Never Fall
January 2001
Now twelve years old, Kayla frantically knocked on the Turman residence’s front door. Her mother sat in the car in the driveway, waiting until she was sure that someone was home to let Kayla in before she drove away.
Kimberly opened the door and smile. “Hey Kayla, what brings you here today?”
“I got news.” she squealed. “May I see Caleb?”
She chuckled. “Of course, darling. He should be in his room.”
Swiftly pushing her way in, Kayla ran up the stairs, her footsteps loud and ringing throughout the house. “Caleb!” she called excitedly, not bothered with the fact that she may be the only one being loud. “Caleb!” she called again.
Caleb spun around in his computer chair at the sound of his name. “What is it?” he laughed when she jumped into view in the middle of his bedroom doorway.
Her grin grew wider. “I have big news!” She skipped over and sat down near him at the foot of his bed. “Big, big excited news.”
Caleb chuckled. “Okay, so what is it? Are you going to actually tell me?”
She nodded. “The academy is having their winter show and I’m in it this time!” she gushed. She has been in the dance academy for eight years now,and she’s been working her way up the ladder of talent. Though she’s been in the academy and taking lessons, she has yet to perform in any show unlike the other kids. This would be her first show; she was excited yet scared, all at once.
“Finally!” Caleb cheered. He wasn’t that excited about it - just being nice for her sake. He could care less about dance. It wasn’t that important to him. There are much better things out there, like music and trying to beg his parents for that first electric guitar. But right now, he had an excited girl bouncing on his bed. There was nothing much that he could do except to feign his excitement.
But Kayla is no fool. She knew about all of his thoughts and feelings about her interest in dance. She knew that he wasn’t half as excited as he plays himself off to be, but at the moment, he was the only friend that she could turn to with the news - her best friend. That was what she wished for sometimes though, that Caleb was a girl, just so that she could share some more common female interests. But he was a boy and that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. There was just a fondness to him that kept her attached. Maybe it was the fact that he was her first friend - the first one who has ever tried to break her out of her shell, whereas the other girls often shunned her of plans because she was too shy and innocent.
“The show is at the end of the month,” she informed him. “Practice started a few days ago.” He had returned his gaze back to the computer in front of him.
He scrunched his face. “That sucks - practice.”
She nodded, not necessarily agreeing with his statement. Dance was one of her biggest passion, where she can release the frustrations of growing up and escape reality. She wanted to compare it to Caleb’s love for music, but he wouldn’t understand.
“So anyways, I came over to see if you wanted to go to it,” she said, staring at his computer screen.
He turned away from the computer and spun around to look at her again. “Well, that would have to depend...”
“Please?” she begged, now pulling the sad eyes. “It would mean a lot to me.”
“I don’t know if I have a ride there--”
“You always have a ride!” she interrupted. “Your parents are invited to come and if not, my mom can always give you a ride.” She was desperate for him to come. “Please. It’s my first show ever, Caleb. It would mean a lot if my best friend was there to see it!” She continued to beg.
He hesitated. He knew that he should go to support her, as his mother had always taught him all through his childhood. She was his only real friend. But he wasn’t sure if he could stand to sit through the whole thing. He remembered how excruciating it was to sit through a lesson once when he was seven.
He sighed and smiled. “Fine- but I get to bring someone with me,” he said. “I don’t want to sit there alone.”
She squealed. “Thank you! It’ll be great.” She lunged and gave him a hug, in which he returned before pushing her off and changing the topic to the latest good band he had started listening to.
Kayla rolled her eyes. The boy was too into himself and his own interests.
.
Kayla stood at the gate of the middle school, looking for her mother’s car. When she finally spotted the silver car slowly pulling up to the curb, she ran to it, pulling the door open and hopping into the passenger seat. “Hi Mom,” she greeted and turned around to face the backseat. “Hey Ethan.” She grinned, acknowledging her three year old little brother. She turned back to her mother. “Are we getting Caleb right now?”
Analeigh nodded. “His parents might come late so we’re just going to get him and his friend first, to make sure he doesn’t miss a thing.” She smiled at Kayla, who grinned in return. Analeigh handed over her cell phone. “Why don’t you call him, and tell him we’re on our way.”
Kayla nodded and scrolled through her mother’s contact list until she hit ‘Kimberly Turman,’ and dialed the house phone. It rang for a minute until she heard him pick up, music blasting in the bathroom.
“Caleb,” she dragged out the last syllable of his name. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Austin just got here so we’re good to go.”
“Okay. We’ll see you in a few.”
Today was the big day. Tonight was the opening date of her first dance show of hopefully many more to come. She had been practicing hard for the past month and now was the time to put to use what she had learned. She just hoped that she wouldn’t be taken over with stage fright, and mess up everything she had worked for.
Kimberly opened the door and smile. “Hey Kayla, what brings you here today?”
“I got news.” she squealed. “May I see Caleb?”
She chuckled. “Of course, darling. He should be in his room.”
Swiftly pushing her way in, Kayla ran up the stairs, her footsteps loud and ringing throughout the house. “Caleb!” she called excitedly, not bothered with the fact that she may be the only one being loud. “Caleb!” she called again.
Caleb spun around in his computer chair at the sound of his name. “What is it?” he laughed when she jumped into view in the middle of his bedroom doorway.
Her grin grew wider. “I have big news!” She skipped over and sat down near him at the foot of his bed. “Big, big excited news.”
Caleb chuckled. “Okay, so what is it? Are you going to actually tell me?”
She nodded. “The academy is having their winter show and I’m in it this time!” she gushed. She has been in the dance academy for eight years now,and she’s been working her way up the ladder of talent. Though she’s been in the academy and taking lessons, she has yet to perform in any show unlike the other kids. This would be her first show; she was excited yet scared, all at once.
“Finally!” Caleb cheered. He wasn’t that excited about it - just being nice for her sake. He could care less about dance. It wasn’t that important to him. There are much better things out there, like music and trying to beg his parents for that first electric guitar. But right now, he had an excited girl bouncing on his bed. There was nothing much that he could do except to feign his excitement.
But Kayla is no fool. She knew about all of his thoughts and feelings about her interest in dance. She knew that he wasn’t half as excited as he plays himself off to be, but at the moment, he was the only friend that she could turn to with the news - her best friend. That was what she wished for sometimes though, that Caleb was a girl, just so that she could share some more common female interests. But he was a boy and that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. There was just a fondness to him that kept her attached. Maybe it was the fact that he was her first friend - the first one who has ever tried to break her out of her shell, whereas the other girls often shunned her of plans because she was too shy and innocent.
“The show is at the end of the month,” she informed him. “Practice started a few days ago.” He had returned his gaze back to the computer in front of him.
He scrunched his face. “That sucks - practice.”
She nodded, not necessarily agreeing with his statement. Dance was one of her biggest passion, where she can release the frustrations of growing up and escape reality. She wanted to compare it to Caleb’s love for music, but he wouldn’t understand.
“So anyways, I came over to see if you wanted to go to it,” she said, staring at his computer screen.
He turned away from the computer and spun around to look at her again. “Well, that would have to depend...”
“Please?” she begged, now pulling the sad eyes. “It would mean a lot to me.”
“I don’t know if I have a ride there--”
“You always have a ride!” she interrupted. “Your parents are invited to come and if not, my mom can always give you a ride.” She was desperate for him to come. “Please. It’s my first show ever, Caleb. It would mean a lot if my best friend was there to see it!” She continued to beg.
He hesitated. He knew that he should go to support her, as his mother had always taught him all through his childhood. She was his only real friend. But he wasn’t sure if he could stand to sit through the whole thing. He remembered how excruciating it was to sit through a lesson once when he was seven.
He sighed and smiled. “Fine- but I get to bring someone with me,” he said. “I don’t want to sit there alone.”
She squealed. “Thank you! It’ll be great.” She lunged and gave him a hug, in which he returned before pushing her off and changing the topic to the latest good band he had started listening to.
Kayla rolled her eyes. The boy was too into himself and his own interests.
.
Kayla stood at the gate of the middle school, looking for her mother’s car. When she finally spotted the silver car slowly pulling up to the curb, she ran to it, pulling the door open and hopping into the passenger seat. “Hi Mom,” she greeted and turned around to face the backseat. “Hey Ethan.” She grinned, acknowledging her three year old little brother. She turned back to her mother. “Are we getting Caleb right now?”
Analeigh nodded. “His parents might come late so we’re just going to get him and his friend first, to make sure he doesn’t miss a thing.” She smiled at Kayla, who grinned in return. Analeigh handed over her cell phone. “Why don’t you call him, and tell him we’re on our way.”
Kayla nodded and scrolled through her mother’s contact list until she hit ‘Kimberly Turman,’ and dialed the house phone. It rang for a minute until she heard him pick up, music blasting in the bathroom.
“Caleb,” she dragged out the last syllable of his name. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Austin just got here so we’re good to go.”
“Okay. We’ll see you in a few.”
Today was the big day. Tonight was the opening date of her first dance show of hopefully many more to come. She had been practicing hard for the past month and now was the time to put to use what she had learned. She just hoped that she wouldn’t be taken over with stage fright, and mess up everything she had worked for.
♠ ♠ ♠
These are just little milestones-of-life chapters. The next chapter pretty much starts the real story off.