Understanding Caitlyn -Chapter 9-

Nine 1

“So Caitlyn. How is Jack and Keri’s?” The social worker said as she pulled out of the driveway with Caitlyn in the car. They drove smoothly in the nice new red Lexus.2

“I’m not going to have to move, am I?” Caitlyn said, glaring at Jackie, holding her breath. “If I have to move-”3

“Chill out Caitlyn. You’re not going to have to move-”4

“I’ve had fourteen foster homes in the last seven and a half years Jackie, and this place has actually been the best. I’ll never talk to you again if I have to mo-”5

“Caitlyn! You’re not going to have to move. Take a deep breath! Geeze girl.” Jackie said and pulled into the restaurant parking lot. “So I take it you like this place?” She asked and grinned, knowing Caitlyn didn’t mean to let out that she liked this place. 6

Jackie has been Caitlyn’s social worker since Caitlyn entered, seven years ago when the Department of Child Welfare Workers got an anonymous call from someone, saying that she was abused. Ten hours after the call, Caitlyn was taken in, with one bag of clothes, she left. Turned her back to a mother crying for forgiveness, then yelling with rage, and a father heartbroken and shameful. After Caitlyn was under custody of the state, Jackie had found out that days before the call was made, William Daniel Reye, her brother, ran away. The doctors examined little Caitlyn, and discovered a fresh broken rib and several ribs that had been broken and were healed incorrectly. Along with that, several chipped teeth, signs of sexual abuse and malnutrition. 7

After the reports were given, the department sued Caitlyn’s parents for child abuse and attempt at murder. In the end, Caitlyn’s mom was given fifteen years in jail and two years of rehab. Caitlyn’s father, who Caitlyn pleaded guilty, unlike her mother, was given seven years and a year of rehabilitation. Both of her parents were alcoholics and addicted to acid, weed, and every other kind of drug under the sun.8

Jackie had to talk to Caitlyn, to tell her that her father was almost out of rehabilitation. The big deal wasn’t that he was getting out. Just that he wanted to see Caitlyn again, and that scared Jackie. Caitlyn had one more year in the department, after that Caitlyn wasn’t safe anymore. Her father getting out that same year was bad.9

Other than him getting out, his lawyer had also contacted Jackie, saying that he wanted to talk with Caitlyn. The judge, who the lawyer talked to first, had said this was okay. 10

---11

“What do you mean, he wants to talk to you? Who is ‘he‘?” Kyle asked Caitlyn. Sitting in the truck on their way to Hunter’s apartment, Caitlyn had told Kyle that “he wants to talk to her”. Pulling up at a stop light, Kyle looked at Caitlyn.12

“My father wants to talk to me. He’s out of jail and in rehab, his lawyer contacted the judge who convicted him guilty…” Caitlyn didn’t finish the sentence. No tears streaked down her face, no frown was found on her lips. Just a blank look.13

“You’re going to say no. You’re going to say no, right?” Kyle started at Caitlyn with intense eyes and jolted forward when the car behind him honked. He stepped on the gas and headed toward Hunters apartment.14

“I don’t know yet, Kyle.” She said calmly, holding Kyle’s hand.15

“What are you talking about? You don’t know. I don’t want you to see him Caitlyn. What if-”16

“You can’t tell me what to do Kyle.” Caitlyn pulled her hand from his grip and glared at him.17

“Caitlyn! This man almost killed you when you were ten-years-old! And when he wasn’t beating on you, he let your mother!”18

“This man is my father either way.” She said sternly. “He never hurt me much.” She added, mumbling. Her eyes still didn’t give a clue to what she was thinking. What she was feeling.19

Kyle turned into the apartment building to where Hunter lived. They were all fairly nice apartments. Hunter’s had 2 rooms, one was considerably big, and the other a bit smaller which Hunter turned into a office. Kyle was jealous of Hunter’s freedom. Hunter being a few years older than Kyle, was entitled to the freedom, but Kyle still longed for it. “I’m sorry, Caitlyn.” He told her before she opened the door to step out. Caitlyn stopped and glared at him. Then her face went into a small smile.20

“I just can’t be mad at you, Kyle.” She laughed then turned towards him. “I just don’t know how to explain why I want to talk to him Kyle. I haven’t seen him since I was ten! Despite what he did, he’s still my dad.”21

“I wish I could understand. If my dad… I don’t know.” Kyle said and sighed then saw Hunter at the window looking at them weirdly. He put up his hand to signal him one second.22

“Maybe it’s just cause I want to know if he changed or not.”23

“If or when you go see him, can I go with you Caitlyn?” Kyle said and looked into Caitlyn’s eyes. 24

“Kyle-”25

“I won’t do anything like punch him,” Kyle said and winked then got serious. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, I care about you Caitlyn. I don’t want him…”26

“Okay Kyle.” 27

“We better go in, Hunter is waiting.” Kyle said and kissed Caitlyn sweetly and gripped her hand. 28

They stepped out of the car and walked into the apartment building, seeing Hunter open the door before they got up the last steps to his apartment number.29

“Hey Cait,” Hunter said with ease, still not being able to break the habit of her nickname. He gives her a hug and shakes Kyle’s hand.30

“You guys look silly doing that.” Christine says from the kitchen, mixing up a salad.31

“Why?” Kyle and Hunter say in unison then grin at each other.32

“Because it looks like you two are business associates or something, right Caitlyn?” Christine says then winks at her. Caitlyn blushes and shakes her head then asks if she can help Christine.33

“Dude, Caitlyn’s dad is out of jail.” Kyle says to Hunter as they sit in the living room, watching the girls make salad. Kyle watched color drained from Hunter’s face. “No joke man.” he adds.34

“That’s messed up!” He said, then the girls came over.35

“What’s messed up?” Christine said and sat down next to Hunter on the floor against the couch.36

Hunter looked at Kyle then shook his head. “Nothing, baby.”  He said and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s start the movies!” 37

Kyle  crawled on his knees to the VCR and picked up the movies Hunter and Christine choose. “Armageddon?  8 Mile? Pearl Harbor? Damn Hunter, what kind of movies are these?” He cocked an eyebrow at Hunter who just grinned and shrugged. “Which one Caitlyn?”38

“Uhm, how about, Armageddon?” 39

“Noo, I’ve seen that too many times,” Christine interrupted.40

“8 Mile is boring though!” Hunter interjected.41

“Argh! Pearl Harbor is long though!” Kyle said. “Here, lets do this,” he took out all three tapes and put them face down then mixed them up. Choose one Caitlyn”42

Caitlyn looked down and choose the middle one then turned it over, “HAH! Armageddon!” She said successfully.43

“You rigged it, Kyle!” Hunter said and laughed.44

“Did not!” 45

“Let’s just watch the movie!” Christine said and giggled.46

--47

An hour into the movie, Christine and Hunter were giggling things in each others ears and then kissing. Kyle and Caitlyn sat on the couch, Caitlyn leaning on Kyle’s shoulder just holding hands. Kyle looked down at Caitlyn, her eyebrow ring pointed out and her lips in a serious pose. He put his finger under her chin and lightly pushed her chin up so his mouth would meet hers. They lightly kissed then Kyle turned her so she laid across the couch with him on top of her and kissed her again.48

Caitlyn’s lips grinned as Kyle lifted his head a bit. “We’re missing the movie you know,”49

“That’s my plan,” he said then winked at her.50

Caitlyn shook her head and grinned, then put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “Mmm” she said and laughed. She wiggled from underneath him and Kyle laid down with Caitlyn on top of him, kissing again.51

“I-” Kyle started and got interrupted.52

“Hey you two, no sex on my couch.” Hunter said and grinned mischievously as Kyle glared at him and Christine hit him. Caitlyn blushed a deep red and stood up then looked around and noticed the movie was over and playing through the credits. 53

“Well, what now?” Hunter asked.54

“Food!” Kyle said and then grabbed Caitlyn’s hand and then whispered, “don’t be embarrassed, they were all over each other too.” He said and winked and grinned.55

“Who said I was embarrassed?” She asked and stopped him then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.56

“Oh.” All Kyle could say when she grinned up at him.57