Chapter Fourteen

Sorry for taking a day off yesterday from the BLOG. I was trying to do some other writing with limited success. My mind has not been all there this long weekend. I guess I'm still getting over the virus that has been hitting me hard for the past week.

I actually took a nap on Saturday, which is a very rare event. I hate naps, always have. I think it goes back to nursery school where they tried to force me to rest after lunch. Between the naps and the coleslaw they made me eat before I could have desert (something I was so not willing to give up), my memories of nursery school are slightly traumatic. There are a few good memories too, but mainly I remember boring cot filled rooms and disgusting mayo topped cabbage.

I went to see Gamer today. If you haven't seen it, I'm not sure what recommendation to give. It was gross and disgusting with much gratuitous violence. The story, though, was the more disturbing part. There are a couple of angles to mentally explore. Is a game where players control actual people the next logical progression of reality TV? When does our sensitization to violence get to the level where we could actually watch real people kill each other? These are some obvious ideas to think about. Or, we can think about the psychopathic multi-billionaire who owns the conglomerate that runs the games. What would happen to society if our leaders or those in positions of power lacked any sense of right and wrong? Are we there already on a smaller scale? Anyway... you see my point. On one hand a movie made to make you think. On the other hand blood and guts. Big giant shoulder shrug.

Chapter 14 is where Kate is forced to face the music. I feel sorry for her and Eric both. I don't advise anyone to cheat on their significant other, but in my head, Kate was never really meant to be with Eric. You'll see what I mean by the end of the book. Basically, Kate is growing into the person she was always meant to be. She's growing up. Moving to Houston for the summer has just sped things up.

Enjoy. Happy Labor Day!

Chapter 14

I watched the clock tick another fateful minute towards 8 AM. Five more minutes until D-Day or was it D-Minute. Whichever, “D” stood for despicable, dumb, diabolical, and disgusting. Add whatever other “D” word you like. I’d called myself all of them during the sleepless hours between arriving home last night and this morning.
7:56 AM
“Kate, for crying out loud, just call him. He’ll be up,” Mom snapped in exasperation.
Not that I could fault her. I’d been pacing from one side of the living room to the other for the last hour.
“I said 8 AM, Mom. I’ll call at eight.” If I could control nothing else, I would control the time of my official breakup with Erik.
7:57 AM
“You’re being silly, hon. You know Mrs. Pederson will have already called Mrs. Yaeger who will have called Mrs. Larson. Something this juicy will have been around town in less than five minutes.”
It’s never good when your own mother calls the gossip surrounding you “juicy.” But, what else could she call it? Nope, juicy about covered it. The pictures of Logan and me were on the Internet within an hour of the photographer racing from the restaurant. I would have been impressed with his speed had the pictures not been about me. Me with my hands buried in Logan’s hair. Logan’s hand on my breast. A super close-up of our faces, lips pressed tightly together – who knew kissing could be so unflattering? Your lips were supposed to be squished together, but when photographed, you just sort of looked like mutant Siamese twin fish.
7:58 AM
“I know, Mom. This entire episode is silly, but it’s my own fault. I’ll face the consequences of my actions. I just need two more minutes.”
“Oh, Katie-bear, it’ll work out. I would have preferred you handle this better; you should have talked to Erik before it got so far with you and Logan. But, things happen, and I know you’ve learned a lesson.”
Thank God for Mom. And Logan. And, surprisingly, Kyle. They’d all been great. Loving, supportive, understanding.
After Savannah left, Jackson arranged for the limousine to pull around to the back of the restaurant. Before the paparazzi could realize what was happening, Mom, Kyle, Logan, and I climbed into the car and headed home.
Both Kyle and Logan refused to leave the house until nearly dawn. Kyle claimed he wanted to make sure we weren’t followed – not that the two mountains of muscle stationed outside the front door weren’t perfectly capable of keeping away unwanted visitors - but I could tell he was worried about me. Maybe I was wrong about Kyle. He’d earned a ton of points with me for the way he’d ordered Savannah to leave, and, well, he did seem to really care for Mom.
Logan didn’t bother with excuses. I was his, and no matter how badly dinner ended, he was mine. The heady feeling of new love didn’t mix well with the dark depression the thought of telling Erik brought on, but that’s the way it was. We talked for hours, watching the sun start to rise before kissing deeply and saying goodbye.
“I’ll be back at nine, Kate. I’ve arranged for the day off tomorrow - today. I’m not going to leave you alone,” Logan whispered in my ear as I clung to him after our goodbye kiss. Wow! The guy could kiss – plus he was sweet and supportive. I would have been floating on a cloud of happiness had I not been facing the worst conversation of my life.
7:59 AM
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Shit! So much for 8 AM. Maybe I should ignore the call. 9 AM would be a much better time to have this conversation.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
“Answer the phone, Kathryn Swanson,” Mom ordered.
Shit! Shit! And double Shit!
“Hello, Erik,” I said, picking up my phone and walking into the kitchen. I slumped into a kitchen chair.
“Hello, Kate,” Erik said. His voice was deeper and raspier than normal. It sounded like he’d been crying. “Is there something you should tell me?”
“Yes, I guess there is.” My voice broke in response to his pain. “Oh, God, Erik. I never meant for Logan and me to happen. I never meant for you to find out this way.”
“Well, I did. And so did the rest of the world. How could you, Kate? Can you imagine how it feels to have your MOM tell you your girlfriend was on the NEWS MAKING OUT WITH Logan St. James?” He nearly spit Logan’s name out at the end of his rant.
I spoke as calmly as I could. I deserved his anger. “You’re right, Erik. I’ve behaved horrible. I deserve every bad name you want to call me.”
“We were so happy, Kate. And then you ruined everything. You changed. I don’t even know who you are anymore.” Erik’s anger faded and was replaced with a deep sadness. There were tears in his voice.
“I’m still Kate. But, you’re right. I have changed. I’m sorry.” At least I was sorry about hurting him. I wasn’t sorry about who I’d become. I liked Kate Broucheriou. The new me was strong and independent in a way small town Kate Swanson had never been. I’d grown up.
“I’m sorry, too. Goodbye, Kate.” The phone went dead.
“Goodbye, Erik.” I whispered into the receiver.
Goodbye.
My head dropped into my arms, thumping softly on the kitchen table. Heartless! Thump! Self-centered! Thump! Faithless Bitch! Thump!
At least it was over. It could have been worse. Ha! Who was I kidding? I had made Erik cry – the only other time I saw Erik cry was when he was eight and watched Old Yeller. I did that to him, and the only thing I could say was “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t nearly enough.
Stupid, heartless, self-centered, faithless bitch!!! With a last solid thump of my head, I reached for my phone again. I had one more call to make – Melanie. I definitely needed my best friend. I only hoped she didn’t hate me too.
Melanie answered on the first ring.
“Oh MY GOD, Kate!! Logan St. James?? Holy cow!,” Melanie screamed into the phone.
“Yeah, Mel. Logan St. James,” I answered.
“Wow…….” The word came out as a sigh, both admonition and admiration.
“I know. Mel, it happened so fast. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but…. He’s wonderful. Hot – you know that. He’s so gorgeous it almost hurts to look at him. But, it’s more than that. It just feels right to be with him.” How could I explain it what I didn’t understand myself? It was impossible to put into words the sense of wholeness that filled me when we were together. When I was with Logan, Kate Swanson and Kate Broucheriou became one, single strong person.
“What about Erik?,” she questioned.
“He hates me.” My words were blunt and to the point. I’d better get used to the idea.
“I love you, Kate, but how could you do it? You have to understand…. It’s been a month? You dropped off the radar. Disappeared. You ignore phone calls and texts. We’ve talked, what, four or five times? I hear more about you from the Internet and TV than I do from you directly.”
Melanie spoke kindly, but her words held more power than if she’d screamed. I’d apparently hurt her too.
So I started at the beginning. I told her about how I’d felt at the airport, Logan waking me at the welcome party, Savannah, missing Mom, Kyle… Everything I should have been telling her all along. By the time I finished, I think she understood. I know I felt much better.
“I love you, Mel. I’m sorry for hurting you. I promise it won’t happen again,” I finished.
“I know, Kate. I can’t begin to understand how it feels for you but remember, no matter what, I’m here to help,” she replied.
“And since I love you too, I promise to only be slightly sick with jealousy that you’re with Logan St. James.”
There was no question about it. It felt wonderful to have Melanie back in my life. I may have been a stupid, heartless, self-centered, faithless bitch. I may have lost my boyfriend. I may still have to face the rest of the world who, thanks to my bad judgment and Savannah Sears, knew way too much about my love life. But, I had my best friend back. It was more than I deserved.

© 2008-2009 Elizabeth Johnson