Chapter Eleven

            I woke up at ten thirty and took a shower. When I got back, Daniel was on my bed. He really needed to learn how to use my front door. He'd only done it twice.

            "Get out. Come back at noon," I said. He showed no sign that he was going to move any time soon. "Seriously, Daniel, you can't be in here. I'll see you in an hour." He left in silence. This was getting a little obnoxious.

 

            Right at noon, Daniel rang the doorbell. I have to say, I was quite surprised he remembered how the door worked.

            I let him in and made lunch. He said he wasn't hungry, but I could tell he was just being polite. So I made him something anyway.

            "Where's your mom?" He finally asked.

            "Working. Gracie's here, though," I replied. Just as I said her name, she came trotting down the stairs, happy as can be. She stopped and gasped when she saw Daniel. "Grace, it's okay. Mom knows he's here."

            Gracie still looked unsure, but walked over anyway.

            "You can go upstairs if you're uncomfortable." Gracie looked at her feet. "You don't need to keep an eye on us. I promise, I won't do anything you won't like," I said. Gracie went into her room.

            I led Daniel into my living room and we sat down. It was quiet for a few minutes, so I spoke up.

            "Why didn't you come around for so long? I thought you were the kind of guy who would stick around when things didn't go as planned," I said. That made it sound like we were married. I probably should've chosen my words more carefully.

            "Everything felt wrong. Your mom and sister seemed to have problems with me, and I didn't want to mess up your family life," Daniel said.

            "I'd rather have you around than have my family life be impact. You probably don't agree, but you don't have to. You could've at least told me this before."

            "And I'm sorry I didn't. I thought about you a lot, and I realized I missed my friend."

            "We aren't exactly friends anymore, Daniel. You haven't said a word to me in weeks. I haven't necessarily been happy since you stopped coming around."

            "I haven't been either, Ky."

            "My name is Kyland. Only my friends call me Ky."

            "Why are you acting so strange? I thought you at least liked me a little…"

            "You know, Daniel, maybe I did at one point. But everything I've ever felt about you vanished over this past month. It wouldn't have if you'd been around to keep it here."

            "You're so different. You changed, Kyland. I liked the old you better. And since when do you dress normally? You used to stand out. Now you're just like all the rest of them."

            "All the rest of who? I don't talk to anybody! I have no one to be like. Just because I dress 'normally' doesn't mean I'm not different."

            Then there was silence. Was Daniel right? Had I really changed? I had noticed that I had become a little sulky and not as happy as I used to be, but did I actually change?

            "I just wish you hadn't disappeared," I said quietly. His reasons didn't seem right to me. He didn't want to mess up my family life? When he did start caring about my family life? He'd never paid any attention to it before.

Reviews

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Bravo to Kyland for sticking up for herself and asking question of Daniel. What did Daniel see in Kyland anyway? Was it just a convenient place to sleep when he was mad at his father?