Remember this Face, Baby.

THIRD POINT OF VIEW
NEXT MORNING

An alarm clock rang throughout Kayla’s bedroom, bouncing off the walls in an irritable manner. Kayla groaned, loudly and sleepily, she lifted her head from her pillow. She turned her attention to the screaming alarm clock and reluctantly, she pulled her arm from under the warmth of the covers to shut off the clock. She dropped her head back onto her pillow and let her arm dangle off the side of the bed.

Kayla could hear light footsteps on the second level of the house, and she wondered if Karissa was up. Reluctantly, Kayla pushed herself up from her stomach and kicked her feet onto the carpeted floor. Sleepily, she lifted her hand to her eyes and rubbed them with the back of her hand, wishing she could fall back asleep.

“Kayla, darling, breakfast is ready!” Karissa’s mother bellowed from the foot of the stairs. Kayla rolled her eyes, but nonetheless, called back and got up from her spot on the bed. She stepped out into the hallway and walked towards the bathroom, glancing over at Karissa’s closed bedroom door. She could hear baby Alexis cooing and giggling inside, probably crawling back and forth in her crib. Kayla made a mental note to check in with the baby, after she was dressed.

Kayla pulled her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head and she grabbed her purse off the floor beside her bed. As she had mentally noted, she peeked her head in Karissa’s room and found, much to her surprise, that Karissa was up. She was at the window, holding onto Alexis’ blanket and Kayla wondered if she was thinking. Alexis was in her crib, plopped in a corner playing with one of her many stuffed toys. She giggled when she saw Kayla and instantly, the baby dropped her toy and crawled to the side of the crib.

As if Karissa sensed her presence, she glanced over her shoulder and a soft smile glided across her lips. Kayla didn’t know how happy she felt to know her best friend wasn’t angry with her and without warning, Kayla rushed to her best friend and pulled her into her arms. She heard Karissa laugh, but her arms wrapped themselves around Kayla’s waist and she buried her face in her shoulder.

“What am I going to do, Kayla?” Karissa’s voice was muffled against Kayla’s shoulder and to better hear her response, Kayla took hold of Karissa’s shoulders and pushed her back. Kayla stared at her best friend’s tired eyes and sighed, heavily, not knowing what she should do, either.

Kayla answered as truthfully as she could, “I don’t know, Karissa. I don’t know what’s right from wrong anymore, and I’ve been thinking real hard the past few days and I thought making that offer to Deryk was the right one. Now, I just don’t know. I guess it’s up to you, now.”

Kayla left her best friend in her bedroom and after she kissed Alexis’ forehead, she bounded downstairs and greeted Karissa’s mother. Kayla ate the food her second-mother had made her and once she finished, she placed her plate in the sink. She sat in the kitchen for ten minutes, lost in her own thoughts about Karissa. She didn’t know what she wanted for Karissa anymore. She wondered if she was being selfish and greedy when she thought of Karissa not going with Deryk and staying instead. But the thought of having Karissa hurt again pushed her mind to the offer. She didn’t know what to think.

When Kayla had arrived at school, Caleb was waiting for her at her locker. She couldn’t have been happier to see him, and when she kissed him, she felt relieved. She let him hold her, tight and solid against his body, until they released each other. He watched her, intently, for a moment and then, he smiled and kissed her forehead.

“It’s going to be a hard day, you know?” Caleb mumbled, placing his forehead against hers. He ran his thumb under her lip and then, kissed it. When he pulled away, Kayla smiled and she nodded, realizing how right he was.

“Yeah, but I have you to pull me through it. I’ll be fine,” Kayla stated. Again, Caleb smiled and he kissed her, tenderly until Kayla’s knees buckled from the intensity of it. Caleb pulled away from her soft lips and he chuckled, staring at the flushed Kayla.

The bell rang above them, and Kayla sighed, placing her forehead on Caleb’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and he kissed her head, lovingly. Kayla listened to Caleb’s steady heartbeat, wishing he would never let go of her. The warmth of his body made her slowly drowsy and reluctantly, she pulled away from him and her lips touched his, again, before she grabbed her books and headed for her first class of the day.

Kayla couldn’t help, but let out a loud and tired sigh. She leaned against her car and she let her head fall back on her shoulders, as she stared at the blue sky. She could see a small cloud of smoke form before her lips, as she let out a small breathe and she closed her eyes. She held on tight to her books, gripping until she felt her fingers go numb and small tears rushed down her cheeks.

Kayla had wanted to forget the scenes of her best friend getting brutally beaten, and she had felt like she had, but when her principal had paged her down to the office, she was able to rehearse details clearly. The entire time she had explained what had happened a week ago, her voice cracked several times and her throat had become extremely tight and dry. Her eyes had blurred every so often, and rapidly she had wiped tears that began falling down her cheeks.

Kayla had wanted to return home for the past day. School had been a drag and everywhere she turned, people couldn’t take their eyes off of her. She thought that they half-expected her to be walking alongside a beaten up Karissa or that she would snap at someone, like she had with Whitney. Even in class, people seemed to watch her every movement and it was already driving her insane.

Kayla glanced around the school grounds and she sighed, relieved when she saw Caleb heading towards her. When he spotted her, he walked quicker towards her and when he finally reached her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his body, kissing her passionately. He kept her up when Kayla’s knees buckled and gave out on her, moving his lips on hers until they pulled away, breathless.

“I missed you,” Kayla gasped, keeping her body as close to Caleb’s as she possibly could.

“I missed you more,” he whispered and kissed her cold nose. “Are you ready to go?” he added, nodding his head towards her dormant car.

“Yes, I’m ready. Here,” she paused, handing Caleb her car keys, “you drive.” Kayla kissed her boyfriend once again, before walking around the front of the car. Both Caleb and Kayla climbed into the car and buckled up. Kayla placed her hand on Caleb’s thigh and Caleb pulled out of the parking spot, driving out of the parking school lot.

Kayla watched the cars blur past her own, keeping her hands in her lap. She twiddled with her thumbs, feeling anxious for some unknown reason. She couldn’t keep her mind from racing and the fact that the days were passing by like lightning. Each day Kayla felt like she was losing Karissa, even though she was still here with her.

Caleb noticed her sudden silence and he slipped his hand under her hands. He enjoyed the warm sensation he received from a small contact such as this, and his body tingled. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kayla turn from the window and smile at him. Her hand tangled with his, while the other stayed on top of his hand.

“Are you all right?” Caleb asked, gently and Kayla sighed.

“Not really. It was a rough day. It made me think about a lot of things,” Kayla stated, turning her attention back to the window. She watched a mother and her son walk on the sidewalk; the little boy giggled up at his mother and she bent down, picking his small body and cradling him into her arms. She turned her attention back to Caleb and he turned to watch her in return, squeezing her hand affectionately.

“It makes you strong for facing all those people today. You did the right thing in going, though. You shouldn’t miss anymore school,” Caleb said, sincerely. Kayla couldn’t help watch him, as he drove and concentrated on the road. He was incredibly beautiful and somehow, she felt intimidated with how much beauty shown from him. Caleb was unlike her; he was a genuinely nice person and she was, to put it bluntly, a complete bitch. She could understand why people enjoyed being around Caleb, while those who stayed around Kayla only enjoyed the occasional spotlight that shown on them when they spent time with her.

Kayla felt a slight vibration run up her leg and instantly, her hand flew down into her purse sitting by her feet. She pulled the vibrating cell phone from inside and flipped it opened, pressing it to her ear. Caleb glanced at her for a second, before returning his gaze to the road. Kayla answered, “Hello. Kayla Robinson speaking; how can I help you?”

“Hello, Kayla; it’s Mother. We just arrived at the mansion. I went to greet you, assuming you were in your room and all your belongings are gone. What is going on?” Kayla’s body went completely rigid and her grip on Caleb’s hand tightened. Her lips set into a tight line and she stared at the road with a sharp glare over her eyes.

“I left,” Kayla answered, stiffly. Caleb glanced over at his girlfriend and immediately, he realized something was wrong. He knew almost instantly it had to do with Kayla’s mother.

“What do you mean you left? Kayla, you can’t just abandon your family like this. I told you I would be coming back. You need to congratulate William and me; we have a beautiful baby boy. His name is Jacob. There is no question about it; you must come see your brother,” Kayla couldn’t believe what she was hearing from her mother. What angered Kayla the most was the fact that her mother said Kayla had abandoned her family. Kayla had never grown up being part of this supposed family; she had been on her own since she could remember.

“I left because I don’t belong in that mansion. I don’t even belong in this family you’re making up. Don’t you dare tell me what I have to do or what I can’t; don’t you dare start trying to become a mother. I’m not going to see that little boy because I don’t consider him a brother. I feel sorry for that little boy though; he will grow exactly like I did. I grew up without a mother and a father to tuck me into bed. That little boy will be another thorn to your side, exactly like I was. Nothing will change and you won’t either. You’ll abandon him, like you abandoned me,” Caleb could hear the horrifying anger in her voice and he understood how hurt she had been these past years, if not her whole life.

“Kayla, don’t you dare talk to me like that! I’m your mother and I gave you as much love as I could! How dare you speak to me like that, Kayla! How dare you! You will come home this instance!”

“Get this straight, you lousy bitch. You have never been my mother and you never will. As if today, I have no family and you are dead to me. I hope you; your newborn son and the man you’ve been fucking for the past year and a half have a good life. Good-bye.” Kayla flipped her phone closed and tossed it in her bag.

Kayla covered her mouth with her trembling hand, staring out the window, blankly. She shook her head, feeling the angry tears rush down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop repeating her words to her mother and she knew they’d stay with her for the rest of her life. She was officially on her own, and even if her mother continued to persist and nag, which she highly doubted, Kayla would deny she ever had a mother.

“You know what’s funny?” Kayla mumbled, and she glanced over at Caleb, letting a new set of tears run down her cheeks. Caleb turned his attention to his girlfriend and immediately, he felt his heart break. He couldn’t stand the fact that Kayla’s eyes were swollen and red, and he couldn’t do anything to mend her heart. He knew, no matter what he tried, Kayla would be heartbroken for the rest of her life.

“Tell me, sweetheart.” Kayla chewed on her acrylic nail for a moment, staring at the road ahead of her. Again, she turned in Caleb’s direction and smiled, though the breath-taking smile didn’t reach her beautiful eyes, “I always wanted my mother to tell me I was part of her family because I felt so lost and I’ve never known where I belonged. And basically, I just told my mom to fuck off. How hilarious is that?”

Caleb turned a corner, abruptly, and then pulled to the curb, turning the engine off. He pulled his hand away from her death grip and unbuckled Kayla’s seatbelt, before sliding his arm behind her back. He slid his other hand under her legs and lifted her, bringing her trembling body into his. Once Kayla was in his lap, he wrapped his arms around her and pushed her face into his neck, kissing her temple.

Caleb held Kayla through the sobs that wracked her body, violently and through the shrieks and screams of anguish and despair. Even when Kayla clawed at his chest, screaming to let her go, Caleb would pull her body closer to his and whisper, “Everything will be okay, baby. Scream, claw, fight against me all you want, I’m not ever letting you go, ever.”

Caleb finally realized how much he loved Kayla.

TWO DAYS LATER
First Point of View

I hadn’t heard from Deryk since I had arrived at home from the hospital three days ago. I would’ve thought he might’ve called to wonder how I was doing, or possibly try to convince me furthermore to go with him, but he didn’t. It made me wonder what he was doing at the moment and if he was thinking about this proposal as much as I was.

That was a lie, though. I hadn’t begun thinking about the proposal until this very minute. I had put off thinking about it for the past two days because every time I thought about it, I panicked. I would begin thinking of all the cons to the situation and I found myself imagining scenarios of the future.

I rubbed at my temples, shutting my eyes, tightly. I didn’t want to continue thinking about the proposal because it only made my head ache. I felt like I was scraping my mind with sandpaper, up and down, and as I continued to scrape the rest of my aching head, I couldn’t come up with anything. What I wanted the most was to erase all the problems that had come up in the past two days, the main one being Kayla.

Since Kayla had arrived from school two days ago, her flawless face blotched with red marks and her eyes swollen, I had known almost instantly she had fought with her mother. She had avoided making any contact with my mother and I, and the only other person she spoke to was Caleb. He had been here for the past two days and even if he had to leave, he would come back eventually.

Kayla’s sudden isolation from the family had put more pressure on my back and I hadn’t greeted it well. I would’ve thought, seeing as these might be my last few days with her, she could’ve helped me with this large decision she had placed on me. Then there was the fact that I hadn’t even told my mother about all of this. I didn’t even have the slightest clue how she would react to this proposal.

I stood up from the comfort of my bed and stepped out in the corridor, glancing at the door at the end of the hallway. Light seeped from under the door and I could hear faint sounds coming from inside. I felt myself taking a step towards the room, but I stood, abruptly and instead, walked towards the stairs and into the living room.

Alexis was lying on my mother’s chest, sucking her thumb as she slept. My mother lay on the couch, keeping her hand on the infant’s back, as she continued to watch her television show. I didn’t want to disturb my mother, especially because she looked so at peace, but I had to tell her. She needed to know what Deryk promised Kayla, before it was too late.

Tapping my mother’s shoulder and then, kissing her forehead, I watched her lips turn into a smile and she patted my cheek. I tried returning her warm smile, but it barely reached my eyes. Softly, I said, “Momma, I need to talk you about something.”

“Of course, Karissa, what do you want to talk about?” she asked, gently. Cradling Alexis into her arms, she sat up from her laying position and moved a spot down on the couch, patting a place for me to sit beside her.

Taking the spot beside her, I reached for my mother’s hand and laced my own with hers, placing it in my lap. I avoided glancing at her face, especially her eyes because the tightness in my throat. I knew at any second I would begin crying and I wanted to explain the situation, before the waterworks began.

“Mom,” I glanced over at my mother’s concerned face and quickly, looked back down at our hands entwined, “I wasn’t going to tell you this until I was decided on my decision, but you need to know.”

“Come on, Karissa, get to the point. You’re scaring me,” my mother stated and pulled my daughter closer to her chest.

“While I was still in the hospital, Kayla and I got into an argument. She ran off and when she did, she found Deryk in the cafeteria. Kayla told me afterwards, how she told Deryk what happened between David and I, and how things got out of control these past two years. After she finished telling Deryk absolutely everything, she made him promise something.”

My mother’s face was unreadable and her grip had grown increasingly tighter. I ignored the slight pain from her strong grip and I continued, “Deryk promised Kayla I would get on a plane with him, when it’s time for him to return home in Chicago.”

She remained silent, holding my daughter close to her heart and her hand continued to grip my hand. Her face was unreadable and it seemed like she was refusing to look at me. I stared at my mother, wishing I could read her face and better yet, her mind. What was she thinking about the proposal?

After what seemed like an eternity, my mother turned to me and I could finally read her face. It was full of understanding, sorrow and complete despair. She was holding back the tears and she ignored the one that escaped down her cheek, when she tried to blink them back. She glanced down at her granddaughter and she sighed, shakily.

“What have, uhm, have you decided on what you want to do, Karissa?” my Mother asked, gently.

“I don’t want to leave you, Mom,” I stated, and with that answer, she pulled her hand free from my hand and pulled me into a tight hug.

THIRD POINT OF VIEW

Kayla could hear the loud voices of people around her, but she merely ignored it and held Caleb’s hand, tightly as he led her through the large crowds. It felt much too early for Kayla to be up and she wished she wasn’t in this place at the moment. People stared at her grim expression and she returned their gaze with a dark glare. She acknowledged only those she wished to, and continued making her way through the dense crowd holding Caleb’s warm hand.

Kayla’s stomach ached, and she placed a firm hand on it. It had been turning since she had stepped out of her best friend’s house this morning and she had climbed into Caleb’s car. The hour ride had been complete hell and she wasn’t able to stop chewing at her nails. Even when Caleb had pulled her nails out of her mouth, her other hand was already occupying it.

“Caleb,” Kayla said, loudly and Caleb glanced over his shoulder.

“What’s wrong, Kayla?” Caleb asked, worriedly and she sighed, loudly, running her fingers through her tangled curls.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she announced, and tears welled up in her eyes. Caleb continued to pull her through the crowds until he found familiar faces. Before he reached them, though, he guided Kayla towards a row of chairs. He sat her down and got on his knees, staring up at Kayla’s tearful face. His hand flew up to her face the moment a tear rushed down her flushed cheeks and he chuckled.

“It’s better this way. You made a good decision letting her go. You’ve been strong this entire time. I know you can hold her through her tears and let her go,” Caleb said, softly. Kayla stared at him for a moment, blinking tears back. She felt the sneaky tears that managed to escape, run down her cheeks and she wiped them with the back of her hand.

Kayla nodded, though and stood up, pulling Caleb with her. Caleb grabbed her face in between his large hands and he pecked her lips, feeling so proud of how incredibly strong Kayla was. She held onto his wrists, as Caleb continued to kiss her and when he pulled away, she was completely breathless. He smiled and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her deep into his side. “Are you ready?” Caleb whispered against her ear.

Again, Kayla nodded and responded, “Yes, let’s go.”

Kayla had known the rest of the time after Caleb had talked to her, would be a complete blur. She had wanted to remember every tear; every laugh; every smile; everything about her, but here she was, wishing she had spent more time with her. She regretted letting her go, but she knew it was for the best. She had known it since they had met the beautiful stranger that would help her restart her life.

“The nine o’clock flight to Chicago will depart in five minutes…” Kayla stared up at the white ceiling and another set of tears rushed down her cheeks. Kayla avoided glancing over at the large airplane because she knew her best friend was seated inside with her daughter, another one Kayla had managed to let go.

“Everything will be okay, Kayla…” Kayla ignored his voice and pushed his hand away, running towards the large window to her left. She ran until she reached the window and she placed her hands on the cold glass, watching the large plane start heading towards the run way. A sob shook her body and she felt herself fall, continuing to watch the plane. Tears rushed down her cheeks and this time, she wasn’t going to wipe them away. They would continue to fall, until her body was completely dry.

Kayla pulled her hands away from the cold glass and set them in her lap. She turned her gaze from the plane, as it pushed into the air and tears hit her warm hand. In a soft whisper, she said, “Good-bye, Karissa.”