Cool With A "K" PART 26 - CHAPTER 6

Mouse and Geoffry came out of the closet a while later and Mouse was yelling at Geoffry about how stupid he was. Geoffry was just taking it and saying, "Okay... Sure... Whatever you say..."
Chris eyed Geoffry suspiciously and scooted close to him when he sat down.
"So, did she kick your ass?" Chris said, wrapping his arms around Geoffry's shoulders.
"You bet." Geoffry said, smooching Chris on the lips.
Chris smiled and leaned his head on Geoffry's shoulder. Geoffry put an arm around Chris and said, "So, who's next?"
Kathy looked at Tae-Hyun and said, "Korea, you're up."
Tae-Hyun looked at Kathy, then at the bottle.
"Spin it." Kathy said sharply, as if Tae-Hyun didn't know anything.
Tae-Hyun spun the bottle and I saw Leo tense next to her.
The bottle slowed and stopped at Kathy.
Tae-Hyun looked a little scared and Leo closed his eyes.
"Go on," Leo said squeakily, "Go into the closet with Kathy."
"Yeah, I know..." Tae-Hyun said, slowly getting to her feet. She followed Kathy into the closet.


Kathy and Tae-Hyun stood at opposite ends of the closet.
Kathy was crossing her arms and drumming her fingers. She pursed her lips and glared at Tae-Hyun.
Tae-Hyun cleared her throat and smiled warmly.
"Um, hey, Kathy..." Tae-Hyun said timidly.
"What?" Kathy said, an edge of steel in her voice.
Tae-Hyun twiddled her fingers and said, "If... I did anything to upset you, y-you can tell me."
"Oh, listen to you." Kathy said, mocking Tae-Hyun, "'If I did anything to upset you, you can tell me.' You're so pathetic, Tae-Hyun."
Tae-Hyun cocked her head to the side and said, "What?"
"You're the perfect girl, aren't you?" Kathy said bitterly, "Everyone thinks you're a hot Asian boy, but as it turns out, you're just an innocent little girl. So innocent that you came up with this plan? Well, congratulations. Now all the boys in the school like you. Congrats."
Tae-Hyun looked confused, "What do you mean? That is not why I dressed like a boy."
"Oh, did you do it to get girls?" Kathy said, "Huh?"
"No, I-"
"Well, guess what?" Kathy said hastily, "Leo doesn't really like you."
Tae-Hyun looked hurt and said, "What?.... How do you know?"
Kathy smiled tightly and said, "He told me. He only acts like that around you because you're so clueless and stupid and he pities you."
Tae-Hyun shook her head and backed against the wall, "No, I don't believe you."
"Well, you should." Kathy said, smiling tightly, "I'm only telling the truth. Girl to... Girl."
Tae-Hyun blinked back tears and said, "But... But I thought..."
"I know what you thought." Kathy said, shrugging, "Boys are shallow pigs. Get used to it."
"I... I-I have to go." Tae-Hyun said, pushing past Kathy and opening the closet door.
When Leo saw her, he stood up and said, "Tae-Hyun?"
Tae-Hyun put her hand over her mouth and walked past him.
"It's nothing." She said, her voice cracking.
Leo turned and said, "Wait, Tae-Hyun!"
Tae-Hyun went upstairs and closed the basement door.
Leo turned around to look at Kathy and said, "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing, I just...." Kathy said as Leo walked up to her.
Leo stared into her eyes until he stared her down.
"What... Did you do?" He said again.
Kathy looked up at him sheepishly.
"What did you do?!" Leo yelled, shaking her shoulders.
"I didn't do anything!" Kathy yelled back.
Chris and I looked at each other and he, Mouse, Geoffry, Alice, Jenny, and I scooted away from the fight.
Kathy and Leo stared at each other angrily.
"I... Did not do anything... To Tae-Hyun." Kathy said.
Leo grabbed her shirt and pulled her to him angrily. He said through clenched teeth, "You're a dirty little liar. Why did she leave?"
"I don't know!" Kathy yelled.
"You're a liar!" Leo shouted.
Leo's mom yelled something down the stairs in Italian.
"Nothing, Mom!" Leo yelled back, "Everything's fine!"
"Yeah, that's right, Jessica!" Kathy called.
Leo tugged on her shirt and growled, "Tell me what you did."
Kathy glared at Leo and said quietly, "I told her... That you didn't like her... I told her that you didn't like her and that you just acted like you did because you felt sorry for her."
Leo's jaw sagged slightly in surprise and he said something he probably shouldn't have.
"You're a bitch, Kathy." Leo said, and he pushed her to the floor.
Kathy landed on her butt and let out a little surprised yelp.
Leo ran up the stairs after Tae-Hyun.
We all stared at Kathy, who was sitting on the floor, staring into space.
No one dared say a word.
Kathy's eyelids barely fluttered, like she was trying to blink back tears without actually closing her eyes. The red curls that were always separated from her ponytail hung in her face.
Shakily and very slowly, Kathy turned only her head to look at us.
Silence, still.
"What are you looking at?" Her voice came. It was quiet, shaky, and intimidating all at once.
The rest of us all looked away, not at anything specific, really, as long as we weren't looking at Kathy.
Slowly, Kathy shakily got to her feet and went into the basement bathroom, closing the door behind her.
The rest of us slowly emerged from under the table by the wall, where we were cowering.
Finally, Jenny found her voice, "I can't believe that just happened."
"What do you mean?" Alice said.
We all had a shake to our voices and bodies, as if we were coming out of a bomb shelter for the first time.
"I can't believe Leo called Kathy a bitch." Jenny said, "I don't know what Kathy did, but I'm sure whatever it was, she didn't mean it."
"I'm sorry, but why are you siding with Kathy?" Alice asked, "She can be really nasty."
"She can also be really sweet." Jenny said, a little defensively. She bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry, I just... I feel like people misjudge Kathy a lot."
"Jen," Alice said, "I've known Kathy for two years. You're not the only one who knows her."
"Y-yes, but..." Jenny had nothing else to say.




Alice was right.