KIP: a bay falls high novel

by Kidman, Jaxson

  I touched her face.

  “You do your thing, girl,” I said. “And I do my thing. And we’ll be back together soon enough.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Because everything with you is.”

  Ruby laugh-snorted. “Bullshit.”

  “Don’t leave me with a bad attitude, girl.”

  “Bad attitude? Really? You think I have a bad attitude? After all I’m going through here? You get to stroll back into your rich town with your mansion and your fucking guesthouse and your perfect fucking beach and waves… and all the fucking stupid fucking blondes that want to fuck you…”

  I lowered my lips to hers.

  “Hey, girl,” I whispered. “Shut up.”

  Ruby pushed at my chest. “I’m serious. Fuck you, Kip. It’s not that simple for me. Knowing where you are.”

  “Meaning you don’t trust me?” I asked.

  “Trust what? Who in their right mind is going to sit around and waste time waiting for me?”

  “I am, girl,” I said.

  Ruby shook her head. “This is… this is why I kicked you out of here after we…”

  She looked to the bed.

  She shook her head again and walked to the corner of the room.

  “I don’t really give a shit what anyone thinks of me,” I said. “I never have and never will. I know what I want, girl. I’m not afraid of it. And I’ll prove that to you. But here’s the truth too, Ruby. It’s going to fucking hurt to lose you. It’s going to rip my heart out each day I don’t get to text you. Or talk to you. Or see you. And I’m going to have some really bad days. But all it takes is one smile… or one second of that annoying laugh of yours… and I’m sucked right back in.”

  Ruby curled her lip. “My laugh is not annoying.”

  “Are you kidding me? It’s horrible. Who laughs like that? You laugh and snort or snort and laugh. It cuts right through me.”

  “Well, fuck you again, Kip,” Ruby said.

  The corner of her mouth flickered into a smile.

  She then shook her head for a third time.

  “Fuck,” she whispered.

  And she ran toward me.

  * * *

  I caught her and our lips smashed together.

  I walked her back to the corner she had been standing in, her hands pulling at my hair, my hands holding the back of her legs.

  We kissed in such a horrible cliché way. As though the world was ending. Or that it was our last kiss.

  Which is kind of is, Kip… our last kiss here…

  I kissed her to make sure she wouldn’t forget me. I kissed her to make sure I wouldn’t forget her. I kissed her so hard that for however long this waiting took, I would be able to lick my lips and taste her.

  It was that simple.

  Yet it was that complicated too.

  I felt a tear roll down her cheek and touch mine.

  I broke the kiss and looked at her.

  She put her feet on the floor and pressed her lower half against me.

  My left hand touched her lower back.

  My right hand wasted no time in opening her jeans. I slid my hand down into her jeans, along the outside of her panties.

  She nodded and rocked her hips to my touch.

  “Fuck, girl,” I whispered.

  She grabbed my shirt and moved in a way that I would never forget.

  I kissed her again, wanting to tell her all the ways I loved her but I took the risk in hoping my kiss would do just the same.

  When I tried to move my hand away from her, she shook her head. She didn’t want anything more or anything less.

  So I stayed there with her, feeling like my heart and head were going to explode.

  Ruby broke the kiss and put her forehead to mine.

  “Kip,” she whispered. “Listen to me…”

  “What, girl?” I asked.

  My hand still hadn’t stopped moving.

  She let out a breath and sigh. “I don’t want you… to wait…”

  “Don’t say that, Ruby,” I said.

  “Too… late…”

  “I love you, girl. I’m not letting you go.”

  “You don’t… have to…”

  Ruby put her head back and bit her lip.

  I brushed my lips to her neck and she jumped up to her toes.

  A loud knock on the door echoed through the room.

  Fuck.

  I stepped away from Ruby, my hands balling up into fists.

  Ruby hurried to button her jeans and ran to her bed to grab her bags.

  The door opened and Tinsley walked in.

  “Everything okay up here?” Tinsley asked.

  “Nice timing,” I said to her.

  “We’re fine,” Ruby said. She had her bags thrown over her shoulders and in her hands. “Time for me to go.”

  “Wait a second, girl,” I said.

  Ruby smiled at me, swallowing down all her emotion. “No, Kip. No more waiting. There can’t be any waiting. Ever. Understand?”

  She bumped her shoulder into me and walked out of the bedroom.

  Tinsley went with her.

  I looked to the messy sheets on the bed. I looked to the corner where I just had her.

  I shook my head.

  Did they forget who I am? That I was Kip? That I was part of the Rulz?

  Own me?

  Did Ruby really think she owned me?

  That was some bullshit thing we joked about.

  And this wasn’t about owning.

  This was about the truth.

  And the truth was that I loved her.

  I turned and left the bedroom, slamming the door behind me.

  No fucking way in hell Ruby was getting away from me that easily.

  * * *

  “Come on,” Pres said to me as Gram started to back her car up.

  Pres touched my shoulder and looked at me. “I owe you this…”

  I made a fist and hit Pres in the jaw.

  Not as hard as I could, but enough to make him stumble back.

  Tinsley let out a cry and called me something under her breath.

  Barr jumped between me and Pres.

  I knocked Barr’s hand out of the way as he tried to grab my shirt.

  Then I set off for what I really wanted.

  I ran after Gram’s car.

  Like a goddamn fool. Like the moron who was so in love he didn’t know what to do with himself.

  Lucky for me, Gram didn’t drive very fast backwards and I caught up to the car in a few seconds.

  She stopped as I stood outside the passenger door.

  Ruby looked at me and her eyes filled with tears.

  Gram could have sped off but she didn’t.

  The door opened and Ruby climbed out of the car.

  “Kip…”

  I touched her face. “Say anything you want. Demand anything you want. I don’t care, girl. But I know enough and I’m not letting you go. You are strong enough to take care of this. And I’ll be waiting.”

  “I don’t want that kind of pressure.”

  “It’s not pressure, girl. It’s love. You’re going to figure this all out and… you know what? I’m going to write you letters.”

  “Letters?”

  “Yeah. I’m going to write you letters. About everything. And you call me when you’re allowed to. I’ll wait but I won’t bother you.”

  “You’re going to write me letters, Kip?”

  “Lots of them.”

  “Have you ever written a letter in your life?”

  “I remember writing a letter to Janelle asking if she wanted to make out with me after school…”

  “And when was that?”

  I grinned. “I think fourth grade.”

  Ruby punched my shoulder. “Asshole.”

  “I’m going to write you letters, girl. You can’t stop me.”

  “Whatever. You do whatever you want.”

  “I love you, Ruby,” I said.

  “I love you
too, Kip.”

  I kissed her one more time.

  A kiss that acted as all the proof I needed to wait for her, but also the kind that hurt. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to kiss her again for a little while.

  Ruby put a hand to my chest and pushed me away. “See you around.”

  “Hey, girl. Do you have your camera?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Good. You’re going to be amazing photographer real soon.”

  “Oh, so I suck right now?”

  “A little,” I said. “I’ve just been telling you the pictures are good to make you feel good about yourself.”

  “Asshole,” she said again with a smile.

  Ruby got back into the car and shut the door.

  She put the window down and asked, “What did she say?”

  “Who?”

  “Janelle,” Ruby asked.

  “Oh. I mean… do you have to even ask, girl? Have you met me?”

  “She still go to BFH?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll cut that bitch if she even looks at you while I’m gone.”

  “Don’t worry, nobody will come near me,” I said. “Just wait until they hear about my super bad ass girlfriend who was so bad she got sent away.”

  “That’s right,” Ruby said. “Now go away, you’re being all romantic and it’s kind of pathetic.”

  “Good call,” I said. “Later, girl.”

  Ruby unzipped the front pouch of her bag and took something out.

  She flung it out the window at me and showed me her middle finger. Then she smiled and kissed the air.

  Gram drove her away from me and I watched until the car as out of sight.

  Then I looked at what Ruby had thrown to me.

  A present.

  I unwrapped it and was looking at the back of a frame.

  I flipped it over and shut my eyes.

  She had taken a picture of me surfing during that crazy day we had.

  A perfect picture of me with my legs bent, my right hand almost touching the water, a wave ready to take me under.

  I held the thing so tight I thought I was going to break it.

  I sucked in a breath and told myself I could do this.

  It would all work.

  My love for Ruby…

  A tear hit the glass of the frame.

  I missed her already.

  But that was okay.

  Because I knew the ending already… and it’s a pretty simple ending, girl.

  Ruby and I would be back together soon enough.

  Epilogue

  I stood and faced Brando.

  He kept his face as calm as he could.

  Behind me I smelled Barr’s cigarette smoke.

  Pres had already taken Maverick to the ground. Maverick was smart enough to stay there, showing his hands, knowing if he dared to push back at the Rulz it wouldn’t end well.

  “Easy or hard?” I asked.

  “For what?”

  “You just chose hard.”

  I stepped back and swung.

  I caught Brando at the perfect spot on his chin.

  He dropped hard.

  On his side.

  “Is he dead?” Maverick asked.

  “Nah,” I said. “At least I don’t think so…”

  Roman came rushing to Brando’s side.

  He dropped to his knees and shook Brando.

  Brando’s eyes popped open and he looked around.

  I snapped my fingers at him and whistled.

  Brando looked at me. “What?”

  “Are we ready to talk now?”

  “What do you want to know?” Roman asked.

  “Just wanted to talk about the East vs. West rumors.”

  “We have nothing to do with that,” Roman said.

  “Of course not,” I said. “But since you’re the pretty boy jocks, you have your noses up each other’s ass… someone has to know something.”

  “Go talk to Uly,” Maverick said.

  I snapped my fingers again. “And magically, you start talking.”

  “Has Uly been saying shit?” Pres asked.

  “I don’t know,” Maverick asked. “But you know how that place runs itself. It all goes through him.”

  “Why are you bothering us?” Roman asked. “What did we do? What did you hear?”

  “Well… I’m thinking the whole fuck #bfh thing wasn’t just an inside thing here,” I said.

  “Could be wrong though,” Barr said as he stepped up next to me.

  “Could be,” I said.

  “Maybe we just felt like kicking some ass,” Pres said.

  “That too,” I said. “It’s been a while. Just wanted to make sure I could still throw a punch.”

  Brando touched his jaw. “Yeah, you can still throw a punch, Kip.”

  “Perfect,” I said. “So I think that settles it then.”

  “You hit him for nothing?” Roman asked.

  “Barr, want to knock Roman out?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Barr said.

  He flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped toward Roman.

  “Stop, stop, stop,” Roman said.

  I put my hand out to stop Barr.

  “Something you want to say?” I asked Roman.

  “I get it. Fine. I get it.”

  “What else?” Pres asked. “There’s a lot more to say here.”

  “If we hear anything…” Brando said.

  “Hear anything what?” I asked.

  “We’ll tell you,” Roman said. “You could have just said that.”

  “Why?” I asked. “This is more fun.”

  “I didn’t get to hit anyone though,” Barr said.

  “Maybe next time,” Pres said.

  Pres nodded and the three of us walked off the football field.

  Barr lit another cigarette and Pres rubbed his jaw.

  “At least we know we have eyes out there,” I said.

  “Fuck it,” Barr said. “If anything kicks up, we’ll deal with it.”

  “Stupid prick,” Pres said.

  “Who?” I asked.

  “All of them,” he growled. “Every single fucking one.”

  Barr laughed. “Wow. Tinsley holding out on you?”

  Pres looked at Barr. “You really want to go there?”

  “Just asking,” Barr said. “If you need me to step in and coax her into anything…”

  I stopped walking so I wasn’t in the middle of Pres and Barr.

  “Have at it,” I said.

  “He’s not worth hitting,” Pres said.

  “Because you know I’ll hit back,” Barr said.

  “Well, you two can keep this going,” I said. “I have plans.”

  “Plans,” Pres said. “Again?”

  “Yeah. Problem?”

  “You’ve had a lot of plans lately,” Barr said. “And you always go alone.”

  “I value my alone time,” I said.

  “You and your hand, huh?” Barr asked with a laugh.

  “Or is it something else?” Pres asked.

  I curled my lip. “You have something you want to ask me, Pres? So you can report back to Tinsley?”

  “No,” Pres said. “You do whatever you want.”

  “Yeah, he’s really in a bad mood,” Barr said to me. “You better run.”

  “I’ve got a few choices here,” I said. “Go to the ditch and cause trouble. Go find Uly and really cause trouble. Or do something else.”

  “I’ve got a thing tonight anyway,” Barr said. He put his cigarette between his lips and wiggled his fingers.

  That meant he was playing piano.

  It still boggled my mind that Barr could play an instrument.

  Not to mention the fact that he did so at some underground club thing.

  “Hot date then?” I asked.

  “Always,” Barr said.

  “Fucking smooth,” I said.

  I stopped at my SUV.

  Pres and Barr kept walking.

&nbs
p; “Hey, Pres, I’m serious about Tinsley,” Barr said. “I can help you there.”

  “I’ll fucking take you out right now,” Pres said.

  I smiled and got into the SUV.

  I reached behind the seat and grabbed a small bag.

  I opened it and looked down at all the letters I had written.

  One per day.

  Some long. Some short.

  I drove out of the BFH parking lot and found somewhere to sit in private.

  I took out a notebook and started to write another letter to Ruby.

  Had to keep my promise to my girl.

  * * *

  Hey girl,

  I sort of got into a fight today.

  Nothing big.

  Don’t worry.

  It wasn’t even really a fight.

  We had to talk to Brando about some stuff.

  There’s some old bad blood between the two BFH buildings. I’ll have to explain it someday. The other building is far enough away to forget but not far enough away to forget for good.

  I don’t even know if that makes sense.

  So we had to have a chat.

  The only way the Rulz know how to chat is with fists. That’s how you start the conversation. Funny enough, it always works.

  We didn’t find anything out though.

  Not sure what’s really there.

  We had someone here paint ‘fuck #bfh’ on the wall at the end of a hallway.

  We found out who did it… but now we heard a rumor that it could have been something else too.

  Kind of fucking crazy if you ask me.

  I thought about hitting the beach today too.

  It’s kind of hard though.

  It sounds stupid, girl, but it’s not the same without you.

  I mean, you really suck at surfing. No offense. But without you there, I feel lonely. Of course I could easily find some company. The eyes never stop looking. I mean, not my eyes. I only have eyes for you, Ruby. (Go ahead, roll your eyes at that.)

  But… if I even tried to hook up with someone else, how would that work?

  Who’s going to punch me in the arm? Who’s going to push me away? Who’s going to call me an asshole and mean it the way you do?

  Fuck you have no idea how much I miss you.

  I keep saying it in every letter. But I have to keep saying it.

  I mean it.

  These days are moving by… but some are so fucking slow, girl.

  Some I don’t feel like surfing. Some I don’t feel like fighting.