Understanding Caitlyn -Chapter 3-

Three1

“Hey Punk” a voice said behind her a few minutes after Dylan left.2

She whirled around and looked at the guy who called her punk. She stared up at a boy about five inches taller than her with a muscular build, with brown hair and dark green intense eyes.3

“Do I know you?” she asked bluntly.4

“No, but you should. Everyone needs to know me.” He smiled. “I’m Kyle. And you’re…?”5

“Not interested.” She said and tried to walk by.6

As she walked by he grabbed her arm, “Hey wait a second. I was just-”7

“Don’t touch me!” she said in an angry, shivering voice. “Leave me alone.” She ordered and walked away at a slow run. Kyle stood there, looking confused as he watched her run away. 8

“Don’t worry ‘bout her. She’s like that.”  Dylan came up from behind Kyle, who intended to talk to Caitlyn again, but instead saw the drama between Kyle and Caitlyn. “I live with her now, in a foster home, she’s either quiet or bitchy, don’t take it personally.” Dylan explained to him. 9

“Why’s she in a foster home?” Kyle asked.10

“I dunno, she doesn’t talk to me or Chad, the other person in the home. She hardly talks at all.” 11

“Oh.” he said simply. “I gotta go, see you later.”12

“Later.”13

--14

“Hey Caitlyn! How was school honey?” Keri asked enthusiastically. 15

“Fine,” Caitlyn said and walked up the stairs to her room.16

“Caitlyn,”17

“Yeah?”18

“Do you want to talk about anything?”19

“No.” She called downstairs and shut her door on the world.20

“Don’t worry sweetie, she’ll come around.” Jack, Keri’s husband, said from behind her. “She’s been through a lot, she needs to adjust.”21

“Maybe your right,” Keri agreed uneasily. “I’ll go fix dinner.”22

--23

The next three days went by slowly, as Keri waited for Caitlyn to adjust. She tried to talk to her, help her with homework, and even drove her to school. But yet, Caitlyn was just as quiet, and just as reserved.  At school, everyone pretty much left her alone. Except for Kyle, he continued to talk to her, even though she never replied, he kept on pushing her to talk to him. And she did in the end. She told her about living in foster care with Dylan and Chad, and told him about Keri being nice, but not wanting to talk to her. Kyle had opened her up, even though it was just a crack. 24

--25

On Friday that week, Keri came into Caitlyn’s bedroom and woke her up, instead of waiting for the alarm to wake her up.  “Honey, wake up. Time to get ready”26

“Wha-? Why are you in my room?! GET out!” Caitlyn screamed at Keri. “Your suppose to knock before you come into a room!”27

Keri hurried out of the room, out of shock of being yelled at. While she closed the door, Dylan hurried out of his room to see what was happening. “What happened?” He asked quickly.28

“Nothing. She’s just jumpy,” Keri said and walked down stairs. “She’s just jumpy.”29

As Keri went downstairs, Dylan went back to his room to get a little more sleep, when he opened the door, he saw Chad getting himself ready to go to school.30

“What happened with Caitlyn?” Chad asked irritated.31

“Nothing, she just got mad at Keri,”32

“Why did she get mad at Keri?” The seriousness in Chad’s eyes increased.33

“Because Keri went into Caitlyn’s room without knocking, she scared Caitlyn when Caitlyn woke up, no big deal.”34

“I’m heading downstairs.” Chad said and walked out of the room, while Dylan gave up going back to bed and got ready for school.35

Chad knocked on Caitlyn’s door instead of heading downstairs.36

“Caitlyn. Let me in.” Chad demanded37

“Why?” Oh great. What does he want? She wondered to herself grumpily as she walked to her door.38

“Because, I said so.”39

“Fine, whatever,” she said as she opened the door. As soon as the door was wide enough for Chad to see her, he pushed his way in and shut the door.40

“You need to stop acting all high and mighty!” He said with fierce eyes. “You don’t own this house! You should be happy Keri took you in, you little slut! Keri has been nothing but nice to you and you treat her like shit. I’m sick of it!” he was half whispering half yelling. Not loud enough for anyone else to hear him. Chad grabbed Caitlyn’s arm pushed her against the closed door, the handle digging in her back, she tried to scream but he said dangerously “You make a noise, I’ll make sure you can’t talk anymore”. He punched her gut, then slapped her across the face so that she fell to the floor. 41

She glared up at  Chad defiantly as tears fell silently, her cheek throbbing with a familiar pain.42

“Not so tough now are you Caitlyn. Your badass image, its all an act.” He glared at her, “Watch yourself Caitlyn. You don’t want to be on my bad side.” He stood above Caitlyn; tears were streaming from her glaring eyes, unable to speak. “Bitch.” He said to her before he left her room.43

“Hey punk,” Kyle said teasingly as he came up behind Caitlyn. She turned around and faced him. “Oh my gosh, what happened?” he looked at her face, red, as if someone slapped her, and eyes red as if she were crying.44

“Nothing.”45

“That doesn’t look like ‘nothing’.” Kyle said worriedly. He grabbed her face in his hands and looked where the red mark was on her face. She tried to pull away but Kyle held her steady. Caitlyn’s face was still throbbing. He then grabbed her arm and demanded, “Who did this to you?” as he grabbed her arm she yelped. 46

“No one did anything,” As she said that Kyle grabbed her sleeve and gently pulled it up. There was a purple bruise on her bicep. 47

“Caitlyn-,” he began but was interrupted by her.48

“I ran into a wall.” She said quickly.49

“And it slapped you too?” He asked gently.50

“I, I ran into the door.” She said looking down. He grabbed her in a hug and softly squeezed her, and she pulled away, not wanting to be touched, let alone hugged. But Kyle wouldn’t release her, and just hung on tightly, as he did so, she let out another yelp. 51

“Don’t touch me!” she said angrily.52

He looked at her cautiously and grabbed her other arm and pulled up her sleeve, that arm was dotted with bruises. 53

“Oh my God, Caitlyn, who did this?” he demanded and looked into her eyes. “Was it Dylan? Jack? Chad?” He asked with anger and worry in his eyes. 54

“No, no, it, it wasn’t anyone.” She hesitated, still looking at her feet. “I told you, I hit my bedroom door, don’t worry about me. I don’t need any sympathy. Just leave me alone!” She said and tried to walk away.55

“Caitlyn wait.” Kyle said softly. “Come for a ride with me,” Caitlyn turned around, unable to walk away from the softness in his voice. “Just, let’s go somewhere and talk,” he pleaded and took her hand, then hugged her easily. She rested her head on his shoulder, and began to cry silently.56

“I don’t want them to see my cry, please let me go.” She referred to the students who were now looking at them. Kyle grabbed her hand and walked her outside, leading her to his truck.57

“Come for a ride with me then,” he asked gently.58

“No, I can’t, I- I- have to go to class,” she said stammered quietly. 59

“Come on, just today. Please?” he asked again and pushed her hair behind her ear, then touched her eyebrow ring.60

“Fine.”61

They walked out to his black truck and he opened the door for Caitlyn and he walked around and got in his side of the truck. He started it, and turned to Caitlyn before driving off. 62

“Caitlyn, will you be okay?” he asked, worry in his eyes. He reached for her and hugged her lightly. She started to resist him, but then leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulders, tears silently falling.63

“I told you I’m fine,” she said, trying to hide the hurt and wiping the tears away, “Lets just go somewhere,” She looked up into dark worried green eyes. He brought her more close and hugged her, this time she didn’t resist.64

“Ky- Kyle please, stop.” She whined.65

“What?”66

“It’s my back.” She managed to say through the pain. He let go quickly, worried he hurt her.67

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know, I’m sorry” He said worriedly. “Let me see your back,” he ordered her, not asked her. She obeyed; she turned her back to him and lifted her shirt up high enough for him to see her back. He gasped and then said, “That door must have won.” he said dully then pressed cool, gentle, hands to the long purple and blue bruise that was bigger than his hand. She turned around and looked at Kyle. 68

“Please, don’t tell anyone. It was my fault. Please.” She begged him.69

“Caitlyn” he said uncertainly and looked at the pain that was in her eyes, and then nodded, “If that’s what you want,”70

“It is.”71

He put her hand in his and put his seatbelt on, then put her seatbelt on for her, and started the truck and drove away. 72

An hour later they were sitting outside a diner. “Are you hungry? Did you eat?” he asked Caitlyn, her hand still in his.73

“I don‘t care.”74

“Okay, well let’s go sit in there” he got out of the car and walked around and opened Caitlyn’s door. She laughed and got out of the car.75

“You don’t need to do that; you don’t need to do this.” Caitlyn said seriously as they sat down in the booth, Kyle sitting next to Caitlyn. Why is he doing this for me? Caitlyn wondered.76

“But I want to,” he said and smiled, grabbing Caitlyn’s hand again. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him, now liking the feeling of someone else's skin.77

“I’m- I’m glad I’m here with you, Kyle” Caitlyn said and looked up into his dark green eyes. He smiled at her, “I know.” Was his steady reply. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened?”78

“No”79

“Caitlyn,” she turned around and looked in his eyes, they were serious.80

“Kyle, it’s nothing.”81

“The hell it isn’t! You got beat up this morning. I want to know who did it, and why” Kyle was mad, not at her, at whoever did that to her. She looked up into his angry eyes.82

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She replied stubbornly, and then moved a littler farther from Kyle. 83

They sat in silence as Caitlyn thought about Will. 84

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~85

"Where is Will?” her mother demanded angrily. 86

“I- I- don’t know mommy.” A frightened little ten year old Caitlyn answered.87

“BULL SHIT YOU DON’T KNOW!” the mother screamed then pushed Caitlyn down on the floor, and bent down at eye level to her. “YOU LITTLE SLUT, YOU SCARED HIM AWAY!”88

“I did not!” 89

“YOU DID TOO!”90

“SHUT UP! You and Daddy made him runaway! Not me!” Caitlyn screamed back boldly, but as she did, she regretted it. Her mother got up and slapped her across the face. Caitlyn fell to the ground like a mere rag doll. Her mother kicked her firmly in the stomach, then yanked her arm and made her stand up. Something popped as she was lifted to her feet. Caitlyn’s arm went limp.91

“Wait till your father gets home and sees Will gone! It’s all your fault!” She screamed and then left the helpless Caitlyn gasping for breath and nursing her arm. She didn’t think her daddy would get mad at her. He wasn’t always mean. He didn’t think she was always a bad girl. He won’t be mad at me, he’ll know it wasn’t my fault. Little Caitlyn thought over and over. Her daddy didn’t hurt her like mommy did.92

But Caitlyn was wrong. Her father came home later that night. She heard his footsteps go into her brother's empty room, then heard them coming toward her, stumbling and falling against the walls93

"CAILTYN!" he screamed at her as he walked toward her with crazy blood shot eyes.. That was all she remembered.94

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~95

Caitlyn’s eyes focused, her thoughts drifting away from the bad memories of seven years ago, she looked around then saw that Kyle was talking to her. “What? Sorry,”96

“I said, ‘do you want something to drink?’.” Kyle repeated.97

“Oh, no.” Caitlyn replied then  scooted further away from Kyle.98

"Caitlyn, what are you thinking about?”99

“What? Oh, nothing,”100

”What’s wrong?” Kyle asked and grasped her chin to make her look at him. He looked straight in her hazel eyes. They were clouded with sadness and anger, maybe even a little 101

“Nothing is wrong. And please don’t touch me, I told you I don’t like being touched.” Caitlyn replied irritated.102

“What happened to put you in foster care?”103

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 104

"Talking about it might help." He countered carefully, knowing not to annoy her, in fear of chasing her away after getting this far with Caitlyn. Knowing that he has gotten farther than anyone and knowing that she trusted him, even if it was only a little.105

"It won't. After talking about it doesn‘t help, the problem is still there afterwards." She snapped back. Looking up at him, in his dark wonderful green eyes that were full of caring. Why is he so nice? What does he want? She wondered to herself. Not even thinking that he just wanted her friendship. They always want something. They don’t just want to be friends. "You want to go now?" 106

"Sure," he said easily as they scooted out of the booth then walked out to his truck. He was slightly disappointed. 107

"Kyle thanks for doing this for me. But, why- why are you doing this? No one has ever done this for me without wanting something, money, sex, or help with something, like school." Caitlyn got straight to the point, being blunt about it.108

"I do want something Caitlyn." Kyle said, looking at her with a grin on his face.109

"Wha- what?" she stuttered. I knew it. I knew he wanted something. She told herself over and over, cursing herself for telling him so much.110

"Your friendship," He said simply, then took her hand and kissed the top of it. "Just your friendship," 111

She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Looking at Kyle, looking at his eyes that she was now so obsessed with, at his hands that were holding on to hers, she hugged him. Her eyes filled with water and she blinked away the tears that she didn’t want to come. "Oh," she said taken aback, not ever having a real friend.112

Kyle laughed, "Is that too much to ask?"113

"Sometimes, yea."114

"Not always." Kyle said and looked at her, cupped her head in his hands, "Friends?" he asked as he let go of her chin and held out his hand.115

"Friends" she smiled, nodded, and took his hand and shook it.116