Where I Went From Here

Chapter 27 - Seeing things

~ POV: Elijah Bower ~

When Kyla came back from school, just from looking at her, I knew something was not right... Or rather something had happened to her making her not her usual self. She wouldn't tear her eyes from the car's window. When Ryder or me, asked her questions about her first day at school, all she gave were one-worded answers. I thought we were progressing with her, or at least that she talked to me more than she was right now. A minute had not passed from when we arrived home to when I put the car in park, when Kyla bolted running; Ryder followed her with me in tow.

"Kyla!" I called out. "Kyla, wait!" went Ryder, but it was useless. She did not listen to us. She just continue to run to her room, slamming the door and locking herself within. With a sigh, I stared frowning at her door. Hopelessly, thinking that if I look enough she'll open the door and share a piece of what happened today at school with me.

Ryder placed his hand on my shoulder gesturing me to follow him. Aimlessly, I followed him downstairs to the kitchen, where I sat down at the kitchen island. Ryder had grab two glasses of water for the both of us. With a small sad smile, I accept it from him yet not moving to consume it. "Hey... I'll find out what happened with Kyla at school. Promise," he assured me. "Thanks, Ry, but you don't have too. She'll come around eventually," I said more to myself.

"It's okay. I care about her too, if in any case something bad happened... I want to know, so that I she can know I'll have her back," he said. Hearing how he wanted to be close to her warmed my heart. "So how was your day?" I asked him/

For what seemed like more than a couple of minutes, Ryder proceeded to tell me about everything he could. From his friends, to upcoming plans, his classes and teacher, lunch, to new rising high school drama.

"All this happened, just today?" Some of the things he told me amazed me, it's not as different as how it was when I went of course, but hearing what some teens did and said was. "It's wild. Jesse and Matt hooking up wasn't even a big deal, but the argument between Lina and Taylor was! And it was stupid too, it was over there dad's job and who has the most things" he said exasperated. I just shook my head, still quite not believing what he said. Kyla still had not come out of her room, but Ryder and me wouldn't push her. "Come on dude, gotta do your homework remember," I remind him. "Yup, I'll get it on with it later" he says. "You better. I know you'll leave it until the very last minute, but get it over with." 

When dinnertime comes by, I rush to be the first there to see that Kyla comes down. Slowly one by one, my brothers' come following Kyla after, with dad last. We eat in silence for a bit. A couple of bites in, and I look around the table to look at everyone. Dad, Ryder, and Levi are engrossed in  a conversation of something that I don't know of, Christian and Mason are talking about college and some professors; while Kyla acts like she's listening to Christian and Mason's conversation, but she's starting intently as she moves her food around her plate with her fork. She must feel me staring because she stops moving her fork and looks directly at me as she cocks her head to one side. 

I mouth to her that we need to talk, I don't expect her to react in any particular way; but when she mouths an okay and nods, I smile just a smidge. She smiles back at me yet before she gets the chance to look away, I catch sight of an angry shade of pink on her cheek under her eye. Squinting my eyes to catch a better look, to see that what I saw was actually there, I know that I am indeed not seeing things.

It looks like she got slapped or hit on the face. 

What the fuck.

~ POV: Kyla Bower ~

When dinner is done, I think that I can save myself from the foreseeing headache I am most definitely going to be getting from Elijah... If only I manage to get my room fast from him, or before he can stop me from getting myself to the door of my room. Washington my plate quickly than I have ever done, I speed to get to the stair; but to my dismay, a hand grabs my upper arm from moving another step on the stairs. I jump from being startled and scared at the same time. I really thought I saved myself from Elijah.

He frowns knowing how startled I was, not expecting him. Yet, then again I did promise him we'd talk, I was just being a little shit that honestly didn't want to talk about to today. Still, I know we talk and that I would make an effort to open up to them. So... this is a step. A small, tiny baby step in the right directions. And on the other hand, I know that I cannot keep this bottled up.

"Hey, I thought we'd talk after dinner" he says softly.

"I know" I say dejectedly.

"And, you sort of promised me too..." he adds. Like I didn't already know and feel guilt about it now.

"Yeah. I know that too" I only say. Seeing that I don't really want to talk about this with him, he pulls me away a little and we walk together with him holding my hand as I walk behind him. We go up the stairs, but not to my room; but to his room. We don't go inside, but at the door he lets go of my hand and goes into his room to grab something. Before I have a chance to enter his room, say tells me to wait. When he's done getting something from his room that I cannot see, he grabs my hand again. He leads me downstairs where we were before, but this time we go together the door that goes outside where the pool is.

We go towards the side of the pool with the lounge chairs. I stare at him as he sets two chairs together by pulling them close to each other; he plants pillows on both chairs and a blanket on one. He guides me to one of the chairs where I then sit him following suit. He fixes the blanket on both of us so that we are covered and comfortable. 

"Take a deep breath" He instructs me. Not really knowing what else to do, I trust what he is telling me and inhale a big breath of air.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere" he says almost in a whisper that I almost don't hear them.

I nod to his words, letting his words sink into my brain.

"Go on, whenever you're ready" he tells he softly.

Unknowingly holding my breath, I exhale and begin to tell him everything that happened at school, in the bathroom. With him, just listening intently to me, catching every word, I say.