Stragglers

Chapter XVI

             Kade woke up to Lila standing over him, crying.  He got up rather quickly and went to Lila.  "What's wrong?" Kade asked.  Lila didn't answer.  She turned and started to walk around the pile if brush.  "No, you come back", Kade said, walking toward Lila and grabbing her wrist.  He immediately regretted that.  Lila whipped around and slapped him.  She stepped back, in awe of what she just did.  "I- - - I", Lila tried to spit out.  Kade didn't look confused, mad or frustrated with Lila, only concerned.  He started to walk towards her, but she recoiled like a frightened baby animal.  She took three steps back.  She saw Kade's sincerity in his eyes and she hung her head as she slumped over into his arms. She buried her face into Kade's jacket. She sniffed and she breathed through her mouth with spit stringing between her lips. Kade stroked Lila's long, blonde and wavy hair. She released her death grip from Kade and stepped away from him. Kade looked down at Lila. "Do you wanna sit down and talk about it?" Kade asked Lila. She nodded and sniffed again. Kade sat down against the brush and Lila curled up next to him. Her face was in his jacket when she started talking. "Myfmffr wkkdomi", Lila said, muffling her words into Kade's jacket. Kade lifted Lila's head and smiled at her raccoon eyed, messy haired, bloodshot eyes, spotty lipped and beautiful face. "Hey now, I can't help you if I can't understand you", Kade said. Lila smiled a little. "I don't speak Mfrwdimi language". Lila smiled a little bigger and Kade wiped the tears off of her cheek. Lila sat up and sighed. "I walked home the long way last night", she said. "I got home and everyone was gone. The house was dark and empty and ... echoey", Lila said, recalling what happened next. "I went up to the attic and fell onto my bed. I was thinking. Thinking and staring. Staring and thinking. I heard the front door close and assumed my parents were home. They never said 'goodnight' to me, so they wouldn't check my room, right? I though that they'd just sit in the parlor room. I was about to fall asleep when my door burst open", Lila paused. Her voice was weak and breaking in her speech. "My dad bounded into my room and I got up from my bed. My dad looked around. He yelled, 'Why are you up here?!' I started to answer, but he didn't want to hear it. 'No, you just get downstairs, now' I stopped him. I told him to leave and that I liked it up there. He just got angrier and angrier. He started...screaming and, yelled, 'Is this related to that stupid, old jacket?!' He grabbed my wrist", Lila paused again, touching her wrist. "I tried to break free, but every move, his grip tightened. I yelled back at him, 'It's not a crappy old jacket! It's Kade's and-' he cut me off and threw me on the ground. He left me lying on the attic floor. I..." Lila said, starting to cry again. Kade held Lila close and rocked back and forth. "I'm ashamed of my parents. I... I can't be around them anymore", she said. "Paige has a spare room. You could probably crash at her place for a while", Kade said. "That would be great", she answered. Lila smiled. She looked at her wrist and stopped smiling. She stood up and squeezed her wrist so she couldn't feel the pain. Kade stood up and stood in front of Lila. She turned and paused for a moment. "Thanks...", she said without looking at Kade. Lila turned and then looked Kade in the eyes. "For...listening". Kade's eyes just sparkled. Lila had never seen a bluer blue.