November 20th, 2016

Kinsky, California, USA

Lorenzo, II

Kat sat down by the entrance of her room, leaning against the open door. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there, listening to harsh hail hit against her home’s roof, foaming in her own feelings. At some point, however, she heard footsteps close in, which stopped next to her. It was her mother, who held two wine glasses. She extended one to the girl.

Kat looked at the glass. “Are you sure dad’s okay with this?”

“Your father’s already asleep. Don’t ask me how he can do it with all that hail raining down.”

Kat smiled, and took the glass. Mrs. Wilkins took a seat against the door next to her daughter. 

“So, did you want to tell me about what happened with you and Lukas?”

“Oh, um… I had an epiphany, I guess.”

“Well, I could tell that much.”

Kat looked up in front of her. The light from the room glimmered off her starry eyes.

“I realized that Lukas isn’t just a friend to me, the way I thought about it for so long. He’s the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. He’s the one I love most.”

“Took you long enough to figure that out.”

Kat turned towards her. “You mean you knew?”

Mrs. Wilkins smiled. “Call it mother’s intuition.”

The two looked away from each other for a brief moment, taking sips of their respective wine glasses. Kat was the one who spoke up again.

“I just wish dad cared.”

Mrs. Wilkins looked back at her daughter. Kat had her head down, looking into her drink solemnly. Her mother took a deep sigh of acknowledgement.

“Your father’s a difficult man. I know it. Perhaps everyone who deals with him knows it. He has a hard time showing his feelings… but he does have them. He does care for you, Kat. Everything that happened today didn’t happen because he was angry with you, or frustrated, or thought you were wasting his time. He did it because he was concerned about you.” The woman looked away, taking a sip from the glass. “Part of him still sees you as his darling, baby girl. Someone meant to be protected and kept in the nest. I’ve tried to tell him that’s not you anymore… and I think he’ll come around. But you’ll have to be patient with him, okay?”

Kat didn’t speak, but her face lightened up a bit. She looked up from her drink, towards her mother, and nodded. Mrs. Wilkins smiled, and carefully got up from her seat.

“Besides, I think your father secretly likes strong independent women. Else, why would he have married me?”

Kat finally broke into a smile, giggling softly. “Thanks, mom.”

“Of course. Just make sure you wash out the glass in the kitchen when you’re done.”

With that, her mother walked back down the hallway towards the master bedroom. Kat stayed sitting there, if only for a while longer.

…

Maria considered the story that Cole had just told her. 

“I just… she never told me any of this. The only thing she ever mentioned… was that one night before. Why didn’t… why didn’t she ever say anything to me?”

Cole gave a pitying shake of his head. “Maybe she just talked to Sadja and I because we weren’t family. We were outside forces, so it felt better to talk to us.”

Maria looked up. “Should I have seen it? Should I have read it in her face? Did she give me the clues, and I just didn’t see them in time?”

“Listen, Maria, I-”

“Be honest with me, Cole.” Tears began to form in the girl’s eyes again, the moist liquid causing her lens to reflect the ceiling light as she looked at Cole. “Should I have seen it? Should I have known all of this before it got so bad? Could I have stopped it?”

Each question was like an arrow into Cole’s conscience, and his face showed the hurt. “Nobody… none of us could have seen this coming, Maria. We just couldn’t. And even if we could… it’s already happened, and nothing will change that. So don’t be so hard on yourself. Please.”

Maria nodded, taking a deep breath and wiping the set of teardrops rolling off her eyes. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I still get… carried away by it sometimes.”

“It’s okay.”

The two teen’s attention were suddenly brought towards a loud repetitive thumping that started to occur outside. Both walked over to the window, opening the curtain to reveal the culprit.

“Looks like it’s hailing now,” Maria commented. 

Cole nodded, walking towards the door. “Guess I should get out of here, then. I’ll see you in class.”

“Yeah. Seeya.” Maria spoke the words hesitantly. As Cole grabbed his bag and put on his shoes, Maria felt a sinking in her stomach. The anticipation of the loneliness that would set in the second he left. She wanted him to stay, if only for a bit longer. But she said nothing.

The boy walked out, and Maria saw him immediately dodge out of the way of the incoming pellets of ice as he made his way to his car under the ramada. She felt concern for him, a concern which peaked as he failed to spot an incoming chunk of hail, one which hit right into his shoulder and caused him to wince back in pain. At that point, the hesitation ceased.

Maria ran over to the door and opened it. “Cole, wait! Wait!”

Cole, who had made it to the ramada, turned back to look at her standing on the porch.

“It’s too dangerous to be driving right now. Just stay here for the night.”

“But, Maria, I-”

“Text Marion you’re staying here because of the hail. They’re the size of golfballs right now. My mom’s not gonna be back until the morning, anyway. Just… come back inside. Please.”

Cole considered the proposal, and realized it was for the best. He rushed back towards the house and up the porch stairs, with Maria opening the door for him to go inside.

Back in the house, Maria took off her black hoodie, revealing an old white US Gymnastics shirt. “Here, let me check your shoulder.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I barely feel it.”

Despite the boy’s insistence, Maria walked briskly over and pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt. Her face became concerned.

“It’s bleeding.” 

Cole smiled in response to the girl’s motherly tone. “Yeah, like… three drops.”

Maria walked over to the kitchen sink, where she lightly wet a few sheets of paper towels. She came back towards him, pointing to the living room. “Go on. Sit down on the couch.” 

Cole complied, leaning his good shoulder against the back of the couch. Maria sat next to him, and dabbed the injury with the towels, to which he groaned sharply in pain. She shot him a quick glance. 

“Told you so.”

“It’s… it’s whatever. I just got surprised by how cold it is, that’s all.”

Maria finished cleaning the wound, and got up from the couch. “Give me a minute, I’m gonna go grab you a bandaid from the bathroom upstairs.”

“Maria, really. It’s fine.”

Cole turned his head to see that the girl had already walked out of the room, completely oblivious to what he had said. He sighed, and repositioned himself to lean back against the couch. As he looked up towards the ceiling, he could feel the conflict within his mind. Part of him was happy to be there, another part dreaded it. Part of him wanted to be with Maria, another part feared her. Still, he didn’t have much time to ruminate on the complex feelings — Maria came down right after.

“Here, take this.” She handed him the bandaid and he took it. While he applied it to his cut, Maria sat down in her usual armchair.

“So, did you figure out how Kat and Lukas were doing?”

“Nope, haven’t gotten anything back from either of them yet. Then again, I haven’t checked since this morning.”

Maria brought her legs up, crossed, onto the armchair seat. She smiled gently.

“Kat is a good friend, but she scares me sometimes.”

Cole looked up. “How so?”

Maria leaned back. “She just seems so… effortless. She makes friends easily, she’s so fit, she has a beautiful singing voice. It just feels so intimidating.” The girl moved her knees up and fit herself into a fetal position. “I feel like every girl in our friend group has something but me. Sadja has an incredible body, Rose is popular, Emily is smart, Ash is artistic. What does that leave me?”

The boy chuckled. “Maria, I’m not friends with Kat because of how flawless she is. I’m friends with her for the opposite — for her problems. You don’t have to be a super interesting person to be a good friend. You just have to be willing to make yourself vulnerable, and empathize with other people.” Cole turned towards Maria. Their eyes locked into each other. “And I think, out of everyone, you’re the best at that.”

Maria gave a faint smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” 

“You don’t look very convinced.”

She shrugged. “I’ll get used to it. Anyway, we should probably go to sleep — it’s already one in the morning.”

Cole yawned, stretching out his arms though being careful with the shoulder. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Cole.”

“Night.”

The boy laid down the full length of the couch, and closed his eyes. He listened to the rhythmic humming of the air conditioning intently, until he began to softly, slowly, drift off to sleep…