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Chapter 6: Hurdles
“If one has to become successful it is imperative that he works towards removing all the hurdles and obstacles coming in his way.” ~Sam Veda
~~~
Nicole could see by the guilt ridden expression on Stephen’s face that he had known about the little co-ed sleepover than Josh had recently had. She rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, “Stephen, I…I just don’t want to get into this right now.” Nicole turned and headed down the hallway.
From his place in the kitchen Stephen sat speechless and watched her walk away.
When Nicole reached the bottom of the staircase she was trying to formulate a speech to give Josh and a punishment worthy of what he had done. She couldn’t decide on a fair punishment that was suited because his father had basically given him permission.
Nicole sighed again as she reached the top of the stairs and the door to Josh’s room. She ran her fingers along the letters of his name hanging on the door. She then turned the knob and entered. “Josh!” she said in a very stern tone, “We need to talk. What were you thin…” she stopped.
She turned to see Josh lying on his bed with the covers pulled up to his chin. Nicole could see the soft rows of tears streaking his face. Josh turned to the wall to avoid his mother seeing anymore of this.
Nicole walked over and sat on the very edge of the bed and placed her hand gently on Josh’s hip. A wave of sadness washed over her and she noticed the still open cell phone beside Josh’s arm.
“Was that Andy?” she questioned.
Josh reached up with the edge of his sheet and blotted his eyes dry. He rolled over to face his mom and Nicole saw that his eyes were red and his face blotchy. He must’ve been crying for awhile now.
“Mom.” He began. “It hurts. It hurts really bad. I miss her so much. I love her.”
Nicole’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open slightly. She had known how much Josh and Andy meant to each other, but she didn’t expect him to say that he loved her.
Nicole rubbed his arm gently. “I know sweetie. It hurts. But if you and Andy are meant to be, you will find a way to be together.”
“Mom! We are meant to be together! There is no doubt in my mind that we are meant for each other! Forever!” Josh raised his voice a bit.
Nicole’s eyes softened even more if possible, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye. She gently nodded her head. “Yea, Josh. I think you are.”
Nicole leaned down and kissed Josh on the cheek. She slowly got up and made her way out of the room. She decided that punishing Josh was not what he needed right now.
~~~
Lori reached her house and upon entering passed Amanda and Jessi leaving. Lori waves and continues on in. She made a beeline for Kyle’s room.
She reached it and knocked frantically on his bedroom door.
Kyle climbed out of his tub and quickly headed to the door, swinging it open so fast it hit the wall behind it. “Is everything alright!?” he asked, worried.
“Well that depends.” Lori said, inviting herself into his room. “Mark knows.”
Kyle looked very puzzled. “Mark knows what?”
“He knows about you.” Lori began as she pulled the torn corner of the paper from her pocket pointing at the image of the pod.
“Where did you get that Lori?” Kyle asked nervously.
Lori’s eyes shifted back and forth and down to the paper again. “From Mark.”
Kyle took the piece of paper from Lori’s hand and walked over to his desk. He opened the top drawer and retrieved a lighter and held the flame to the corner of the paper. He set the paper in a cup on his desk and watched as the last remains became ash.
Kyle walked back over to Lori. “I know Lori. He saw me in the Latnok lab and then he figured it out when he was with Jessi and Amanda!”
“Don’t forget Hils!” Lori chuckled.
“Kyle rolled his eyes and laughed as well. “Yea, how could I possibly forget her?”
Kyle reached out his arm and wrapped it around Lori’s waist, pulling her into him close. Embracing her so gently. “Thank you Lori. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for everything that you do for me. For being my friend. My sister.”
A tear fell from Lori’s eye and Kyle reached out and wiped it away with the back of his index finger.
Lori smiled and chuckled a bit. “Thanks Kyle.” She said, pulling him back in for another hug.
~~~
Declan opened his cell phone and hit 3 on his speed dial. He placed the phone to his ear as he reached the chained doors to leave the warehouse.
“See you tomorrow at the same time! Don’t be late!” Foss yelled to him as he was squeezing through the opening.
~~~
Kyle’s phone rang and he broke the hug with Lori to reach into his pocket to retrieve it. When he flipped open the phone he heard “…don’t be late!”
“Declan?” He questioned having seen his caller i.d. “Was that Foss?”
“N…no. Why would I be with Foss?” Declan said, remembering the very specific words that Foss had spoken to him before he left. “And oh yea, don’t tell Kyle about this. He would think we were putting you in danger and he doesn’t need to know yet. Understood?” Declan had nervously shaken his head in understanding to these words, but now he was unsure if that was the right move.
“Then why does your voice sound shaky and the pitch unsteady?” Kyle questioned.
Declan took in a deep breath to regain his composure. “Nah, sorry man, I had something in my throat.” He replied more normally this time.
“Oh, ok.” Kyle responded, still not completely believing his friend.
“So, Kyle, can we meet up and talk?” Declan redirected the conversation to his point for calling in the first place.
“Sure Declan. When and where did you have in mind?” Kyle questioned.
“The park, in 15 minutes.” Declan said.
“Sure. I’ll be there.” Kyle said and closed the phone.
“So that was Declan huh?” Lori said trying not to seem to curious about her ex-boyfriend's doings.
“Yea, that was him. We are going to meet up so I have to go. But I’ll see you later! And thanks again Lori.” He said leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek before grabbing his jacket and leaving the room.
Lori stood there for a moment; a tear fell from her eye. Even though they had been like siblings for quite some time now, that was the first time that her ‘brother’ had ever kissed her. She touched her cheek and a warm feeling rushed over her. She thought back to the day he came into their lives, the day he was ripped away from them, his homecoming, and learning about his secret, she then thought about the time he took her guitar and played it like a pro, while she could still only play 3 chords, she thought about the time they sat on opposite ends of her bed and talked, and the time that he carried her drunken, lifeless body home from the party. She started to cry more so she headed upstairs to her room. She pulled out the picture of Kyle and her sharing her birthday and touched her finger to his face in the picture. She couldn’t believe her family had ever managed without him. She could hardly even remember life without Kyle. She blotted her eyes and a smile came to her face. She really hoped that things in Kyle’s and the family’s lives were going to get better now with Cassidy apparently out of the picture.
~~~
Nicole came down the stairs and passed through the kitchen where Stephen stopped her.
“So how did it go?” He questioned nervously.
“I decided not to punish him.” Nicole said not even looking at Stephen and kept on walking through the kitchen to the living room.
~~~
Kyle arrived at the park a few minutes before Declan and walked over to the merry go round where a small boy was being forced to push. Kyle hoisted the boy up onto the merry go round and took hold of the bar and ran in circles spinning the children around faster and faster as they all laughed with joy.
He saw Declan arrive and gave a small smile to the boy who had been pushing. He nodded his head and started towards Declan.
“So Kyle, anymore thoughts on what to do about Cassidy’s m…I mean, yours AND Cassidy’s mom?” Declan cringed at the words.
Kyle’s face scrunched up in distaste as well. “I don’t know Declan. I don’t know what to do.”
~~~
To be continued...
“If one has to become successful it is imperative that he works towards removing all the hurdles and obstacles coming in his way.” ~Sam Veda
~~~
Nicole could see by the guilt ridden expression on Stephen’s face that he had known about the little co-ed sleepover than Josh had recently had. She rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, “Stephen, I…I just don’t want to get into this right now.” Nicole turned and headed down the hallway.
From his place in the kitchen Stephen sat speechless and watched her walk away.
When Nicole reached the bottom of the staircase she was trying to formulate a speech to give Josh and a punishment worthy of what he had done. She couldn’t decide on a fair punishment that was suited because his father had basically given him permission.
Nicole sighed again as she reached the top of the stairs and the door to Josh’s room. She ran her fingers along the letters of his name hanging on the door. She then turned the knob and entered. “Josh!” she said in a very stern tone, “We need to talk. What were you thin…” she stopped.
She turned to see Josh lying on his bed with the covers pulled up to his chin. Nicole could see the soft rows of tears streaking his face. Josh turned to the wall to avoid his mother seeing anymore of this.
Nicole walked over and sat on the very edge of the bed and placed her hand gently on Josh’s hip. A wave of sadness washed over her and she noticed the still open cell phone beside Josh’s arm.
“Was that Andy?” she questioned.
Josh reached up with the edge of his sheet and blotted his eyes dry. He rolled over to face his mom and Nicole saw that his eyes were red and his face blotchy. He must’ve been crying for awhile now.
“Mom.” He began. “It hurts. It hurts really bad. I miss her so much. I love her.”
Nicole’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open slightly. She had known how much Josh and Andy meant to each other, but she didn’t expect him to say that he loved her.
Nicole rubbed his arm gently. “I know sweetie. It hurts. But if you and Andy are meant to be, you will find a way to be together.”
“Mom! We are meant to be together! There is no doubt in my mind that we are meant for each other! Forever!” Josh raised his voice a bit.
Nicole’s eyes softened even more if possible, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye. She gently nodded her head. “Yea, Josh. I think you are.”
Nicole leaned down and kissed Josh on the cheek. She slowly got up and made her way out of the room. She decided that punishing Josh was not what he needed right now.
~~~
Lori reached her house and upon entering passed Amanda and Jessi leaving. Lori waves and continues on in. She made a beeline for Kyle’s room.
She reached it and knocked frantically on his bedroom door.
Kyle climbed out of his tub and quickly headed to the door, swinging it open so fast it hit the wall behind it. “Is everything alright!?” he asked, worried.
“Well that depends.” Lori said, inviting herself into his room. “Mark knows.”
Kyle looked very puzzled. “Mark knows what?”
“He knows about you.” Lori began as she pulled the torn corner of the paper from her pocket pointing at the image of the pod.
“Where did you get that Lori?” Kyle asked nervously.
Lori’s eyes shifted back and forth and down to the paper again. “From Mark.”
Kyle took the piece of paper from Lori’s hand and walked over to his desk. He opened the top drawer and retrieved a lighter and held the flame to the corner of the paper. He set the paper in a cup on his desk and watched as the last remains became ash.
Kyle walked back over to Lori. “I know Lori. He saw me in the Latnok lab and then he figured it out when he was with Jessi and Amanda!”
“Don’t forget Hils!” Lori chuckled.
“Kyle rolled his eyes and laughed as well. “Yea, how could I possibly forget her?”
Kyle reached out his arm and wrapped it around Lori’s waist, pulling her into him close. Embracing her so gently. “Thank you Lori. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for everything that you do for me. For being my friend. My sister.”
A tear fell from Lori’s eye and Kyle reached out and wiped it away with the back of his index finger.
Lori smiled and chuckled a bit. “Thanks Kyle.” She said, pulling him back in for another hug.
~~~
Declan opened his cell phone and hit 3 on his speed dial. He placed the phone to his ear as he reached the chained doors to leave the warehouse.
“See you tomorrow at the same time! Don’t be late!” Foss yelled to him as he was squeezing through the opening.
~~~
Kyle’s phone rang and he broke the hug with Lori to reach into his pocket to retrieve it. When he flipped open the phone he heard “…don’t be late!”
“Declan?” He questioned having seen his caller i.d. “Was that Foss?”
“N…no. Why would I be with Foss?” Declan said, remembering the very specific words that Foss had spoken to him before he left. “And oh yea, don’t tell Kyle about this. He would think we were putting you in danger and he doesn’t need to know yet. Understood?” Declan had nervously shaken his head in understanding to these words, but now he was unsure if that was the right move.
“Then why does your voice sound shaky and the pitch unsteady?” Kyle questioned.
Declan took in a deep breath to regain his composure. “Nah, sorry man, I had something in my throat.” He replied more normally this time.
“Oh, ok.” Kyle responded, still not completely believing his friend.
“So, Kyle, can we meet up and talk?” Declan redirected the conversation to his point for calling in the first place.
“Sure Declan. When and where did you have in mind?” Kyle questioned.
“The park, in 15 minutes.” Declan said.
“Sure. I’ll be there.” Kyle said and closed the phone.
“So that was Declan huh?” Lori said trying not to seem to curious about her ex-boyfriend's doings.
“Yea, that was him. We are going to meet up so I have to go. But I’ll see you later! And thanks again Lori.” He said leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek before grabbing his jacket and leaving the room.
Lori stood there for a moment; a tear fell from her eye. Even though they had been like siblings for quite some time now, that was the first time that her ‘brother’ had ever kissed her. She touched her cheek and a warm feeling rushed over her. She thought back to the day he came into their lives, the day he was ripped away from them, his homecoming, and learning about his secret, she then thought about the time he took her guitar and played it like a pro, while she could still only play 3 chords, she thought about the time they sat on opposite ends of her bed and talked, and the time that he carried her drunken, lifeless body home from the party. She started to cry more so she headed upstairs to her room. She pulled out the picture of Kyle and her sharing her birthday and touched her finger to his face in the picture. She couldn’t believe her family had ever managed without him. She could hardly even remember life without Kyle. She blotted her eyes and a smile came to her face. She really hoped that things in Kyle’s and the family’s lives were going to get better now with Cassidy apparently out of the picture.
~~~
Nicole came down the stairs and passed through the kitchen where Stephen stopped her.
“So how did it go?” He questioned nervously.
“I decided not to punish him.” Nicole said not even looking at Stephen and kept on walking through the kitchen to the living room.
~~~
Kyle arrived at the park a few minutes before Declan and walked over to the merry go round where a small boy was being forced to push. Kyle hoisted the boy up onto the merry go round and took hold of the bar and ran in circles spinning the children around faster and faster as they all laughed with joy.
He saw Declan arrive and gave a small smile to the boy who had been pushing. He nodded his head and started towards Declan.
“So Kyle, anymore thoughts on what to do about Cassidy’s m…I mean, yours AND Cassidy’s mom?” Declan cringed at the words.
Kyle’s face scrunched up in distaste as well. “I don’t know Declan. I don’t know what to do.”
~~~
To be continued...
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