Chapter 13

As soon as we got to the fork that marked the beginning of the town, Clara took off, with a little wave of goodbye to me. Kate was going to just ride after her, but I had my hand on her bike frame.

"Stay here. You and I need to talk, in private."

"I didn't get a chance to tell her 'bye. What did you say to her?"

"Kate, she and I talked about the little tricks you've been playing, and the lies you've been telling. If you aren't real careful, Clara is going to give up on you. Already, she wishes that she didn't love you. You hurt her by doing all of that in the movies, especially since it was in front of me. The worst part is that she knows why you did it."

"I did it because I was hot, and I wanted her to be hot too. You weren't willing to help either of us."

"Kate, you've been manipulating all of us just so we would let you have your own way. After Clara told me a few things, I was able to see that for myself. I don't appreciate it either. No one enjoys being used, Kate. It is even worse if it comes from someone you love and care about."

"That isn't true, Larry. I didn't do any of that. I didn't know that Clara would get so upset. I can't believe she's trying to turn even you against me."

"Kate, that isn't true. You know it isn't true, and you are saying it to try to get out of taking responsibility for what you did. That is immature. I never felt right about aiding you in this thing with Bill, or with anyone else. I've decided not to do it. I'm not going to help you do something that I believe will be bad for you."

"I don't really need your help anyway. I can see Bill anytime I want to. Or, if not, I know boys at school that would do it."

"That's fine. When we get home, I'll tell mom and dad what you've been up to, and turn the whole problem back over to them."

"You'd be in more trouble than I would. You were supposed to be watching out for me."

"I'll take my chances. You can't keep on pushing people just to get what you want. You act like a baby, throwing a tantrum when you don't get what you want. I'm through talking with you. Let's go home and let mom and dad decide."

"No! Don't do that. Mom will send me to Hungary. I don't want to go there, Larry. I'll run away first."

"Good idea. Get going, I'm heading home. Have a great life, Kate. I'm sure they won't catch you before dinner. Your first instinct is always to push it further, to make it worse. I feel sorry for you now. You are going to throw everything away rather than wait until it all comes to you. That is so stupid, so selfish, and, unfortunately, so like this new Kate, that makes it so hard for anyone to love her."

I stood up on my bike and took off. Kate yelled after me to stop, but I wouldn't. I heard her behind me, trying to catch up, but having a hard time doing that. I was stronger and faster than her, she was crying, and having trouble breathing because of it. When I got to the park near our house, I stopped and allowed her to catch up. I had gotten off my bike, and she got off of hers too and came running over to me. She was crying and babbling about how she couldn't stand it if everyone was mad at her, begging me to not say anything to our parents, promising to mind me in everything. I knew she was in a panic and desperate, but that is what I wanted for her. I hugged her, and got her quieted down after awhile.

"Look at me, Kate. I'd rather see you in Hungary, picking mushrooms in the woods, and trying to learn how to speak that crazy language, than see you here, doing things to ruin your future. I'm not going to be part of that. You need to really change before I even begin to trust you again. Until I do trust you again, I'm not going to be your chaperon. If you try to sneak around behind everyone's back, as soon as I find out about it, I'm going to go to mom and tell her everything. I will find out about it too, because Clara will tell me. If she doesn't know, then someone who does know will tell me. If you can't convince me that you really mean to change right now, I'm going to talk to mom and dad as soon as we get home."

"Why can't we just go back to how it was, Larry. I'll change, I promise."

"Because, you need to find out that you have to pay a price for not being honest. You hurt Clara, you hurt me, neither of us feel like we can trust you now. You have to earn it back. If you can't see that, Kate, than you haven't heard any of what I've been trying to tell you."

"What do I have to do to get you to trust me again?"

"The first thing is for you to stay away from Clara until she decides she is over being mad and upset with you. You humiliated her, give her time to be able to forgive you. You need to stop trying to get me to help you do sexual things. You have to stop trying to get me involved with you in that way too. You've been trying to put me in compromising situations just so I can't threaten to go to mom and dad if you do something that I told you not to do. That has to stop right now."

"What about me? What am I supposed to do in the meantime if I can't go on dates, and I can't do things with Clara?"

"Not just Clara. No more sleepovers with other girls either."

"That's not fair. You're just throwing in new stuff now."

"You've had your own way pretty much until now. If you want, we can ask mom if she thinks you should have other girls for sleepovers. Of course, I'd have to tell her what has been going on for the past two years."

"What am I supposed to do? It will be like a prison."

"Buy some carrots. I don't care. You've been growing up way too fast. It is time you slowed down, and let some of the other girls catch up to you. I need your answer right now, Kate. Either my way or else I go see mom and dad."

"It still isn't fair. It isn't even your business, Larry. Why do you have to butt into things you aren't even involved in?"

"You are my business, Kate. What you get involved in is important to me. You can't just use me for things that help you. It doesn't work like that. You wanted me involved, so now I am. Me or mom, decide right now!"

I walked over to my bike and got on it. I was just about to start for home when she answered me.

"You. But you have to set a list of what I have to do to get your trust back. There has to be a finish where I know it is over."

"I already told you. You lost my trust by deceiving and manipulating me. I'll start trusting you again when I do. I don't know how long that will take, and there isn't any list I can give you for it. You have to trust me to be fair, just like I trusted you to be honest."

Kate stood there, not approaching her own bike. She was angry, but she was more worried about having to go right home and deal with the possible consequences if she didn't agree to go along with what I'd laid out for her. Even so, she tried desperately to improve on my conditions.

"What about in school? Clara's in every one of my classes. I can't avoid being around her and talking to her. We sit right next to each other in every class too."

"You are not to speak to Clara first. If she has something to say, you can answer her, that's all. Right now, she would appreciate it if you didn't talk to her or try to get her to forgive you. If you don't mind me on this, I'll do what I've threatened. That would just mean that you aren't willing to change. You can't do what you want to anymore. That is what you need to learn."

"If I try, promise you won't tell mom on me?"

"No, if you try and succeed, I won't tell. Just trying isn't enough. There is too much at stake here. It isn't something where you can do good for a week, and then make a mistake, like having some boy screw you, and then promise not to do it anymore if I give you another chance. This is your one chance. You've already used up all the others. I don't think you will make the most of it, but I'm willing to try this one more time. Clara may not even be willing to ever give you another chance. Think about that."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No, not in those words. She is really hurt though. She feels like you deliberately attacked her. You don't expect that from people you love."

"I'm really going to try to change, Larry. You have to help me with Clara though. I don't want to not have her for my friend."