Email Me (Chunk 9)

Carrie had done it!  Not only had she nabbed the man of her dreams and was now --officially-- his girlfriend, but she had survived meeting his parents.1

Or, more correctly, parent.2

Kyle only had a father.  He was a tall burly man who seemed dirty and smelt mildly of body odor.  She met him on the way up to Kyle's bedroom to watch a movie.  She suspected it was an accident.3

"So," She said once they reached his room, trying very hard to sound non-chalonte, "That's your old man..."4

"Yeah, sorry 'bout him."  Kyle said, struggling against his anger and with the VCR.5

"You don't have to appologize!  He seemed very ni-"6

"He's fricken DRUNK!!  He always is!"  Kyle yelled.7

Carrie, who had been wandering about the perimeter of his room, stopped and stared at her boyfriend.8

"Sorry.  SORRY!" Kyle threw the movie case against the wall, "He just makes me so angry!!  ...Sorry."9

"It's alright.  Let's just watch the movie?"10

"Yeah.  Here,"  Kyle tugged a blanket around them as the opening credits flashed across the screen.11

*****12

"He hates his dad...?"  Mary said thoughtfully as she and Carrie trotted through the mall.13

"Yeah!  He got so worked up he threw the movie jacket!  Apparently his dad drinks a lot."14

"I wonder why he hates him so much...  Maybe his dad hits him?"15

"No...  You think?"16

"It's possible.  More common than most people think."17

"Well...  I don't know."18

"You should look out for ...signs."19

*****20

"What's wrong?"  Asked Carrie as Kyle pulled out of a hug.21

"Nothing," He winced.22

"Oh, come on!  I'm not that strong!"  Before Kyle could protest, Carrie pulled up his shirt.  His tanned back was brutally scratched and bruised.  "What happened to you?"23

"I-I just got into a bit of a brawl."  Kyle lied.24

"A brawl?  Did your dad do this to you?"25

"No!  I told you, I got into a fight.  I'm fine.  I'll take some Advil."26

"Are you sure you're okay?  I'm really worried!"27

"Don't worry.  I said I'm fine.  I gotta go."  Kyle said protectively.28

"Bye."29

*****30

"Well, if he says it was a fight..."31

"Mom, I'm telling you!  I really don't think that it was!"  Carrie cried.32

"Carrie, you and I both know that child abuse is a very serious matter.  You can't be too careful, throwing around accusa-"33

"Mom!!  I know Kyle.  He may not open up much, but he'd have told me if he was in a fight.  And his face was scratch-free."34

"I suppose if he was in a fight he would have a black eye or something."35

"See?"36

"I'll think about it and talk to your father.  You keep an eye open."  Carrie's mother tip-toed out into the hall, leaving Carrie to sleep.37

But she couldn't.  She was too worried.  What if Kyle's father really was hurting him?  Kyle would never tell...  She had to do something!38

It was 2:30 in the morning.  Carrie was laying on her back, not bothering to try and sleep anymore.  Suddenly, the hall light flickered on and Ann crept in.39

"Care?  Carrie, are you awake?"40

"Yeah, Mom, I am.  What's going on?"41

"It's--well--get dressed.  We need to- Just hurry."42

"Mom! WHAT!?"  Carrie asked frantically as she forced herself into a pair of jeans she'd left on the floor three days ago.43

"I'll tell you--in the car."44

Carrie pulled on a hoodie and rammed her feet into her sneakers, then charged into the van.  "What?!?" 45

"Carrie..."46

"MOM!"  She said persistantly.47

"It's Kyle-"48

"What!?  It's his dad, right?  He went too far this time, didn't he?"49

"No..."50

"Then...?"51

"Kyle overdosed."52

"You mean..he tried to-?"  Carrie fell into silence.  She thought he'd been happy.  With her.53

"Someone found him on the bathroom floor at a bus station and called it in,"54

*****55