‡ Promise 32: A Little Too Much ‡

-As told by Lily-

onday morning, I wake up early, because I'm nervous about the results of my last test. If I pass, that means I only have one test left, until I get my truck. And later today, my father is taking me to the town square to take driving lessons at a school. So, I'm nothing but a bundle of nerves today, but in a good way. I head into the kitchen around six-thirty, finding my parents there, calmly eating breakfast.
"Are you nervous about today?" asks my father, as I grab a bowl and spoon. I replied with a nervous chuckle. "I see.", he grins, "I'm sure you'll do fine in both your school work and the driving school." "I'm hoping." I said, grabbing the milk from the fridge. "You have been doing really well." cheers my mom, "You've passed three tests so far. You have better focus here, in this town, than in the city. You see, moving here was better for all of us." "Mom," I frown, pouring the milk into my cereal, "It isn't the town, it's the car." My father snicker. "It's the car." he teases my mom, leaning closer to her. "Alright," she frowns and then smiles lovingly towards him, "You were right."
I sit down in time to catch them share a kiss. A little gross, when it's your parents, but also kind of sweet. I find myself wishing to have such a loving husband, someday. "Keith." says my mom, causing me to almost jump out of my skin. "W-what?" I choke. "In his yard." she says, pointing towards the kitchen door window, "He often looks so lost. I wonder about him." Keith was in his yard, looking towards the woods as usual, a sad and distant look on his face. "Probably part of his artistic process." waves dad, "Most artists are gloomy." I got up from the table.
"Hey," frowns my mom, "Where are you going? You didn't finish your breakfast." "I'm going to go talk to him." I said, failing to hide the eagerness in my voice. "What happened to your face?" frowns my dad, just noticing the cut across my cheek. "Oh," I smile nervously, "I tripped in my room and fell on something sharp. It's okay." "Wow," frowns my mom, "I forgot you took the attic. Could be all kinds of loose nails up there." "That's what I was thinking.", nods my father, "I'll check over the space, sometime after work, get those sharp corners or nails out."
I wanted to argue against that, not wanting my dad to invade my space, but I wanted to talk with Keith more. So, I let it go and left my parents chatting, pulling my backpack over one shoulder. I know that Tommy will be here in fifteen minutes, so I had to make this quick. "Hey, Mr. Rolmir." I sang, walking up to the hedge, "I didn't think you'd be up at this hour." "Yes," he nods, still facing the woods, "I don't require much sleep, so I'm often awake." "Oh." I said, kicking deftly at a fallen leaf, "So, how come you always stare in the direction of your kingdom. It's not like it's going to disappear, you know?"
He chuckles softly, still not facing me, his eyes locked on the woods. "No," he sighs, "It's not going to disappear. I am torn, often, between the living world and that of the dead. When I am on this side of the gate, I yearn to be on the other side of it. And when I'm on the other side, I yearn to be here. It's a nuisance, much like feline behavior, yet I can't seem to break the habit. My kingdom and my ruling here is all that I have, a king with two kingdoms. There's nothing in the middle to calm either craving." "Um, yeah." I frown, getting annoyed with his poetic whining, "Well, whatever. I have a test I'm hoping to pass today and I start driving school."
He now turns to face me, his eyes slightly narrowed, a look of amusement. "If I don't pass," I continue, "I won't get the car. So, I'm hoping I will pass this test at school. And I'm nervous about the driving school. I've never been behind the wheel of a vehicle before." "These are the problems?" he grins, condescendingly. "Well," I frown, adjusting my backpack, "They're better than your problems. 'A king with two kingdoms', boo-hoo for you!" "Perhaps." he grins, coming a little closer to the hedge, "I guess it's only up to the individual how bad a problem is. What is catastrophic to me may not be so for you and vice versa."
My annoyance went down a little. "But, honestly," he smiles, as the sunlight begins to hit the yard, "I think you will pass those tests and you will get that car. You are very smart and I have no reason to believe that a few silly tests will break you. You're better than that." I gaze into his warm eyes, my heart racing, my legs going numb. I could only mutter a weak, "Thank you." "Your friend is here." he nods. I turn to see Tommy's truck pulling up to the house. I look back for Keith, but he was gone.
After yelling a goodbye toward my kitchen door, I walked along the side of the house and met up with Tommy's truck. "Hey," I said, sliding in, "Today's the big day." "I guess." shrugs Tommy, still looking ahead. I close my door and he drives off. "If I pass this test," I began, "Then I just have one more test to go. But, I'm not worried about the tests at school, not anymore. I'm worried more about the driving school, because-" "Where did you get the cut?" Tommy asks, abruptly. "Oh," I nod, trying to tell this lie well, "I tripped in my room and fell on something sharp. My dad thinks there may be loose nails in the room. It was an attic, you know."
"Uh-huh." Tommy says, uninterested. It seemed as if the whole space was suddenly icy. "What's going on?" I ask, after a long while of silent driving, "Are you worried about that favor? I swear, I won't tell Jody." "I know you won't." he says, pulling into the school parking lot, "You're very good at keeping secrets and telling lies." "What?" I frown, now getting pissed off, "Do you have something you want to say to me?" "Yeah, I do." he snaps, but quickly lets it go with a sigh, "But forget it. Nevermind." "No," I said, getting out of the truck with him, "Just tell me what's on your mind." "It's nothing." he frowns, "Let's drop it." He walks away, before I could argue, heading for the school.
I follow, but he walks faster ahead and right by a smiling Jody, trying to avoid me."What's with Tommy?" I ask Jody, as we stand by our lockers, "He just blew up at me, for no reason, and now he's avoiding me." "Oh." sangs Jody, pulling out books, "He does that, every now and then. He gets into a funk and takes it out on the nearest person. Just avoid him for a while, he'll be back to his old self in a few days. Forget about him, today is your big day!" "Yeah," I smile, "I was nervous, at first, but now I'm sure I'll be fine." "I'm keeping my fingers crossed!" hops Jody, gaining a few odd looks from other students. The bell rings and we head for class.
"I passed!" I sang, at the lunch table. Jody was giggling and Tommy was still in a funky mood. "So," I continue, "My dad will be taking me a driving school, in the town square." "Yeah," nods Jody, "That's where all the teens go to, when they want to drive. I've been there and so have Tommy. Right, Tommy?" He doesn't answer, just staring into his pudding. Jody gives me a shrug. "Well," I said, feeling guilty without knowing why, "After I'm enrolled there, I'll need someone to drive me there, after school. I mean, my dad can do it. But, I thought maybe I could hitch a ride with one of you?"
"I'll drive you there." volunteers Jody, cheerfully, "It's no problem! I've been there before, so..." "Thanks!" I smile, happy that I won't have to drive with my dad. He tends to ask prying questions into my social life, more so than mom. "So," Jody rechecks, "Tommy will pick you up during the mornings, I'll drive you to the other school in the afternoons, and then back home." "Right." I nod, worried if Jody could handle the "back home" part. "Cool." she smiles, not a hint of fear in her voice. "Whatever." frowns Tommy and storms away from the table.
"What is his deal?" I growl. "I wouldn't worry about it." waves Jody, as if this was all normal, "I like to think of him as a tea-kettle. He keeps in all the abuse of those losers he calls 'friends', always in denial, always nice and kind. It's just a matter of time until he pops. And that's what Tommy does, he lets out steam and then he's fine." "But," I said, wondering, "It seems like he's angry with me. Maybe I've done or said something..." "No, no." laughs Jody, "I went through that the first few years of his tantrums. It's not you, it's never about you, it's just Tommy dealing with his stress. That's all."
But I had a sinking feeling that Jody was wrong this time, and it was about me. Before the last bell rang, I followed Tommy to his locker, wanting the truth from him. "What did I do wrong?" I demanded to know. He snorts at me and walks away. I follow, running behind him through a crowded hall, finally cornering him on a empty stairwell. "Wait!" I frown, grabbing Tommy's arm, "Talk to me! What's your problem!?" "You are!" he snaps, pulling his arm away, "Just... leave me alone." "No." I said, firmly, "Not until you tell me why you're so angry with me."
"You were talking with Rolmir." he blurts. I froze, feeling as if a spotlight had hit me and I was against a brick wall, caught red-handed. "Don't lie." he spat, "I saw it, when I drove up. You were talking with him and, a second later, he was gone. I saw it." "Yeah." I said, my shoulders dropping, "I have been talking with him, for a while now." "And you don't care about Julia?" asks Tommy, his voice cold. "I do." I nod, looking towards the floor, "I could never forgive Keith for what he did, but I don't hate him. I can't hate him. He saved my life too many times. And he spared both yours and Jody's."
"So," frowns Tommy, his anger rising, "That's gives him a license to murder!?" "No," I said, shaking my hands in frustration, "It doesn't! I never said that! It's just so complicated. Look I wanted to tell you the truth, both you and Jody. But how do you tell someone, 'Hey, I don't hate Julia's murderer and I'm now chatting with him'?" "Just like that." huffs Tommy, folding his arms. "Yeah?" I snap, standing straight, "And how would you react? 'Oh, gee, Lily. That's nice.' and then go on your merry way?" "I found out anyway!" he yells, waving his arms, "And that was a worse way to find out! Plus, you lied to us!"
"Okay," I sigh, leaning against a wall in defeat, "I guess it wasn't a great idea to lie and keep it a secret. I just didn't want to hurt you or make things uncomfortable. I hate lying to my best friends! But I thought the truth was worse! Jody's still jumpy, after all of this time, I thought-" "Wait," waves Tommy, stepping closer, "You're right, Jody couldn't handle the truth. She might flip, if she knew, she's too innocent. But, you could have told me the truth. You didn't have to lie to both of us." "Well," I sigh, a little relieved, "I'm sorry. I didn't know how it would effect you. And it's not like I planned this... it just happened."
Jody steps out into view, from behind a wall, a mixture of emotions on her face. She had been eavesdropping. "Crap." I mutter under my breath. "Jody?" says Tommy, worried and shocked. "I saw Lily running after you," she explains, in a small voice, "So I followed and listened. I know that's wrong." "Jody, I-" I start, filled with guilt. "No," she interrupts, "I don't want to be lied to. I don't want to be left out of the loop. And I'm not so innocent and sensitive, that you've got to keep things from me." Tommy stares at the floor, uncomfortable. "Don't ever lie to me." she says, her voice breaking, "And don't ever think that it's okay to lie to me."
"I'm sorry." I said, grabbing her arm, "I was trying to protect you, we both were. And it's stupid and wrong. You're right. I'm wrong on everything. I shouldn't have lied to either of you and I won't anymore. The truth is, I'm talking with Keith again and we're becoming good friends. And that dinner party last week, was my parents inviting him over as a neighborly thing. And this scar, isn't from falling down. Last night another demon attacked me and Keith saved me."
They looked at me, with shock and disbelief, their eyes huge as saucers. Maybe I over did it, with the truth. But there was so much more, that I haven't revealed yet. The bell rings and the staircase is suddenly filled with hundreds of students...