patience is key | the karate kid

xxiv. young hearts

xxiv. young hearts

    EARLY THE next morning, Kat awakens from a terrible dream. She gasps while sitting up in her bed and tries to catch her breath. Her eyes look back over her shoulder, seeing that the time is 6:22 in the morning.

She runs a hand through her long, dark hair and pulls the covers up off of her. Her heart rate slows down as she takes in deep breaths and gets out of bed.

    Her hand reaches and turns on her bedside lamp, providing a little light in the room. Then she moves over to her closet, pulling out a pair of baggy jeans from her dresser and a black shirt from a hanger.

     She ties the laces of her dirty sneakers and grabs a light weighted jacket, then turns off her lamp and quietly leaves the room.

Kat makes sure to silently sneak past her father's room. His door is cracked and faint snores can be heard from out in the hallway. As she slides her arms in the jacket sleeves, Kat's eyes frantically dart around the dark room in search of something.

She finds the keys on the kitchen counter and picks them up, then drops them into the pocket of her jacket. The girl had gotten her restricted license a few weeks earlier, but still her father wasn't fond of the idea of her driving alone.

For a minute or so, before leaving, Kat wonders if she should leave a note. Then she shakes her head and slips out of the door, figuring she'd be back before her father or brother would notice.

Kat avoids closing her eyes on the way to the parking lot. She notices that every time she does, she sees the events from her dream in replay. And her breathing hitches again.

When she reaches the truck, she's a bit more calm, though still frazzled. She unlocks the door and slides into the front seat. Then she puts the key in the ignition, starts the car, buckles her seat belt and leaves.

The girl just had to go for a drive, and somehow manage to get this awful dream out of her mind.

She had dreamt of her brother Ryan, as well as her mother, with guest appearances of Daniel and Johnny. It was an odd dream, but also very terrifying.

Her hand reaches to turn on the radio, and when she does she instantly regrets it. "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon starts to play.

Instantly, Kat's mind traces back to the night before. The dance, her and Johnny singing and smiling, having such a wonderful time. She feels her heart sink.

"I'd much rather be listening to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." She mumbles to herself before flipping through stations. Finally she settles on another classic rock station, which plays "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band.

The night before, after lashing out on Daniel, Kat didn't get to see Johnny. By the time she left the handy shack, it was almost midnight. She knew she'd be dead if she came home any later.

So instead of driving or biking to her boyfriend's, she returned back to the apartment. Her father had already gone to bed, however Ace was wide awake waiting in the living room.

The two Martin siblings said a few words to each other before Kat went to her room and crashed on her bed. She had a restless night, replaying all of he night's events. Her mind kept replaying one in particular: her and Johnny dancing together.

How strange is it to think that she was once head over heels for Daniel.

For the next hour or so, Kat drives mindlessly, not having any specific location in mind. It helps calm her down, and get her mind off of the dream.