I laid in bed that night, I couldn't believe I'd got suspended. No-one kisses Kelly. What the hell, the guy was one of those guys that just romanced a girl to sleep with them, why was I punished so hard? What was also running through my head was what was wrong with me? Why had I got jealous? Come on, they were my family, and Kelly was my best friend. Dad would strangle me and kill me if I even tried to ask Kelly out on a date. And she's only fourteen. I turned over and buried my head in the pillow. What the hell am I going to do? I'm falling for Kelly.
I couldn't sleep so I got up and slid on some sweats and a tank top. I knew dad was at work because they had got a case. I left a note on the coffee table in case he came home or Kelly had another nightmare. She had told me how she was in the car when her mother had been killed so she would come to me when dad was at work. I would take her back to her bedroom and stroke her hair until she went back to sleep. I had my own nightmares but Kelly's were worse then mine. I mean, mine were just about my old man beating me. I left the house and started to jog, thinking that was something we shared, we both lost our mother when we were five. It made her stronger and me, it made me, well I'm not sure what it made me.
I knew that Kelly wouldn't sleep with some guy unless she loved them and she thought it was right. She wasn't some stupid blond like those that were always hitting on me. But I had walked up, I don't even think I really knew who the guy was, until afterwards. But he was leaning against the locker, with Kelly between him and the locker, and he was leaning down to kiss her. I saw green and I'd slammed my fist into his face. What had surprised me most was when we got home, Dad told me I'd done a good job. But he was right, I should use tactics other than violence. I wasn't my old man, or was I?
I was running I don't know how long, but when I heard some one coming up behind me, I turned around to run backwards. It was Dad. He looked at me and I turned back and we ran on, side by side.
"Tony, you know your not him, right?" He always knew what was bothering me, and he was always there for me. I stopped and leaned against the tree, letting some tears fall.
"Dad, I didn't mean to hit him. I just, God, I didn't want Kelly to get hurt." I felt his fingers stroke through my hair. He looked down at me.
"Tony, we all screw up and it wasn't that big of a screw up! I mean, I agree I don't want Kelly lowering her standers for some piece of shit like that." I looked at him, he always knew the right words to say and the right caress in my hair to make me relax! He tossed a rag at me. "Now get that sweat out of your eyes so we can jog back home, I need some food."
When we got home it was about 0630. I ran upstairs and took a quick shower. I came back down. It was my turn to cook breakfast, Kelly and I took turns. If dad didn't work on the weekends, then he would cook for us. It was my turn to do breakfast and dinner today. Well, I was suspended, so I had all day to think what I wanted to make for dinner! I didn't have a lot of friends, not even the basketball team were true friends. We were friendly to each other and we were a team on the court but that was it. My family were my friends, the ones that I stayed close to. Kelly and I really didn't have a lot of friends that came over. Usually it was just me and her spending time together.
Kelly walked in and slapped me in the back of the head.
"What the hell, Kelly?" Dad walked in after his shower and looked at her. Kelly grunted.
"You went out on another midnight run. I don't like it when you do that, you worry me." I looked at her and stuck my tongue out as I continued to cook.
"Yes, mother!" She hit me again. I winced. She got that from Dad, damn it. "I'm a big boy, Kelly, so just sit down so you can eat before you go to school, huh?" She sat down and I handed everyone their plates. We sat down and started to eat in a peaceful silence.
Dad drove Kelly to school, it was either him or me. When I had turned fourteen, I had got a job when basketball season wasn't going. I had earned enough to pay for half of a used car! Dad paid for the rest of it when I got my license. I was the one that drove us to school but seeing as Dad was home, he did it as he headed to work. But I would if he wasn't home tomorrow morning. I started to do some chores around the house. We had started doing them because Dad worked hard at his job. He was making a difference in the world, stopping murders, etc. I started to write down a grocery list. I had the weekly money from Dad to get them. I had always wanted a car so I could drive myself places but the downside was that I had to do chores for Dad. Though I didn't mind driving Kelly around, since we hung out a lot anyway.
Truth be told, I didn't mind doing any of the chores for Dad because it made me useful to him. It took me a year to start calling Gibbs "Dad" because he was the father I had always wanted since my mother had died. He was at my games whenever he didn't have a case and whenever I needed him, I could talk to him. Like when I lost my virginity, I was nervous that he was going to be mad but he had the talk with me about six months before it happened. I remember him telling me that if it was meant to happen, that I needed to use protection and I had kept some in my wallet ever since. I wasn't dating anyone right now but that didn't mean I didn't have the need to be with a girl. But, truth be told, I wanted it to mean something and I was going to wait until I found someone I could love. Well, at least, I hope I can hold out that long!
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