Page 10 of Transition

“What?” I snapped at him.

“You shouldn’t have said that to your mom,” Jake said. “She was just scared. Hell, we all were. We thought we had lost you and saying those words to her only hurt her. You really should go back inside and apologize.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You are going to take her side? Seriously?”

“This isn’t about taking sides, Katrina…”

“Yeah, you’re right,” I interrupted. “It isn’t. Just stay the hell away from me and don’t come looking for me.”

I knew I was being unreasonable; it wasn’t his fault. But I was so angry that I needed to let off some steam, so I walked out on him, and to the only place I knew would calm me down.

In my third week at Redwood, the boys and I had discovered the perfect place we now called ‘our spot’ just a little way down from Aaron’s house. It also wasn’t far from my home or Jake’s. We had been on a study date when we’d found the spot.

There was nothing extraordinary about it. No lake, no flowers, no meadows; it was just a plain stretch of grass with scattered logs of wood around. Yet we had claimed the place because of the calmness it provided. No insects or birds chirping, just complete and utter silence. However, as soon as I got there, I was caught by surprise.

“Aaron?” I called when I saw the brown-haired figure sitting on a log of wood with his back to me. When he turned to confirm my guess, I said, “I didn’t realize anyone would be here at this hour. What are you doing?”

He shrugged. “I could ask you the same. It’s late, Kat, and you’ve just been through a major accident. Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

I explained that I had a fight with my mom and Jake. “I just expected Jake to know where I was coming from, you know? And my mom, I just couldn’t stand another day of knowing she had moved on from my dad so easily like he never meant anything to her in the first place.”

He put an arm around me. “Don’t say that, Kat. She’s your mom. Of course, she feels the need to be strong for you, and if there’s anything I’ve learned about adults it’s that they never show their weaknesses around a child they’ve sworn to make life easy for. I’m sorry you feel like this, but you need to really think about it. Has she truly moved on, or has she just been being strong for you?”

Something about what Aaron said jolted my memory, and I remembered that, even while my dad had been alive, she had never been that overly excited every single day. I turned to face Aaron and threw my arms around his neck in a hug.

“Thank you, Aaron,” I said, even as he sat completely still. I watched him with worried eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling back.

“Kat, I need to do something,” he said, and then he leaned forward and kissed me.

The first bout of shock left me, and I found myself returning his kiss, feeling the fireworks brimming inside me. My kiss with Aaron, though different from Jake’s, elicited a similar response. And just like that, as the thought of Jake crossed my mind, I pulled back breathlessly.

“Aaron… I have to go,” I stuttered and stood immediately before walking away from him. I could have handled that better. I could have said something, but I was just so confused.

I picked up my phone as I made my way to Mason’s house, which was a little bit farther. “Hey Mason, could you come out for a bit?” I asked and saw the light come on in his room.

The door opened a minute later, and he joined me outside. “Kat? What on earth are you doing out here at this time? You just…”

“Yeah, I just suffered a major accident. I know.” I waved him off. “I need some advice.”

I told him everything, from the fight with my mom and Jake to my kiss with Aaron. “I didn’t know Aaron even felt that way about me.”

He looked at me thoughtfully. “Yeah, Aaron has had the hots for you since day one. Who wouldn’t? You’re smart, funny, nice, not like the other girls, and so beautiful… there’s just something about you that draws us in…”

I stopped him. “Us?” Then I really looked at Mason and saw in his eyes the same emotion I always saw when Jake was with me. The same one I saw a few minutes ago in Aaron’s eyes, and the same one I saw every day whenever I thought about Jake while looking in the mirror. “You have feelings for me?”

He looked embarrassed. “It’s okay, Kat. I know you might not feel the same way about me…”

I interrupted him. “I didn’t say that,” I found myself saying.

What the hell has gotten into me?I thought.Why was I suddenly thinking about what it would be like to kiss Mason, too?

He must have sensed my apprehension because he was quick to reassure me. “Look, Kat, I don’t want you getting all worked up because of this. Jake, Aaron, and I are grown men, and we can handle our feelings. In the end, it’s your choice,” he said, and I slowly nodded, my brain relaxing for a second. “Now, let’s get you home.”

The car ride back to my house was quiet and intense. But that was quickly forgotten when I found my mom clutching a bottle of vodka with tears running all over her face. She was sitting on the floor by the fireplace with my dad’s picture in her other hand.

I had never felt more horrible in my life. I quickly ran to her side and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I crooned. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine. I’m here now.” I rocked her in my arms and we both cried.

The next day, we received a call that Gina’s body had been found at school that morning by the principal.

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