worry about.
Dominic stopped as we neared a tall fence. He gave Ryan a jostle, repositioning him. Ryan moaned but remained in dead fish pose. “It’s gonna be locked,” Domin
ic motioned toward the gate. “The code’s 4-1-2-1.”
I dialed in the code, pushed open the gate and held it open.
Dominic’s back yard was less of a back yard and more of an entrance to the barnyard. I assumed all the animals were in the barn, but there was evidence of them having been in the yard not too long ago.
I shut the gate and relocked it once we were inside, giving the lock a solid tug to make sure it was secure, mostly because I knew if I didn’t Dominic would worry about it.
“Thanks,” Dominic noticed.
I followed him through another gate that was spring-loaded but not locked that brought us to a flight of cement stairs that led to the basement.
“This one’s not locked,” Dominic informed, stepping out of the way so I could open the basement door. It was warmer inside, but not as warm as I’d expected it to be for a place that was, well, inside. On the left was a small kitchenette, with a small fridge and a coffee maker. On the right was a couch that faced a chalkboard with the words ‘BIG SCREEN TELEVISION’ written on it in typewriter font.
Dominic plopped Ryan onto the couch, flipped on the overhead light and started a pot of coffee.
“Ryan?” I prodded him with my hand.
“He’s out,” Dominic offered.
He looked uncomfortable, so I tried to tug him into a more comfortable position. “Is he really wearing a cup?” I asked Dominic
“My shoulder says yes, but see for yourself.”
“I’m so not doing that.”
“Why not, fair play right?”
“No. And besides, he never touched me without permission, he just… lied. What I don’t get is why he stays in a relationship he clearly doesn’t want to be in?”
Dominic shrugged. “No clue.”
“You got a blanket?”
“Yeah.” Dominic went to get a blanket from his bedroom and I sat down on the couch next to Ryan and pulled out my phone. Dominic’s text was the first thing I saw.
DW: Somehow my neighbor talked me into a party. She’s invited the whole world — I’ll text you the address if you want to come. She made me come over and help her set up, but I don’t know what I’m doing here now. Serious question: How long do you think I have to be here before it’s not considered rude to leave?
I wonder what it is he has against parties? I suppose I could ask but I’d have to ask him over text if I actually wanted an answer.
KF: LOL! It’s a party Dominic, the least you can do is try and have fun. You’ll regret it later if don’t. And I want a full report of all the fun and not fun you had!
“Sorry it’s so cold in here,” Dominic returned with a blanket in one hand and his phone in the other. “My grandparents control the thermostat and won’t set it warmer than 60 degrees in the winter.”
“It’s okay.”
“But you left your coat.”
“I’ll be okay,” I assured as I put the blanket over Ryan and tucked him in.
Dominic huffed at his phone, as he thumbed in a text, most likely to me. My phone buzzed just as he hit send, confirming my suspicion. “Weird, I just sent a text and you just got one?” he noted.
I chuckled, nervous. I was so gonna get busted. I stopped to take in the moment before reading his text. He hurried off to his room again, leaving his phone on the counter.
DW: Fine. You win this round, Katarina Franks.
Yeah I did. I won this round so hard, he doesn’t even know how much win was in this winning. Stupid amounts.
“Should I be worried about this devious expression on your face?” Dominic asked from the doorway of his room.
I felt my cheeks flush. “I suppose that could be debatable.”
“I see.” He leaned against the doorframe. “So did you just get away with something, or do you think you’re about to?” He folded his arms, like he was challenging me to try and get away with something in his presence.
For some reason I found Dominic, being all casual, and comfortable, and vulnerable, standing in the doorway of his bedroom, challenging me, to be ridiculously hot. Sexy hot, not warm hot, it was still cold as popsicles in his place. In a different reality, I might have pounced. But in this one, I chuckled at him, because I knew I’d already won. And, I also knew that it wouldn’t take much to make him uncomfortable and fidgety. Standing would probably do it. “You don’t really like parties do you?”
“I guess it depends on the party.” He shifted his weight and took a half step in my direction, but then he was right back in the doorway, as if he’d been pulled there magnetically. “You should probably get headed back though,” he said.
“So should you,” I lifted my phone to point at him with it — as if I were Katarina Franks, in the flesh. I mean, I was — I am — but he was still in denial and I was keeping my secret identity a secret, so…
Dominic reached out and began fidgeting with door frame.
Damn it. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I stood and started to leave.
“Didn’t mean it like what?” Dominic asked.
“I didn’t mean to make you — uh…” I froze, because this was problematic too. I had no idea how Dominic defined his freak-outs. If I picked the wrong term, it’d probably only make things worse.
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes you do.” Dominic pushed off the doorway and walked across the room to shut off the coffee maker.
So much for not escalating the situation.
I looked him square in the eye. Did he really want me to answer? Last time we were in a situation like this it didn’t end so well. It felt like he was trying to start a fight, or maybe he was trying to be real. How could I know unless I took the bait? Part of me wanted to just cut and run, but this wasn’t just some guy from school that didn’t matter, this was Dominic. This was my Dominic. “Nervous?” I tried a word. “Anxious?” I tried another.
“Neither,” Dominic huffed, then checked the switch on the coffee maker.
And then I remembered, last time he’d called it neurotic. I walked over and unplugged the coffee maker from the wall. I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes on the coffee maker. “I don’t care that you have quirks, or insecurities, or neurosis, or whatever. But I really hate that I make you like this.”
Dominic folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the counter. “You don’t make me like this. I make me like this.”
“I appreciate that you understand that,” I leaned against the counter. “But your argument is semantical and you know what I mean.”
We stood in silence next to each other for a long moment. I was watching Ryan’s chest move slowly up and down. Wondering why he couldn’t just be honest with Alexa and break up with her. And then I realized I was a complete hypocrite, standing next to a guy I was pretty much always lying to, and for why? Because he liked me for my personality? And when I had gobs of makeup on? Because I was holding out some kind of hope that if he ever realized the girl he’s fallen for and the girl standing next to him are the same, that he’d somehow be able to overlook the lies and the fact that he’s never had any interest in me and — and — and then what?
And then I realized the biggest lie, was the one I’d been telling myself. “I’m so sorry, Dominic. I’m such a terrible person,” I stated my realization.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because I—”
I was going to say, because I’m a liar, because I’m Katarina Franks. But I only made it as far as ‘because I’ and not because I chickened out. Nope. And it wasn’t because Ryan woke up, or there was a knock at the door, or a phone call wondering where I was, or a text, or an earthquake, or that I’d suddenly dropped dead, or any of the bajillion possibilities I could have thought of that would have stopped me mid confession.
I only made it that far because Dominic Weedon kissed me. And it wasn’t a little kiss either. His body was pressed against mine, his hands were on my cheeks, his lips were eager, his tongue coaxing — as if I neede
d the encouragement. It wasn’t even a question in my mind. There was no hesitation in kissing him back. There probably should have been, but there wasn’t. I’d been thinking about a moment like this for what felt like longer than I’d actually been alive. And there’s no words to do it justice, even my imagination had fallen ridiculously short of how amazing it would be to feel his lips, his breath, his body against mine.
The whole of the world beyond us, ceased to be. I was floating weightless, thoughtless, grounded only by him — only to him. He had become my world, my universe, my everything.
And yes, I know exactly how ridiculous and pathetic and crazy that is. I’m just saying, Dominic’s kiss… fucking magical, okay? Like, I literally forgot I had ever been kissed before. There was some far off part of me that was telling me this wasn’t actually my first kiss, but I was like, Nah… I don’t think so, pretty sure this is the first. I feel like I’d remember if something like this had happened before, you know?
But nothing like this had ever happened before. Sure, Julian kisses me all the time — none of them counted. Yeah, I’d kissed other guys before — suddenly, it was like I couldn’t even remember their names. Hell, I was standing feet away from a guy I used to make out with, freaking weekly, and it didn’t even register.
For whatever reason, and I’m totally not against discounting the paranormal or the supernatural or whatever, Dominic’s kiss was the only one that counted — the only one that mattered.
And when he stopped kissing me, and the world came back into existence I knew — without even the smallest hint of a doubt in my mind — I was so fucked. And no, it wasn’t in the good way.
・❀・❀・❀・
Kit Kat & Katie Did Page 21
