Exposing Kitty Langley (11 page)

I knew this conversation would come,
but I wasn’t so sure of myself anymore. “You know how I feel about this. I
think we should just stay friends.”

“Be honest with me, Kitty. Are you
just protecting me?” The intensity in his eyes slightly startled me.

“Okay, honestly, yes I am.”

He reached across the table and took
my hand. “I can protect myself you know. I can protect you too. We can be a
couple and no one will get hurt.”

I pulled my hand free. “How can you
say that? You’ve seen the things that have happened to me. I couldn’t stand it
if people started treating you that way.” After I said it I wished I hadn’t. He
had the stupidest grin plastered on his face, and I knew what he was thinking.

“So you do care about me after all.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and
glared at him. “You’re stubborn.”

He laughed and took hold of my hand
again, cradling it softly between his. “Yeah, I’ve been called that before.”

I snatched my hand away again, to
his amusement.

We didn’t talk much on the ride back
into Windrake Mountain, but he kept that silly smile on his face the entire
time. It wasn’t as if I had proclaimed anything, but try telling him that. It
was so annoying. I wished, more than anything, that he’d take this threat more
seriously. It seemed my safety was more important to him than his own. I should’ve
been happy with that, but I wasn’t.

He walked me to my front porch,
stopping me as we approached the door.  “I had a good time with you today,
Kitty.”

“I had a good time too.”

“Do you feel better about things
after talking to the Drakes?”

“I think so. It’s nice knowing they
have our backs and will be looking out for us.”

“Yeah.” He seemed to be stalling, or
did he want to kiss me?

He was just leaning in toward me
when my mom opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. “Well, you must be
Reed. It’s nice to meet one of Kitty’s friends. It seems so long since she had
any of her friends over.”

Reed extended his hand in greeting.
“Yes, I’m Reed. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Langley.”

“Oh you can call me Janet. Would you
like to join us for dinner?”

“Um, Mom, Reed and I already—”

“I’d love to,” Reed interrupted.

I eyed him curiously. He grinned and
wiggled his eyebrows as he followed my mom into the house. I stepped in behind
him and we made our way into the den.

“So, Reed, how do you two know each
other? Do you have the same group of friends?”

“Um, not really.” We exchanged an
amused look, and I almost laughed out loud. “We met at the masquerade dance,
actually.”

“Really?” She eyed me. “Funny, Kitty
didn’t tell me anything about that night.”

I shrugged, feeling guilty. We hadn’t
talked much lately. The less she knew the better.

“Well, we just met briefly. We’ve
been hanging out more lately though.”

“So I see. Well, thank you for being
such a good friend to my Kitty. She is very precious to us, that’s for sure.
You two make yourselves comfortable, and dinner will be ready in about fifteen
minutes.”

When she was out of the room, Reed
pulled me closer and whispered, “She doesn’t know what’s been going on, does
she?”

I shook my head. “How could I tell
them that everybody hates me and wants to see me suffer?”

“Not everybody hates you.”

I gazed up into his eyes, the bluest
eyes I’ve ever seen, and was captivated. “Thanks, Reed. You really have been a
good friend.”

He took my hand and cradled it
between both of his. “Any chance you might reconsider that status?”

It was my turn to grin at him. “I’m suddenly
really thinking about it.”

Reed

“Why are you putting that smelly
stuff on?” Kellee asked, peering around me as I adjusted my shirt in the
mirror.

“Go away, Kellee!”

“Oh, you must be going to see
herrrr,” she teased.

“You know for a ten-year-old, you
can be very annoying. Now go annoy someone else.”

“I don’t have anyone else to annoy,”
she whined. “You must really like her, huh?”

“Actually, I do like her. I like her
a lot.”

“Will I get to meet her then?”

I winked. “Someday. If you’re really
nice to me.”

She hugged my waist and took off
down the hall, giggling.

I couldn’t believe my luck when
Kitty agreed to go on an official date with me. I was afraid she might have
been grounded after skipping classes two days straight, but she, like I, had
come up with a believable story. Mine was actually the truth about helping a
friend in need. Since I never gave my parents reason to doubt me, they didn’t
drill me about it. Apparently, neither did her parents.

I was taking her to a nice
restaurant called Giovanna’s and then to a movie. It was my chance to show her
that I could make her happy—that she deserved it. I couldn’t blow it.

I ran my hand through my hair one
last time and headed out of the room, with a piece of mint gum in my pocket and
a whistle on my lips.

I knocked. Too soon the door swung
open wide, revealing the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. She was wearing a
purple V-neck mini dress with black heeled boots. Her legs were amazing. I
think I stared slightly too long. I hoped she didn’t notice. Her hair was
styled edgy this time with the ends sticking out, her bangs swept dramatically
to one side. Her big, green eyes locked on mine, and I had to refrain from pulling
her into my arms and kissing her right then and there.

She smiled. “Hello, Reed. Ready to
go?”

I opened my mouth to respond, when a
big man, her father I presumed, stepped past her and onto the porch. “So, are
you the Reed I’ve been hearing so much about?”

He stood stone-faced for a moment
and then smiled, extending his hand in greeting. I let out the breath I’d been
holding and took it. “It’s good to meet such a nice boy. My wife hasn’t stopped
talking about you since you were here last. I’m glad to finally meet you. I
hear you’ve been accepted to Lee.”

“Yes sir, I have.”

“Well, congratulations. It’s a great
school. My Kitty has applied there as well. Okay, well I don’t mean to hold you
two up. Take care of my girl, and have fun.”

I nodded and managed to smile at
him. He was an intimidating man in size but very nice. “I’ll take care of her,
sir. It was nice to meet you.”

“You too, Reed.”

He waved as we made our way off the
porch and to my car. “Whew,” I said, peering down at her in relief.

She was suddenly laughing—hard. I
froze at the sound. It surprised me, but I liked it a lot. “He likes you. After
you impressed my mom’s socks off, he was eager to meet you. You did good.”

“Ah shucks,” I said, making my best hillbilly
impression. This was rewarded with another laugh. I was pleased with myself.

Dinner was great, and the movie was
even better. Kitty even let me hold her hand during the film. I allowed myself
to become hopeful that maybe just maybe we actually had a chance at something.

Kitty

Reed was waiting on me as I pulled
into the parking lot. Heat rushed into my cheeks at the sight of him, his sandy
blond hair waving in the slight breeze. Why again did he have to be so
gorgeous? We had the best weekend together, and as a result, everything had
changed. Part of me was thrilled about that, but the other part was still wary.
I allowed him to hold my hand during the movie and it felt so amazing—so right.
It would really hurt me now if something happened to him. The thought itself
was painful.

He pulled me up into his arms for a
tight hug as I exited the car. “Good morning.”

I smiled like an idiot. “Good
morning.”

He shrugged his arm over my shoulder
and we began our usual walk through the parking lot. Suddenly, I had an odd
feeling come over me. I stopped abruptly. “Do you feel that?”

Reed peered down at me in confusion.
“Feel what?”

“You don’t feel that? It feels like
we’re being watched.” We both glanced around, but no one was paying any
attention to us at the moment, which was a rare thing these days. I then
strained my eyes toward the surrounding forest. I knew I wasn’t going crazy.
There was an undeniable presence of someone, or something watching us. It felt
so real and almost supernatural. I didn’t quite know what to make of it, but
somehow I knew Charity and Levi were responsible for it. I felt oddly
reassured. I glanced up at Reed, and I knew he felt it too. We smiled but said
nothing as we turned and made our way into the building and to our first class.

Reed didn’t meet me at my last class
before lunch. I was instantly worried. Against my better judgment, I made my
way into the cafeteria, anxious to find him. Our usual table was empty. Where
was he? It was then that I noticed that most of the cafeteria was also empty.
What was going on? No sooner had that question crossed my mind than a hand
wrapped around my arm and was instantly being pulled from the room.

“Trent, let go of me!” I tried to
jerk my arm free, but his hand was wrapped painfully tight. I would have
bruises for sure.

“There’s someone waiting to meet you
in the courtyard. You don’t want to miss this?” His voice was laced with
contempt.

My gut lurched. “What’s going on,
Trent? And where is Reed?”

“Oh, he’s been detained, but don’t
worry. I’m sure he’ll find his way out here in time to see all the action.”

Oh no. Not good.

We reached the courtyard, having
passed all the people heading there. To see what, I didn’t know and truthfully
hoped to never find out. But something told me I wasn’t going to be so lucky to
get out of this unscathed.

He shoved me hard and I flew
forward. My hands sprang out and managed to break my fall. I cringed at the
burning sensation spreading through my palms. I fought the tears that
threatened to spill. I could do this. I had to do this. I slowly made my way to
my feet, dusting off the dirt from my jeans.

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard the
rumors. They’ve been spreading all day,” Trent barked, enjoying my obvious
discomfort. “Bunnie and I are friends now, and it seems she really wants to teach
you a lesson. A fight was inevitable.”

“Fight, fight, fight, fight.” The
words echoed around me as the students began to gather around, whispering the
word over and over. The volume grew louder and louder.

Uh oh. My heart sank. I had been
brought here to fight with Bunnie. I knew it was a fight I couldn’t win. She
was much bigger and meaner than me. I didn’t have a prayer. My thoughts went to
Reed. I hoped he was okay.

They continued to chant around me. I
was becoming frantic as I spun around to study the faces before me. They wanted
a fight—and annihilation.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I
snapped. “What do you want from me?!!” I yelled into the crowd that was growing
by the minute. “What do you want?!! I have been beaten, pushed down stairs,
kicked, spit at, ridiculed, mocked, and knocked unconscious! I’ve had pictures
taken of my bruised body and posted on the Internet! I’ve had my tires slashed
and my hair chopped off!! What more can you take from me?!!” Tears were
streaming down my face now as I continued to yell into the crowd, looking at
each face—into each pair of eyes that studied me. “I have done bad
things—terrible things to most of you!! And I have come to understand just how
painful those things were! I get it! And I am truly sorry—truly sorry!” I was
sobbing heavily now. “I need you to forgive me! Do you hear me?! I need you to
forgive me!! And……….I need your mercy now! Please!” I sighed. “Please give me
your mercy.” I finished—exhausted—defeated.

CLAPPING. CLAPPING. CLAPPING.
“Well,” Bunny said, stepping out of the crowd to face me, her expression smug.
“That was very well said.” She mock pouted, her hand to her heart. “I’m sure we
are all very touched.” Her face turned hard. “But those things you mentioned
are just the beginning. We are not through with you yet.”

“Yes we are!” Phoebe said, stepping
out boldly and standing in front of me. “I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner.”
She glanced at me and smiled, her eyes full of regret.

I smiled weakly, wiping at my tears.

Bunnie laughed as the other B’s
stepped out and lined up behind her, yet their faces revealed reluctance.
“You’re just a little girl, Phoebe. What are you gonna do, take on all of us?”
Her face suddenly distorted with anger, and honestly it was scary.

Phoebe took a step back, beginning
to lose her nerve, but then Haley stepped out of the crowd, taking a stance by
her. “I’ll stand against you.” She shrugged. “It’ll be fun.” Her face gleamed
with anticipation.