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Chapter Forty-Two
Point of View: Nick

After the appointment with Dr. Haseltine - during which he gave me a new journal and a new appointment for the following week - Brian drove me back to the house. He couldn't stick around, he had Baylee and Leighanne waiting at their rented place, so I waved him off and turned to the house with my new journal clutched to my chest, hesitating to go inside.

The first thing I did when I stepped in the door was right the palm tree. The cops had told me that morning not to pick up too much, because they needed to see the damage she'd done, but the palm tree was making me depressed, so I fixed it and attempted to put some of its soil back into the bucket it sat in so it didn't look so sad.

The only other thing I cleaned up was in my room. I tried to find all the pieces of my journals and shoved them into a trash bag. I didn't need anyone finding that stuff and analyzing it. They were of no value, either, so I didn't think it would make much difference to what they were doing anyways. I went outside and carried the trash bags to the end of the driveway.

I was down by the curb when Kayla's red Chevy Aveo pulled into the driveway. I turned in surprise as she waved and smiled, and drove up to the fountain, where she parked. I jogged along the driveway to her car and waited while she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. She looked around, "Wow, your house is really more impressive during the day," she said. She bent back into the car and emerged a moment later with two Starbucks cups. She held one out to me, "It's mocha latte, I hope you like them. I didn't know what you drank, so I got two of my drink."

I smiled and took the cup, "Anything with caffeine is a favorite," I answered, taking a sip.

Kayla smiled and sat on the edge of the fountain. "For future references, though, what's your favorite?" she asked.

I dropped down beside her. "Coffee black with nutmeg."

"Nice," she nodded. "No sugar?"

"No sugar."

"My aunt told me what happened with your girlfriend," Kayla said.

I shook my head, "She's not my girlfriend."

Kayla was blowing into the mouth hole of her cup, cooling down the latte inside, and concentrating on the cup's lid. I watched her. The way her short, curly hair kind of moved with the tilts and motions of her head, the way her mouth formed around the air as she blew into the cup, her eyes... I licked my lips, trying to keep from grabbing her to me and pressing my mouth on hers and taking her right there in the water fountain.

This is bad, I thought.

Kayla looked at me. "Nick, this is stupid, but I just wanted you to know that I used to be a really big fan of Krystal Armaletto... just ask Zoe. Even last night I was getting really excited because Zoe got to meet her and didn't tell me. But..." she glanced at the house. "When Aunt Zoe told me what she did to you, I went upstairs and broke the CDs. I can't believe anyone would do that to someone as sweet as you."

"I don't want people to hate Krystal," I said, shaking my head and putting my cup down on the fountain beside me. "I just feel bad for her more than anything."

Kayla shook her head, "After what she did to you?"

"After everything she's done to me," I answered, "I'm just not that guy that wants revenge or whatever. I just - I mean, I loved Kayla and--" I stopped, catching the Freudian slip and turning dark, dark red. I wanted to melt into the stones on the fountain and die right there. Cover it! my head screamed. "I mean Krystal." I closed my eyes, "God, I'm an idiot."

Kayla smirked, "The names are really close. It's not like Emily and Rachel."

I blinked at her, "What?"

"Oh, the TV show Friends," Kayla answered, "When Ross is marrying Emily, this girl from England, and he's really in love with this other character, Rachel. You know, Jennifer Anistan? Anyways, at the wedding, when he's saying the vows? He says Rachel's name."

I laughed.

Kayla smiled, "So -- Krystal, Kayla... not like Emily, Rachel."

"Yeah, the names are completely different," I agreed.

"And the reason you mixed them up is, too," she agreed, too.

"Yeah."

I sipped the latte again just to give me something to do with my hands that didn't include wringing them or cracking my knuckles. The truth was, I wasn't a big fan of the latte. Coffee should be unadulterated. But it was good because Kayla gave it to me, I guess. I took a deep breath. I cannot, cannot have a crush on this girl, I demanded of my heart, What're you doing to me?

"So, what do you do?" I asked, looking her over.

Kayla smiled, "I'm working on becoming a singer," she answered.

"Really?" I asked.

She nodded, "Yeah. I've got a part in this play, And Then I Said Yes. My boyfriend, Leon, is in it, too. We've been doing rehearsals all week." Kayla smiled, "Hey, you should come to opening night. It's in two weeks."

"Sure," I smiled, not missing the boyfriend, Leon reference. "That sounds great. I'd like to hear you perform."

Kayla blushed and laughed, "Nah."

"Yeah," I said, watching her. She was adorable when she blushed. "Hey, sing me something."

"Now?" she looked around, her eyes wide with surprise, "Here?"

"Yeah, why not?" I asked, laughing, "Please? It'll cheer me up." I puckered my lower lip out and gave her the saddest sad-puppy eyes I could muster.

Kayla's cheeks reddened again, and I decided it would be my personal goal whenever I was around her to make her blush like that as often as possible.

"Pleaaaaase?" I begged, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kayla stood up and pulled her hair behind her head, like she was going to put it into a pony tail, then dropped it and let it fall around her face again. She took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. But you can't laugh, no matter what, okay?" she asked, "Please? And be honest, if you like it or not, don't bullshit me."

I crossed my heart.

"Okay." Kayla cleared her throat. "Haven't we met? You're sooome kind of beauuutiful strangerrrrr. You could be good for meeeeeee. I have a taste for dangerrrrr... If I'm smaaaaart then I'll run awayyyyy, but I'm noooot so I guess I'll stay. Heaven forbiiiid. I'll take my chance on a beautiful strangerrrrr. I looked into your eyes and my wooorld came tumbling dowwwwn... You're the devil in disguiiise... that's why I'm singing this soooong. To knoooow yoooou... is to loooove yoooou..." She stopped abruptly.

I couldnt't breathe. She was fucking amazing. I stood up. "Shit, Kayla."

Her face turned red, "I'm sorry, I know, that was horrible, I wasn't on pitch..."

"That was amazing," I said, shaking my head, "You sounded better than Madge."

Kayla laughed, "Now you're just teasing me."

"No," I said, shaking my head, "I'm very not teasing you."

Kayla stared into my eyes and I didn't look away. It didn't feel like intruding when she did it. I stared back. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," I whispered back.

I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to swoop right down and kiss her. To hell with Zoe, driving lessons, psycho ex-girlfriends, destroyed houses, drugs, alcohol, crazy parents, distant siblings, stalker photogs, and every other thing in my life. All that I could see, feel, or want was Kayla.

I was about to do it. I had it in my head I was going to. I was ready, my mouth about to form the kiss, my eyes starting to slide shut - so were hers - when a car door slammed behind us and we both jumped a mile.

"Sorry about that," called a drawling southern accent. I turned and a cop stood there, carrying a notepad, "I'm officer Gary Armstrong, I'm here to do an assessment on the damages done to the house last night?" he asked, holding up the pad.

Who cares? I thought, God damn it, you couldn't have gotten here three seconds later?

Kayla backed away from me, "Thanks for listening, Nick. Hope you liked the latte. Feel better." She turned to her car quickly.

"The house is over there," I said stupidly to Officer Armstrong. He started walking that way. I ran to the Aveo's window. "Kayla," I said, leaning in. She was buckling her seatbelt. The stereo turned on with the car and Kelly Clarkson was singing. She reached over and shut it off. She looked up at me. "Thanks for singing."

She stared up at me, her eyes now panicked. "Please don't tell my Aunt you saw me, okay? She'll kill me."

And with that, she drove away.