by C. S. Harte
“Oh, I forgot to tell you about earlier yesterday, before Kayla and I met at the dog park. A couple of boys were hitting on Kayla at a gas station, and they wouldn’t take no for an answer,”
Mrs. Sanders nodded to each detail of the story as Izzy explained them.
“Finally, we think they were following Kayla and Tommy to the diner where they thought it was a good idea to fire shots outside in the parking lot. But I think if they wanted to hurt Tommy and Kayla, they would’ve done something more drastic. Kayla said they looked like tweakers so I guess it could've been worse.”
“They told all of this to the Sheriff?”
“Yes, mom. I was there.”
“Those two little puppies seem to be good at finding trouble or bad at avoiding it,” Mrs. Sanders laughed.
“You’ve been around Kayla enough times to know she’s sweet like tea! When I first met her, she was a closed-off person. But now she’s been an important part of my life, and we share so much. You know she’s good enough to get a soccer scholarship to a NCAA Division I school. We talked about possibly going to whichever school that offered both of us a scholarship.” Izzy’s eyes brightened as she spoke.
“I had no idea you were planning this far ahead. It’s still a year and a half before you graduate.” Mrs. Sanders turned her head and stared at an old photo on a corner table. It was a picture of Izzy as a 6-year old holding a soccer ball on her first day of sports camp. “You kids grow up so fast.”
“Mom?” Izzy shifted her weight forward.
“Yes, dear.”
“Ever since I met Kayla, I’ve realized how lucky I’ve been that you adopted me and not someone else. You have been a great mom so far.” Izzy tugged at her shirt. Her voice started to shake. “But I feel guilty. I know it’s not rational. I wonder what my life would be like if our roles were switched. Would I be half as OK as her given everything she has been through?”
Mrs. Sanders cleared her throat. “You have a good heart, darling. And your father and I are the lucky ones. Don’t you forget that.”
Izzy didn’t respond. Her head tilted down as she avoided eye contact with her mother.
Mrs. Sanders glanced at the wall clock. “It’s almost 10 am. Why don’t you go wake up our guests.”
Kayla, Tommy, and Izzy were eating Elvis Presley pancakes on the backyard patio.
“You eat like this every day?” Tommy asked.
“Most days, the pancakes are whole wheat. This is a special treat because you two are here. And y’all are most definitely special.”
“We ain’t special Tommy. I’ve been here before. They eat like this every day,” Kayla said with a grin.
Izzy laughed. “Ha! I wish. I would be so fat!”
“Where is your mom? She’s not joining us?” Tommy asked.
“Oh, speaking of my mom, we talked about stuff. Let me fill you in.”
Izzy shared the conversation she had with her mom earlier.
“Wow, thanks so much!” Kayla gasped. “Your mom is so incredible!”
Izzy smiled. “Yes, I mentioned that once or twice to her this morning. It makes her blush.” Izzy grabbed Kayla’s hand before delivering the rest of the news. “We also called the shelter, but it’s closed. You know how things are around here on Sundays. But don’t worry, my mom won’t let them do anything to Charlie. They won’t… go through with anything until there’s a hearing according to my mom’s lawyer.”
Kayla let out a huge breath. “I hope so, Izzy. I can’t lose Charlie. It would kill me.”
Tommy held Kayla’s free hand. “What Izzy says makes sense. We’ll get Charlie back.”
Izzy winked at Tommy. “My mom and I will be going to the afternoon session of church today. We don’t go to church regularly, but today felt like a good day to pray for something positive. Y’all have the whole house to yourself. Do whatever, go wherever you like. I think the guesthouse will be ready by the evening.”
Kayla gave a half-hearted smile. She was always good at pretending to be happy.
Izzy got up and waved. “I have to go now. I’ll see ya’ll later tonight.”
“Let’s explore the rest of the house. There’s some areas I haven’t been to yet.” Kayla pointed toward the woods behind them.
“I ain’t got nothing else better to do.” They followed a dirt trail leading through the woods into a clearing where they stumbled upon a hidden garden. Kayla slowly panned her head, taking in the panoramic view. Little streams interlaced throughout the garden, ultimately culminated at a giant koi pond towards the back of the clearing. Kayla grabbed Tommy’s hand, pulling him towards the tiny lake. As they neared their destination, they saw a red garden bridge overlooking the pond, previously hidden by towering bamboo shoots. They stopped at the apex of the bridge and peered into the swirling animation of colors below them.
Kayla covered her mouth as she spoke, “This has to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
Tommy’s stared directly at Kayla. “It sure is.”
Kayla giggled at Tommy’s words. A deep shade of red radiated over her face.
On the other side of the pond, two swans floated facing each other. Their beaks touched, forming the illusion of a heart with their curved necks.
“Does it not feel like we’re in the eye of a storm right now?” Kayla asked.
Tommy raised his eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Before Saturday, our lives were getting routine. It was nice to have things to do and people to see. Then the past 24 hours came rolling through like a twister. Now it’s so calm and peaceful. I know it won’t stay that way. Not until Charlie is safe.”
Tommy wrapped his arm around Kayla's shoulder, bringing her close. “Remember our conversation before we came here? About driving wherever the road takes us? I’ve been thinking about heading North to get an oil job. I’ve looked at the pay rate. It's good. Much better than anything I can get here.”
Kayla grimaced. “Isn’t it dangerous though? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Maybe a little,” Tommy said looking away.
“And what would I do up there?”
“Whatever you want. I can support us. You can go to college, get a degree and become a scientist. I dunno. Save the world. Have kids.”
The mention of kids raised Kayla’s heart rate. “You’ve been thinking a lot about this.”
Tommy made a sweeping motion with his arm. “That home over there, it's beautiful. It’s amazing. But it’s not real. It’s an illusion. This isn’t ours. I’m just saying we need to find something that’s ours.”
“I know. I agree. But Charlie… Too much has happened recently. And we’re not talking about that weirdness. It scares me sometimes. I don’t know what it is. I feel like something is haunting me.” Kayla shivered.
“I haven’t forgotten. All the more reason to get away.” Tommy turned Kayla around to face him. “Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I won’t leave you.” Tommy pressed Kayla into him.
Kayla lifted her head and stared into Tommy’s eyes.
Tommy tilted his head to the side.
They moved in closer, their noses almost touching.
Kayla’s phone vibrated. The abruptness made her jump backward and out of Tommy’s arms. Her hands were shaking as she took her phone out of her back pocket. It nearly dropped into the water. She glanced down at the caller ID. “Izzy is calling me. I guess she’s back home now. We should probably go meet her.”
“OK,” Tommy sighed.
“One thing though.”
“Yes—“
Kayla forcibly pulled Tommy close, and kissed him.
Tommy squirmed as if surprised by the aggressiveness. It was the first time he had ever kissed a girl.
It was also Kayla’s first time kissing a boy. Her eyes were open at first, ensuring the moment was real. She closed them when he closed his.
Tommy’s hand roamed the small of her back, exploring further south, testing the limits of Kayla's prude
nce.
She felt his warmth through her shirt. Her heart began to flutter. She moved her hand onto her chest, grazing her mother’s locket.
A strong wind gusted into the garden pond. Strong enough to pull the loose flower blossoms from the surrounding trees into the sky.
Kayla’s phone vibrated again.
As suddenly as it came, the winds vanished, leaving the blossoms to rain slowly onto the budding couple.
They broke their kiss, leaving each other breathing heavily.
Kayla’s legs became wobbly, her face was almost entirely red.
Tommy secured his arms around Kayla, preventing her from falling into the pond.
“Thank you,” Kayla said, unsure as to what say after a kiss.
“I should be thanking you.” Tommy laughed. “I dunno why we took so long to do that. It was fun!” He pulled her close again for another kiss. This second one was shorter in duration but similar in effect.
“It’s beautiful here. I wish I could stay forever.” Kayla stared at Tommy unblinking. From her perspective, he was the central figure in a portrait with the garden pond as his backdrop. I never want to forget this moment.
12
“I saw you two over there at the koi pond,” Izzy smirked. “I definitely saw some kissing action.” She held her right hand in the air, initiating a high-five.
“Oh my god, stop,” Kayla said, thoroughly embarrassed. She high-fived Izzy anyway as a cheeky smile crept onto her face.
“I have some good news,” Izzy said. “My amazing mom talked to our pastor about Charlie. He said the animal shelter director's wife is a church member. After the sermon, the pastor spoke to her, and she said she’ll talk to her husband. She said, usually if the dog was provoked and had to defend itself, they can get it released back to the owner after an informal hearing.”
It took Kayla a moment to process the flow of details in the story. Her eyes grew increasingly wide each second until the substance of the story finally hit her. Charlie was going to be OK. She jumped and screamed with joy.
Izzy grabbed Kayla’s hands, joining in the celebration.
Tommy came out of the house as the girls celebrated. He merged himself into the cheering. Everyone split into their own victory dance.
Izzy stopped abruptly and held up a hand. “I have more good news! Tomorrow, one of my mom’s attorneys will come over and take our testimony about the gas station, diner, and vandalism stuff. Then he’ll deliver it to the sheriff and take care of that for you, so you don’t have to go to the police station after school.”
Kayla's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. Her luck seemed to be changing. She rushed to Izzy and embraced her with all her strength. Kayla’s head rested on Izzy’s shoulder. “I don’t deserve a friend like you.” Her eyes began to well up.
“Aww. No one does. It’s a good thing we’re sisters.” Izzy returned the squeeze.
Tommy, not to be left out, circled both of them with his long arms. “You’re mom is amazing. And so are you.”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “I know, Tommy. I know.”
“Tommy, I wanna take Kayla to the mall for some clothes shopping. My mom’s idea. She’s going to need more clothes than what she brought.” She winked at Kayla. “Could you just hang out here until we get back? There’s a game console in the guesthouse. I don’t know what games are there, but the maids said they bought one of each.”
“Oh, what? Yeah, I guess that’s cool.” Tommy rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed a laugh.
“We’ll be back in two, maybe three hours. We’re only looking for a couple of outfits,” Izzy said.
“Two to three hours for a couple of outfits? How do you girls ever get anything done?”
Izzy and Kayla laughed.
“Can’t I just look beautiful?” Kayla asked with a coy smile.
“Just trying to understand girls is all. I guess I shouldn’t try.” Tommy smiled.
Izzy winked at Tommy. “Now you’re getting it!”
“Your mom lets you drive by yourself now?” Kayla asked.
“I’ve had my learner’s permit since 15. Mom says she won’t let me have my own car till 17. We’re just going to the mall. Plus we have these.” Izzy pointed to the dashcams in the car.
One camera positioned in the center of the windshield capturing the road in front of them. Another aimed out of the rear window.
“Trust but verify my mom always says.”
“She’s too smart. I think she should run for president.”
Izzy cringed. “Oh no, don’t give her ideas.”
Kayla giggled.
“Why are we avoiding the most important topic right now?”
Kayla’s eyebrows squished together. “Huh?”
“Tell me everything that happened between you and Tommy while I was gone. What did he say? How good was the kissing? How long was the kiss? How many kisses were there? Did it go beyond that?” Izzy’s grin growing with each question.
Kayla squirmed in her seat. She pinched herself hard to watch her skin turn red. Izzy’s questions gnawed at Kayla. The how, when, and where weren’t important to her, but they were the leading questions to the why, what, and meaning of it all. Those mysteries were sealed somewhere deep inside her, buried under layers of uncertainties.
Rain began pelting the car.
Izzy turned on the wipers and slowed her speed. They drove in quiet until Izzy exited the highway and stopped at a red light. “Well? Details now!”
Kayla released a big sigh. “You know how a lot of girls picture their first kiss like it’s the climax of a romance movie?”
“Yeah.”
“I guess it was a lot like that. There was an energy swirling around us. I could see the tree blossoms blowing into the air. I swear it felt like it was making the petals rain around us. I don’t know if all of that was intended for us, but it felt like the universe wanted me to be happy.”
“You know you say that I have a perfect life. But it seems like you have something that I don’t have… A boyfriend.”
“You wanna trade? I take your home, and you get Tommy?”
They both laughed.
“You’re lucky that Tommy isn’t a jerk. You’ve seen some of the guys at our school or the boyfriends of the other girls on the team.”
“I know. Tommy has been better than I deserve so far.” Kayla’s voice trailed as she spoke.
The red light changed to green, as did all the other lights in front of them. Theirs was the only car on the road.
Izzy picked up speed. The rain continued its downpour.
One green light passed.
Kayla closed her eyes. An unfamiliar memory invaded her mind.
Green light.
Kayla grimaced as her hands gripped her seatbelt. Her body began shivering.
Green light.
Kayla’s face became ashen. Her lips started to quiver.
Green light.
Izzy glanced towards Kayla. “What’s wrong?”
Green light.
Izzy took her right hand off the steering wheel, grabbing Kayla’s arm. “You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
The rain intensified, creating a loud rumbling on the car and reducing visibility.
Yellow light.
Caution.
Warning.
Izzy was in a bind. She was driving the speed limit, but the rain increased its cruel assault. Her best friend was unresponsive, crying, mumbling to herself. Fear surrounded her, dividing her attention, dulling her awareness. “Kayla, talk to me!”
A strange light shone into the car, the rain masking its origin. The light grew brighter, strengthening, forcing Izzy's eyes into closed submission. A faint horn fought its way through the echoes of the rain.
BAM!
The collision was instant, like a battering ram against a wooden door. The door gave way.
Time outside the car moved normally, time for Izzy and Kayla slowed to a crawl.
Neither Izzy nor Kayla screamed
during the first roll. Izzy’s arms flailed, flying upside-down in the car.
Second roll.
Izzy screamed as panic and fear leaked out.
Kayla's body resisted motion as if impervious to the laws of physics. Her eyes were sealed shut. One hand firmly held onto her locket.
A powerful memory surfaced in Kayla’s mind, erasing her current reality. Kayla was with her mom on her seventh birthday. She dressed in a blue princess outfit holding a silver scepter. Actors were hired to play princes. Whenever she aimed the wand at one of the princes, they would pretend to fall as if she had magical powers.
Third roll.
Another memory flowed into her mind. Kayla stared into Tommy’s eyes. They were standing on a red wooden bridge above a koi pond. Tree blossoms descended around her. Her phone buzzed, but she ignored it. Tommy kissed her again. A yellow light emerged around their bodies. There was a warmth to the glow of the light. The world began to still. Petals hovered in a frozen swirl around them. The water below hardened into glass with ripples etched on the surface. Kayla detached herself from Tommy’s lips. “Something’s not right.”
She used her arms to clear a path through the blossoms trapping her with Tommy. “I have to find Izzy.”
Tommy grabbed Kayla and pulled her into him. “Don’t leave me. Stay with me here, forever. I can only protect you while you're here.”
“I have to go, Tommy. Izzy needs me!” She squirmed to get free.
Tommy released his hold. Kayla ran back to the house. “Izzy, where are you?”
Fourth roll.
Blue and purple wisps of light surrounded the car, humming, pulsing. Izzy joined Kayla in resisting gravity, floating inside the car, buffering them from further violence. The car’s momentum faded, landing with a loud thud.
The light flashed away.
Kayla's eyes opened for the first time since the accident. “Izzy…” She reached towards her friend, blood oozing from her side as she moved.
Blood coated Izzy’s face, dripping everywhere. Her body eerily limp, lifeless.
“No… Izzy.” Kayla's voice was barely above a whisper. Her eyes slid closed.
