Chapter 9 - A Phone

Kathy's POV

"Wait here, I'll be back. He's my friend don't worry." I said to Dustine.

He nodded, "Okay."

I walk towards Jack with my hands in my pocket. I just ate, my breath probably stinks right now, "Why are you here?"

He looked at me and then to my brother who was swinging on the swings, "Is that your little brother?"

I looked at my brother and to him, "Yeah, I mean, again what are you doing here?"

Jack cleared his throat and stood straight, his height was towering above me. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't know that your brother has this disability and I shouldn't have talked to you that way, I know you've done it with a reason and you don't seem to be that kind of person who doesn't do bad things without a valid reason."

I widen my eyes, I was stunned.

I didn't know this man knows how to apologize because he sure don't look like someone who knows how to apologize to me.

I blinked my eyes three times and said, "Er... I'm sorry I didn't mean to get mad at you, I was just exhausted and tired. I didn't mean to burst it out to you."

He nodded and look at my brother again who was eating grilled cheese on the swings. "I supposed, you took someone else's wallet?"

I looked down and raised my index finger, "Just one." I said, feeling a little ashamed of what I've done.

"Kathy." His cold voice making me look at him, "I can help you if you want to." He grab something from his wallet and I immediately stopped him.

"Jack, no." I said, "Not in front of Dustine."

"He is a bit far away, he won't see me handling you money."

I shook my head, "No, that's not it. He might think, your some drug buyer. I don't want him to think that I'm selling drugs again."

Jack widen his eyes and stared at me a little bit horrifyingly. "You sell drugs?"

"No, that was a long time ago. I stopped when Dustine saw me handling one to my buyer, he cried." I looked down, rubbing my hands together. "That was very long time ago."

"How long?"

"When I was 14."

Jack looked away and blinked his eyes rapidly, still a little stun by the news. "Fourteen—"

"I know, I know." I said, stopping him from talking. "I never use one, I just sell them. I have to do it in order for me and Dustine to survive and I have no money and you know my parents, Jack." I said, "And besides, I got out of it safely and they never contacted me again."

"Uh huh." He said, "What if they'll come back? Do tell me what you'll do."

"I don't know," I said while rubbing the back of my neck. "But I know they will never come back and besides that was 6 years ago."

"How old are you again?"

"20."

Jack returned his wallet on his pockets and look at me. "I want you and your brother out of here, I want to help you."

"Why?"

"Because that's the least I can do."

"I don't really understand why you're doing this. I'm just a stranger and you are a stranger to me." I said, "I mean... I really appreciate your generosity but this is too much."

"I just want to help you, Kathy." Even though it's a bit suspicious, I would love to accept his help because I've been wanting one since the first day I was born but this is all a bit too fast for me. "Meet me up the hill tomorrow."

"What?"

"The hill. When were drunk," He said, "Meet me there tomorrow, around 8. Do you have a phone?" And I shook my head, he reach out for his back pocket and hand me a rectangular item, "You can have mine."

"No. That's yours." I push the item further away from me. "This is too much. I'm not accepting that."

"I have a new one and I don't need this anymore."

"Jack," I warned, "No."

"I'll call you when I'm already on hill. It's so difficult to find you in this town, people refuse to talk about you around here." He said handing me the phone again.

I slowly took the phone and studied it. I never had a phone before but people do say it's very convenient and easy to use, "You were looking for me?" I asked. "Why?"

"Because I'm looking for you."

I sighed and hurriedly put the phone on my back pocket, "This is just so sudden..."

Jack bend over and look at me in the eyes and I back up a little, His face was too close. "Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

I shook my head, "No, not really." I chuckled, "I'm just a bit shock that this is what kindness really is. I've never experience it not even once, not until now."

He just stared at me blankly, his face says no expression of sympathy but his eyes tells a different story. It made me feel worse because I feel like I took advantage of my situation to him but this was not my intention at all.

I quickly change the topic and grab the phone on my back pocket. "It's gonna be hard for me to use this thing. I never had a phone before and It's going to be difficult to hide it from my parents, they might find it and sell it. I supposed this is an expensive phone?"

Jack shook his head and said, "It's only 2 months old."

I gasped, "Jack! This is like brand new, still." I exclaimed. "I am not accepting this."

"I already bought a new one to use." I look at him once again, feeling a little doubtful. "Just take it. Just make sure to silent it so your parents won't hear it ringing."

"Silent?"

He grab the phone on my hands and pointed at the little buttons on the side of the phone. "This one is sound, this is vibration and that's silent."

"Kathy!" Dustine called making me turn around.

"Hang on, buddy!" I called out, I turned around and face Jack, "I'm sorry, I guess we'll talk again tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jack." I said and he just nodded.

"Kathy!" Dustine called again and I looked at Jack one more time and said my goodbye.

- end of flashback-