Chapter FIVE

At final bell, I got my bag from my locker and headed out to walk home. I usually walked with Georgia, who went the same direction, but she had left early for a dentist appointment after lunch. Just after I turned the corner out of the school yard, someone was jogging to catch up to me.

   "Marley." It was Kane.

   He always drove to school, even though he lived within walking distance. So, I was confused why he was following me now.

   "What?" I asked him, not slowing down.

   His bag was over one shoulder, his hoodie was unzipped. "Can I walk with you?"

   "Uh, you never walk home. And you don't even live this way," I accused him.

   "I just wanted to talk to you... for a minute," he went on, finally walking beside me.

   "About?"

   "Marley, c'mon. You're a Junior. And you're a good kid. You stay out of trouble -"

   "You don't really know me, Kane," I said, annoyed.

   "Yes, I do. I know you, and I don't want you to get all messed up by being in with -"

   "You are the reason they like me," I said. "You brought them to my party, you told them I was cool. Now they actually want to hang out with me and you are doing this?" I snapped, not looking at him.

   "You just don't need to be drinking and whatever else, so they think you're like them."

   "You don't need to tell me what to do," I said loudly. "Just stop."

   He did stop. He was looking me right in the eyes, and I knew he had more he wanted to say. There was a lot more I wanted to say, too. But he turned and went back towards the school, without another word.

   I did my homework at the kitchen table as soon as I got home, like I usually did. My mom and Andy came in from work, and school, while I was finishing up.

   "Marley!" Andy yelled, running to hug me.

   "Hey, are you staying in tonight?" my mom asked me, obviously hoping I'd say yes.

   "I suppose so," I answered, shrugging.

   "Dad just called, he has to work late, and I have a hair appointment at five..."

   "Okay, no problem. I'll stay home with Andy," I finished, nodding.

   She walked towards me, then kissed my head. "Thanks, honey."

   Kyler did text me, like he said, an hour later. I was listening to Andy read a book out loud, but pulled out my phone when the sound went off.

   Hey you.

   Hey. I replied quickly.

   You want to hang out tonight? I was thinking the arcade?

   I'm stuck home with my brother tonight, I sighed, typing.

   Oh Damn.

   Sorry. Another night?

   Yes, for sure, he sent back, and then added, See you at school.

   But that whole week at school, Kyler didn't talk to me. When I saw him outside at lunch, he smiled at me, but that was it. He just stood there with Kane and Gibson and Mandee and Mel, and pretended like I was nothing. Like I wasn't even there.

   "Maybe he changed his mind," I told the girls, as we walked to fourth period.

   "Maybe he's actually just an ass," Kaylee said, rolling her eyes.

   "Maybe," I shrugged, again trying to pretending like this didn't bother me at all. But of course it bothered me. Why had he given me all that attention and then just suddenly it stopped?

   By Friday, though, I was actually sort of over it. Kaylee, Georgia and I had plans to go shopping for Georgia's birthday that weekend. Sunday was her small birthday get-together, just us and a couple other girls from school. Georgia was outgoing but sensitive, and spent a lot of her time at home with her family. She preferred to have a few close friends, and she had never had a boyfriend, either. Her parents weren't exactly strict, but they had expectations for her. Her heart was broken the previous year by Eric Turner, a guy she'd known for years from karate, who told her he wasn't interested, when she finally asked him out. Georgia's parents owned a small convenience store in a strip mall downtown, and worked a lot. She was often in charge of dinner for her younger sisters, and getting them washed and in bed. It was a lot for her, as she was not even sixteen. But she always did it with a smile, as she knew it was important for her family.

   "Meet at the mall tomorrow at noon?" Kaylee asked Georgia and I, at the end of the day.

   Georgia nodded, hugged us both, then crossed the field and got into her mom's SUV.

   Kaylee was the oldest of us three, and the only one with her driver's license. Her dad gave her a car for her sixteenth birthday, eight months ago, too. This had made me jealous as hell, but yet Georgia had been so excited for her. It was just the way she was.

   In the winter, I would catch a ride home with Kaylee. But while it was still nice out, I enjoyed the walk. She was just about to go towards the parking lot when Kyler appeared out of no where, touching my arm.

   "Hey," he said sweetly, like he hadn't ignored me all week. I pulled my arm away, but he continued. "I have to talk to you. Can I drive you home?"

   "I like the walk," I told him. Kaylee was still close by, listening.

   "I'll walk then," he said.

   I waved at Kaylee, who waved back, giving me an unsure look as she turned to go towards her car. Kyler looked around a bit, then started walking beside me as I turned to go home. I lived six blocks from the school and it was still warm, like summer.

   "I'm sorry," he started talking almost right away. "I should have, like, texted."

   "Yeah," I said, not looking at him.

   "This is so stupid. But... Kane. He told me to stop trying to get with you."

   I stopped walking to look at him. "Excuse me? Does Kane control your life? Because he doesn't control mine," I spat out.

   "Well, no. But he'll kick my ass."

   I started walking again. "I'll talk to him. I'll tell him to back off."

   "Nooo. Don't. I was just thinking... maybe we just have to be sneaky?" He grinned at me.

   "I do not have to sneak around with you because Kane thinks he's in charge of me," I said, still annoyed.

   "Well, I have to back off then. If I end up in a fight, my mom will lose it."

   I sighed, slowing my pace again. "I don't want you to back off."

   "Then we just can't let Kane find out. So, we ignore each other at school, and I'll take you out, places Kane would never go -"

   I was smiling at him, because it was really sweet, what he was saying. "What about parties?" I asked.

   "We can have our own parties," Kyler laughed, grabbing for my hand again.

   We were at my house a few minutes later - he had walked me all the way home.

   "So, you have to walk back to school now to get your car," I pointed out, then laughed.

   "It was worth it," he smiled.

   The front door of my house opened, and there was my mom, home earlier than usual, staring at us as we stood at the end of the driveway. I looked at her, then back at Kyler.

   "Hello," she waved to us. "I'm Marley's mom."

   "Nice to meet you," Kyler waved back. "I'm Kyler King."

   "Mom, you met him, at my party," I said, reminding her.

   "Oh, yes," she smiled. "Andy has a cough, I had to get him early from school."

   "Poor guy," I said to her, then turned back to Kyler. "Thank you for walking with me."

   "My pleasure," he smiled. "See you Monday."

   My Mom hadn't moved from the porch, so he just waved at her again before turning and walking back out of the neighbourhood. I walked up the path to the porch, then followed her inside.

   "He seems sweet," she told me. "Polite. And handsome."

   "Mom," I rolled my eyes at her.

   "Well, he does seem nice."

   "He is," I agreed.

   "So, he's Kane's friend?" She was digging for the children's cough medicine in the cabinet over the stove.

   "Well, yeah, but..."

   "But?"

   "Mom. I have to tell you something. You can't tell Dad, or Bruce."

   "Marley, what is it?" She turned back to face me.

   "Kane is... he has been telling guys at school, his friends, other guys, to stay away from me. Like, threatening to beat them up," I told her.

   "What?!" My mom was as shocked as I had been when I found out. "Kane is not a fighter."

   "Maybe not, but he's threatening it."

   "Honey, I think he's just trying to protect you. I mean, maybe Bruce told him to keep an eye on you -"

   "I don't need protecting! I'm sixteen, and I can and will make my own decisions about -"

   "Marley, it's Kane. He's like family," she reminded me.

   "I don't care," I said quickly. "He's not even nice to me, why would he be..." I let my voice trail off, knowing I'd said too much.

   "What do you mean he's not nice to you?" she asked, giving me that shocked face again.

   "Mom, he's just been... distant. For a long time. He basically ignores me. Unless he's trying to boss me around."

   She looked hurt now, like I was offending her by what I was saying about Kane. I shouldn't have been surprised. Of course she was on Kane's side. She always had been. Even when we were kids, in an argument, she sided with Kane first. He was like her third (or first) child. And she knew he was grown up and changing, and I knew she missed him. But now, when I was confiding in her, she should have been on my side. But it was still all about Kane.