Date Night
Part 3
Kyle woke up to the sound of his mother coming in the front door from work. “Hey, mom. Shift end early for you?”
His mother set her keys on the table and turned to see her son getting up from the couch, “Yeah the one line went down and when they couldn’t get it running again quickly they decided to send us home. We’ll be making that up tonight thought. Did you fall asleep on the couch again?”
“What makes you think that?”
“The couch, the covers, the TV still on,” his mother chuckled. “Not great detective work needed there.”
“Ok you caught me. But at least I apparently didn’t stay up late,” Kyle laughed. “You want some breakfast or just heading to bed?”
“I’ll get something later. Right now some extra sleep is sounding a lot better than food.”
“Alright. I’ll keep it down getting ready for school.” Kyle jumped slightly as the alarm in his bedroom went off announcing that it was time to get up for school. “well isn’t that just timing.”
His mother laughed lightly and headed down the hall to her bedroom, “Have a good day at school.”
“Thanks, mom I will,” Kyle said getting up and heading into his own room to grab a change of clothes. A quick shower and a couple pieces of toast later and he was out the door as ready to face today as he was ever going to be. He had made it no further than the end of his drive when a familiar car pulled up.
“Hey, Kyle,” Kelly said leaning partially out of the window. “Staci decided to be not a bitch today and offered to drive me to school. Want a lift?”
Kyle leaned down slightly and smiled at Kelly but couldn’t ignore the look from Staci. She very unsubtley licked her lips and then spoke up, “Yeah hop on in.”
Kyle opened the rear door on the ancient Chevy and slid across the seat depositing his backpack next to him. He watched Staci readjust the review mirror so that she could easily make eye contact with him as she drove. They turned the first corner as Staci’s smile took on a darker aspect. “So you two hitting Tim’s party on Saturday?”
Kelly stared daggers at her older sister and interjected before Kyle could speak. “We really hadn’t talked about it yet, Stace. I wasn’t sure if Kyle would even want to go.” Kyle could tell that Kelly was mentally throwing death threats at her sibling for opening up this can of worms.
Oh? You were talking about going just the other day on the phone,” Staci said slyly. “I am almost positive about that.”
Kyle just sat back and decided that silence was the best defense in this particular conflict. He was pretty sure that bystander or not there was a good chance of getting hit with not so friendly fire.
“What the fuck is your problem? Why are you so concerned about what parties I go to?” Kelly yelled.
“I couldn’t care less where you go. I just thought I’d bring it up since you were both right here.”
“Yeah you are just downright curious. You just love stirring the shit. Yeah I’m going. And no its not with Kyle.” Kelly spun half way in her seat to look at the stunned boy in the backseat. “Hear that Kyle? Since royal bitch here can’t keep her nose out of things lets just throw it out there now. I’m dumping you. You are sad and pathetic and that slim chance that you could have been interesting is gone. Don’t call me, I won’t call you and let’s call this joke over and done with. Kelly turned back around crossing her arms over her chest and sat there seething.
Kyle sank even deeper into the seat trying to not be where he was. After a long moment of stunned silence he shook his head and started to get pissed. “I’m pathetic? He began. “I’m not the one jumping from person to person looking for the next thrill. I’m not just a speed bump to be driven over. Tell you what I am glad its over because you have been the most selfish person I have ever been with.” With that burst of confident energy released Kyle sank back into the seat once more and let the tense silence take over the car.
Kelly didn’t even let the car come to a full stop before jumping out and slamming the door so hard the window rattled. “Go to hell.” she screamed in parting and stomped her way into the school.
“Well at least you know what she had planned and just wasn’t telling you,” Staci turned and got a look of anger rather than the gratitude she was fully expecting.
“You just couldn’t leave it alone could you? We both knew it was over and we were ok with letting it just fade but no, you had to make it blow up into a shit storm. Nicely done Staci.” Kyle opened the back door and got out of the car as well. “Sometimes you just don’t think do you?”
Staci sat looking dumbfounded. This had gone so different than she had expected. “I just didn’t want you getting played along like she usually does. I thought you would be glad to know for certain. So you wouldn’t feel guilty when we do things.”
Kyle stopped and spun back to the car. “You did this for yourself. This was all about you all along. What Staci wants. Well what Staci wants isn’t what she gets. I thought you figured that out but I guess its going to be a longer learning curve. Goodbye.” Kyle turned and walked into the school past the sets of eyes watching the drama unfold and torn between curiosity and a desire to not get involved.
What had to qualify as the longest day in Kyle’s life crawled past at a snail’s pace. Apparently though he was the only one that it had any lasting effect on. Freed from the actual breakup, Kelly was back in full form and sitting on Chad’s lap by lunchtime. So much for worrying about emotional well being. By the time the final bell rang Kyle was more than over dealing with people. He headed out of the school building making sure to head down to the football field and bypass the parking lot entirely. He was just at the edge of the shade cast by the bleachers when he heard the voice he was truly hoping to avoid.
“Hi Kyle.”
He sighed and slung his pack down off his shoulder getting ready to face the inevitable. “Hey Staci. What do you think you are doing here? I thought I was pretty clear that I didn’t want to see you.”
“Yeah but that was this morning. I figured you’d have cooled down by now and realize that I was helping you. And I was figuring you were looking forward to something else.” Staci flicked her cigarette away and walked towards him.
“Yeah well you figured wrong,” Kyle said shifting to move past her. “There is nothing between us and nothing I want from you.”
“But I thought...”Staci started in stammering. “I thought that when I listened...”
“You thought that when you listened what?” Kyle stated angrily but caught the undertones.
“I thought that if I listened I could still suck you off.” There was a slight hint of desperation in the edge of her voice. She sounded far less confident than he had ever heard her before.
Kyle was both turned on and terrified at this turn. Had he really done this to her or was it something that was always there? You can’t make someone something they aren’t. They all said so. “Staci we need to talk. Not here but we need a long discussion.”
“At the park again? It was nice and private there.”
Kyle sighed knowing what was on her mind. Part of his mind went there was well and was doing a bit of an internal victory dance that he had to try and tamper down. “Yes the park is fine but it might not be as active as it was last time.”
Staci smirked a bit of the old fire returning as she saw things coming to her her way. “Oh I think I can help it be just as active if not a bit more.”
“So I guess we do just need to say stop and avoid each other completely,” Kyle said trying to take back control of the situation before it really headed out of control.
“Fine we’ll talk. The park in an hour then?”
“Yeah. An hour.”