Cool With A "K" PART 26 - CHAPTER 8

The door opened at the top of the basement stairs and we all turned our heads.
Leo and Tae-Hyun came down the stairs, Leo's arm around Tae-Hyun's shoulders.
"Hey," I said, getting up, "Is everything okay?"
"Uh, yeah." Leo said, looking at Tae-Hyun, "Everything's cool with us."
He looked around and asked quietly, "How's Kathy doing?"
Alice, Mouse, Jenny, Geoffry, Chris, and I pointed to the basement bathroom door.
Leo and Tae-Hyun looked to where we were pointing. Leo walked over to the bathroom and said, "Kathy?"
"Piss off, Leo. I don't want to talk to you!" Kathy snapped from inside the bathroom.
"Well." Leo said. It would've been lot easier coaxing Tae-Hyun out of the bathroom then Kathy.
Leo looked at me and I motioned for him to continue.
"Uh, hey, Kathy..." Leo said, "You should come out here. I'm sorry I called you... That... But, I really think you need to apologize to Tae-Hyun."
Kathy opened the bathroom door and stuck her head out.
"Why should I apologize to your little girlfriend?" Kathy said bitterly, "I'm not sorry."
"Kathy," Leo scolded, "Come on, what you did was terrible. You made Tae-Hyun cry. Now, come out here and tell her you're sorry."
"I told you..." Kathy said, scowling, "I'm not sorry."
She looked at Tae-Hyun and said, "Leo's not that cool anyway. He's actually kind of a d*ck. Do you know what he called me when you were upstairs?"
Tae-Hyun looked like she was afraid of Kathy; I couldn't blame her.
"He called me a bitch." Kathy said, giving Tae-Hyun a sugary-sweet smile, "Do you know what that means?"
"Stop it, Kathy." Jenny said.
Kathy turned around and glared at her, but she didn't say anything.
Tae-Hyun swallowed and stepped closer to Leo.
"It means," Kathy said, like she was talking to a little kid, "That Mr. Perfect ain't so perfect. Real men don't call girls things like that."
Tae-Hyun stared at her with wide, scared eyes. She swallowed and said, "Kathy..."
Kathy nodded, her arms crossed.
"I think..." Tae-Hyun said softly, "That Leo had all the right to say that to you if you deserved it."
Kathy tilted her head to the side, like a creepy girl in a horror movie, and said, "Are you saying I deserve to be called a bitch?"
Tae-Hyun stared at her with glassy eyes and nodded.
Kathy glared at Tae-Hyun, shaking her head. Then, Kathy shrieked angrily and dove for Tae-Hyun. She grabbed her shirt and pulled Tae-Hyun to the floor.
Tae-Hyun screamed as Kathy got on top of her and hit her over and over.
"KATHY!!!" Leo, Chris, Jenny, Geoffry, Mouse, and I all yelled at the same time.
Jenny and Leo grabbed Kathy around the middle and pulled her off Tae-Hyun.
Not waiting to see who was grabbing her, Kathy turned and smacked Jenny hard across the face.
Leo and Jenny let go of Kathy.
Kathy and Jenny stood, staring at each other in shock, for a long time.
Jenny lifted her trembling hand to her cheek, where Kathy had hit her.
"Jenny..." Kathy said shakily, "I... I-I didn't mean to..."
"What," Jenny said softly, "Just like you didn't mean to hurt Tae-Hyun?"
Kathy shook her head and said, "Jen, really, I-"
"No, I get it." Jenny said, tears welling up in her eyes, "I shouldn't have kissed you earlier. I'm sorry, that was stupid!"
Kathy's eyes got wide and her face turned red.
Jenny spun on her heels and walked up the stairs.
Kathy stared at the staircase, where Jenny had left, and Chris ran to help Tae-Hyun with Leo.
Chris and Leo helped Tae-Hyun get shakily to her feet. She was breathing wavering, short breaths and her face was streaked with tears.
"Are you okay?" Chris whispered.
Tae-Hyun wiped her face on her sleeve and nodded.
Leo patted her on the back and smiled.
"Damn." Geoffry said.
We all looked at him.
"What kind of people are we?" Geoffry said, dead serious, "We lie to people, we call people names, we get into fights... I mean, Kathy was mean, but what kind of person is Leo to call her a bitch? This was supposed to be a fun gathering, a party, and look what we turned it into. It's kind of messed up."
For the first time, I actually agreed with something Geoffry said.




It was really messed up.