The Black Limousine

My daughter ran around the front yard with her father and my husband chasing after her. She had her father’s dark brown eyes, and his shy personality. She was a lot like her father. More like him than me.

He nearly has her pinned to the ground before I come behind him. I hold him down until my daughter gets on top of him, grinning just like him. “I got you, Daddy,” she says, her grin widening.

He laughed. “Yes, you did, Danica,” he says, smiling down at our daughter.

I felt eyes on us, and looked up to see my son. He wasn’t my husband’s son, but he watched us sadly. “Toby? What’s wrong?” He shook his head, turned his back toward us, and walked quickly into the house. I stand up, preparing to follow after him before my husband stops me.

“Kristina, he’s fine,” he says quietly.

I look down at him, nodding. I waited until our daughter was out of earshot before I began speaking. “He hasn’t been acting the same, Luke, ever since he went to go see Keith.”

“I told you it was a bad idea.”

“Keith’s his father, and has just as much right to him as I do.”

“I’m sure Toby’s fine. You need to stop worrying.”

“I can’t help it, Luke, he’s my son.”

~ • ~ • ~ • ~

“Come on, Kristina, wake up,” I hear Luke murmur beside me.

That’s not my name, I think groggily, Luke?

“I’m right here.”

Where?

“At the hospital.”

What happened?

“You got run over by a truck.”

Oh … yeah …

The memories were vividly showing themselves. I felt … numb. The pain of remembering and of the aftereffect wasn’t there. My emotions were all clouded, probably because of the pain medication.

“Were you attempting suicide?”

I knew I couldn’t lie to Luke. He’d know if I did. But, I didn’t know why I has jumped in front of that truck. It very well may have been suicide. Maybe sheer stupidity.

I … don’t know.

“Trevor told me that you’ve been acting funny.” I stayed silent. “Kristina?”

I’m still here.

“Why did you jump out in front of that truck? What the hell were you even doing out that late?!”

He sounded angry. I would be, too, if someone I knew had done something like what I did. I was being stupid, and I didn’t think about what I was doing when I jumped in front of the truck. I had originally been looking for an escape, but what I got was suicide. That’s exactly what it was: Suicide. I can’t keep lying to myself anymore.

I’m sorry.

I knew I wasn’t going to be forgiven. I didn’t expect it. ‘Sorry’ doesn’t fix everything. If it did, then I’m pretty sure that there wouldn’t be wars.

Luke sighs. “You should get some sleep, Kristina.”

• • •

A week later was when I was out of the hospital. Drake had grounded me for three months. My right leg was broken in various places, and I was forced to walk on crutches because of it. I have a feeling Drake’s why my leg is so damaged becuase the doctor said that it would be at least three months before it healed.

“Alright, Kris, I’m gonna ask you one more time: What the damn hell were you doing out so late?” Drake asks for the umpteenth time that evening. I look at him with irritation, shrug, and grab my crutches in preparation to stand up. Drake notices this, and grabs my crutches out of my hands. I narrow my eyes at him in a glare, and cross my arms over my chest stubbornly. “Were you with that boy?”

“No, I was not.”

“Then why were you out so late? Do you know how fucking worried I was when I got that call in three in the damn morning?!! I thought you were dead, Kris!!”

I glared up at him. I pushed myself up off the couch, took a minute to gain my balance, and started stumbling toward my room. “KRISTINA!!! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO WALK WITHOUT YOUR CRUTCHES!!!”

“Whatever,” I grumble under my breath, leaning against the wall. My leg was throbbing.

“KRISTINA!!!”

“WHAT?” I snap grouchily. Drake’s constant interrogation was really irksome.

“Don’t get that attitude with me, Kristina!”

“Gosh, give me my damn crutches!” I groan, snatching them out of his hands, and sighing with relief. “Thank you.”

“Tell me the truth, Kris. Were you with Luke?”

I sigh deeply. “No.”

“Keith?”

“Hell no!”

“Then what were you doing?”

I stayed silent. Nobody knew what I did that night. I liked it like that. I was still going through some stuff. I needed to sort things out.

“Kristina?” I shook my head. “Kris, I need to know where you are, and what you’re doing. If you tell me that, then I’ll let go of this whole grounding.”

“I wasn’t with anyone.”

“So who pushed you in front of that truck?”

“Nobody. I jumped in front of that truck. What is so hard for you to believe about that?”

“When did you suddenly become suicidal?”

“I’m not suicidal. I had a moment of stupidity, alright?” I start slowly slouching toward my room. “I’m tired, Drake, I’m going to bed.”

“Kristina?” Drake asks quietly as I reach the door.

“Yeah?”

“You know, it’s okay … if you call me dad,” Drake says awkwardly. A small smile formed on my lips, and I shook my head.

“Thanks.”

• • •

“So, Kristina, how’s your foot?” Trevor asks as we head to lunch the following day.

“Broken. Painful,” I grumble.

“You know, Luke’s been asking about you.”

“How would you know?”

Trevor rolls his eyes. “Luke calls me about fifty times a day to ask about you.”

“Like what?”

“He asks about your condition, Keith’s psychopathic stalking, and your mental health. Oh, and he asks whether you ask about him.”

“Next time he calls, tell him yeah,” I say, smirking, “Oh, and tell him he needs to stop obsessing about me.”

“I’m pretty sure he’d laugh in my face,” Trevor says, rolling his eyes. More seriously, he asks, “You know Luke likes you, right? A lot.”

“Yeah, I know. He told me a couple weeks ago.”

“When?”

“Remember that day when I ran off? And Keith found out that all my stuff was gone?”

“I thought Luke was uncharacteristically grin-y.”

“Grin-y?” I ask, stifling a laugh, “What kind of a word is grin-y?”

“I mean, he was grinning like a fool.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” I say quietly as we enter the cafeteria. I wasn’t hungry, so I went with Trevor straight to our group of friends. Nobody stared and whispered as they saw me — I had told everyone it was some freak-falling-down-the-stairs accident, which worked since everyone knew I lived with my “dad” in his apartment-house.

“Hey guys,” Trevor says, grinning as always.

“How’s your leg, Kristy?” Francis asks between a mouth full of pizza.

“Broken. Painful,” I say simply, repeating what I had told Trevor when he had asked me.

“You’re not hungry?” Lindsay observes.

I shrug. “Is that a problem?”

“Hey, what’s today’s date?” Sarah asks randomly.

“It’s a full moon, if that’s what you’re implying,” I say, rolling my eyes. Sarah gives me a questioning look. “Drake tells the date by the stars and the moon. He told me, and I quote, ‘If I catch you running with the werewolves then you are practical dead.’”

Trevor chuckles, obviously amused. “Yet he has no problem with me?”

“I dunno. Drake’s one nut short of insane,” I say, shrugging at nothing in particular.

“DARN IT!!!” Sarah yells rather loudly, gritting her teeth in irritation. Francis basically forbids Sarah to cuss, no matter what the circumstance. I smirk, rolling my eyes at her.

“Darn it? Really? You’re what? Fifteen?”

“Thirteen,” Sarah says stubbornly. I roll my eyes once again.

“Whatever,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Hey, Kristy, I think your psycho wants yah,” Benjamin says teasingly.

“He can go to hell and burn for all I care,” I say, rolling my eyes for probably the millionth time, “I’m over him.”

“Yeah, sure you are,” Trevor says sarcastically.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

• • •

I leaned against the wall, reading a book as I waited for Drake to pick me up. There was only a few students left waiting for their parents. Only a few had seen Drake, and everyone thought he was my dad. How? I’ll never understand. Drake and I look nothing alike. I suppose they think I’m some kind of orphan child. Whatever.

“Hey. Kristina, right?” Someone asks. I peek over my book at them, rolling my eyes. He had sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, muscled, and obviously cocky.

“Yeah, my name’s Kristina,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Cool. So, wanna see a movie this weekend?”

I grimace. I should’ve figured as much. “No.”

He looked taken aback. I threw my book in my backpack, and started walking with my crutches away from him. Sadly, he followed me. “Why not? I know that you and that Keith guy are over!”

“Leave me alone,” I snap, glaring at him, “I just don’t like you, alright? I’m into this other guy.”

“Whatever,” he grumbles, walking away with an obviously bruised ego. Good.

“Kris!” Drake says, running over to me. “Who was that guy?”

“I dunno. Who cares?” I shrug indifferently. “I just wanna go home. My foot’s killing me.”

Drake nods, letting me lean on him as we head toward his car. Drake bought it once I moved in, saying, “I can’t be running somewhere when I have you to take care of.” He figured it would keep me from walking, and possibly being kidnapped by the psycho-Keith. Drake didn’t want me riding the bus, either, thinking that Keith would probably follow me.

“So, how was school today?”

Translation: Were you hanging around Luke? Did Keith try anything?

I roll my eyes, shrugging indifferently as I stared out the window. Drake turned on the radio to fill the awkward silence that I had no intention of breaking.

“So, is Luke back at school?”

“Nope.”

“Oh.” He stayed silent for a moment, before asking, “Is Keith still stalking you?”

“Yes,” I say, rolling my eyes, “And Trevor was hoping to come over and play video games.”

“I don’t see what’s so bad about that.”

“Did you forget? I’m grounded.”

“Trevor can still come over. He’s a good kid. He was brought up by Annabella.”

“Drake, she’s married. Get over it,” I say, rolling my eyes, “There’s an even better girl out there waiting for yah.”

“How are you so sure of that, Kris?”

“I dunno. There’s someone out there for everyone. You’ll find her, but only when you’re willing.”

“When did you become such a sage?”

• • •

“Damn it, Kristina! You beat me again!”

Trevor groans. I roll my eyes at him.

“Sorry, but I can’t help it.”

“Are you using some kind of cheat-code?”

“Nope.”

“Psychic ability?”

“I don’t have one.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a witch!”

“So?”

“OF COURSE YOU HAVE A PSYCHIC ABILITY!”

“KRISTINA!!!” Drake yells suddenly. I roll my eyes, dropping the game controller, and walking toward the door.

“YEAH?”

“This is getting out of control,” Drake mutters, walking passed me. “You try talking some sense into him!”

“Who?” I ask, opening the door.