Pick-me-up (28 page)

Tears built up in Katelyn's eyes and she
turned away from the nurse.

"Love shouldn't hurt you, Katelyn.  If
it does, it's time to love yourself enough to leave."

Katelyn gave the blue nurse the understanding
nod she needed in order for her to leave.  It was enough.
 

The week finished quickly and with more
developments.  Her dad remained in jail.  His case was to
be heard within the month.  They couldn’t afford a lawyer, so
they had to use the court appointed one.  Katelyn heard her
mom leave many messages for the lawyer, but rarely heard the phone
ring in reply.  Either way, best case scenario, Katelyn
understood that her dad was not going to be home for a long time.
 If the judge followed the rules, her dad was looking at five
years.

Kayla and Jacob were back at the house in the
evenings by the weekend.  Jenny had supposedly started a
stocking job at a department store in Ames.  Her mom agreed to
watch the kids again since it was second shift.  So, that
meant Katelyn had to watch them.  So far, Jenny had picked up
the kids on schedule in the mornings.  Secretly, Katelyn was
glad to have them back to fill up the silence of the house.

Katelyn’s mom bought her a new cell phone to
replace her broken one.  Katelyn accessed a string of voice
messages.  Katelyn shook her head as she deleted one insult or
threat after another from Tim.   

Katelyn’s mom showed her the local paper that
listed Tim’s arrest and charge: assault in the first degree and
illegal use of a schedule II drug.  

Sunday night rolled around.  Katelyn’s
stitches itched.  Her rib and tailbone were still sore, but
healing.  Her black eye wasn’t as swollen and she could mostly
cover it up with makeup.  Still, she couldn’t face going back
to school.  Katelyn pictured the looks her classmates would
give her, the questions the teachers would ask, the rumors Maci
would start, and the amount of work and tests waiting to be made
up.  

“Mom, you have to call me in.”

Her mom took a loaded inhale and then seemed
to soften.  “Katelyn, you have to go back.”  Her voice
was firm, but also held sympathy.

“Mom, I can’t do it.”  Her mom didn’t
say anything, but looked at her with quiet eyes.  Katelyn’s
voice caught.  “I don’t fit there.  No one’s there for me
and they’ll all know about Tim.  Mom, you don’t know what it’s
like.  They’re mean.  And, and . . . it’s stupid.  I
don’t need any of that shit anyways.”

Her mom didn’t change position, but seemed to
grow firmer in her expression.  Katelyn recognized the look
and tried a new path of logic.  “I missed all the exams.
 I’ll probably flunk everything this quarter anyway.”
 She saw her mom’s eyes shift in calculation.  “It’s too
much, Mom.  I’ll never get caught up.”

“I’ll help you, Katelyn.”  Katelyn
turned to see Kayla standing just outside the kitchen where she and
her mom were leaning against opposite counters.  “You can be
in my school, Katelyn.  Everyone gets a gold star.”
 Katelyn had to smile at her niece’s idea and act of kindness.
 It took a moment for her to realize Kayla finally pronounced
her name correctly.     

“I want to see you graduate, Kate.”  Her
mom pushed off from the counter and stepped up to her.  She
stopped directly in front of Katelyn.  Katelyn lowered her
head in submission.  But, her mom reached out and lifted her
chin.  “Just once.  At least once, I want to have a
daughter graduate, have a daughter walk across that stage.” Katelyn
thought she saw her mom’s eyes watering.  “I want you to cross
that stage.”

Her mom’s arms circled her shoulders and
pulled Katelyn to her.  Kayla joined them, grabbing one of
each of their legs.  Small parts of Katelyn’s body protested
in aching pain, but she knew those were just temporary.
 Katelyn could handle pain.  So, she let herself be held
by a mom that rarely trusted her own touch and a child still full
of trust.  Katelyn put one arm around her mom and reached the
other down to cup the back of Kayla’s tangled hair, completing the
circle.  

Chapter 23: Cycles

Cycle of a Circle, by Katelyn Wells

A circle is separate than its cycle.

The route is round:

Hands wind, numbers flip and time passes.

Yet time frees what is locked together by
nature.

Each spin is hope, choice, and life.

Only the looping path is determined, each
round is new.

Change your clothes, plant some flowers,
bring a friend;

The alternate journey undiscovered begs
another turn.  

"Can we go now?"  Kayla slouched next to
Katelyn on the metal chair.  Her whine made the woman on the
opposite side of Kayla glance over in disapproval.  Jacob sat
content on Katelyn's lap playing a simple slashing game on her
phone.  "You said we could get ice cream."

Katelyn sighed and leaned down to whisper to
her niece.  "The good part is coming right up.  I
promise.  We'll go to Scoops right after."  

Kayla gave her own sigh and slouched
down.

Katelyn didn't blame the girl for her
whining.  The current speech was bad, a smart kid talking
about not closing doors to the future.  All of that studying
and racing to get to be Valedictorian and this was the best he
could do?  Plus, it was hot in the school gymnasium.
 Even from the back row seats, Katelyn could see the sweat
shine on the principal's bald head.  He was stuffed into a
suit for the occasion, one that apparently hadn't aged with the
health of his gut.  

After a few minutes, a round of applause
announced the end of the scholar's speech.  A quick check of
the crumpled Commencement Ceremony program confirmed that the
awarding of the diplomas was up next.  Others also pulled to
attention around her as the first of the names were called and
graduates lined up alphabetically next to the stage.  Katelyn
looked at the list of names.  All  of them were Ames High
School students unknown to her.  She didn't know Angel's last
name and panicked as she didn't find even her first name within her
second check through the list.  She said she'd be here!

Katelyn watched a few more students cross the
stage, one getting a round of laughs as he strutted a short
performance in flip flops, took his diploma, and then addressed the
crowd with a deep bow.  

"Where's Angel?" Katelyn voiced her concern.
 Kayla, who had become curious as to the cause of the laughter
now kneeled up in her chair to see above the heads in front of her.
 

"There she is," Kayla's youthful voice said
with pride at having the answer.  She pointed to a new line of
students now walking to refill the alphabetical line up.  Sure
enough, Angel, her long dark hair curled to perfection extending
from under her cap, was about 15 students back.  Katelyn ran
her finger down the list again.  

Angelica Maria de Angelo

Wow,
thought Katelyn,
I guess just
"Angel" seems modest now
.  

Katelyn waited patiently as the students in
front of Angel were called.  The family members watching had
started to loosen up, though.  An air horn had made an
appearance twice now and proud cheers from students and sometimes
parents would burst out with pride.  

"Angelica Maria de Angelo."

Katelyn stood to get a full view, dropping
Jacob on the seat, and Kayla jumped up to stand on her own chair.
 From somewhere on the other side of the gym a hoot echoed.
 Katelyn added her own.  "Go Angel!"  And Kayla
echoed her in a smaller voice.  

"Go Angel!"

Angel paused at the top of the riser stairs,
took a deep breath, and then held her head high as she sailed on
three inch high heels across the stage.  A smile stayed on her
face as she shook the principal's hand and made her way off.
 

Katelyn picked Jacob back up and sat down,
staying still until the goose bumps left her arms.  Her
niece's small hands grabbed her free one.  

"Katelyn, can I do that someday?"

Katelyn turned to the beautiful wide eyes of
her niece and smiled.

"Sure, Kiddo.  You bet."  Kayla
beamed in response.  Katelyn put her arm around Kayla and held
her to her side.  She turned her face into the top of Kayla's
head and said her own words of encouragement to herself.  "Me
first, Kiddo, me first."

Acknowledgements

Katelyn’s story, although fictional, is based
on the determination I witnessed in the lives of youth I admired.
Each of us is determined by our reaction to circumstances. As a
teacher, I learned a great lesson from students who overcame
adverse conditions or great traumas. They took on the challenge to
change and succeed. Special thanks to Courtney, in particular, for
your determination.

At the time of this writing, 25% of students
in the United States drop out from high school. A story exists
behind each of those cases.

Special gratitude goes out to all who
encouraged the writing and publication of this story: Mike, for
reawakening the words; my family, who read and encouraged me; and
my friends, who critiqued and shared a belief in reaching
goals.

Follow Pick-Me-Up on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/pickmeupbycecilialafrance
,
or email comments to Cecilia LaFrance at
[email protected]
.