KIP: a bay falls high novel

by Kidman, Jaxson

  The door opened a little bit and Ruby was there.

  “What are you doing?” she growled at me.

  I walked up the steps.

  “You’re fucking crazy, Kip.”

  “I need to talk to you, girl.”

  “No.”

  “I’m already here.”

  Ruby opened the door and let me in.

  The room there was the laundry room. With big tiles for the floor. The washer and dryer tucked against a wall. Coats hung up on hooks on the opposite wall. Shoes and boots on the floor.

  Ruby shut the back door and then slowly shut the laundry room door.

  She turned and leaned against the door.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey?”

  “You look fucking amazing.”

  “What?”

  “You. Look. Fucking. Amazing.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

  “Look at you, girl. Damn. You’ve got me all worked up over here.”

  “Put it away, boy,” Ruby said to me. “Don’t come crashing into my grandmother’s house looking for that.”

  “Oh, I’m not here for that,” I said with a grin. “I mean, we haven’t even kissed yet. What kind of guy do you think I am?”

  “I can imagine,” she said. “Do they all know you’re here?”

  “Told them I had to piss,” I said.

  “How long does it take you to… never mind. Don’t answer that.”

  “We don’t have much time, girl,” I said. “I wanted to check on you. I needed to see you. This texting shit is old.”

  “So do something about it,” Ruby said. “Go tell them we’ve been talking. Are you afraid of Tinsley?”

  “Fuck no,” I said. “I just like it. You and me. Sneaking around in a way. It builds this thing up.”

  “This thing?” Ruby laughed. “And you’ve been saving yourself for me, right?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” I said. “I am an asshole.”

  Ruby grabbed a big, yellow, rubber rain boot and threw it at me.

  I knocked it out of the way and it hit the front of washer with a gong sound.

  “Get out of here,” Ruby said. “You’re bad for me. I’m supposed to be figuring things out.”

  “I’m your new addiction, girl,” I said.

  Ruby scoffed. “That’s what you wanted to say to me? Everything I’ve been going through and that’s what you want to say? You really are an asshole, Kip.”

  “I’m true to who I am, Ruby,” I said. “But I also care.” I stepped toward her and put my hand to the door. “And I’m not leaving until you tell me about the ring.”

  “It’s not your business.”

  “Yes, it is. Why did you come over to us then? You wanted Ti to ask us to get you your ring back. You know you can’t go back to that apartment building.”

  “I never said anything like that,” Ruby said.

  “But you and Ti were talking about it.”

  Ruby swallowed hard. “It was her idea. I was just upset when I texted her about it. When I realized the ring was gone.”

  “Listen to me, girl,” I said. “You have enough going on here. I know I don’t know much but I kind of know enough.”

  “I’m not the kind of girl you keep saving, Kip,” Ruby said. “Okay?”

  “Saving? You? I’m just offering to get you your ring back. That’s all.”

  “Kip…”

  “Ruby, I don’t care what you have to say right now.”

  “How romantic,” she said.

  “I’m being honest. You have nothing here. I’m sure your grandmother is up your ass all the time checking on you. Whatever you’re fighting… if a ring could make you feel an ounce better, I want you to have that ring.”

  Ruby blinked fast. “This is the shit I don’t need in my life.”

  “What?”

  “You saying stuff like that.”

  “What? The truth?”

  “Just… the right stuff,” Ruby said. “I can’t hear that.”

  “Want me to lie to you then?”

  “I don’t care what you do,” Ruby said. “Other than leave now. Before things get crazier.”

  “The way I see it, girl, is simple. You either tell me what this ring looks like and where you last saw it… or I’ll just go knocking on doors and see what happens.”

  Ruby grabbed my shirt. With both hands. Pulling at me.

  Fuck yeah, girl.

  “You can’t do that,” she said. “You don’t get it. You don’t know what you’ll be walking into…”

  “So then give me everything I need to find it,” I said. “You can text me later. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  “Stop saying stuff like that, Kip,” Ruby whispered. “I’m a fucking mess. I’m not the girl you want. Or need. Or whatever is going through your head. I’m not fixable. I’m replaceable. So go replace me.”

  “If I do that, who’s going to text and flirt with me?”

  “Shut up. You have a long list of girls. I’m sure of it.”

  “But I know your name,” I said. “Those other girls? They mean nothing.”

  “Ohmygod will you just leave?”

  “Sure,” I said. “But first you have to let go of my shirt.”

  Ruby gasped and looked at her hands.

  They instantly opened.

  She looked up at me again.

  Her wild eyes were driving me wild.

  So many colors in there. Changing by the second. Changing in the light or the shadows.

  Ruby reached for the doorknob and I reached for her cheek.

  When I touched her, she froze and gasped again.

  “Can’t wait any longer, girl,” I whispered.

  I brought my lips to hers.

  A soft, sweet kiss for Ruby.

  Just one.

  At least to start.

  “Do you say that to the others?” she whispered.

  “Sometimes,” I whispered back. “I say anything I need to…”

  “I should kick you in the balls right now.”

  “But you’re not going to. You’re going to let me kiss you again. Because you’ve been thinking about it and thinking about me. I’m your new addiction, girl. And that’s a good thing.”

  I kissed Ruby again.

  This time with a little more force.

  Our lips worked perfect together. The subtle sound of our lips smacking together was better than listening to the ocean waves.

  I broke the kiss again just to give her a second to breathe .

  Next time I kissed her, it was for more.

  The tip of my tongue eased along her lips and she welcomed me with her tongue too. My right hand touched her hip and squeezed. She grabbed my wrist and threw my hand away.

  I kept kissing, appreciating her honesty.

  I turned my head and kissed her some more.

  She took a deep breath and pressed at me, wanting more of a deeper kiss.

  I kissed her longer than I had ever kissed someone before without things moving forward. I never cared to kiss someone like that. To stand there and make out with someone?

  Who the fuck does that?

  Me.

  I pulled away with one last smacking sound and I pressed my nose to hers.

  Her eyes were locked to mine.

  We didn’t need any other words.

  I backed away and reached for the back door.

  I opened the door and heard the sound of the ocean.

  I grinned at Ruby.

  She grinned back.

  Her pouty, just kissed lips looked delicious.

  “For the record, girl,” I said, “you’re wrong.”

  “About what?” she asked.

  “About who you are,” I said. “You’re worth saving. Don’t ever think you’re not.”

  I shut the door and hurried down the steps.

  As I turned the corner to the house, I heard whistling.

  Pres and Ba
rr were waving their arms at me.

  I waved back.

  I started to run, thinking something was wrong.

  But as I came to the front of the house, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

  I lifted my left arm just in time for a big, wooden spoon to come crashing down on me. The spoon hit my elbow and broke.

  There was a quick jolt of pain.

  “Holy shit,” I said.

  “Get out of here you rotten punks!” Ruby’s grandmother yelled at me.

  She dropped the broken spoon and reached into her apron to get another one.

  I started to run, knowing I could move faster than Ruby’s grandmother.

  “Stay away from here!” she screamed. “Stay away from Ruby! Or else!”

  Pres, Barr, and Tinsley got into the SUV.

  I jumped into the open driver’s side back door and Pres took off.

  I slammed the door shut and reached for my elbow.

  “That lady is crazy,” I called out.

  “That was the longest piss anyone has ever taken,” Barr said.

  I looked at Tinsley.

  She looked mad.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I had a lot of water to drink today.”

  * * *

  I sat down on the wobbly log and put my arm around the guy with the guitar.

  He looked at me with wide eyes.

  “You’re not from around here, are you?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “But you know my name.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You were warned about me?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And my friends over there…” I nodded toward Pres and Barr.

  “Yeah,” the guy said.

  “You know I just might feel like breaking the guitar over your head, right?”

  The guy nodded. “I know everything.”

  “Do you know who fucked with BFH?”

  “No,” he said. “Heard a lot of talking about it.”

  “Who was talking? Give me a list of names.”

  “Names? Everyone here is talking about it.”

  “Have a girlfriend?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Why?”

  “Where is she?”

  He pointed to a pretty little blonde sitting across from him.

  I waved to her. “Hey, girl.”

  She waved back to me. “Hi.”

  “Do you know anything about who fucked with BFH?”

  “No.”

  “Are you lying to me?”

  “No,” she said.

  “Okay. Good.” I stood up. “Keep playing, guitar man. If you hear anything, you let me know.”

  “Yeah. Okay.”

  I walked to his girlfriend and stared down at her.

  She looked up at me and looked scared.

  I felt someone grab my arm and pull.

  It was Tinsley.

  “What the fuck is your problem?” she asked me.

  “With what?”

  “Harassing that girl.”

  “I’m just trying to get information, girl,” I said. “Playing detective.”

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  “About?”

  “Ruby’s.”

  “Who?”

  Tinsley punched my arm. “Don’t be a dick to me, Kip.”

  “What? I went to take a piss. Okay? Ruby showed me the bathroom. Then I was looking at the ocean. Thinking about the waves. Wondering if I could actually get in there and surf. I don’t know. I was taking in the moment.”

  I knew Tinsley wasn’t buying it.

  Pres walked over to us and put an arm around her.

  “She’s feisty tonight,” I said to Pres.

  “She always is,” Pres said.

  Tinsley elbowed him.

  Barr stepped up and took a cigarette from his lips. “Everyone is talking but nobody is saying anything.”

  “Yeah, I picked up on that,” I said.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Pres said.

  Barr turned and flicked his cigarette into the fire.

  Guitar man’s girlfriend got spooked by it.

  She looked at Barr.

  “Hey, love,” he said to her. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing sitting alone?”

  “She’s humping the guitar man,” I said to Barr.

  “Point?” Barr asked.

  “She’s not from around and she’s taken,” I said.

  “Once again… point?”

  I laughed.

  Guitar man’s girlfriend slid away from us.

  “Don’t leave me now, love,” Barr said.

  Barr laughed and then looked at me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “That’s your favorite kind of girl right there,” he said to me. “Stranger. Taken. Pretty blonde. Innocent.”

  “Okay…”

  “And you’re just standing here,” Barr said. “Are you sick or something?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Then go show her a good time,” Barr said. “At the very least you get her boyfriend jealous enough to fight you. Win-win.”

  “I’m good,” I said.

  Barr touched his chest. “Did you just pass up on getting laid and-or picking a fight?”

  “You take a run at her then,” I said, pushing Barr. “Stay the fuck out of my business.”

  “Whoa, Kip,” Pres said. “He’s busting on you.”

  “I don’t give a shit,” I snapped. “Leave me the fuck alone. All of you.”

  I walked away, knowing how crazy I looked.

  I licked my lips.

  I had my reason right there.

  A few secret kisses with Ruby wasn’t going to be enough at all.

  five

  Sleep came in two forms for me.

  I was either dead to the world, the kind of sleep where nothing could possibly wake me unless it was my own body deciding to wake up, or I was wide awake. And by wide awake, that meant wide fucking awake.

  Staying up all night, chasing thoughts and memories like it was some kind of fun game when in reality it was nothing but a self-induced version of torture.

  The bed where I had Tinsley all to myself… I stared at it from the large window that overlooked the back part of the house. The pool. The guesthouse. And of course, the ten million dollar view… the ocean.

  Home sweet home for me.

  I did live in another house at one time in my life.

  When I was first born, my parents were living in a condo that straddled the line between city and beach town. I only knew about the place because of pictures. My mother was big on pictures. Someday I’d probably appreciate that more than I cared to admit now. I also appreciated that while my mother worked in fashion, she did not dress me up too crazy as a baby and a kid. Compared to some of the strange things she would come up with and sell, it wasn’t all that bad as Kid Kip.

  From that condo, they bought some beach house.

  Nothing big at all.

  Which surprised me. And it always stuck with me. Because I believed that in my mother’s heart, that’s where she wanted to be. Next to the ocean. Listening to the waves all day while she designed clothes. And I believed she wanted to design simple clothes. Comfy clothes. But that wasn’t what my father wanted for anyone in his family. He hated that my mother did anything outside of the house. Especially fashion. His pushback on that was turning my mother into the kind of person that made those giant dresses with fucking wings and hooks and talons and colors and shapes that made everyone curl their lip in confusion, knowing there was no fucking way any sane human would wear that shit… and yet it worked for her.

  My parents had a mutual hate for each other that somehow kept them together.

  And people around me wondered why I enjoyed the one-night-I-don’t-need-to-know-your-name relationship.

  Then again, it wasn’t my parents.

  That was the easy excuse.

  The low hanging fruit to grab.

  I didn’t give a damn what my parents
did or didn’t do.

  What I did or didn’t do came from one thing.

  I put my hand to the window and closed my eyes.

  ‘Is it okay if I’m in here?’

  ‘Of course it is. Are you okay?’

  ‘Can’t sleep.’

  ‘Neither can I, girl.’

  ‘I don’t want to bother you…’

  ‘Hey. Look at the bed. See anyone in there?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then you’re not bothering me.’

  She smiles. Then frowns. ‘That’s kind of gross, Kip. I hope you know that.’

  ‘What is?’

  ‘Nothing. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m being stupid.’

  ‘You can never be stupid, Kait. Don’t call yourself that. Ever. Okay?’

  She nods. ‘Okay.’ She shrugs her shoulders. ‘I just… I don’t know. I don’t think anyone really likes me. I’m not like you.’

  I laugh. ‘I hope not. I’m a guy.’

  ‘Shut up. You know what I mean.’

  ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘Kip. You’re cool. You’re funny. You’re strong. Big. Tough. You’re not afraid of anything. You’re just…’

  ‘Hey, you’re the same, girl. I mean it. You’re cool. You’re funny. You’re strong and tough. Everything you’ve been through in life?’

  ‘That’s my point. How do I know this is real here?’

  I swallow hard. That’s the kind of question I can’t answer. Or one I don’t want to answer. Because I know why she’s here. She’s here because…

  ‘It’s real to me,’ I say.

  I reach for her hand.

  There are lines blurred, crossed, stomped on, and buried.

  It’s not good.

  But it’s really good.

  This can work.

  Or this can blow everything up around me.

  She pulls her hand away from mine. ‘Hey. Can I show you something?’

  ‘Yeah, girl. What do you have?’

  ‘Stand up.’

  We both stand up and face the large window in my room. There’s a little bench looking thing at the window with pillows and shit on it. To me it’s a little girly but damn do the girls love it. So I keep it.

  Kait steps up on it.

  That puts me eye level with her hips.

  I have to not look.

  But I can’t help but look.

  ‘Come up here,’ she says.

  I step up on the bench.

  ‘Put your hands against the window,’ she says.

  She put her palms flat against the glass. In the back of my mind I hear my father complaining about the streaks on the window, wanting his house to look as perfect as his life looks.