Convince
*Dallas*
January 16, 2016
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. The sun is shining, only a few clouds adorning the sky. The wind is gentle, allowing the sun to bring the illusion of warmth to the chilly temperature.
It’s a perfect day for a normal teenager to go to the courts and play a few rounds of basketball. Or take their dog for a walk. Or head over to Emerson Creek for tea with a best friend and sister.
Kayla had invited me to go. Even if I wasn’t in a dull mood and everything wasn’t a mess, I still would have declined her invitation. There was never going to be a day, not even when the sun rises in the West and sets in the East, that I will willingly sit down at that restaurant.
I don’t mean to slander any male that goes to Emerson Creek; it’s normal for husbands and even boyfriends to attend with their significant other. I, on the other hand, am not accustomed to tea and finger food.
That, however, was not the reason I said no to going with Kayla. Neither was my dreary mood…my reason is something far more complicated and trouble inducing.
Kayla will throw a tantrum when she finds out.
I beep my car locked as I lightly jog up the driveway and into the front door of the large gray house. Without invitation, I take the steps two at a time until I reach the top and head toward the bedroom where the door is still hanging off its hinges.
I did some real damage…
I ignore the absurd guilt as I look into Mikey’s bedroom, seeing him laughing on his bed, his phone above his head.
Probably texting his assassin.
I push the negative thought out of my head and clear my throat. When his big brown eyes look over at me, I feel this uncontrollable urge to lunge forward and sock him in the jaw.
How can he just lay there, after everything that has happened? Does he not feel a morsel of guilt?
“Dally…” Mikey swings his legs off the side of the bed and stands up, walking over to stop a few feet from me. “I’m guessing you’re not here to play a round of Halo.” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans, and I clench my jaw, feeling it tick at his lame attempt to bring humor into the situation.
“No. I’m not.” Mikey nods his head. “I need to know why you did it. I need you to make me understand why you had to kill an innocent, teenage girl. I need you to explain how it justifies the fact that my brother got the bullet instead of Kayla.” I look him dead in the eyes, watching as he gulps and takes a step back.
To my utter astonishment, tears well in his eyes. I feel sick.
“I never meant for Kyle to die,” he whispers.
“No. You meant for Kayla to die,” I bite out, glaring at him. Mikey turns and sits down on his bed, nodding his head.
“Yes, and she still has a target on her back, Dally. I paid my hitman to go after her again. She has to pay for what happened. She not only killed my father, but she killed Kyle now. It’s only fair. A life for a life…Two lives, rather.”
His rationality is grotesque. Does he really think that this justifies anything? Kayla never harmed her father. She didn’t shoot Kyle in the chest. She had a birthday. She aged, and her father wanted to be home to celebrate with her. That is no one’s fault, aside from the drunk driver.
“I hate her, Dallas. I hate everything about her. She has her hooks so deep in you, you can’t see what she’s doing. She has wormed her way inside your head. She’s manipulative. She is a conniving, stealing bitch.” I let out a growl of anger and step forward to punch him; however, he quickly dodges and moves to his desk chair, shaking his head at me.
“You don’t know a thing about her.”
“But I do. I know her all too well, Dally. I’ve been watching her since I was six years old. She has a younger sister, Katie. She loves dance; however, she’s leaning toward hip hop instead of ballet, much to her mother’s distaste. Katie vaguely knew Kyle, only saw him in a few classes. Her mother is a nurse, works with your mom, actually. Her shifts are typically five to two; her days off are Tuesdays and Fridays. She has a best friend, Anne, who dated Travis from the basketball team. She would go to every game, except for when they were on Saturdays. She works at the local vet as an assistant on Saturdays.”
I stare at Mikey, disgusted as he spews our all this information…everything that I have learned to be correct over the past months I’ve been with Kayla.
“Her favorite author is Francine Rivers. I knew before you did…it typically takes her a day and a half to finish a book, even if it’s a school-assigned novel. She drives a silver Solara convertible that she was given on her seventeenth birthday by her grandmother, who lives in Virginia. She’s quiet and always sits in the back or corner; everyone typically leaves her alone. But she sees everything. She had her eye on you since sophomore year. Why do you think she begged her mom to convince yours to let Kyle get tutored? Are you that dense? We both know Kyle wasn’t that horrible at school. He didn’t need a tutor. She was just doing that to get closer to you, to watch from a distance and then strike at your lowest. She is just like every other girl you’ve slept with. She wants your money and your fame. Nothing else.” Mikey speaks with such confidence that I almost feel as if I should believe him.
Of course, I do not.
Mikey knows Kayla from what he sees on the outside.
I know her for what I see on the inside.
She’s the girl I love, and I know her heart. She is selfless and would never scheme a way into my life. Not even if Mikey does know her favorite author or license plates for her car.
All Mikey is doing is making me more vengeful. I would enjoy nothing more than seeing him rot behind the bars of a prison.
“No one would have cared if Kayla Williams died that night. You would have been grateful; you hated her back then.” Mikey grabs a Snickers bar from the drawer of the desk, where he always keeps an assortment of chocolate bars.
I remember countless times when I would get up from playing a round of Halo and pluck a Butterfinger from that drawer. Back then, we were just kids with no thoughts of murder…at least, that’s what I thought.
“I did. And I regret every day how rude I was to her. But no, I wouldn’t be grateful. Only someone as twisted as yourself would be.”
Mikey shrugs his shoulders and takes a bite of the bar. “I loved Kyle, Dally. When I pulled up to the curb that night, I never expected to see you there. I reacted too slowly; the gun had already gone off before I could drive away.”
How could he be eating and talking about this?
I shake my head and take a step away from him, scratching the back of my neck. “You were my best friend, Mikey. I loved you as if you were my brother. I trusted you, man. And after everything, you pull something like this? Even if it wasn’t me. Even if you did kill Kayla, what do you think would have happened to Kyle? Him witnessing her death? You’re callous and selfish, and I hate you with every fiber within me.” I cast him one last look before I turn to head out of the room.
“I never meant to hurt you, Dally! It was never supposed to go down this way.” I hear Mikey get up, and I look over his shoulder to see him walking toward me, his head bowed as he types away on his phone.
My eyebrows come together as the black and silver case for my iPhone 6s meets my gaze. I watch as he makes a few movements on the screen and then hands the phone back to me. “Grabbed it when you tried to punch me. Tsk. Trying to record our conversation.” Mikey looks me dead in the eyes, his expression dull and soulless. I don’t even recognize him. “I’ve been prepping for assassinating Kayla Williams. I know how to ensure my secret is safe, Dally. You’ll never convict me.” He reaches up and pats my cheek. “Now, get the hell out of my house.”
I sit on my couch, my fingers drumming against the arm as I stare at the blank TV. Kayla should be here any moment. I called her on my way home from Mikey’s; she had just finished with lunch and claims she has news for me.
I miss her greatly. The last few days I’ve been distant, and I know it causes her angst. I saw it in her eyes every time I slid by her in the hallways.
I’m not mad at her. I don’t hate her or blame her or whatever else she’s conjuring up in her mind. I just couldn’t pretend everything was all right anymore. I couldn’t continue on with a high school relationship while Mikey sits two rows away from us. I have to get him behind bars. I have to solve this…then, Kayla and I can finally return to our normal lives.
Kayla did convince me to continue playing basketball, however. I have been going to every game, and every time I look into the stands, I smile when I see her sitting there. She always waves and smiles back. For the hour and a half I’m on the court, the world can’t touch me. Nothing else matters, and it’s nice to have an escape.
“Hi, baby.” I feel a kiss to the top of my head, and I look up to see my mom walk around the couch to sit next to me. I offer a small smile.
“Hey, Mom,” I whisper.
“How’s Kayla doing?” My mother adores Kayla. Sometimes, I’m sure she’ll switch us out so that Kayla could be her daughter. She definitely treats her as if she is.
“She’s doing well. She’s heading over now, actually,” I answer.
My mom claps her hands in excitement. “Excellent! I shall make banana nut bread. Did you know Kayla was the one who got Kyle to love it so much?” She rises to her feet and looks down at me with a soft smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Talking about Kyle still dampens her mood.
I’m not surprised. Kyle used to hate bananas, until one day I saw him sitting at the kitchen table, devouring one.
“She convinced him bananas would help him grow tall for basketball.” My mom laughs. “That girl is definitely creative. She managed to convince him into tutoring because she said being smart will eliminate bad body odor.” She giggles.
I look over at my mom with an arched eyebrow. Was did she just say? “What do you mean, she convinced him?”
My mom goes to answer, but the doorbell rings and cuts her off. She smiles and rushes to the kitchen to make the bread. I yell for Kayla to enter the house. When the door opens, I look over my shoulder to see her. She’s wearing a beautiful baby blue dress that hugs at her waist and flares out at the hips. It reaches her knee, and the sleeves are quarter length, stopping just before her elbow. Her hair hangs in loose curls, framing her tan cheeks. Her beautiful hazel eyes shine; I can see them perfectly from across the room. She is so naturally beautiful, and when she dolls up, she’s simply breath-taking.
As she walks toward me, a bright smile on her lips, I can’t help but wonder if Mikey was right. Did my mom just confirm it?
Kayla plops down beside me and leans over to place a kiss to my cheek. Her cool, wind-kissed hand encloses mine, and I can’t help but stare at her, studying the way she sits.
Everything about her is so delicate and polite. I can’t imagine her scheming and using Kyle to get to me. And I definitely cannot see her wanting my money. She isn’t materialistic in any way. She would rather visit her father’s grave for Christmas than earn diamond earrings.
“What’s wrong?” Kayla asks, her eyebrows pinching together in concern.
I can’t help but think back to when she softly touched the skin between my eyebrows, telling me that I “crinkle.” It was such an odd statement that brought a smile to my face.
“Did you convince Kyle into tutoring?” I ask her. Kayla’s eyes widen slightly as she gapes at me, her mouth falling open. She is obviously shocked by my question.
I tell myself that the answer doesn’t matter. I love her, no matter what.
But I had to know if Mikey was right. Does she just want me for my money? My possible fame?
Asking these questions to myself make me see how completely ridiculous this all is.
“Yes. I did,” she answers. “I told him it would get rid of BO.” Yes, that’s what my mother said. She’s being honest.
She is always honest.
“Why?” I ask. Kayla bites her bottom lip and looks over at me, shaking her head slightly.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Something Mikey said. I just—”
“Mikey? When did you speak with Mikey?” I mentally slap myself. That was definitely not how I wanted to tell her.
“Today. While you were at tea. I went over to talk to him, and he told me you convinced Kyle to be tutored to get close to me.”
Shut up, shut up, shut up.
Kayla scoffs and shakes her head, looking away from me. I can see her skin flushing with anger as she clenches her hands into fists. “Naturally, you believe the man that killed your brother, right?” She looks over at me, her eyes watery.
“I didn’t believe him. But then my mom just confessed that you did, in fact, convince him. So now, I’m just wanting to understand,” I tell her.
Kayla gets to her feet and crosses her arms across her chest. Her hands rub up and down her arms, subconsciously comforting herself. “I convinced Kyle to be tutored so I could get close to you. Make you fall in love with me so I could rob you of your fortunes and claim your fame.” Her voice shakes as she speaks, her hazel eyes meeting mine as she looks at me with disbelief. “He’s trying to turn you against me…”
I quickly jump to my feet and walk toward her, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her close to my chest. “I don’t care what you did, Kayla. I don’t care if that was your intention. Just like you don’t care that I hated you. What matters now is that I love you. That I trust and believe in what you tell me. Damn whatever Mikey has to say. So what if he was right? So what if he wasn’t? I will believe your truth, Kayla. No one else’s.” My eyes don’t waver from hers. I have to make her see that what I am saying is the truth. It was a mistake to even bring this conversation up. I never want her to doubt the trust I have in her.
“She convinced Kyle to be tutored because I asked her to.” I look over Kayla’s shoulder to see my mom standing there, holding a wooden spoon slathered in batter. I pull my eyebrows together. “Why do you think Kyle was so tenacious about you two getting together? It started out as me wanting you two to meet. Until Kyle formed a strong bond with Kayla and he begged me to continue tutoring sessions. By your junior year, Kyle was doing it on his own accord, genuinely wanting you two to become friends.”
“What? Why would you elaborate such a plan?” I ask her, my eyebrows coming together. These last few months, I have been nothing but confused and curious. I will soon have a permanent “crinkle.”
“Kayla’s father had just passed away. Your father was nonexistent for the most part. You both have a passion for basketball. You’re both independent. I just wanted you guys to find solace in each other. Kayla has been important to me since she was a baby. I was trying to help. But my son is too damn stubborn to listen to the advice of adults and his brother.”
I detach from Kayla and walk over to my mother. She looks at me warily, but I’m not angry with her. I am far from it.
It is because of her I am with Kayla in the first place. It’s a domino effect. Because she pushed Kyle into tutoring, with Kayla’s help, Kyle formed a bond with Kayla. And even though that bond wasn’t what brought Kayla and I together, despite multiple efforts, it allowed Kyle and Kayla to grow close. Which then meant that Kayla was the only person I could find comfort in when Kyle died. And now, she is my rock and my safe haven. I lean on her for support. She is my life source, my breathing mask.
I hug my mom, squeezing her tight. I practically owe her my life. “Thank you.”