The One That Got Away.

Do You Love Me?

Everything dissolves into chaos. Jared yells over Shayla, Shayla yells over Kelly, and Emma tries to mediate only to get caught in the crossfire. 

"Do you see her for who she is now, Jared?" Kelly hisses.

"That is not constructive, Kelly," Emma's sedate voice gets plowed over by Kelly now shouting.

"Nobody asked you, Emma!"

"Everybody shut up before I have to call my mom to straighten this out!" Jared commands and the room immediately falls silent. "I need to see Emma and Shayla in private, and, Kelly, do not follow us," he warns and ushers the other two away. 

Kelly is not inclined to follow. Burnt cauliflower is now softly floral. Bedsheets are billowing in the wind on a clothesline. Fuzzy is cozy. Sunny is a buttercup flower. If you hold the flower under your chin and there's a yellow reflection it means you like butter.

Hey, House. Who was that person Shayla was talking to earlier? Are they still here? Kelly telepathically requests, patiently awaiting a response.

But, it doesn't work that way. She stands there, gazing down at her feet on the jelly-nougat floor. It's a little sticky but the nougat has such a satisfying bounce and pleasing cherry aftertaste. The walls giggle and wave, the same way gasoline vapors wave. Fish flop about like thin vanilla wafer creams stuck in soup.

Shit.

She is unable to remain in one spot for too long or else that stuff starts to happen again. She presses on to her safe room. 

In her safe room, she wonders what she's going to tell Patrick about the house. She couldn't just pretend it wasn't happening. What if he came to visit? He'd surely think he'd gone mad. Truth be told, she's dying to tell him. Dying to tell someone. She bravely phones him up and tells him everything. Patrick, of course, doesn't believe a word.

"Good Lord, Kelly, whatever Val is supplying you with is fucking primo," he mocks.

"Hardly. I've not even opened the package she sent me. Actually, where did I put that..." she trails off, distracted.

"See? You're stoned to the -"

"No, Patrick!"

"Bit of a hokey story though. You can do better. How about instead... hmm... oh, I got it! A mansion full of glittering-"

"Patrick!"

"Fine, invite me there to see it for myself."

"You're invited. I'll even pay your way here."

"Sorry, I can't."

"You just told me to invite you!"

"Yeah, but I'm starting a new job. I wanted to tell you but I haven't been able to get in a word edgewise tonight."

"What new job?"

"Jim's Printing. I don't know a thing about printing but Jim..."

"So, you're essentially calling me a liar and then not letting me prove it to you."

"Sorry, at least Jim isn't going to let me down. Or if he does, he'll, um, lift me up first."

"Ew."

***

Kelly is on her own for several hours and she doesn't even notice. The house tended to have that effect on her. Like a child, if she wasn't looked after and reminded to eat, drink, or get some fresh air, she would just keep playing with her toys. In this case, her toys are a beautiful set of paints and canvasses of all sizes. Marshmallow's idea. She thought having multiple creative outlets for Kelly would ease her transition. The paints are just one of many creative outlets Marshmallow came up with to occupy Kelly. 

The sun had long set before Jared interrupted her painting. "Shayla won't be around for a while, so I hope you're happy about that." He didn't mean anything by it, but he should have chosen his words more carefully.

"I didn't ask you to do that," she remarks, coldly.

"I didn't- I'm not saying you did. Anyway, don't you want to know what happened?"

"Shayla is the best, I'm a bitch, blah, blah, blah. Who cares."

"She granted Betty security access because they're friends."

"Oh, they're friends?!" 

"Wait a minute, Kelly. Without my consent or permission, they remained friends. Shayla admitted that she invited Betty over but she did so because she thought you wouldn't be here-"

"Wouldn't be here? Where the fuck would I go? What, do I have a job I commute to every day or something?"

"Anyway, the real punishment is I've shipped her off to my mom." Jared nods conclusively as if all is now right in the world and Kelly will certainly show her gratitude. 

"Whatever," she says flatly, turning her back on him and resuming her painting.

Trying anything to improve her mood he adds, "Josh is on his way home. He should be here soon, actually."

"Yep," she doesn't turn around.

"Aren't you excited to see him?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Jared ruffles his hair in his fingers. "You know, Kelly, I ..." he trails off, spins around. "You know what? Let me ask you something. Do you love me?" She ignores him, rolling her eyes in front of her painting. "I'm serious, Kelly. Do you love me?"

"Oh, come on, Jared. I'm just tired. This house is exhausting."

"No, I- I can't believe I - I need an answer, Kelly. Do you love me?"

She pivots around, her face scrunched, "What is your problem?"

"Yes or no?"

"This is stupid."

"Yes or no?"

"Haven't you fought with Shayla and Emma enough? Now you need to start a fight with me?"

"It's a simple yes or no, Kelly."

"And whether I do or don't, this is how you want me to tell you?"

"Yes. Do you love me or not? Are you in love with me, or not?"

"You are so full of shit right now," she snorts a laugh.

"Yes or no?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you, drop it."

"Just say yes or no. Do you love me?"

Having heard a heated discussion that led him in their direction, Josh appears in the doorway, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Oh, look, it's Josh," Kelly says, expecting Jared to clam up.

Jared doesn't turn around. His heartbroken, crystal-blue eyes focused on her, "Kelly, do you love me?"

"Jared."

Josh looks back and forth at the two of them. 

"Just answer me. Do you love me?"

                                                          To be continued...?