Part 11
Jennie and Kevin immediately went away to talk. Neither Krystle nor A.J
paid attention to them.
"So," Nick started, "How you doing Krys?" he asked with a warm smile.
Krystle frowned for a few minutes, replaying everything in her head.
There was a short silence until A.J broke it,
"So guys, I hope you like Chinese cause it's on its way." He got up and
sat next to Krystle. Her frown had not left her face yet. Instead she
concentrated on a spot on the floor.
"You okay?" A.J whispered in her ear. She didn't answer him.
"Krys..." he said poking her in her ribs,
"Huh?" she said still concentrating on the floor.
"Just try and be yourself tonight!" he said kissing her cheek.
'Just how do I do that? Half the time, I don't even like myself!' she
said to herself.
"Hey," she said coming out of her thoughts, "where's Kev and Jennie?"
everyone looked around, shrugged their shoulders and continued talking.
~ Sitting in the kitchen
"So how have you been lately?" Kevin said taking her hand.
"Been better." She said back, still not looking up at him.
"Is this about Krystle?" he asked worriedly.
"It's just that...It's just..." she started sobbing, "She's not doing
to well. She's just always slipping away from me. She's my best friend
and I don't want to see her like this. She doesn't deserve this. No
one does. That night when she went into the hospital... I thought it
was all over. And it's not supposed to be this way. I feel like I'm
not helping in any way. She pushes away from me... she doesn't confide
in me... Kev... I don't know what to do...she just..." she continued to
cry. Kevin got up and walked over to her.
"Come here.," he said taking her in his arms.
"I don't know how to tell her that I care... I just don't know... And
she's just...she's going down hill too fast, and I can't catch up to
her... I feel helpless and worthless all at the same time.," she said
between sobs.
"Don't say that about yourself. She needs you. She cares to... It's
just that it's really hard for her to show it right now. Look at her
situation... she has almost no one around for her...Her parents
died...she's alone Jennie... And she needs you and me...and all of us
to help her." Kevin rested his head on hers.
Jennie continued to cry for a few minutes before she sat up straight and
wiped her tears. Looking over to the kitchen entrance she noticed
Krystle standing there almost lifeless. Holding a cup in her hands,
Krystle stood crying after hearing what Jennie had said. It wasn't a
loud cry... A very silent one, where only tears fell. She bit her lips
as hard as she could to hold it back but it kept flowing. Kevin turned
to look at her.
"Krys... Are you okay? I..." he faded off as he noticed that Krystle
wasn't paying attention. He left the room.
"Why have you never said these things to me before," she said standing
at the door. Her legs wouldn't let her budge.
"How could I... You push me away... I try Krys.. I really do...but
your just not wanting me there... I'm trying" Jennie said putting her
elbows on the table and resting her head on her fists.
"But... but I don't mean to...It's just that...I can't...I'm afraid...
to love..." she started,
"What does that mean?" Jennie said in a confused way.
"Everyone I love just seems to leave me." He eyes went cold as she went
on, "It's like I'm not supposed to have it... Like I'm not worth being
loved... And I don't want to hurt anymore... and A.J. I still don't
know why I'm here... I love him to much to get hurt again..."
"I wont leave Krys, I'm your best friend..." Jennie trailed off.
"How do I know that... my parents told me they loved me...where are
they now huh... six feet under the ground... they said they loved me...I
trusted them...and now there gone..."
"But Krys.." Jennie started but Krystle cut her off,
"I know it wasn't their fault...but I put all my trust...all my love
into it...and now they're gone... I can't deal with it anymore... I'm
afraid to love... I'm afraid of being loved... Everyone just seems to
disappear... Their always leaving me... I don't know how to stop it
Jennie...It hurts... It hurts so much... It's like no one wants me.
It makes me feel so... I hate it... Why can't everything be how it
used to be... I felt loved then..." She sank to the floor and
continued to cry. Jennie got up and sat next to her still crying.
"What if I make a promise?" Jennie said almost in a whisper, "I promise
that I'll always be here when you need me. No matter where I am...I'll
always be here for you," she said pulling her into a hug. Krystle
continued to cry without saying anything.
"Just be here for me okay... I can't deal with it... Not after how A.J
left and my parents..."
As she looked up at Jennie she heard sniffles behind her. She turned to
see all of them starring back at her. A.J looked at her almost
hurtfully but still in an understanding way. He knew what he had done.
He was sorry for it too, but it would take time before Krystle could
trust him again. He slowly walked over to her.
"Krys... I promise you that..." just as he was to say the words he had
never said to her before, the doorbell rang.
"It's the food," Howie said turning towards the door. Without saying
anything, A.J got up to get the door. Krystle turned back to Jennie and
took her hand.
"It'll be okay Krys... I promise" Jennie said looking up at Kevin.