People Are Like Water

Chapter two

People Are Like Water

          Sarah and Ashley came over the next day to spend-the-night. They both brought her so called “essentials.” Such as their pajamas, which I saw no point in because I slept in my clothes and Sarah also brought a stuffed animal which I would always try not laugh at, but sometimes I couldn’t help myself. And of course, they also brought the real stuff that even I took to their houses. Personals, like her bra and panties, change of clothes and then finally, what I thought was most important: toothbrush and toothpaste and I was a hygiene freak, so they made sure to never forget those two items.
          Once arriving we acted as if we were small children; both of them knowing that I went on the date, just none of the details. We jumped up and down and gave each other an excited bouncing hug. They had probably guessed what happened on the date but I had to tell anyway.
          “Tell me all the details,” Sarah said rolling her eyes back to show that she wanted everything, for sure, and nothing less, “I want to know everything that happened on this miracle date of yours.” I really think that she thought it was a miracle date and if miracles didn’t occur then I wouldn’t have gotten the date, but I answered anyway; Ashley sitting quietly and contently, listening the whole time. I told them everything, about the car and its different colors and about “the special smile.” I told about the boy and the loud noise from my stomach that ruined a moment and made my ears turn red. At that point they were laughing their heart and lungs content. Until, that is, I got to the kiss. Sarah and Ashley stopped dead in their laughing track and stared at me in disbelief. “Look Kyra, I’m not trying to call you a liar but in the history of Izomu dates, no girl has ever come back from her first date with him and gotten a kiss like that. In-fact, most of them were already dumped for trying such a feet,” Sarah said in a nervous and confused voice.
          “Yea, I know, doesn’t that mean I’m special or something? I certainly hope so!”
          “Yea, let’s hope it’s just that you’re special,” Ashley mumbled, already mad at Izomu.
          “What do you mean by that Ashley, are you jealous or something?” I asked in an angry, confused voice that sounded as if it wanted an explanation and it wanted one now and that was true. Ashley didn’t respond; she seemed more scared than anything; so Sarah took over.
          “Well… Let’s just hope he doesn’t want more than just a kiss,” Sarah whispered hesitantly in a nervous tone, afraid of what my reaction would be. Surprised and offended I spoke in one solid tone that sounded hurt and confused.
          “Sarah, are you saying that he wants…sex. Sarah… Ashley, you don’t really think that I would… or that he would… Oh my god.” I covered my mouth with the last words and began to cry, “He wouldn’t, and he couldn’t. He’s not like that… is he?”
         I was now feeling fear and sorrow deep with-in me. A lot of the girls he went out with would have loved to do what I was afraid to do. Yet most the girls he went out with were older, but for me 15 at the time, it was terrifying. I just wasn’t ready for something like that. He just couldn’t expect me to, he shouldn’t expect me to. I shook my head to try and drop the thought, but I couldn’t. I was now crying and slightly shaking in fear of what could happen. To be good friends, Ashley and Sarah walked over and pulled me (now in fetal position) close to them, they both hugged me and comforted me in soft, unsure whispers.
          “It’s okay; you will be fine. I’m sure he’s not like that, settle down.” We were all now rocking back and forth together, all afraid of what might happen and what could come if it did happen.
         After I had stopped crying we watched a movie and we forgot all about the moment at which I had cried and it became a normal sleep-over, laughing, popcorn, movies and all the other stuff to go with it. Sarah, Ashley and I were coming up with comebacks to tell people and we were having the best time with it. We made sure not to make any with cuss words because we were saying the comebacks pretty loud and my parents were expected back sometime that night.
         They didn’t come back though and I was beginning to get nervous. What if they were gone…forever? What if they didn’t come back, then what? Where would I be then? Who would I stay with? Those questions were answered when my parents came in. I was staying with them. They were a day late but they made it back. It seems that their flight had had to be delayed for safety purposes. The storms had gotten real bad. Three different types of dangerous storms had been going on between here, Kentucky, and where they were staying Minnesota. There was a blizzard in Minnesota, dangerous thunderstorm in Illinois and a tornado watch for Indiana.
         When they finally got home it was around midnight on Sunday night; or if your going to get technical, Monday morning. They came in as quiet as possible, hoping not to wake me up, but much to their surprise I was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal. I was eating one loud, crunchy bite at a time and my parents were staring at me in disbelief. They were looking at me like all three of us were in a trance of some sort and finally I had to break the now unbearable silence.
          “What’d I do,” I suddenly blurted out in a high and offensive tone that I normally only used when I had done something wrong or was getting in-trouble for something I hadn’t done. Of course when I did get in-trouble for something I didn’t do, my dad would always say “Well maybe you didn’t deserve this punishment for the reason it was given, but you probably did deserve it for something I didn’t catch you for.” That one always got me because he was right; there was always something he didn’t catch me for.
          “What did you do this time, Kyra?” My mother sighed. Shocked and offended I used the same voice over again.
          “What’d I do,” emphasizing the word do, “I’ll tell you what I did…nothing. Gosh you can never trust me, can you?” My dad was now looking at me strangely, almost like he could read my mind, but instead of talking to me about it; he shook his head and placed his hand on my moms shoulder.
          “I’m sure we can trust her,” he whispered to her and yawned, “we’re both tired, let’s go to bed,” and with that my parents told me I had ten minutes to finish eating and get my butt to bed. I ate quickly and went down-stairs to sleep, but I didn’t go to sleep; I just lay there staring at the ceiling thinking about the conversation Sarah, Ashley and I had had that Saturday night.
          What does he really want from me and what will he do to get it? I thought to myself impatiently. He wouldn’t really rape me if that’s what it came to, would he? I would refuse, but is he even going to ask? He wouldn’t rape me, I just know it. I shook my heady frantically trying to get rid of every thought that had to do with something as horrible as rape. I lay there the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.


         The next day at school, half asleep after the long night, I was walking through the hall and met up with Izomu and his friends. Upon seeing me, he quickly put his hand around my waist and pulled me close like he had done at the movies.
          “See guys, this is my girl. The best kisser I’ve had yet,” he said excitedly, smirking and locking his lips to mine in a passionate kiss. When it ended (glad enough as I was that it was over) I smiled at him, not an “I’m glad to be here smile,” but more of a, “thanks for ending that sucky kiss smile.” But he couldn’t tell the difference, if I smiled at all he was happy, but I didn’t get that. I felt very strange being called “his girl.” That saying was used commonly around school, but it made me jitter and fidget. Being referred to as someone’s property just didn’t seem right. I mean, just because I’m a girl, didn’t mean that I belonged to him... did it?
          “I’m not your girl,” I said in a solid and sickened tone, “I don’t belong to anyone. I am my own and no one is going to change that.”
         I glared at him and all his friends, at different times spoke.
          “Oh you’re in trouble now,” or, “Of course you do. You two are going out, aren’t you?”
          “Yes, we are going out, but I don’t belong to him and I’m not in trouble. I did nothing wrong. All I did was protect my title for I am no ones property,” I said disgusted and protesting, “And if Izomu believes that I did something wrong. Then he will be dumped for the first time and I don’t think that he wants that to happen. Especially not by me, considering I’m not the most popular girl in school. If people find out that Izomu has been dumped by a freshman,” I started, then sarcastically added, “Oh no, what will happen to Izomu’s popularity status then? He will be un-popular!” I said making a fake attempt to sound like I cared. I covered my mouth to keep from cracking up and made gasping sound to add to the joke. The next thing that happened shocked us all. Izomu laughed!
          “Izomu, what in the hell are you laughing about, she just threatened to dump you,” came quickly out of the mouth of Izomu’s best, flabbergasted, and quite sickened friend, Kyoshi.
          “I’m laughing because you all are trying to fight with a freshman and she is making you all look so pathetic,” by the time Izomu was done speaking, he was bent over laughing and hitting his knees. I smiled at this; this acceptance he had. He was willing to accept the type of person I was. A girl not afraid to stand up for herself, that normally hated skirts, despises pink when not stricken with black, long, curly hair, rather than short and spunky, and I never let someone talk to me like I was nothing.
          “Hey look, the sulky brat is actually smiling,” Kyoshi yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. Normally I didn’t smile, so everyone was staring at me. I blankly stared back at everyone. “Wow she must have had a change in heart, huh? She went from the sulking brat, to the stupid perky brat.” I was now as ready to cry as I ever had been. I never wanted to be popular; I just wanted people to accept me and that hardly ever happened. But just being singled out to the point of complete and udder embarrassment was too much. I started to cry. Not very much, just a little, but a tear is a tear and it was made fun of as well, “Look, now she’s crying, the brat must ‘a shrunk back to the baby that she always was deep down in her heart.” Kyoshi was now almost choking on his laughter, so happy with himself over what he considered “cleverness.” Of course, Izomu didn’t like this at all; you could just glance at his scowling face and know that he was pissed off.
          “What in the hell are you talking about Kyoshi? I aught to smack you til’ you really are silly, but will you be laughing then?” Izomu was now screaming at Kyoshi, poking him and at the end he gave him a slight push, “How could you do this, you jealous or something?” With that I was clinging to Izomu as if he was my life line and if I let go, death would be waiting for me at the bottom of a cold, deep, dark and empty crevice.
         Slightly crying and in the sweetest voice I could possibly use, I spoke to Izomu:
          “It’s ok,” I cooed, “he has a right to his opinion and he has the right to voice his opinion; even if it’s not the nicest one in the world.” He glared at me slightly, but I just squeezed tighter. I think that made him feel important, appreciated… loved. He liked the feeling, whatever it was and he showed that to me. He picked me up like I was the bride at a wedding and smiled at me sweetly; in front of everyone and took my lips in the most passionate kiss I had ever gotten, tongue and tongue, my arms around his neck pulling me close to him and the best feeling of it was; it seemed heart to heart. When the kiss finally broke, to keep from gasping for the air I greatly needed, I held my breath, closed my eyes, smiled and hugged Izomu tightly. He smirked slightly and pulled me closer, easier for me to reach him that way and we just sat (he stood) there like that, even after the bell for third period rang.
         A teacher finally came and gave us a long, loud scolding; Izomu for holding me and me for hugging him. Our school had a very strict “no touching at all” rule. We now had hall restriction. We both had to walk in the hall with different adults at different times after all other students were in class.
         I had hall restriction with the counselor Mrs. Smith. She was perky and always smiling but it was a nice smile; not one that would normally freak me out. Just a nice, sweet, normal smile that made me actually feel good about myself. We talked a lot, strange, we were supposed to be silent, but we talked together. We talked about how our days went; we talked about important things like eating disorders and anger problems and then we talked about what she said was most important. We talked about not having sex and what can happen if I did have sex. Like the pregnancy was painful itself and I wouldn’t be able to go to school because I would have a baby to take care of and how I would feel if something happened and I had to give the baby up. We talked about how it can affect my health. She told me how I probably wouldn’t be able to pay for the babies needs and I would probably have to put it up for adoption, if it even lived at all.
         Then she told me the saddest story of all, she told me something about herself. She told me that when she was my age she was raped by her boyfriend and she refused to have an abortion, because either way, the baby was hers and a person is a person. Then she told me that the baby was a premature birth and died shortly after. She was a girl, no more than about a pound and could fit in a closed finger hand. By then I was crying along with her. How could that happen? Why would someone be as so cruel as to do such a thing? Why are people so mean to one-another?
         No, being in an insufficient condition for class, we went to her office and talked; she told me the most amazing thing that I ever heard. She was so observant, she noticed how so many things are connected; but the most amazing thing that she told me was the people are like water.
          “Kyra, did you know that people are just like water,” she asked me, without even glancing in my direction.
          “No, how are they like water though? That doesn’t make sense,” I questioned. She spoke to me softy, like she was in a trance, never changing her tone and never looking at me until she was done speaking.
          “People are so much like water. So calm when undisturbed, but when touched… ripples. The ripples are all the fighting, differences and conflicts people have. The ripples are why we all can’t just get along; we all have ripples. When we are scared we are also like water, we run, run as far and as fast as we can; just like water in a creek. Then there are all the different types of water, so many.” I cut in there and asked her what she meant and told her how water is just water and there aren’t different types; but she ignored me and went on speaking, never even glancing at me, “There are so many different kinds of water, rain, ponds, lakes, rivers, salty and fresh. But then again, we are all people, but so different. We all think different, speak different, look different and wish different.” She then looked at me and smiled softly and I smiled back and whispered:
          “Yea, people are like water. But you must be the sweetest tasting water there is; for I don’t think anyone thinks the way you do, I don’t think anyone can.” We smiled at each other one last time and sat there all through the period, smiling softly at one another. We seemed to connect and just know what the other was thinking; so we just sat and spoke no words until the very end, “He ran like water, didn’t he?” I asked.
         She new who I was talking about, she new that I was talking about her boyfriend; oddly as it may seem, she smiled slightly and whispered.
          “Yes, just like water in a creek, he ran as fast and as far as he could and he’s not coming back.” With that I gave her a small hug and left, neither of us really caring about me being on hall-restriction, she just gave me a note to permit me to class and I slowly walked down the hall.
          Yea, she’s right; people are like water and always will be. We will always be different… changing, and we will always have ripples. We will always be running; we will always be the water in that creek and once were there, we can’t turn back.