They called the assembly for after lunch, pleasing Kayla, at least then she could enter the hall with Isaac. They could face this together. It wasn't easy, as the crowd practically parted for them. Kayla held Isaac's hand tightly, and prayed for this to be finished soon.
The room was alight with more whispers, pointing, and some unnecessary staring. Kayla wiped her moist palm down the side of her uniform, before taking her seat. Her legs were shaking, and her heart was pounding as she faced the front. She cursed the fact that her face went beetroot red at the attention she was receiving.
This morning had been surprising when nobody had mentioned or even asked about what happened on Friday night. She had heard some of the rumours going around, and felt shocked by how much truth was in them. She knew that neither her, Isaac, Hayley, nor Jay had said anything, so she wasn't sure where the information was coming from. She was simply glad that she didn't have to tell the same story repeatedly, as she had to with the police.
The principal quietened the room down, and Kayla stared to the left of him where Melissa and her parents sat. A sick feeling swelled through her at Melissa's tears streaked face. Now this horrible assembly had grown into an awful dilemma, which Kayla wasn't sure how to cope with.
It took Kayla awhile to focus, as Isaac took that moment to lean over and gently kiss her cheek. He smiled at her with such warmth and love in those stunning dark blue eyes that she managed to smile back.
"Nothing she says will change anything." He assured her, as he stroked a finger down her face.
"I know. She just always seems to be everywhere." Kayla replied, as she turned to look back at the stage.
"I just wanted you all to know that someone deliberately drugged me on the weekend." Melissa's tear filled words sure caught Kayla's attention, as well as the rest of the school.
Eyes turned straight to Kayla, before returning to Melissa. Isaac squeezed Kayla's hand reassuringly, even as his breathing became erratic. Neither of them could be sure what Melissa's was going to say next, and they weren't sure if they wanted to hear it either.
"My parents realised something was wrong, and I was sent to the hospital. I was so scared." Melissa stated, before she sat back down.
Kayla looked at Isaac who was frowning. Had Melissa just inadvertently taken the pressure off Kayla and him? It all seemed to be a bit of a mystery.
The principal went into a lecture of reminding them of the damage drugs can do, while Kayla watched, as Melissa walked off the stage with her parents. The assembly finished without their names mentioned, and Kayla breathed a sigh of relief.
The sympathetic stares and whispers turned to Melissa, who gratefully clutched at the attention. Kayla still wasn't sure where the whispers about her had started, but she decided not to let that bother her. She was free of the constant curiosity of the crowd, and that was all she needed.
As much as Kayla wanted to ask Melissa about why she had acted the way she did, she chose not to for the moment. When she finally caught Melissa alone between classes, she felt both shocked and anxious by the snide, superior expression the girl sent her way.
“I win,” Melissa said defiantly to her.
“Sorry? What?” Kayla asked in confusion.
“You were the one that mentioned me to the police so I had to get some payback on you,” Melissa snarled out the words. “Now I took the focus off you, and they all think I’m the victim.”
“I don’t understand,”
“You thought that you could tell your little sob story, and get all the attention today, didn’t you?” Melissa flicked her hair over her shoulder in a dramatic gesture.
“I still don’t understand.” Kayla just stared at the girl, as she tried to grasp what she was telling her.
“I may not have Isaac, but I’ve now got the whole school on my side. How do you like that?” Melissa’s smugness was hard to take in.
“How did you fake being drugged if you went to the hospital?” Kayla enquired, to which Melissa laughed.
“I took the drugs myself, you imbecile. Now, you’ve got nothing.” She pointed a finger at Kayla, who stared at her perplexed.
“You know what, thanks for that.” Kayla said with a carefree laugh, as she walked away with a shake of her head at the girl’s stupidity.
Just when Kayla had started to relax after the Melissa episode, she found out that she had a summons to the principal’s office. She hadn't even begun her final class of the day, before a student came rushing in the door. His eyes were wide and focused right at her.
When he went directly to the teacher, and handed him a note, she knew it wasn't going to be good. The teacher read the note with his bushy eyebrows rising, only to re-read the note again. He sent Kayla a perplexed look, before waving the other student on his way.
"It seems, Miss McCrae, that you are requested at the principal’s office." The teacher looked over the top of his glasses at her and Kayla gulped.
The room came alight with noise that the teacher hushed, as Kayla stood up. She picked up her bag and headed for the door, feeling dread in every step. She couldn't stop her hands from shaking, as she grumbled about Isaac not being in the class with her. She could really use his support right now.
Her legs trembled beneath her, as she made her way down the eerily empty corridor. She tried not to let her worry overwhelm her at whatever this was about.
Seeing Isaac come out of the classroom door in front of her, sent relief gushing through her. He caught the sound and turned in her direction. The smile that appeared on his face eased her nerves, and helped her feel more in control of things.
"And what exactly are you doing, wandering vaguely in the hallway, Miss McCrae?" He asked in a joking way, as he offered her his hand.
"Hopefully, the same thing you're doing," she replied, as a smile bloomed on her face.
"Principal's office?" He raised an eyebrow, and she nodded ruefully.
"Do you think it has to do with the assembly?" She asked and he shrugged.
"Well, unless they caught us doing some PDA, then that's all I can think of." He sent her a mischievous little wink and she blushed.
"I should know never to encourage you." She told him blandly, while her smile only grew wider.
Heading towards the principal’s office had her smile dimming somewhat. This morning she had expected the call for the principal's office about the incident with Steve. Now, at the end of the day when she thought everything was completed, it returned her to the bundle of nerves that she had to go to there. They reached the door to the office and they walked in, only for someone to point them to a different door.
"Have you ever been in here before?" Kayla looked at the ominous door that seemed to be her own personal doom of unknowing.
"You know me; I'm a good little boy... most of the time anyway." He winked at her and she smiled with his gentle teasing.
Isaac knocked confidently on the door, and a deep voice told them to enter. As the door opened, Kayla lost the calmness and felt her palms start to sweat again. Her breath caught in her throat making her anxiety increase. To find the principal’s office crammed with her parents and Isaac’s parents shocked her. All her expectations flew out the window, as they entered.
"Come in and take a seat." The principal's stern face didn't help Kayla to calm.
Just like in the assembly, her mind refused to focus on much of anything. What she did grasp was that Steve’s expulsion from school was permanent, for what he had done. The assembly was to be the beginning of the school focusing on issues with drugs as well as mental health, the principal aimed that information at their parents.
Knowing about Steve, she still felt bad inside for the difficulties that he faced. She was happy to hear that Steve was beginning to accept his problems and was letting his parents treat him with proper medication. She was also glad that she didn't have to see him.
"I'm sure you are waiting to know how this all affects you." The principal threaded his fingers together and look
ed at Kayla, and then Isaac seriously.
Kayla felt someone squeeze her shoulder, and she wondered what he could possibly mean. She glanced up to see both her parents watching her with worried expressions. This didn't sound good at all.
"The school is offering you counselling sessions for dealing with such a traumatic event. When you have the need to talk to someone about what happened, the counsellors would be there to listen. You are also encouraged to take your parents along to the sessions as well."
At that moment, the bell resounded and Kayla wished that she could join the rush of students going home. Instead, she had to listen to the principal for a while. Isaac tightened his fingers in hers, so she glanced his way. He mouthed the words 'dance class' and Kayla felt relieved. She had the perfect excuse for leaving.
"Uh, excuse me." Kayla said, making all the adults turn her way.
"Yes?" The principal asked, but with all those enquiring eyes, she forgot what she was going to say.
"Kayla has dance class." Isaac told them, while Kayla continued feeling mute.
"Oh, of course, go and do your normal afternoon activities. Just remember the counselling is there for you whenever you need it." The principal insisted, before they were finally able to leave.
"Kayla, you don't have to go to dance if you don't want to." Ted assured her, as they walked from the office.
"I want to. Isaac will drop me off home later." Kayla told them, while Isaac reassured his own parents.
"Lucky that we brought our bags." Isaac said wryly once their parents had gone.
"Yeah, and my dance gear. That was a bit much, but at least they care." She nodded in agreement.
"True. Let's get you to dance. Then maybe we can do something special afterwards." He grinned.
"Like what?"
"I was thinking ice cream." He said hopefully, and she laughed, relaxing as she nodded enthusiastically
"It's a date." She told him happily.
School may have been arduous, but dance class was worse. All her friends wanted to know everything that she hadn't been bothered with at school. Telling them the story wasn't quite as bad as anyone else was, she at least knew her friends wouldn't spread any rumours around.
Dancing gave her a sense of freedom that she hadn't felt all day. She threw herself into the dance routine they had been practicing for an upcoming recital. Knowing Isaac was watching only made her dance with more enthusiasm.
"C'mon girls." Isaacs’s voice echoed down into the change room and Kayla was grateful that she didn't have to keep retelling the story anymore.
Kayla was first out of the door, and took the passenger seat, as the other girls piled into the car. First, they went on and on about how heroic Isaac had been, until they turned their focus to Kayla once again. As much as she loved her friends, she was just as happy to be dropping them off at their houses.
"Wow, peace and quiet, who knew that it actually existed?" Kayla asked Isaac with a roll of her eyes.
"You guys are such drama queens," Hayley said as she threw her arms around Kayla's seat in front of her.
"I just don't want to talk about it anymore," Kayla grouched, as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Okay, so what are we doing now?" Hayley asked, as she looked between them.
"You are being dropped at home, while Kayla and I go out for ice cream," Isaac told her and Hayley let out a grumble.
"Not fair." She pouted.
"I don't even care." Isaac told her breezily, as he pulled up outside their house. "Get out, Hayles."
"You don't do anything with me anymore." Hayley poked her tongue out, but Isaac just sent her a stern look.
"Out, Hayles!" He pointed to the door, and Hayley reluctantly grabbed her bag. With excruciating slowness, she hopped out of the car.
"Talk to you later, Hayley." Kayla waved to her friend, who still seemed disgruntled.
Isaac drove off quickly as if Hayley would chase them down and Kayla laughed. He reached for her hand, and she let out a soft sigh. She glanced over at him with a smile, feeling content and happy.
"Do you want to go straight for ice cream?" He asked curiously.
"What else did you have in mind?" She wondered what he was thinking of, as he let out a long breath.
"How about I just show you?" He sent her a wink, and she nodded eagerly.
They drove in comfortable silence, and Kayla couldn't take her eyes from his profile. This handsome, great guy loved making her world that much more special. No other things that had happened with Steve and Melissa mattered because at the end of the day, she still had him.
When they drove up to the main lookout point of town, Kayla raised her eyebrows. This known make out spot wasn't somewhere couples usually came, at least during the day. Kayla wondered what they were doing here, while feeling thrilled that he wanted to be alone with her.
"Dare I ask, what's the plan?" She enquired, as he stopped the car.
"I just needed some time with you," he turned to her with a small, uncertain smile that warmed her heart.
"It's been a crazy day," she said with a shake of her head.
"Yeah, it has. C'mon, let's go sit in the fresh air."
He walked around and opened the car door for her. As she hopped out, he slung an arm around her waist, and led her over to the waiting bench seat. She leaned her head against his chest, took in the wonderful scent of his cologne, and felt immensely happy.
"Are you okay with all of that today?" He asked, as he pulled her hair from its ponytail, only to run his fingers through the length of it.
"I guess it could have been much worse. How about you?" She glanced up to find him frowning.
"I don't really know right now," he replied honestly. "It all just seems... odd."
"Odd how?" She asked curiously, sensing that he was upset about something.
"Surreal is the better word," he told her, as he glanced up at the sky. "Everyone is acting like I did this great and wonderful thing, but I didn't do anything." He said, as his brow furrowed deeper.
"What are you talking about? You saved me."
"Your dad did most of the work." He butted in to tell her.
"You came and saved me, so you know what, even if my dad did most of it, you still did a great and wonderful thing. I'm more than happy that you were there to find me, do you really think I wanted to go anywhere with Steve? You were there when I needed you, so that makes you a hero in my eyes." She told him earnestly and he seemed shocked.
"Truly?" He asked softly.
"Truly." She replied, as she tilted her head up to look at him.
He kissed her lips gently, a brief whisper of touching together before flitting away. She surprised herself in her response, as she pushed her fingers into his hair and dragged his mouth back to hers. Breathless, heated kisses continued until Isaac slowly pulled away to look into her fiery green eyes.
"Tell me something," he whispered, as he dropped more of those feather light kisses against her throat.
"Hmmm, what?" She managed to say around the sensations that filled her.
"Do you ever think about our first kiss?" He asked, and she stared into the deep blue depths of his eyes. She felt strange that she had been thinking about the same thing earlier in the day.
"Just today, actually," she moved her head to the side, and let out a moan when he scraped his teeth lightly against her skin.
"What did you think about it today?" He asked, before tugging her shirt off her shoulder.
"I was... ah, wow! If you want an answer then you'd better stop doing that." She said the words, as a whimper escaped her, with his hands sliding under her shirt.
"Tell me." He urged, as his fingers only crept higher.
"Isaac." His name came out on a long, drawn out sigh.
"Please, Chickpea," he withdrew his hand, and slid it into her hair. He tilted her flushed face up so that he could look at her. "Tell me what you thought about it today."
"I was thinking that maybe I should have
stayed that day, and let you pay for another kiss." She teased with a wicked little smile that made his heart race faster.
"You definitely should have. I know I told you that I would say this until you're bored with it, but I love you, and I never thought that I'd say that to any girl." He pressed his forehead into hers, making her smile with such warmth and happiness that she felt like exploding.
"I love you too." She whispered back, and he squeezed her closer to him.
"Did you ever think you'd find the guy you loved in a kissing booth?" He asked with a cheeky grin.
"Nope, not in a million years. Now are you going to kiss me anytime soon, or are you going to continue with this line of questioning?" She tightened her fingers in his hair, which only made his grin widen.
"So damn bossy." He said, before his lips met hers.
The most wonderful feelings swirled through Kayla, as his kiss intensified. She knew in the beginning that kiss from Isaac had been something that more worried than elated her. Now, her heart soared in knowing that he loved her, and wanted to kiss only her. That first kiss of theirs she would always hold close in her heart, no matter what life threw at them. Her first kiss had been from a guy in a kissing booth, and she couldn't be happier for that.
Epilogue
3 years later
"I'm not putting that on," Kayla crossed her arms, and stared at Isaac stubbornly.
"C'mon, Chickpea, for me, please?" He begged, as his eyes teased her.
"Where did you get this crazy idea from?" She sent him an exasperated frown.
"I just want to make our anniversary special," he bargained, and she sighed. "I promise it's not bad, and you might even have fun," the devilish smile that filled his face only made her raise her eyebrows.
"No, Isaac."
"Kayla, please?" He held out the piece of fabric to her, but she stepped back from him.
"Our anniversary isn't even today." She protested, as she leaned into the kiss that he was trying to persuade her with.
How We Began Page 28