| I pulled a blue hooded sweatshirt over my head, and grabbed Taylor�s keys off the dresser. As I drove down the dark, abandoned country road I wondered why she had called me. What had happened? I pulled into the driveway of a large farmhouse and turned off the ignition. I really wasn�t sure where to look for her. I struggled to wade through the sea of empty plastic cups that filled the floor. I eventually spotted Kate across the yard sitting against the side of the towering red barn. She looked completely helpless: tears falling down her face, legs pulled into her body, arms wrapped around her knees. I sat on the ground next to her, but I didn�t know what to say. �I�m so sorry, Zac.� She cried, digging her fact into her bare arms. I pulled off my sweatshirt and wrapped it around her shoulders. �It�s okay. I�m glad you called me.� I said pulling her into me. Her body trembled in my arms, �Let�s get out of here.� I stood up and reached a hand out to her. I backed the truck out of the driveway and into the road silently. I didn�t want to press the subject. I was dying to know what had happened, but I did not want to make her talk about anything she wasn�t ready to discuss. �It was him, but you knew that all along didn�t you?� She sighed, breaking the silence that existed between us. I focused all of my attention to the battered, weed-eaten rural street trying to avoid giving her an answer. Of course I knew I was Jensen, but what could I say to make her feel better? �I got separated from Jensen at the party. When I found him, he was up in the loft with some girl,� she sniffled, �I started yelling at him in front of everyone the party�and you know his ego: he had to protect his reputation. So, he turned it around on me. In front of the whole crowd he stated making up all of this stuff about me. He told everyone that he was just trying to get back at me for breaking his heart. He said that I had been sleeping around with a bunch of random guys, cheating on him.� The ride grew quiet again. I couldn�t imagine what she had gone through that night. She was insulted publicly for something that she would never do, and was left behind. Nobody believed her and they left her sitting alone outside a barn. I knew there was nothing I could say that would change what had happened to her. �Ugh! I�m so stupid.� Kate exclaimed, pulling her hair into a ponytail, �Everyone told me he was a jerk. But I guess it was just nice to have someone, when�� She sighed. �When what?� I asked turning toward her. �Nothing�it�s stupid.� She shook her head. �When what?� I asked more sternly this time. �I just�I used to spend, like every day at your house ya know? I spent a lot of time with you guys, and�� She trailed off. It took me a minute, but suddenly one of those cartoon light bulbs shot up and I realized that we had kind of abandoned her. �Do you thing that we left you?� I looked over at her. I was trying to be optimistic that she would deny this, but she only gave mea slight nod. I forced that steering wheel to the right and the truck came to an immediate halt on the street�s shoulder. �Don�t ever think that we left you! We left because we got a chance to play our music. It had nothing to do with you. You have no idea how much I wish I could stay home sometimes, stay here with you, but I made a commitment.� It broke my heart that I had a hand in her unhappiness. I decided that I could no longer hide how I felt. �Kate, I love you.� I felt my heart pulsing throughout my entire body. �I love you too.� |
| Chapter 5 |
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