A/N-Hey guys! As promised, here's my next update on OUAD. As for this story, I'm not really sure what's going to happen. School starts in exactly one more week for me, and there's no way I'm going to be able to finish it, considering I have one last one-shot I want to write for you all. But for now, just enjoy the story. I promise to work something out for this. I really don't want to leave it hanging.
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 7: In Retrospect…
"Alright guys, that was a good practice! You guys did awesome…especially you, Jack! Now, let's call it a day…I'll see you guys in a next week!"
The blonde and the brunette stood by the entrance of the Bobby Wasabi dojo, seeing a short blonde-haired man—who she assumed was their sensei, Rudy—patting the kids on their backs, shoving them into their dressing room, while he cringed his nose at their sweaty odor. It had only been an hour later since her drastic argument with Jack, yet the conversation wouldn't stop replaying in her head. Every time she thought about him, different moods would appear into her mind¸ how she hated him, how she was so angry with him, how she was so heartbroken…
How she hated that Jack was right about her.
But this was why she was standing here. While Kim knew this was a dangerously risky thing to do, she dodged her fears aside, dodged everything aside and did what she wanted to do.
Kimberly Crawford was going to get back into Martial Arts.
It has been a while since she's been in a dojo, and she had to admit this was nothing like her stepfather's dojo. The punching dummies weren't as state-of-the-art, the mats looked a little worn-out and moldy, and the ambiance of the dojo didn't seem as professional as a public place was supposed to be. Compared to the Black Dragon dojo, this place truly was nothing.
But she liked it.
While the ambiance didn't feel professional, it felt…friendly. It felt comfortable, a place where you could a find a real family, people who would truly care about you. And that was the kind of place Kim was looking for.
Grace gave her a stern glare, and grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She could see the nervousness in Kim's eyes, so she tried to find her confident-self back again. Because she knew what she was doing. While she and Jack were practically finished, she still wasn't going to break another one of the promises she had made to him.
And Kim Crawford was going to prove to him, to everyone, that she's still that same girl from Friday night.
And always will be.
"It's okay," Grace said. "What you're doing is a good thing. Don't give it a second thought. You can do this all your own. I promise not to intrude!"
She smiled, and without another word, she let Grace drag her into the dojo, coming face-to-face with the short, blonde-haired man who had a warm, giddy smile on his face as he faced Kim and Grace.
"Hello girls," Rudy smiled. "What can I do for you?"
"Well…I…you see—"
"She'd like to join your dojo!" Grace blurted, pointing at Kim. She death-glared at her eyes distending in shock. The brunette let out an apologetic, sheepish grin, but that wasn't enough for Kim to stop being mad at her.
"Well thanks for not intruding, Grace," Kim hissed sarcastically. She faced Rudy whose face had flickered in interest as he began to stare at Kim with a lot more excitement.
"Really? And you'd like to join too?" Rudy asked in interest, laying his eyes on Grace.
"Well, actually I'm—"
"Yo, yo, yo Grace!" Their eyes trailed to Jerry who rushed up to Grace from the locker, pulling her into a small, friendly hug. She couldn't help but smile at Grace's wide, excited grin. Honestly, this was the first time she'd ever seen her so happy, and the fact that she was so content simply pleased her.
"Ah I get it…you kids have fun." Rudy smiled. With an exchanged laugh, they both ran off, leaving Kim and Rudy alone in the dojo. The blonde took a seat with him on the bench, and she stared at him with slightly nervous eyes. Yet, Rudy's eyes seemed to kind, so cheerful, it just instantly calmed her down.
"So you want to join karate, huh?" Rudy asked. "What's your name?"
"Sorry…I'm Kim." She held out a hand. "It's so nice to meet you, Rudy. I heard so much about you."
"Ah, well Kim, welcome to my dojo!" He glowed, spreading his hands out theatrically. "I know it's not much, but…" He couldn't seem to finish his sentence. "Yeah. That's it. It's not much."
"No, it's…it's great." She smiled reassuringly. "It's everything you could ever ask for in a dojo. That's really all I ever wanted."
"Aw, stop it you!" He grinned, tapping Kim lightly on the shoulder, which caused her to laugh. "So, have you had any experience in martial arts before?"
"Well, I took it when I was four…but my life just grew complicated, and I had no choice but to quit. I have been trying to practice when I can, so I don't forget what I've learned…but it looks like you can't do everything on your own." She said. "But martial arts…it's a huge passion of mine, and I was hoping to get a spot here."
"That's great! It's so nice to have someone who's so passionate about this sport!" He exclaimed. "I'd be glad to help you, Kim. And I really think that—"
"No Eddie, we are not going to spy on—"
Their eyes once again trailed on Milton and Eddie who had walked out of the locker room, giving Rudy and Kim a shocked look.
"Hey guys, what's the haps?" Eddie said, his voice escalating higher.
"Wait, Kim…you're going to be joining us?" Milton asked her.
"Yeah. I guess I am." Kim smiled after a long pause.
"Well, congratulations on being a Wasabi Warrior, Kim!" Eddie exclaimed, trying to act nonchalantly. "We're just going to….leave you two alone, you know sensei-to-student time, am I right?" He started laughing uneasily but all they did was glare at him in confusion. As if their eyes sent daggers to his, his eyes distended slightly in fear.
"Okay bye!" Milton exclaimed, and before they could say anything else, the two just ran out of the dojo leaving an utterly baffled Rudy and Kim.
"Uh…should we be worried?" Kim asked.
"Eh…they're always up to something," Rudy shrugged. She laughed.
"So anyways, I'd love to have you join this dojo. All I need is your mom or dad to stop by and do some paperwork." Rudy said, standing up.
That's when her smile had disappeared.
She stood up and faced Rudy, taking a deep breath. Yes, yes, she was aware that this issue would come up. But if she wanted to gain her old self back, she shouldn't let this come between her.
The only option she had left was to be honest.
"Rudy, I can't really bring my parents, because…" Her voice trailed off, as she exhaled deeply. "They're no longer with me."
His giddy smile disappeared as sympathy trailed all over his eyes. "Oh…I'm so sorry I brought it up."
"No, no, it's okay," She said, managing a smile. "You didn't know. But I just don't think the paperwork can work out. My stepfather doesn't really encourage things like this, since he's not exactly what you call "Number 1 Dad" material. But I was hoping that if you let me in, I'll try and get a few jobs so I can get some extra money to pay."
"Well, who's your stepfather?"
She hesitated to answer, but she decided to listen to her own heart, rather than listening to what Ty told her. She knew it wasn't the best choice to do, but if she wanted to get in, she's going to have to take more risks than originally thought.
"…Ty White."
His eyes instantly enlarged in tremor, as he stared at Kim like she'd turned into some mutant alien. She stared back at Rudy completely baffled, trying to find words to say that could possibly change the subject. Yet, when he started backing away from her slightly, she knew that this wasn't going to work out.
"So…you live in the same house as Ty?" Rudy asked. "A.k.a, my sworn nemesis since high school, the man who has been looking out to destroy me?"
She looked at him with nervous eyes, and gave a hesitant nod. How did he even know who Ty was? "Just please don't tell anyone. Nobody's really supposed to know…I'm only telling you, since I desperately want a spot here…Ty wouldn't even let me step inside his dojo."
"Um…" Rudy began. "I'm sorry, but if you don't have a guardian available to sign up, I'm afraid I can't let you in."
So much for being confident.
"Rudy please…I'm begging you," She tried pleading. "I don't have anywhere else to go and it would just mean the world if—"
"Kim, I'm sorry but I can't accept someone who's anywhere related to that dojo." He admitted. "You seem like a nice girl and everything, but I—"
"Wait!" Their heads turned to face a freshened-up Jack who ran out of the locker rooms, awe-stricken as he saw the blonde standing in this dojo. For a second, Kim could see a mixture of surprise as well as anger in his chocolate brown pools, but the surprise seemed to dominate as he was shocked to see Kim in the dojo. She folded her arms across her chest, not wanting to make eye contact with him in any way after what happened. She had officially despised Jack Anderson and to her, there wasn't anything that would change that.
You think you find someone you can trust, and they don't even bother to believe a word you say.
"Oh hey, Jack." Rudy said with a kind smile. "Have you met Kim? Yeah, apparently, she—"
"What if she spars with me?" Jack offered.
"Excuse me?" Kim asked with eyes widened in shock. He didn't bother to turn around and return any sort of eye contact which just frustrated her more that he was continuing to ignore her.
Yet the offer he'd just proposed was still unnerving to her.
He wants Kim to…spar with him?
Well, she actually wouldn't mind that…at least it gave her full permission to rip his skull off and soccer-kick it to the roof.
"Why would you want to do that?" Rudy asked Jack in confusion.
"So you can see her karate moves," Jack said. "She's probably a little broken since she hasn't done martial for so many years, but don't reject her. At least give it a try. Come on, you can't just throw her out just because she knows who Ty White is."
Broken?
Oh, when she's done with him, she's not the one that's going to be broken.
Rudy stared at Jack for a while, his eyes darting between him and Kim hesitantly. He heaved a large sigh, and nodded reluctantly with a roll of his eyes.
"FINE," Rudy exasperated. Reluctantly, she stepped onto the mat, finally coming-to-face with Jack, scowling at him. He merely bowed at Kim, giving her an expressionless face which seemed to frustrate her even more.
"I'll go easy on you if you want," Jack offered. She raised her eyebrows at him, as he exchanged glances with Rudy. She clenched her fists in rage, and sent daggers into Jack's eyes.
That. Was. It.
With her teeth constricted¸ she immediately shot her fist out in Jack's direction. Out of surprise, he caught it and faced Kim wide-eyed, and for a second they were once again locked in one of their staring contests.
But Kim didn't want a staring contest.
She wanted a fight.
"Don't even." Kim scoffed, and before she knew it, she was on full-force. Jack released her fist, and shot his leg out, and with a sharp hand¸ Kim slapped it back down. The blonde shot out her leg, but Jack knocked it down, immediately aiming for a punch. She blocked it with her hands, and threw it back to his side, aiming a side kick towards his hip, which didn't seem to take on any affect. Before she knew it, Jack lifted his legs and performed a roundhouse kick, but Kim instantly ducked, leaving her scratch less. She lifted her leg back up, and as Jack shot out another punch, she grabbed his wrist, and clutched it tightly, preventing him from making any movement. And with a final challenging smirk, she grabbed the back of his neck and flipped him to the ground. She fell on top of him, and before they knew it they were eye-to-eye. She gave him a confident¸ satisfied look, while Jack was just staring at her with wide eyes, like a statue. The blonde could hear the both of them panting heavily, with their breaths blowing off each other's faces. For a minute or two neither of them spoke, as they were both mesmerized by each other's eyes.
Jack seemed to have been captivated by Kim's hazel eyes the most.
"If you're too stupid to not trust me, and you choose not to believe me…then that's fine," Kim panted. "But nobody says I'm not capable of doing martial arts."
The brunet remained silent, as if he'd just been taken on a retrospect by her eyes. Without another word, the blonde stood up, and walked out of the dojo. She could see an awe-stricken Rudy, opening her mouth as if he was about to say something. Was he perhaps going to say that he wanted her in? That he reconsidered and wanted to work something out?
Or was he just going to scream at her for possibly injuring one of his best students?
Whatever it was, rather than stopping, Kim just continued to walk out of the dojo, walking back home in the Californian sunset.
And upon Kimberly Crawford's face, played a satisfied smile on her lips.
In retrospect, Milton had never stalked people before.
Stalking people was never his intention, and he'd never dream of doing such a…creepy thing. But as this was Eddie's idea, and as he was as curious as his African American friend, he had no choice but take the risk. He had never dreamt of actually sitting on the top of a tree branch with bugs crawling everywhere, the hard bark roughly rubbing against his skin as well as the thousands of germs. And again…this was Eddie's idea.
To watch the girl he loves in her bedroom.
His stomach lurched in guilt, as he saw Julie in her bedroom looking as beautiful as ever in her pajamas, and her messily-tied hair, furiously doing her homework on her bed. While the guilt was eating him alive, his curiosity couldn't help but dominate. She seemed to interact normally in school with Milton, planting the occasional pecks on his cheek, and of course she didn't forget about their daily chemistry rants. But he knew her so well; he saw the force in her eyes, something seeming to hold her back that had proved that something was gravely wrong.
Which is why he's sitting here, trying to slip in unnoticed as he continued to spy on his girlfriend.
"Eddie…I don't feel right about this," Milton hissed to his friend. "I mean, isn't it kind of…perverted to be spying on her while she's at home…in her bedroom?"
"We don't have a choice, okay? This is the best way to find out what she's hiding," Eddie said. "I mean, on Friday night, she was crying when she came out of the house, wasn't she?"
"Yeah…so?" He asked.
"So, something must have happened at home, then which is why we're spying on her in her room!" Eddie whispered. "Now…Cheez-it me, will you? I'm starving."
Rolling his eyes, the ginger handed him the box of Cheez-It's, and he started scarfing them down cracker by cracker, while they were both observing what she was doing in her room. Before they knew it, the twilight sky had turned into a starry night. Things seemed to be going on normally, and by the time the day had finished so did the box of Cheez-Its.
"Eddie, this is so stupid," Milton hissed in irritation. "We've been in this stupid tree for almost an hour, and nothing happened. I can't believe I let you talk me into this!"
"Well, excuse me for trying to help!" Eddie retorted, glaring at Milton. "I could be playing video games right now¸ but no—I'm forced to watch The Secret Life of an American Nerd with you!"
Feeling guilty, he stared at Eddie apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just…maybe we were overreacting…maybe Julie was sick and—"
"THUMP!"
Their eyes frantically darted towards the noise coming from Julie's house, the noise making her jump as well. It sounded like the noise of a door slamming shut. Milton could tell by the frequency of the noise that whoever banged the door shut was definitely not feeling the most content at the moment.
He could see Julie looking around her room frantically, as if she wanted to hide somewhere. She rushed to her door and locked it, rushing all over the place to tidy things up. Milton exchanged confused looks with Eddie, staring at her room with a little more interest. How did she go from just a normal girl in her room, to hiding from her life?
More importantly, what was she hiding from?
She was about to pull the shades on the window when there was loud banging coming from her door.
"LET ME IN!"
He saw Julie panting frantically, screaming "LEAVE ME ALONE! You may be my father¸ but you'll never be my dad!"
"You let me in your house or your mother gets it again! Need I remind you what your stubborn little acts caused her on Friday night?"
With a fearful stare, she rushed towards the door and unlocked it, revealing a tall, muscular man with his shirt half-unbuttoned, his eyes bloodshot, and his face tired and weary. The man could barely keep a steady balance as he stumbled towards a frightened Julie with an angry snarl. Milton stared at the man wide-eyed, utterly terrified.
The man was drunk.
And the man was Julie's father.
"When I say you let me in, you let me in!" He said, grabbing her hair, causing her to screech in pain. "Got it?!"
"Where's her medicine?" She screamed. "You said you were going to get mom's medicine¸ but instead you go out and drink and come home smelling like ass? What a responsible husband you are, father!"
"You will talk to me with respect, you filthy, ungrateful—" He banged her head against the wall, sending her collapsing to the ground. The alcohol seemed to have consumed him, as his eyes were more vigorous than ever. Wheezing frantically, the skinny boy was about to scream Julie's name and climb through the window—
When he lost his balance on the branch and fell to the ground.
With a loud "Thud!" his ribs banged against the cold, grassy dirt. He heard another "Thud!" assuming that was Eddie who managed to jump down safely. Affirmative that he heard a crack coming from his ribs, Eddie struggled to help him up. He clutched his abdomen in agony, wheezing heavily as he could no longer catch a view of Julie's bedroom. He exchanged frantic looks with Eddie, his darting between the road and her house.
What the hell was happening?
"Eddie…we have to go inside! Julie's in trouble!" Milton shrieked, struggling to walk inside. Eddie stopped him, putting an arm around him as he was struggling to hold a steady balance with his ribs throbbing discomfortingly.
"Where you need to go right now is a doctor!" Eddie said. "Come on, let's get out of here! Julie's father saw me in the tree, and he does not look happy!"
"No, I don't care! She's in danger, I have to help her! Please Eddie!"
"So are you! And if you go in there, you'll be in even more danger! Your rib cracking is not a good thing! We'll figure this whole mess out later—let's go!"
Before Milton could argue any further¸ the African American dragged his weak body out of the Miller's front yard and onto the pavement, where is ribs continued to ache horribly from the fall. He was too feeble to fight from Eddie's tight grip, the neighborhood beginning to spin into thousands of little circles. He began to feel nauseous¸ his breaths becoming shorter and sharper. Luckily, Eddie had managed to drag the boy into his house, which was only a few houses down, but the last vision Milton caught was the view of his living room.
No, scratch that.
The last vision Milton Krupnick caught was the sight of his girlfriend, feared out of her mind, with small trails of blood dripping down her nose.
A sight that he pained to watch.
She wants to be free, like a runaway
Trying to believe, gonna find a way
We got just one life; tonight we're running all the lights,
Trying to break free, like a runaway
The blonde slightly smiled while the sound Mat Kearney's Runaway ringed through her ear-buds,as she let the chill November breeze blow through her bare skin and wavy hair. She rested her elbows on the wooden handlebars, exhaling deeply while shutting her eyes peacefully. A normal girl would've felt devastated that she lost her chance on going back to the sport that she loves, that the guy she once thought was actually trustworthy and special broke her heart and left the pieces shattered on the floor. A normal girl would've crawled up in her bed, shedding tears, while listening to something a bit more depressing…perhaps Adele or maybe even Coldplay.
But of course, Kimberly Crawford was no ordinary girl.
Because to her, there was only one thing that changed the entire outcome of this day, that turned this day from the worst day of her life to an accomplishing one.
She finally stood up for what she believed in.
The confident girl that was trapped inside of her all these years had finally chosen to start breaking free. Rather than going home in tears, the confident Kim instead proved her point. She wasn't weak. She wasn't scared of anyone or anything. She does have the ability to stand up for herself.
And she really was the girl on Friday night.
That left her absolutely satisfied with herself¸ and for a second, Jack didn't seem to matter. Nothing did.
Mom, I did it. After ten years of hiding under a shell, I finally tried to stand up for myself.
Kim impulsively reached for her neck, but nothing was there. The sadness rained on her once again. Not only did she lose Jack, but she also lost her mom's necklace, her only closest connection to her.
Forever.
The blonde looked out into the night sky, admiring the stars that were shining in the sky, all glowing in a beautiful shade of yellow. It was as if they shining for her, for everything she did today.
They were all yellow.
It reminded her of her mom's favorite color being yellow, how she always used to wear yellow pieces of clothing, how she'd watch the sunrises and sunsets with Kim's tender little head lying on her lap. While she was only four, she still remembered every single little moment she had with her mom.
Every lasting moment.
So she smiled at the stars, and exhaled deeply, ready for the most bizarre thing she's ever about to do.
"Hi mom," Kim talked to the stars. "So, the stars are shining beautifully, aren't they? If there was a postal service to heaven, I would've sent you pictures of how beautiful the night sky is right now. Of course, I'm pretty sure you already see them…you are one of the stars, and always have been one," –She bitterly laughed—"Well anyway…mom, I did it. I proved to Jack that I'm not a weakling. To everyone. I tried getting into a dojo, but of course it didn't work. I feel like everything started falling apart ever since I lost your necklace…and I'm so sorry. I know you gave it to me, trusting I'd keep it safe, but I didn't. It just makes me miss you even more…I wish I could just see you one more time."
Then as if on cue, a hand grabbed her foot.
Completely baffled, she screamed as the iPod clattered on the floor, seeing the hands fumbling to find something to hold. She stared frantically at the hands that were gripping the railings, a figure slowly emerging with struggle. She could see the figure wearing dark clothes, brunet hair that almost flew to his shoulders and a frantic look as he stared at Kim, but the dark sky prevented her from recognizing him.
How did a burglar get inside the house?!
"St-stay back! I have a bat in my room, and I'm not afraid to use it!" Kim shrieked, backing away the figure that climbed over the railing and into her balcony.
"Kim, no! It's me!" She heard a familiar voice. Defenseless, the blonde yanked the sandals off of her feet, aiming it at the boy in the hopes that he would leave. Instead of backing away, the boy made his way closer towards her and begged her to stop, but she continued screaming, trying to throw punches in his face. Finally, the boy pinned her against the window pane, gripping her wrists so she couldn't make attacks anymore.
"KIM! STOP IT!" He screamed. He managed to find the lamp switch and flicker it on. The blonde could finally see the boy with his brunet hair, and chocolate brown eyes staring at her widely and frantically, their faces as close as ever.
She realized that the so-called "burglar" was none other than Jack Anderson.
"JACK?!" She screamed, releasing from his grip. He backed away slightly, clearing his throat, and rubbing his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly. "How did you…why…what the—"
"Sorry, did I scare you?" He asked, fiddling with his fingers in guilt. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh no…you didn't scare me," She began. "No, no, no…how about SCARRING ME FOR LIFE?! I don't know if I should call you a pervert for being up here and grabbing my foot, or a complete stalker for finding out where my room is!"
"Well, I heard you talking to yourself and the attic was the only light on in the house." Jack said. Her cheeks slightly colored in embarrassment.
"What are you doing here?" She panted, changing the subject.
"I came to talk to things out with you," He said. "And it took me a while to climb all the way up here, so I'd really appreciate it if—"
"I don't want to see you," She stated angrily, constricting her jaw. With flip on her heel she started opening the window to her room.
"You don't have to see me, just listen…please?" He called. She stopped in her tracks, and folded her arms across her chest, still not bothering to turn around. She knew she was going to have to listen to this sometime, considering the boy probably wouldn't stop until he got her attention.
"Fine." She said reluctantly, still having her back turned on him. "You got two minutes; otherwise I'm bringing out the bat."
Kim could hear Jack's relieved sigh, which almost made herself calm down. "Kim, I just want to say I'm sorry for all those things I said about you. I shouldn't have said those things…especially when—"
"Who cares? I get it, Jack…you don't trust me, because you think I'm making it all up. Because you think that I just want your precious little attention." She interrupted. "Well, all I wanted was for you to know the truth, and just when I think that you're actually a nice guy, you say all these horrible things and you don't even trust me. You're no different from any other guy I've met. All you guys want to do is just to break people's heart, and leave the shattered pieces on the floor while you move on in life. Well guess what—it's not that easy doing that to someone who's already had their heart shattered a million times. So I don't accept your apology. So why don't you just leave the way you came?"
"Kim—"
"No Jack, I'm tired of picking up the shards myself! I've been through way too much already and I don't need you to come in and just play with it like it's some kind of toy. So you know what, just leave! Now!"
There was a painkilling silence between the two, and while Kim had the urge to turn and face him, she decided against it. She could hear Jack's foot tapping anxiously, when he finally spoke.
"Fine…I understand. But I think you at least deserve to get back what's rightfully yours."
Before Kim could say anything, she heard Jack's footsteps echo closer towards her. He placed something cold around her neck, wrapping it around gently with his fingertips brushing against her skin. She nearly flinched at the cold metal rubbing against her skin, a feeling she hasn't endured for a while now. Baffled, her eyes trailed on what Jack had put around her neck, and the first thing she saw was a pendant.
And the pendant had the name "Haley" etched on it.
With a small gasp, she clutched the pendant in relief as well as surprise. She turned around, finally meeting Jack's eyes that were big, brown, and begging for forgiveness. He slightly chuckled at Kim's surprised look, his gaze never leaving hers.
"How…how did you—"
"We sparred earlier today. When you took me down, you looked me right in the eyes…and you sounded just like her. I remembered seeing your eyes from Friday night, since that was the only thing exposed on your face, and it was the last vision I caught before I passed out. And that's when I knew that…you really are the one."
She didn't say anything, continuing to stare at her mother's necklace that was finally in its rightful place once again.
"Kim, I know you've been through a lot, and I'm sorry I snapped at you today. I was only mad because Kelsey and Claire had also guessed the right name, and then when you told me the name, I just thought it had to do with Ty wanting me to join his dojo. So I just kind of…lost it. But I never meant to hurt you in any way…those things that I said were horrible, and if I could take back everything I said, I would in a split second. Because I really was a jerk to you. I hope we can just…put all of that behind us?"
She wasn't ready to forgive that easily.
Kimberly Crawford wanted an explanation.
"But you said it yourself, Jack. I'm nothing like her…I'm too afraid to stand up for myself, too afraid to tell you the real reason why I live here, and I'm just a hypocrite. So how did you still believe that it was a girl like me? Because I know lots of girls that have brown eyes."
"Because you are just like her." He said. "You eventually didn't let any obstacles come in your way to get what you wanted. You sparred with me like I was one of those Black Dragons you took down that night. You weren't afraid to get your point out. And most of all…you kept a promise, Kim. You showed up to the dojo, like you promised. When I found out that it was you…everything made sense."
She looked up at him, staring at his effervescent brown eyes. "Well, I never break my promises."
"I have to ask you something though," He said. "How come you never told me in the first place? Before I threw this huge search party, and…lost my mind?"
"Because I was afraid," Kim admitted. "I was afraid of what you would think if it was me. I mean, I'm just some odd, origami-making, moody, secretive freak that's not going to get anywhere in life. Nobody with common sense would accept someone like me."
He locked his gaze into hers, and inched closer. "I would. And I couldn't be happier that it's you and not some prissy girl like Claire or Kelsey who cries from breaking their nails."
She let out a dry chuckle, curling her lips into a little frown as she faced the brunet. "Jack…you don't have to pretend that like you me. I'm not some charity case, and if you're just doing this out of sympathy, then I'm really not interested."
"Who said anything about sympathy?" Jack asked, inching a bit closer towards the blonde. "Kim…do you know how long I've been searching for you? It may have only been less than a week¸ but to me it felt like forever, because I just went absolutely crazy looking for you. Ever since Friday night, I just couldn't stop thinking about you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be a part of the Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy living my dream, something I haven't done for years. And I would probably be suffering from a concussion if you hadn't saved my life from those Black Dragons."
She took a deep breath, letting the anxious butterflies to flutter furiously through her stomach, and letting her cheeks burn from timidity, as Jack was now closer to her than ever.
"I guess ten years of secretly practicing martial arts really does pay off," She shrugged, letting a small smile to escape from her lips.
"Well, thank you." He said. "For everything…I honestly don't know what could've happened to me without you."
"No problem." She smiled. "I figured the Black Dragons deserved a taste of their own medicine."
"So…are we good then?" He blurted, his eyes begging for forgiveness. She rolled her eyes playfully, and looked down, contemplating the thoughts of forgiving him. Kim was never that easy when it came to forgiving people, considering she was forced to do it so many times before. But now she's face-to-face with someone who climbed three floors just for her, who apologized maybe a hundred times in the past ten minutes, and who didn't seem like he was ever going to give up. For some reason, when Jack asked for her forgiveness, she didn't decide against it.
Because Kim knew that she'd never find anyone else who would accept her for who she was.
"Yeah. We're good." She laughed. He smiled in satisfaction, putting his hands in his pockets shyly. They both had ended up laughing together quietly, standing there in the chilly night in peace with an awkward silence filling in.
"Oh by the way…what if I told you that you get back into karate again?" He asked with a grin. She chuckled in amusement as she picked up her iPod.
"I'd say you were some sort of hypnotist, because Rudy didn't seem like he even wanted me in that building," She laughed.
"Then I guess you should call me your hypnotist then," He chuckled with an excited grin. She narrowed her eyes as she gave him a confused smirk.
"What?" She laughed.
"Well, I spoke with Rudy afterwards, and he was really impressed by the way you took me down. After a little convincing and arguing, he spoke with Bobby Wasabi, the founder of the dojo, and they're willing to offer you a scholarship. You start on Saturday."
She gave him a blank stare, not seeming to sink in his words.
Did he just say that she can start Martial Arts?
She's been trying to start Martial Arts for years, hiding from Ty, hiding from her stepsisters, practicing whatever she knew, searching YouTube videos to improve her moves…
And now she can finally step in a real dojo, with real training equipment, real people, and a real sensei?
"Are…are you serious?" She choked.
Jack laughed at her shocked expression. "Hell yeah I'm serious. Rudy told me how Ty wouldn't even let you go near his dojo, and I figured talent like that should never go wasted…especially your talent. Hey, you helped me, so I helped you. So…congratulations Kimberly Crawford. You're officially a Wasabi Warrior."
A wide, excited grin exploded on Kimberly Crawford's face as she faced Jack with her eyes immediately lighting up. She couldn't seem to control her contentment as she jumped up and down, squealing like a little girl. Realizing that she'd probably just humiliated herself, she stopped, letting him and herself burst into quiet laughter.
"Oh my goodness, I…I don't know what to say," She laughed.
"Say you accept the offer, and that we're going to have a re-match on Saturday where I win," He teased.
"You're on," She smiled. "Jack…thank you. Really…you don't know how much I appreciate this."
"No problem. It's the least I can do." Jack smirked. They both fell silent for a few minutes, not taking their eyes off of eachother.
"Well it's getting really late," She said, breaking the silence. "I should probably get some sleep…and you should too."
"Wait!" Jack called, before she could climb into her window. "One last thing?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you maybe want to hang out after school tomorrow? We can go anywhere you want…maybe we can get to know eachother better. A few hours with you yesterday wasn't enough for me."
She gave one last sigh and faced him, meeting his mesmerizing chocolate brown pools that were supposed to be eyes. Without a second thought¸ she smiled and nodded.
"Sure," Kim grinned, biting her lower lip. He smiled in satisfaction, and with a last wave he jumped over the railing and climbed out of her balcony, and back onto the grounds. The content grin on her face wouldn't leave as she stared out to the new moon sky, as she dreamily rested her head against the window pane. The whole scene had just seemed to surreal to her. The fact that Jack had truly found out it was her, the fact that he helped her to get into martial arts, the fact that she was going to finally do something she's been awaiting for ten years.
The fact that her dreams were finally beginning to come true.
Of course, Kim wasn't the type to have a guy constantly stuck in her mind, let alone fall in love. She wasn't the type to smile every time she saw those big brown eyes, that confident but slightly shy grin. But with Jack Anderson, Kim was a completely different person.
And for the first time in her life¸ Kimberly Crawford actually felt happy.
The blonde trailed her eyes onto the glistening stars that were dancing happily in the night sky with a radiant yellow glowing everywhere. They seemed to have been shining for her, which only made Kim feel like the happiest girl in the world.
For the first time, she had communicated with her.
And before she went inside into her bedroom, she talked to the stars one last time.
"Thank you for always looking out for me. I love you, mom."
"Claire, stop pulling on my hair!"
"I wouldn't have to pull on your hair, if you hadn't used the last of my shampoo, you idiot!"
"Guys!"
The ginger gave the two girls a penetrating glare, her eyebrows rising intimidatingly. The hallways had cleared fast for lunch, which meant that if they wanted to get through this, they were supposed to be silent. Yet, even though it had only been a few hours since she'd heard the news, the girl felt like it was eternity, as her mind wouldn't stop angrily circulating around it. And now, seeing those two freaks eye-to-eye with shy but flirty grins plastered on their faces just made her blood boil.
If it's anything Donna Tobin is really good at, it's jealousy.
It all started this morning when the girls and she were applying some last-minute makeup on their face. She thought that now Kim was no longer an obstacle, she could finally gain her chance with Jack Anderson, even though he knew very well that she wasn't that girl that had supposedly "changed his life". She saw a slightly jolly-looking Kim walking towards her locker, in her usual dreadful ensembles, still with a bruised lip. She contemplated how the girl who had just gotten a beating from her stepfather the other night to seem so pleasant. Insults started to work her way up to the tip of her tongue, so with a pleased smirk, she nudged Kelsey and Claire, gesturing towards a gratified Kim, as she conversed giddily with her sassy, and of course ugly brunette friend.
But that was when Jerry Martinez kid ran up into the hallway with a big announcement.
And her answer.
And now, these two other brats were just making her want to punch a wall.
"Will you guys please shut up?" She hissed. "I'm trying to eavesdrop on a conversation here!"
"Donna, will you chill? Why can't we just let Kim be happy?" Kelsey said. The two glared at her, rolling her eyes.
"Kelsey, get real." Claire rolled her eyes. "If she wants happiness¸ she can clean our bathrooms."
"Shh! Let's listen, first! I want to hear what they're saying!" Donna said impatiently, leaning her ears towards the hallway so she could hear Jack and Kim's conversation. She could see Kim leaning her head on her locker while Jack had his hands in his pockets, flipping his brunet hair to the side.
"So when are you going to tell me your real back story?" Jack asked. "You know…you never even told me yesterday. Who that necklace belongs to. Why you live with them."
"I'll get to it, okay?" Kim rolled her eyes. "You know I could've wakened them up if you stayed any longer. I promise to tell you later."
"How about after school? Me and you…maybe we could go to the park and just talk, I guess?" He offered. "And I could help you learn some new techniques to impress Rudy tomorrow?"
"Sure. I'd like that." She smiled.
And with another exchange of shy smiles, they both set off to the cafeteria, walking so close she could see their shoulders touching which only angered her. The ginger constricted her jaw in frustration, feeling her blood boil by the second.
"How did they even get a chance to talk?" Kelsey asked. "And why does she want to impress Rudy? And how did Jack even believe her when he didn't believe us?! Ugh—people these days!"
"Isn't it obvious, stupid?" Claire snapped. "She joined that Bobby Wasabi Dojo. And I heard Jack just recently joined there too which is why he passed down Dad's offer."
"What does he see in that snotrag?" Donna grumbled.
"Well he always did have a thing for her," Kelsey said. The two shot a death glare towards her, which caused her to put her head down in embarrassment.
"So what should we do, Donna? I mean, we could tell our Dad and I'm sure when he finds out, he's going to be—"
"No." Donna interrupted Claire with an idea springing up in her head instantly. "Whatever you do, don't tell on her."
"Why? I thought you enjoyed making her suffer?" Claire asked.
"True…but let's give her a break from her dad…for now," She said. "And with martial arts officially added to her list¸ she's going to be Miss Fearless Crawford now, so your dad's no longer a threat."
"So then what do we do?" She asked.
A tight, cynical grin curved on Donna Tobin's lips as she faced Kelsey and Claire, folding her arms across her chest in satisfaction.
Because if there was anything that Donna Tobin was better at, it was revenge.
And she knew exactly what she needed to do to bring Kim Crawford fall back down the stairs.
"Leave it all to me."
A/N- Terrible, I know. But hey, major drama and a pretty interesting cliffy. So I hope you liked it. So SMALL CONTEST TIME: Can anyone catch what song I made a reference to when Kim was all alone looking at the stars and talking to her mom? HINT: It's by one of my favorite bands. Hehe. :D
I hope I can at least write one more chapter before School starts. I really don't want to leave this story, but if High School gets in the way I'll have no choice but to abandon this story. So sorry…but if I can get a conformation from my friend seek-keep-chase-beat or Sienna to continue this story for me, then it won't be abandoned. I'll update you all on the plans for this, because honestly I'm not so sure.
Review please? And my last chapter of The Hunt as well? I haven't gotten that many reviews as I hoped I would on CH6 of OUAD AND CH20 of The Hunt, so if you haven't reviewed please do. It would make me feel better.
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! KICK MAKE UP!
~Taylor :)
PS-OMGOMGOMGOMG WHO'S EXCITED FOR HIT THE ROAD JACK?! I HEARD THERE'S SOME MAJOR KICK-NESS IN IT AND I AM FANGIRLING! I also heard that it premieres in Canada THIS Sunday? Is that really true? Because if it is I hope somebody records like that person did with Rowdy Rudy…