The Guy I Used to Know

I was distracted.
I haven't felt this way in a while. I couldn't even focus on my homework.

The weird thing was that I started paying more attention to Ken more so than I already have. I've been trying to think of reason for anyone to not like him. Reasons of why people though of him as a disease to society. Reasons to why Brett Wintour and his crew keep pestering Ken. And out of all my theories, nothing about Ken other than his social status and his weight was a factor to why he was trashed on.
After the car thing I've been noticing him more and more. When I see that ashy blonde hair, I couldn't help but look for those blue eyes. Something in me just wants to know him more and talk to him more. He seemed like a really cool guy. I don't know. Maybe I'm just over-thinking it as it is.

When the weekend came I got ready for the family thing. My father didn't explain what the family thing was about but I guess it was a family thing. My brother landed from Seattle, my aunt came back from New York, and Rebecca came over to get ready with me. My father is a businessman, he's been trying to get this sales company up and going. He's been trying to get more partnerships and investments to get the company off the ground. He's been working hard, that's all I know.
"Why does Fat Ken get made fun of?" I asked Rebecca.
She turned to me from the mirror after fixing her lipstick.
"To be honest, I don't know anymore. He's not that fat, chubby yes. And he's really nice and he doesn't talk. I don't know." She said and then turned back around to the mirror. Her dirty blonde locks flipped with her movement.
"Isn't it weird though. There's nothing wrong with Fat Ken but people continue to make fun of him?" I questioned.
"I don't know what to say Erika. He's not our problem." She said.
"Yea, I guess." I concluded.

We walked downstairs and made our way to the kitchen. There my aunt was cooking some food for tonight.
"What are you making?" I asked her.
"Spaghetti." She said with a grin.
"Yum. So fancy." I joked. She gave me the stink eye and I went to the fridge. I grabbed out two Naked Juice bottles. I don't know why we drink these kinds of things but they're so damn good and supposedly healthy.
"So, do you know who's coming over Viv?" Rebecca asked my aunt.
"I'm not so sure myself. It's your father's new partner in the company." My aunt said as she mixed the sauce.
"Oh. Okay. I hope he's not a creep then." I said nonchalantly.
"Erika. Please." Aunt Viv glared. I rolled my eyes and gave a sassy smile.

"Where are my beautiful girls?" I heard my father say in his loud voice.
"We're right here." Rebecca said with a devious grin. I rolled my eyes. I don't think my father knows how to differentiate between Rebecca's voice from mine.
"There you guys are." He said as he entered the kitchen. I smiled. My father is one of those insanely kooky people. Very weird and very social. He has long dyed brown hair that he ties into a man bun. He's one of those kids that never really grew up and I was fine with that, there's never a boring time with him around.
"Hey dad." I greeted.
"Are you excited for our family thing?" He asked.
"I don't know since we don't really know what is going on here." I pointed out.
"Oh, I thought I told you. The neighbors next door are coming over for our family thing." He said.
"Why?" I asked. "Wait. The house over on the left of us?" I walked to the sink window. "That house?" I pointed over at Ken's house.
"Yep! They're my new partners." He said happily. I didn't know what to say. I thought Ken's father was a farmer. And I don't assume that, they have chickens in their backyard, I hear them.
"When did they become your partners? And partners? As in more than one?" I asked.
"Yea. Husband and wife team." He said and then the doorbell rung.
"I got it." I heard my brother say from the hall.
"It's okay Ellis, we should greet them together." My father said as we all walked to the door. I looked over to Rebecca, she looked confused and a bit uncomfortable. She then made eye contact with me and we both understood each other. This was really weird.

Ellis opened the door and we see Mr. and Mrs. Michaels. And next to Mr. Michaels was Ken. He wore a button down shirt and dress pants. The thing about this was that they were all tall, the difference was how Mr. and Mrs. Michaels looked like sticks compared to Ken. They were tall and slender as their son looked more plump in comparison to them. This just made me think more about why Ken is an outsider. His family seemed well off looking at what his parents were wearing and how they looked, not to mention that big diamond ring on Mrs. Michael's left finger.
"Come in John! Barbara!" My father said as he greeted them to come inside.
"We brought some food!" Mrs. Michaels said.
"Here's I'll take that." My aunt said and rushed over to grab the dish. She started on her way to the kitchen.
"Wait, I'll come along too. I want to take a peek at the menu tonight." Mrs. Michaels said with a charming smile as she followed my aunt.
"This is my son Kennedy. I believe he goes to the same school as your daughter." Mr. Michaels said.
"Yea. We all go to the same school." Rebecca said.
"Oh. Well why don't you guys go hang out while your father and I get a drink." Mr. Michaels suggested.
"Yea." I said. "That's a good idea." My father and Mr. Michaels walked to the back yard.
We stood there awkwardly. Rebecca doesn't know Ken, and I don't think she ever really wanted to.
"Do you want anything to drink Ken?" I asked.
"Do you have coke?" He asked.
"Yea, let me grab it real quick." I said.
"Wait, let me get it." Rebecca said and booked to the kitchen. I couldn't help but be a little annoyed with the fact that she's so uncomfortable with Ken.
"So, how are you?" I asked in my own quirky way.
"Good. Good. Has your nose been dripping lately?" He asked with a smile. I smiled and shook my head. I can't believe he would mention this. But I'm glad he did with a smile, his smiles looked amazing.
"Don't go there." I said with a wide smile.
"Back. Here you go Fat Ken-" Rebecca said before she stopped herself. "Shit."
Ken looked at her hand with the coke bottle. He looked back up to me, his blue eyes pierced mine with a hidden emotion.
"I think I left the light on. I'll be right back." He said awkwardly and went out the door.
"Ken." I said. I looked at Rebecca.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to." She defended in her high pitched voice. I knew she didn't mean to and that she's remorseful but still.
"Dude, you called him fat." Ellis pointed out.
"Guys, I don't-" I didn't listen to her. I was already going after Ken.
I closed the door and walked quickly after him.
"Ken." I called. He turned around.
"Hey." He said in a sigh and ran his fingers through his ash blonde hair.
"I'm sorry about Rebecca. She just-"
"No. I know. I get it." He said as he looked down at his feet.
"Ken. She didn't mean it." I said.
He scoffed. I didn't know what to really say. So I said something that has been on my mind for awhile now.
"You know, I don't get it either to be honest." He looked up at me. His hands were in his pockets. We were on his porch and it seemed as if he really did leave a light on in the living room, from what I see from his front window.
"What?" He asked. "What Rebecca said?"
"Yea. And from what other people say." The side of his lips pulled up to make a grin. I started shaking. I was wearing a dress and it's cold in the middle of February at night.
"You want to come in? We'll just turn off the light." He said.
"I thought you'd never ask. I'm freezing my ass off right now." I confessed with a slight smile.
"Why are you wearing a dress then?" He joked.
"Why are you wearing a suit?" I rebutted.
"Touche." We walked into his house. It smelled like blueberries.
"It smells like blueberries in here." I said.
"Oh, it's probably just Susie. We bathe her in this scented shampoo. Her hair falls everywhere around this house so that's probably why." He explained.
"Oh, where is she?" I asked.
"She's probably asleep in my room." He said and made his way to the living room.
"Oh. I hear her all the time." I joked.
"Sorry." He said sheepishly. I shook my head and regretted that joke.
"No! I mean I'm fine with your dog. I love dogs." I compensated.
"You're fine. I get what you mean." He said with a slight laugh. He went and switched off a couple lamps in his living room. I just stood there and looked around. I saw a table of frames so I walked towards it. The pictures were of Ken and his parents. There was one of him as a naked baby in a bath tub. Another of his mom in her high school days I presume. Another of his parents getting married. One of Ken playing baseball.
"You played baseball?" I asked.
"Yea, when we lived in Ohio."
"Oh." I nodded.
"So what do people say about me?" He asked. I looked at him, he was leaning on his staircase.
"You know." I said in all practicality.
"Yea. I do. I don't even know why I asked." He said with a scoff.
"I don't know why they even do it. I mean, from what I've seen so far and how you are as a person, there's no reasons that I could think of to why these people make fun of you and call you names." I said with passion.
"You're smart and you're nice, I mean, you fixed my flat tire!" I exclaimed. "I have never seen you do anything weird. You've never fought back with those guys. I just don't get it. I don't get why people call you Fat Ken, you're not even fat." I concluded. I looked at him. He just stood there.
"I'm sorry I'm freaking out on you. It's just-"
"No, you're fine." He said.
"I don't know. I'm weird."
"You're not weird." He said with a smile. I stared at him smile.
"You look really good smiling, you know that?" I said.
"Thanks." He said and then his lips turned to a devious smirk, "That's how I get all them ladies." He joked. I broke in laughter.
"Being quite cocky there, aren't you?" I said to him.
"A bit." He shrugged. I laughed.
"I think we should head back. I don't want your friend to have a panic attack." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"She'll live. Anyways, she deserves a mini one."
"Wow, a betrayal of friendship coming from Miss Copper." We walked out the door and he closed it.
"She brought it on herself." I said with a shrug. He laughed slightly.

We entered the door and walked our way to the dinner room. Rebecca looked freaked out. My father and the Michaels looked up at us.
"Where did you guys go? We were about to start eating without you." My father said.
"Oh, sorry. I left a light on at home." Ken excused.
"Oh. Okay. Well come and sit, the food is about to be served." Mrs. Michaels said. I sat down in the empty seat next to Rebecca and Ken sat next to me in his empty seat at our round table.
"So, do you guys have any classes with Ken?" Mrs. Michaels asked Rebecca and I.
"I had biology with Ken for awhile until he transferred to AP." Rebecca said.
"I had English with him once." I told her.
"Oh, what's he like in class? Ken never tells me anything that goes on in school." She explained.
"Well, he's quiet." Rebecca said.
"Does he have a lot of friends? All Ken does at home is study and read, I've never seen him really talk with anyone on the phone." She said.
"Mom." Ken said rushed.
"Ken and I talk all the time." I lied. Ken looked over at me. I shrugged.
"Oh, that's good. I was worried to why he doesn't "hang out" as them kids call it these days." She said with a smile.
"Oh, no. Ken and I hang out from time to time but since Ken is in AP classes, he has no time." I said.
"Yea, my Ken here works very hard to keep his scholarship." She said smiling at her son with pride.
"Ken is a scholarship student?" Rebecca asked. I looked over at her telling her to shut up with my eyes.
"Yes, that's the whole reason to why we moved here." Mrs. Michaels exclaimed.
"Honey, let the kids talk amongst themselves for goodness sake." Mr. Michaels said to his wife.
"Okay, you kids chit chat." She turned to go back in conversation with her husband and my father. I looked at Ken. His shade was red as a tomato.
When we were finished with the food, I offered to wash the dishes. Rebecca volunteered with me too. We gathered up the dishes and brought them to the sink.
"Why are you so weird around Ken?" I asked.
"I don't know." She said with frustration.
"You know he's not like anything you've heard, right?" I said.
"I guess. I don't know. I don't know him Erika. Unlike you."
"I don't know him either." I said to her as I turned on the sink faucet.
"Well, apparently you hang out with him. So.."
"I just said that so his mom would stop bugging him." I explained.
"Still. Why are you helping him out? You don't even know him."
"Maybe I want to. He's nice and cool and very funny." I said. "And you'd know that too if you gave him a chance Rebecca."
"I don't know Erika." She said unsure and turned towards the sink to start washing the dishes. I scoffed.
"Get off your high horse princess." I said annoyed at her attitude.
"Excuse me?" She said looking at me with anger in her eyes. She hated being called a princess.
"Sorry, did I offend your pride?" I asked in a bitchy way.
"Okay, where is this coming from dude? You're being a real bitch right now." She said as her eyebrows furrowed in and her lips scowled.
"Well if you just had an open mind and ignore what people say you wouldn't be acting so ignorant right now." I said to her.
"I'm going leave. Call me when you're feeling better." She said as she wiped her hands on the towel. I stood there. I wasn't going to go after her.
"What's that about?" Ellis said walking in.
"Stuff." I said simply.
"About what she said today?" He asked. I nodded.
"Do you know that Ken guy pretty well?" He asked.
"Kind of. I don't know. I just don't understand her frustration. It kind of makes me mad. She's acting closed-minded." I said.
"She's your best friend." He said.
"I know. I just expected more from her than to react the way she did today." I said disappointed.
"What's the story with this Ken guy though?" He asks. Just then Ken walked through the door with the dish plates.
"Sorry. Am I interrupting?" He asks.
"No. You're fine." Ellis said. "Erika is stuck was doing the dishes by herself. And I'm going to go." Ellis said and left the kitchen.
Ken placed the dish in the sink.
"I saw Rebecca leave." He said leaning on the island.
"Yea." I said.
"Are you okay?" He asks.
"I'm fine. We fight all the time." I said.
"Well, since you're alone on dish duty, do you want some help?" He asked.
"That would be awesome." I said releasing a smile. "It'd be good since you're such a professional at it."
He laughed. "Yea, my skills are pretty good. I've been told that I make them sparkle." My lips couldn't help but move upwards into a smile.
"Wow, I expect it no less today Mr. Michaels." I said to him sarcastically.
"Please, Mr. Michaels is my father. Call me Fat Ken." He said. I smiled.
"I'll call you Ken." I said to him.
"That'd be nice." He said sincerely as he scrubbed the dishes.
"Good. Cause we're going to be hanging out more, Ken." He had a shy smile on his lips. His eyes sparkled as they stared into mine. His hair was disheveled to perfection.
"That'd be nice." He whispered.