I D E N T I T Y

The Piercing Pain of Love

Kevin's POV:

So here's the thing, I'm supposed to be at school right now. Actually my first class will be starting in about five minutes. But I couldn't go to school today, not when there's so much more important stuff to do.

For an example, working out the details to visit Brayden, my screwball older brother, in prison. I decided to get right on it after yesterday's events...especially after the phone call I had with Peyton last night.

After many, many, many missed and unanswered calls, she finally answered on the 34th try.

I tap my pencil against my desk as the phone call replays in my mind for about the millionth time.

"Hey Kev." She said so softly I could barely hear her. Her voice sounded thick, like she had been crying recently.

"Peyton! What's wrong? Are you okay? What happened? Did you find anything?" I asked her in one breath, I mean who has time for breathing anyways when someone you care about is most likely in danger and didn't answer your phone calls but now they did so you don't have to worry about their life?

Certainly not me.

"I...I did." She replied shortly, leaving me more confused than ever. Usually when Peyton finds something out she doesn't hesitate to tell me, in fact she usually runs to my house just to show me, something's wrong.

"Why aren't you telling me then? Not trying to force you or anything, I just thought that this was, you know, important." I urged.

I could hear her sigh from the other side of the phone. "Listen just—just meet me after rehearsal tomorrow, we'll talk then. I can't just tell you over the phone."

Well doesn't that just sound like sunshine and rainbows?

I bit my lip hard, trying to not worry too much. "Um here's the thing Peyton, I'm not going to be at school tomorrow, or rehearsal."

I could almost see her blue eyes widening with panic when she exclaimed, "Why? Why not? You're okay right?!" She asked me frantically, her voice raising slightly.

Confusion prickled throughout my body. "Calm down, I'm fine. I'm just...dealing with some family stuff right now, okay?" I told her, trying to be as vague as possible.

It's not that I don't trust Peyton or anything, I trust her more than almost anyone, it's just that if I tell her I'm visiting my brother in prison she'll ask why I never corrected her when she thought he was dead, and then she'll want to know why he's in prison, and I just can't get into that over the phone.

But...if I do find something when I visit Brayden, I'm going to have to tell her. And not just tell her what I found out, but tell her everything. Maybe it's time I do that.

Will she hate me? Possibly. But I'd rather not think about that right now.

"Oh, I'm sorry, let me know if I can do anything, okay? I may be going crazy half the time but I'm always here for you, you know that right?" She asked me.

I smiled. "Of course I know that. I'm always here for you too, even if you do act like a maniac sometimes."

She laughed a little and then became silent. Several seconds passed before either of us spoke, but she broke the silence.

"Good," She choked out, her voice becoming thick again, "I need someone to be there. And...you won't ever leave, will you? You're not just pretending to care about me, right?" She seemed to ask herself more than me.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Why would you even ask that? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mhm." She responded tightly. Then without another word, though I swear I could hear the beginning of a sob, she hung up the phone and left me in a stunned, puzzled silence.