NINETEEN

 

Kelly was home when we got there.  She was getting ready for her doctor’s appointment.  Kelly was now in the second trimester and as usual, she was looking forward to ultrasounds, listening to the baby’s heartbeat and pretty much anything else the doctor had to offer.

She couldn’t even hide the excitement in seeing me with Hunter.

“Oh!  Hey, Hunter!” she said in a very cheerful mood.

He did a quick wave.  “Hi, Mrs. Gallagher.”

“Oh, please call me Kelly… I told you that last time, and the time before that.”  She laughed.  “I actually really have to get going for my appointment, but there are snacks and drinks in the kitchen and you guys can reach me on my cell if you need anything.”

And just like that, she was gone. 

I stood there, shaking my head.

“What is the matter?” Hunter asked.

“Oh, nothing.  She just… she really trusts you.  Whenever Justin was over we were never alone.”

Hunter smiled.  “Guess she is a good judge of character.”

“Right!” I said as I rolled my eyes at him.  “Okay, let’s get this done.”

I started to walk toward the stairs when Hunter stopped me.

“Umm, this house has a basement, right?”

I nodded.

“Good.  That is where we are going.”

“But, why?”

“Just easier for them to get through to closed in, dark spaces…that is what they are used to.  You should have noticed that by now with your little closet situation.”  He laughed trying to make a joke out of it, which totally didn’t work.

“Ugh.  Let’s go… I guess!”

I led him to where the basement was, grabbed a flashlight and opened the door.

I was just about to go down the stairs when Hunter took a quick step forward, stepping right in front of me.  He looked back just long enough to hold his hand out for the flashlight.

I just gave it to him, no questions asked.  I told him where the light switch was as I followed him down to the basement.

I took a deep breath.  “Okay, the first time I saw her in this house she was inside that closet,” I said as I pointed to the small closet in the back of the basement.  “Does that make a difference?”

He shrugged.  “It could.”

We walked closer to the closet, opened the door, and he said I should sit inside it.

“Ha.  You are funny!  There is no freaking way that is going to happen.  I will sit right here, right outside the closet where I know no doors will be closed on me.”

He looked hurt.  “I will be here with you.  Just trust me.”

“Sorry, but don’t push it.  I will never be able to concentrate if I’m sitting in there.”

“Fine, outside the closet it is.  Just do what you usually do.  I will be here with you, so focus on Carolyn and I will make sure you are protected if Benjamin shows up.”

I nodded, and slowly sat on the floor, which was filthy.  Andrew really needed to get someone to clean this basement.  

So, I sat on the floor and before I closed my eyes and started to reach out for Carolyn, I looked up at Hunter and said, “If you don’t mind… aside from Benjamin, please make sure any other disgusting things stay away from me too.”

He looked at me, puzzled.

“You know…spiders, bugs, whatever.”

I could tell he was trying hard not to laugh, but he just ensured me he would do his part.

I sat there for hours, until we heard the sound of a car parking in the driveway.  Usually by now I would have gotten a sign that Carolyn was there… somewhere, but this time I got absolutely nothing.  And I knew I had done my part…I was physically and mentally exhausted.

We rushed upstairs to the kitchen before whoever it was got inside the house and wondered what we were both doing in the basement.

Hunter looked really concerned.  “This is not good,” he said.  “You will have to keep trying and try harder.”

Sounding a whole lot more optimistic than Hunter, I asked, “What if this is good?  What if she was able to get past this place?”

“Not likely.”  He sounded so sure, so determined, I didn’t even see the need to ask him why.”

Kelly walked in and that was when I realized we had been in the basement longer than I thought.  Not only had Kelly gone to the doctor, but she also had time to go and get her hair done.

“Hey guys.  Hunter, you are staying for dinner, right?”

“Thanks, Mrs. Gallagher, but I can’t.”  She looked a little disappointed.  “I really wish I could but I really need to get going.”

“Alright, maybe next time…”

“Absolutely.”

I walked Hunter outside, just then realizing that I was his ride.  “Oh, just wait here for a second.  I will let Kelly know that I’m taking you home.”

He stopped me.  “No, I’m not going home… I’m going to the … umm to the adoption agency.”

“Oh.”  I frowned.

“Do you want me to come back?  You know…tonight?”

As much as I wanted to say no, wanted to stop this vicious need for his help, I couldn’t.  “If you don’t have anything else going on, I guess.”

“I will be here.”  He waved goodbye and walked away.

Kelly was still in the kitchen when I went back in.

“I really like Hunter.  I think he is a good influence on you.”

“Uh-huh.  Still, we are not dating… just friends, mom, so let it go.”

She smiled as she usually did when I called her mom, which wasn’t often.

“So, how was your appointment?”  I asked.

“Good. Everything is going well, just as it should be.  The doctor was able to tell the sex of the baby, but we decided we don’t want to know.  We want it to be a surprise.”

“Cool.”  I just never understood people who didn’t want to know that kind of thing, I mean, how can you shop for baby things if you don’t know, right?  Oh well, not my decision to make.

“Your hair looks nice.”

“Thanks, Kayla.  By the way, I saw Emily’s mom at the hair salon.  There seems to be a lot of drama going on with Ashley today.”

“What do you mean?  She left school early because she was sick, how much drama could there be?”

Kelly hesitated.  “I think it is better if you hear from her.”

Last thing I planned on doing was to talk to Ashley, but I knew that if there was drama, Emily and Jessica were sure to know all about it. 

I quickly excused myself saying that I had homework.  I grabbed my cell phone and practically ran to my room.

Since Kelly said she had talked to Emily’s mom, Emily was the one I called.

“Hey, Emily.”

“Hi Kayla.  I’m so glad you called!  Have you heard about Ashley?”

“Nope… I mean… I heard that there was something going on but not what exactly.”

“O.M.G.  You are never gonna believe what happened!”

And after that she went on and on, without even giving me a chance to get a word in.

“So, Ashley’s mom calls over here this afternoon wanting to know how to get a hold of Justin’s parents, right?  So, my mom gives her the info, and asks if everything is okay, and Ashley’s mom just bursts in tears on the phone.  It turns out that Ashley was feeling sooo sick this morning that her mom took her to the doctor and she is pregnant!!!!  Can you believe that?” 

I was speechless, but good thing I didn’t have to say anything because Emily kept going. 

“So, apparently Ashley told her mom that was impossible and she claims to be a virgin, but of course, doctor’s exam, including ultrasound and all… what more proof does she need?  So she asks Ashley if Justin is the father, being that they are dating and all, and Ashley says she doesn’t know who the father is.  Can you believe it?!”

“Wow” that was all I managed to say.

“Yeah, that is one way to put it.  So, she was going to try to reach Justin’s parents, she says that if he denies it, she wants a DNA test and all that mess.”

“So do you think it is Justin’s?”  I asked.  My voice sounded weird, as if I was afraid to know the answer.

“Yeah, I mean, who else would it be?  I know we say she is a skank and all, but I don’t think she was dating anyone else.  She is always with Justin.  OMG, are you okay with me talking about all this, Kayla?  Sometimes I just completely forget that you two used to date, even if it was like yesterday! … But you seem to be into Hunter now, right?”

“Oh yeah, I’m good.  Just surprised.”

“No kidding.  Hey, I gotta go eat dinner, but we will talk tomorrow, okay?”

We said our good-byes and hung-up.

Kelly was calling me down to eat dinner, and although I felt as if I was going to just throw up if I ate anything, I forced myself to go downstairs, grab dinner and eat a few bites.  Andrew wasn’t home yet, so we ate in the living room while we watched TV.  Good thing, because Kelly was into her show enough not to notice how much I actually ate, and after that I just rushed to my room.

Trying to get Carolyn back that day had really made me exhausted.

I walked into my room, got ready for bed, and wondered how long it would be until Hunter got back.  I was afraid to fall asleep and have Benjamin show up, and even though it was still only seven, I was just too tired to resist.

It felt as if I had just closed my eyes, when I woke up with his hand clasped over my mouth.