My Mistakes Have Led Me Right to You

The slamming had subsided, but that only caused the shouting to grow louder. Karisa couldn’t take it anymore, so she left. Since the front door wasn’t an option, she chose the window, like when she was fourteen and beginning to sneaking out. She threw on new clothing, knowing that her grandparents would be searching for her and they would easily recognize her flashy clothing. Slipping on some more public appropriate clothes, she pulled open her window. A cool breeze blew in, rustling magazines and unread books.

Karisa puffed out her cheeks, readying herself for the climb she would have to endure in order to reach the ground. She placed her left foot on the tree branch and gripped onto the frame of the window. Steadying herself, she placed her right foot on the branch as well, making it tilt downwards in a dangerous position. Karisa let one of her hands go and slid the window shut, silencing everything in her room. Slowly, she walked the branch until she was at the trunk; it was all cake from here.

Once her feet hit the ground, she took off running. Her location? Ask her feet, but they wouldn’t answer even if they had mouths. She took a sharp turn left, onto a street she only went on during the weekends – the street to the cemetery. Karisa didn’t seem to object to the idea since she started to pick up her jog to a sprint. Her body was exhausted when she reached the familiar gate; her lungs were ready to burst; the shoes on her feet were the only things keeping her feet from turning to mush; her ears rang a high, annoying sound, and she was about to collapse. She kept going though; walked into the cemetery and the closest tombstone she knew.

Karissa dropped to her knees, luckily on the grass, and twisted her entire body around so she could lean up against the stone.

“Hey, Batman,” she huffed. Not to anyone’s surprise, the piece of rock did not reply.

“I fucked up again,” she yelped, tears already at the brim of her blue eyes, “and this time, I got our grandparents arguing. I’m fucking ah-mazing.”

She looked over her shoulder and skimmed her fingers over the engravings again. Karisa stood up and dusted off her bottom, in case of any grass, and smiled down at the stone.

“Love you, Bruce.”

She walked off towards her second and only other destination in the graveyard – her father’s grave. Karisa approached the stone baring a grim, bland expression. She knew exactly how she would react every time she visited his grave, yet she felt compelled to; it was her father after all.

“Daddy,” she stated, falling to her knees again. “Why’d you go? Weren’t Damien and I good enough?”

“Karisa?”

She squealed and jumped to her feet, hand out and ready to hit someone. She studied the guy in front of her; he looked familiar.

“Uh-uh, hey?” she greeted back, but in a questioning tone.

The boy had a mop of brown, messy hair. A pair of black skinnies were painted on his legs and disappeared into his Converse shoes. A dark gray button up hung loosely on his slim body, exposing the white wifebeater he had hidden underneath. Karisa thought he was pretty cute. She smiled at him, but felt her cheeks staying stiff. Finally, she realized she had been crying, and by now all the make up had had on was either on her face or her shirt.

“You need some help with that?” He lifted his hand and brushed it across her cheeks. Shecould feel a blush burning up my neck from his soft touch.

Karisa finally recognized him. She gasped, “Alex?”

He kept his hand on her cheek but smirked. He had changed his hair, which was probably why she didn’t realize it was him.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered. Karisa didn’t know why she kept her voice low and hidden.

“Visiting,” he shrugged simply. By now, his fingers were sparkly and gray from Karisa’s watered down make up. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Karisa raised her eyebrows at his demand, wondering why he even cared. She hadn’t called him back in a week, but he didn’t demand answers about that; he wanted answers on why she was crying in front a tombstone. It wasn’t rare or anything, Alex just didn’t want to see a pretty girl crying.

“Uh, just my dad,” she stammered. Karisa rolled her eyes at her weak voice. “Visiting too.”

Alex chuckled a bit, “well, do you visit often? You shouldn’t wear make up if you do.”

Karisa giggled too, looking up into his honey coated orbs. She was dazzled by how pretty and hypnotizing they were. And they actually were hypnotizing her until Alex’s sweet tone broke her free.

“Need a hug?” He grinned almost exactly like a child, excitement and happiness evident in his face. Karisa found herself saying yes and leaping into his arms. The smell of cologne and something else you just couldn’t place floated up her nose, relaxing her almost immediately. Her eyes drifted shut, and she found herself melting into his chest. Alex’s grip around her waist didn’t seem to loosen anytime soon as well. Karisa finally tore her eyes open, the sun hitting hard on her eyes. That wasn’t the only thing.

“Oh my God,” she slipped from Alex’s grip, “those are my grandparents.” She pointed to an elderly couple just across the street, looking right at the cemetery. She knew they were looking for her.

Alex pouted, “You have to go?” Karisa looked at him and shook her head.

“No,” she sighed, “I don’t plan to head home just yet.”

Alex suddenly clutched her shoulders and spun them around so that her back was facing her grandparents.

“They’re gonna come and check anyways,” she pursed her lips and looked at floor.

“Then just play along.”

She looked up at him, not understanding a word he was saying.

“What?” she questioned. He smirked down at her, but quickly glanced back up.

“Ok, they’re reaching the gate,” he announced. She stared at him flabbergasted, and extremely confused.

“What am I supposed to do?” she hissed. He only smiled at her wider before announcing her grandparent’s location again.

“They just walked through the gate.”

Before Karisa could ask him again, he pulled is hands up and rested one on her cheek and the other on her back. Alex leaned in and pressed his lips firmly onto hers, catching her off guard. She quickly reacted though; she wrapped both of her arms around his neck. Karisa could feel Alex’s lips open slightly, so she mimicked. Soon, their tongue’s were intertwining and roughly exploring each other’s mouths as if it was their first time. One of her hands quickly fell to his belt loop and hooked around it. She tugged at it and forced his hips closer to hers. They continued to run their hands across each other until their lungs could no longer hold. Each of them pulled apart and forced air down their throats.

Karisa scanned the area and saw no sign of her grandparents, making her turn back towards Alex and hug him again.