Page 81 of Follow My Voice
“Something like that.”
“Something like that?” He’s echoing my words from earlier.
“It’s a long story.”
I decide not to pressure him or demand an answer, because he didn’t do that when I gave him a vague response about Diego.
“I better get inside,” I say. “Good night, Kang.”
“Good night, Klara with a K.”
I get out of the car, then stand on the sidewalk waving goodbye as he drives away. I shove my hands into my pockets and head for the front door, unable to keep a smile from curling on the edge of my lips.
What a night!
With each step I take toward the door, my grin grows wider. Kamila comes out of the house to get more bags from the car, but she stops in the doorway, watching me.
“What’s with that smile?”
I shrug as I walk toward her, so distracted that I don’t see the layer of ice covering part of the path. I slip and fall on my ass in the snow.
“For God’s sake, Klara!” Kamila rushes over to help me up, but she slips too, falling and crashing into me. We both burst out laughing.
“Are you okay?” Kamila asks with a giggle.
“I’m perfect,” I say, my teeth chattering and my clothes soaked from the snow. I feel happy.
Kamila takes my face in her hands.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you laugh like that.” Her voice is full of emotion. “You look beautiful.”
I put my hands over hers.
“I’ve been battered by so many storms, but right now I can enjoy the beautiful view.”
We laugh, sitting there on the cold ground, because the beauty of life is that the simplest moments are often the most unforgettable. Moments like these remind us, no matter our weaknesses, no matter our burdens, that we’ll be able to laugh again one day.
35Walk with Me
I SPEND MOSTof my weekend getting ahead on my reading assignments for both of my classes, using them as a distraction to forget what transpired during the party, both the good and the bad. I sit at my desk as I read for my Personal Health/Wellness class, taking notes by hand. I know it’d be easier to use my laptop, but I prefer to stick to pen and paper. For my American Literature class, I move to the comfort of my bed instead after having spent a few hours sitting. I immerse myself in the words of Kate Chopin inThe Awakening, realizing how ahead of its time it was.
Before I know it, it’s Monday, and fear courses through my body when I arrive on campus. I’m scared to see Yana in class after what happened at the party, fearing not for myself as much as for Ellie, mainly, because I know Perla has grown a thick skin to keep things from affecting her. By no means do I think that Ellie is weak, but, of the three of us, I sense that she’s the most vulnerable to whatever Yana may have in store.
Part of me hopes the fight with Perla may have been a wake-up call for Yana, but I have a feeling that she’s not the type to let things like that go. As I trudge toward class, I hear laughter and whispers,and, in the distance, I can see Ellie staring at her cell phone, tears in her eyes.
Oh, no. I grab my backpack straps and rush over to her. “Ellie!”
She shoots me a quick glance before picking up her backpack and brushing past me. I rush to catch up with her as she enters the bathroom and locks herself in one of the stalls.
“Ellie…”
“I’m fine, Klara.” Her voice sounds pained and I know she’s crying.
“What happened?”
“An anonymous account just posted a bunch of stuff about me online, making fun of me for being the same as I was in high school, but I’m fine. I should be used to it by now.”
“This is harassment. No one should have to get used to something like that. Come on, we’ll go to the dean to report that account, we know who it was.”
