Exposing Kitty Langley (12 page)

My legs began to shake, and my heart
rate sped up as three more stepped out; Kyle, Mark, and Jessie. “Yeah, we’re in
too!” All three turned simultaneously and winked at me. I watched on in awe as
one student after another stepped out of the crowd and into the space between
the Bee Hives and me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. These people that I
had been so terrible to were now standing between me and the one who wanted to
destroy me. Each face held a bold defiance that warmed my heart. They were
giving me mercy, but more than that, they were saving me.

Our attention was drawn to the crowd
as Reed frantically made his way toward us. “Kitty!” he yelled, running to me
and taking hold of my shoulders. “Are you all right?”

I smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.” And for
the first time in so long, I meant it. I peered into the crowd and he followed
my gaze to finally see what was happening around us. He glanced back down at me
in awe.

Bunnie began her little speech. “This
means nothing! You can all stand up for her now all you want, but tomorrow is a
new day! She will get what’s coming to her and so will every one of you!”

“I don’t think so!” Reed said,
stepping up to meet her head on. “You see, Bunnie, we’re all really tired of
you and your little group. We’re making a stand here today. You see all these
people?” He gestured to the now angry crowd around us.

As she turned to look around her,
the crowd shifted and now all of the student body was making their way to
surround the rest of us. That’s when we spotted Charity off in the distance,
the marvelous Levi by her side, his arm wrapped around her protectively. They
were standing by, willing to step in if need be. My heart warmed yet again.

“We’re taking a stand against you!”
someone yelled out, drawing our attention back to the crowd.

“Yeah! We’re through with you and
your threats!!” someone else yelled.

Even the other B’s had abandoned her
and sulked over to join us.

Was this really happening? I felt so
relieved and free for the first time since all this began.

“Well, Head B, it looks like your
little rule has finally come to an end.” Reed was enjoying himself.

My eyes were drawn to him, and I
couldn’t look away. He had changed in the short time I had known him. No longer
was he the shy boy who kept to himself. He was strong, bold, and protective. I
liked it—a lot.

“You probably ought to make a call
to your mother and make sure she’s okay with homeschooling, because it looks
like that’s your only option.” He smirked.

Her face was priceless, a mixture of
anger, fear, and defeat. She glanced around at all the angry faces and finally
landing her eyes on the other Bee Hives who had so easily abandoned her,
obviously taking inventory of the situation.

There was a silence that covered the
crowd as everyone anxiously awaited her next move. Her face turned defiant as
she stuck her chin in the air, spun on her heels, her hair whipping out around
her, and stormed off toward the parking lot.

Cheers broke out as everyone
celebrated our newfound freedom.

Reed pulled me into his arms and
spun me around. When he sat me on my feet, he stared at me for a moment, each
of us breathless with excitement. He put both hands in my newly short hair. His
expression suddenly turned serious, his eyes full of desire. Then he kissed me,
a deep, hot kiss that made my head spin and my heart race. When he pulled back
to peer down at me, he traced along my face, studying each line and curve. Then
he said something that stopped my heart.

“I love you, Summer Langley. I think
I’ve loved you from the very beginning.”

I was speechless. I opened my mouth
to respond but nothing came out. Tears filled my eyes and I smiled, finally
finding my voice. “Oh Reed, I love you too. You stole my heart with a kiss,
that first kiss at the dance.”

“Yes,” he said, grinning, “the
stolen kiss. That’s what did it for me too.” I blushed at the memory. “But I
think I can top it.”

I raised my eyebrows, “Oh do you?”
Before I could even breathe his lips found mine, parting them as his arms
wrapped around me, pulling me tight against him. That was it. There, in the
arms of the most incredible boy I had ever known—I was forever lost.

Kitty

The summer was amazing, having
shared it with Reed and Phoebe. For the last three months we’ve been
inseparable.  But now, as Reed and I embark on our new journey at Lee
University, the joy is unspeakable.

We walked hand in hand through the
campus—our campus. Just the thought of that sent a thrill coursing through me.
I was finally here, and with Reed by my side. Our future was looking bright
after all. After that mess with Bunnie was cleared up, I was ready for some
good times. Reed said I deserved a happy life, and I was now beginning to think
he was right. After that crazy day in the school yard, we never saw Bunnie
again, along with the other B’s. Everyone assumed they became homeschooled, but
no one really knew for sure. Honestly, I didn’t care. All I wanted was to move
on—start a new chapter in my life—one that included Reed. And now that was
happening.

He stopped me at the door of my
first class. I was nervous since this was the very first day, and he could sense
it. His hand snaked into my short hair as he leaned in for a sweet but hot kiss
that said more than words ever could.

“I love you, Kitty.”

I smiled. “I love you too.”

He stroked his fingers along my
cheek. “Have a great first class. I’ll see you after.”

“Yeah, you too. I’ll see you after.”
He strolled away, giving me one last glance, and a wink, over his shoulder.
Just like always, my eyes trailed after him, his swagger weakening my knees yet
again.

I took a deep breath and entered my
first class, sneaking into the back seat as quietly as possible. I glanced
around at all the students getting settled into their seats. No one stood out
above the rest, just normal kids like me, and I was relieved. The drama was
finally behind me. I smiled and relaxed my shoulders.

“I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I
were you.”

I recognized the voice before I ever
saw her, and dread knotted in my gut.

Bunnie stood over me with a smirk on
her evil face. “Nice hair. It could be shorter though. These next four years
are gonna be so much fun.” Then she began to laugh as she took the seat in
front of me.

I slumped in my seat, tempted to let
this get me down. I suddenly remembered all I had been through and how the last
couple of months without her had been so peaceful and happy. I knew at that
moment that this was another test—and one I would pass just like the last one.
I would never again be a toy to be played with. This was my life, and I
intended to live it to the fullest.  I had things Bunnie didn’t. I had a new
self-confidence, a restored relationship with an old friend, a new respect from
my peers, the support of my family, and the love of a great man.

With those thoughts fresh on my
mind, I straightened and smiled as I whispered to her back, “Yes, you’re right
about that. This is gonna be the time of our lives. My new best friend, Charity,
asked to be kept in the loop. She and her friends have my back—who's got yours?”

Her back stiffened and I couldn’t
help but laugh a little.

Okay, so I pulled out the Charity
card. Do you blame me? This is my life……..and I plan on living it my way!!

If
you’re interested in reading Charity and Levi’s full story, you can find
Charity
Moon (Charity Series Book 1) and Charity Rising (Charity Series Book 2) on
Amazon
.

Also,
visit
DeAnna
Kinney on Facebook
.

DeAnna Kinney, in addition to
writing, loves to read, the color purple, Star Wars, decorating on a budget,
and dancing while she cooks. She believes whole-heartedly that chocolates and a
good book go hand and hand. And, having experienced it first-hand, believes
utterly in the power of true love. She lives in North Carolina with her husband
and three children.

Her
upcoming works include:

Charity
Series Book 3 (not titled yet)

And
maybe something about vampires, zombies and the end of the world as we know it.
Although not necessarily in that order.