New Friends

KAI

After I left Mom standing in the road I walked around the city park for a while not sure what to do. I've never talked to Mom like that before and It hurt. A lot. I wished I could have controlled my anger better. But what I said needed to be heard and that was the only way I believed it would be. As I walked around the park I saw a little boy on a bench playing a guitar. His fingers fumbled at the strings trying to make the tunes that were in his head come out, but couldn't. He got frustrated and threw it on the ground. I ran over and picked it up and stared at him. " Why'd you do that?" I tilted my head at him. 

"Why not it's not like I can play it anyway." I chuckled. "Why are you laughing?!" I sat down on the bench. 

"Well let me ask you this. Do you think any professional shredding a guitar just knew how to do it?" He looked at me like I was an idiot. 

"Uh duh. That's what makes them professionals."  I simply smiled at him shaking my head.

"No they didn't. They practiced. They practiced everyday till they knew how to do it without thinking about it. They put their heart into it. They put their blood sweat and tears into practicing to make themselves sound and play better than they did the day before. They weren't just born knowing how to. They learned. Like you can right now, if you ask." His eyes got wide.

"Really?! You can teach me?!" I grin and nod. "Yes!!!" Just as his mood sparked up it changed fast. "Oh wait I can't right now…" his gaze fell to the ground. "I have to get home or my mom will ground me." I chuckled. 

"Then I'll meet you the week after next say around five? Same spot?" He looked at me and grinned. 

"You got it!!" I handed him the guitar.

"You're gonna be careful with it right?" He nodded and ran off. When he got to the park gate he turned around and waved. 

"The week after next!!! Five a clock!!! Don't be late!!!" He ran off. 

It wasn't long after that I walked around and ended up here, the city library. Like I told Mom I would be. I love the library, I always have. I love staring at the covers and every title on each spine, I could do it for hours, just staring until one finally pops out at me. "Ah this one!" I pull out a book called 'Virals' by Kathy Reichs. 

"Kathy Reichs! Awesome!" She's one one my favorite Authors. She wrote all of the Bones collection. I smile and find a seat in the corner of the library and begin to read. The luring adventure of a young girl and her friends along with their newly founded K-9 companion, solving the crime committed by the science institution their parents work for.

"You have good taste." I jumped and looked over my book to find the owner of that sweet voice. A girl around my age, with blonde hair, Emerald eyes, and wearing a pink AC DC band shirt with black skinny jeans. "Oops! I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you!" She smiles sweetly at me. My heart jumps and I can feel the blood rush to my face. 

"Oh.. um.. no no it's fine. I-I mean I was just sucked into the b-book is all." She laughs and walks a little closer.

"May I?" She gestures to the empty seat next to me. 

"Oh yeah.. um.. sure yeah!" She comes over and sits down. 

"You know I've seen you around but I can't seem to find you at school. Are you in one of the nights classes? Or are you in the AP classes?" She looked at me genuinely curious. I laugh, shaking my head. 

"No. I'm homeschooled. We live pretty far away out of town so there's no point in even trying it. Plus mom is really smart. she graduated highschool at a young age and was working on college when I was born so I got the best." I chuckle and look over at her. Her eyes stared at me intently causing the blood to rush back to my face. "W-what is it?" She shook her head.

"I've lived in this town my whole life and I know everyone, and when I saw you at first I thought that you were new. But then I started seeing you everywhere at the Diner, here, at City Hall, and everyone seemed to know who you were so then I figured that you just were one of the kids at school that have lived in this town that liked to stay low and not be bothered." She began to stare at the ground as if she were in deep thought, trying to piece things together. I sat back and listened just smiling at how hard she tried to figure me out. 

"So how…. How long exactly have you been here? Who are you?" She looks over at me and I chuckle. 

"Why would I tell you that?" Her jaw dropped and she started to say something before I cut her off. "What I mean is why would I tell you all the answers and lose my mystery?" I laugh and her face softens.

"Well then I guess I'm just gonna have to wait huh?" I nod and we both laugh. 

We stay there for the next couple of hours talking and laughing as the sun sets and disappears. 

"Well I have to head home." She stands and gathers her things.

"Hey wait." I take her hand, causing us both to jolt and our faces to turn bright red. She pulls her hand away and laughs shyly. "I-Im sorry.." I pull away from her gaze. "I uh, I just didn't get your name.." I peeked over at her to catch a quick glimpse of her before I turned my gaze back to the ground. She was staring at me with wide eyes and a slight blush in her cheeks. I heard her laugh.

"I'm Holly, Holly Glade." My head snaps around to look at her and my eyes widen.

"Glade? As in.." she nodded solemnly.

"Yeah my Great Great Grandfather founded the town." She smiles but her eyes don't follow as they stay downcasted. I chuckle.

"Well I'm Kai, Kai Wolf." She looks at me. her expression changed dramatically from sad to curious. 

"You wouldn't so happen to be part of the Wolf family that owns wolf mountain, would you?" I grin and nod.

"But that's actually my father's land. My mother always said that we may own the land but it doesn't really belong to us.." she tilted her head seemingly confused. "Well what I mean is that it belongs to the animals and wildlife that live on that mountain." I smile. She nods thinking about it and chuckles.

"Well Kai Wolf, it's nice to meet you." She smiles and holds her hand out to me. I stand and take her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Holly Glade." We stand there a few moments before Holly remembers that she has to go.

"Bye Wolf!" She turns to leave.

"Goodbye Holly!" I wave after her. Before she walks through the doors she turns to face me. 

"Wolf?! When can I see you again?!" I grin.

"The week after next! Same time?!" She smiles nodding her head firmly, she then pushed the door open and walked out. 

I stood there blushing and excited for the next time I could see her again.

"Excuse me? Kai?" I looked over to see an old woman with kind blue eyes, that matched her soft voice. 

"Oh hello Mrs. Thumble." I smiled at her and in return she smiled sweetly at me.

"I'm sorry Kai but the library is about to close for the night." When she spoke she looked so sad having broken the news to me. I chuckled and took her hand.

"Oh Mrs. Thumble I'm so sorry to keep you here this late!" She laughs and shakes her head.

"Oh no Dear! I love to see a young mind enjoy the wonders of words on paper. Instead of that blasted ole computer and internet, mumbo jumbo, nonsense! But I must say these days I seem to be getting a little more sleepy a lot earlier than I used to." She smiles as we head towards the doors. She shuts off the lights and hands me the keys. I let her take my arm to help guide her outside and I lock the doors behind us. "Thank you Kai. Will I be seeing you again?" I nod with a big smile.

"Of course you will. When have I ever let you down?" Mrs. Thumble laughs and pats my arm. We talk awhile before parting ways. I watch as she leaves, finally allowing myself to sit down on the stairs leading to the entrance of the library. I lay back and stare up at the stars my heart aching from the realization that mom hadn't come yet. I feared for her, and for Nicky. I wondered if mom had not listened to me and actually went through with Miss Jane's offer. But most importantly if she had gone through with it, what would happen between her and Nicky.

***

Before I had realized it I was completely consumed in a peaceful black void. I didn't know when if fell asleep but it wasn't long after I realized I had, I heard a soft familiar voice.

"Kai? Kai? Honey? Honey wake up. Kai?" I slowly pried my heavy eyes open to find a beautiful woman leaning over me.

'who is she?'

Her hair was blonde and even in the dark you could see the red tint it had to it from the light of the street lamp hitting it as well as the flowing waves that fell from behind her ear and brushed against my face. Her face was dolled up with make up making her even more beautiful, with smokey eyes, and Ruby red lipstick. She had on a red dress showing off her hourglass figure and to top it all off she wore tall black high-heel boots. 

I stared at her not sure what to do or say. I felt like I knew her, but from where? It wasn't till she spoke again that I realized who she was. 

"Kai, You know you shouldn't sleep on these stairs. It'll hurt your back" I raised up on my elbows staring her straight in the eyes.

'No Way!'

"Mom?! Is That You??!!"