Just A Kiss

Chapter 9: Caleb

My heart pounds as I walk across the street. My whole body feels numb as I stumble up my driveway and to my front door. I slowly walk down the stairs, my mind feels as hollow as a straw.

I fall onto my bed, not know what to think, what to do. I've never felt so confused in my life.

It felt like yesterday that AnnaLyn was telling me that the church is true, but now all she is doing is getting drunk with some guy she just met? I don't understand.

I stare at darkness for what seems like forever, feeling sick to my stomach. As light starts to peer in through my window, I realize that I didn't sleep at all. I close my eyes and try to sleep but it takes forever to come, but at least it does.

***

I walk out to my car, the sky a dark blue, stars beginning to shine through the darkness. When I start the engine, I realize I don't know where I'm going. Something tells me to drive, however.

I start down the street, my headlights dimly shining through the darkness, leading the way.

I squint when I see something ahead, not knowing what it was.

"What the heck?" I say, seeing that it's a person, stumbling around in the middle of the road. I honk my horn, not wanting to hit them. I try to move my foot to the brake but it feels glued to the pedal.

While I struggle with my foot, the figure turns and walks towards my car. My foot presses harder on the gas and I scream.

I blink a couple of times, the car stopped. I look over the front to see the person lying on the ground.

"Good heavens." I murmur. I get out quickly, the person motionless.

The person is a girl. Her long brown hair all over her face, so I can't see it.

I kneel by her side. "Hello? Can you hear me?" I move the hair from her face.

"Oh no." I say.

It's AnnaLyn.

***

"No!" I exclaim, sitting up abruptly in my bed. My heart pounds with fear. I push my hands through my hair. "Just a dream. It was just a dream."

I exhale and lay back down onto my pillow. My room is completely lit now. What is AnnaLyn doing right now?

I grab my phone and text her, asking what she was doing.

She answered a couple of minutes later, saying she was at Jackson's house doing homework.

My heart breaks a little and I get angry. Or jealous. I can't tell.

I decide to call her. I dial her number and she answers a couple of seconds later.

"Hello?" It's so good to hear her voice.

"Hey AnnaLyn. What are you doing?" I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I'm just at Jackson's. He's helping me with my homework." She says and I think about how she has never had problems with her homework. Or anything.

"Oh cool. Um, so I uh saw you last night. At Jackson's." I clarify.

"Really? Were you at the party?" She says it so innocently.

"Uh yeah." I lie. "But..." I hesitate. "I saw you with Jackson and then you guys disappeared. Where did you go?"

AnnaLyn waits a second. "Uh we just went for a walk outside." Of course she would lie.

"Hm. That's funny." I say, my mind bursting with insults and accusations.

"Why is that funny?" She gives a nervous laugh. She's never been good at lying.

"I saw you go into some room with Jackson and you never came out."

"Oh." I hear whispers like she's talking to someone. "That was just a room that lead to Jackson's backyard."

"It was on the left side of the basement, which would lead to the front. You're lying." I say.

"Caleb-"

"You know what AnnaLyn. I've had enough. I just don't understand how you could be such a good person one day and then you meet some guy and suddenly you ignore me and get drunk and do things you shouldn't do. I thought that YOU told me the church is true and that I should do the right things AnnaLyn. And now you're going around and doing the exact opposite of what you told me and it's just going to ruin your life."

She's silent for a second, then says angrily, "I can't believe you Caleb. You think that IM the one ignoring you? You haven't talked to me since like a week ago. I'm not doing anything wrong either Caleb. And I don't know what you're talking about 'getting drunk' because I would never do that in my life!"

"I saw you. It was yesterday actually. At Jackson's. And I wasn't there, I got curious so I snuck in and I saw you kiss Jackson and then you stumbled across the room into his bedroom. I saw the bed in there and I know what you did and I'm pissed off about it."

"Caleb you don't know what the hell you're talking about." She shouts and hangs up. I'm so surprised that she said that word that I want to cry.

***