A knock sounds at the front do
or. I figured Kai would just blow his horn. I didn’t expect him to come to the door for me.
“Just a minute,” I call out grabbing my purse. I have my certificates for CPR just in case Kai’s mom wants to see them. I open the door open to find no one on the other side. That’s strange; I frown and walk out onto the porch looking for Kai’s car. I shrug and turn to go back inside and that is when I see it…in bright red letters spray-painted on the front of my house is the word WHORE!
My mom is going to freak out when she sees this. I choke back the sob in my throat and force my tears away. I go inside and grab a bucket, filing it with warm water and bleach. I get a scrub brush from the laundry room and get busy scrubbing, and it is only just smearing and making it worse. I drop the brush into the bucket and think of my options. I can try to paint over it, but what am I going to do until I can get the paint to cover it. I sit in the cold on my front steps with my head buried in my hands feeling utterly defeated.
A hand on my shoulder startles me. “Kat, hey, I am here to take you over to watch Khloe.”
I wipe my tears on the back of my hand; sniffling, mortified that Kai is witnessing this.
“What happened?” He gestures towards the red blip on the siding of the house.
“Nothing important. Give me just a minute and I will be ready.”
He says he will be waiting in his car for me.
Going inside I take a white trash bag and tape it over the red blotch for now.
As I slide into the passenger seat of Kai’s orange Camaro, I could swear I see Beckett down the street in his grandpa’s car spying on me. Did he paint that hurtful word on my house? Screw Becks and Penny I don’t need them.
Chapter 8
On the way to Kai’s house, I feel strangely at ease with him. We fall into a casual conversation about music. We have similar taste in bands, which I find amusing. We even sing a little together. He is oddly surprised by my natural ability. “You ever think about singing outside of church?”
“I hope to after graduation. I’m saving for a car or a ticket out of here. Which ever gets me to New York quicker.”
“What’s in New York?” he asks curiously.
“It’s anywhere but here,” I answer honestly.
“Yeah I know that feeling graduation can’t come soon enough for me. My band and I are hitting the road first thing this summer.”
“That’s exciting! What is the name of your band?”
“Cooper’s Religion, but we might change it. I’m not sold on it but it’s all we could think of at the time. I just know I don’t want end up like my father and my brother Kirk.”
“I love the name, don’t ever change it. And you are preaching to the choir. I don’t want to be anything like my mom.”
He gives me a sympathetic smile. Does he know about my mom too? I am too ashamed to ask him.
We arrive at his house and I already envy him. He has a nice car and a beautiful home, I could only dream of growing up in. “Wow,” I whisper out when I unbuckle my seatbelt.
“Yeah not too shabby huh?”
I gulp and I feel underdressed to even go inside, thy have a freaking mansion compared to the tiny two bedroom I live in with my mom.
“Don’t do that Kat,” he says as if he knows what I am thinking. Kai grabs my hand. “Come on, my mom will love you.” He takes me in through the garage, when we reach the kitchen door he lets go of my hand and I am tempted to wrap my fingers back in his for support. Something about his hand in mine made all of my doubt and insecurity disappear.
His mom looks like she just stepped out of a photo-shoot for a popular magazine or something. Not one hair is out of place on her head. Khloe come running towards us. “Khloe friend, you come to pway with Khloe!” She is clapping and jumping.
“Yeah, I came to play,” I tell her and she takes my hand tugging me forward.
“Slow down Khloe, let Katie get in the door,” their mom tells her. “Kai why don’t you start setting the table for dinner while I have a chat with Katie in the study. Khloe help your brother and after dinner Katie will play with you.”
“O’tay,” she says with a hint of sadness.
“Oh, shoes please,” she instructs me to leave my shoes at the back door. I hope my socks match. I kick my shoes off and place them on the rug by the garage door. I follow Kai’s mom into the study and dang the room is huge, it’s more like a small library. My inner book nerd is dying to run my fingers across the spines of those books.