Pick-me-up, Page 2

  Chapter 2: A Big Mistake

  Tim’s mother answered the door and instantly looked disappointed when she saw Katelyn. Tim’s mom crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned into the door frame, protecting entry into a house where Katelyn had spent countless days and nights. His mom had never cared for Katelyn, but then Katelyn wasn’t sure of anything the woman did care for other than her own interests. From the first time Tim introduced them, his mom eyed Katelyn sharply, even blowing her cigarette’s smoke somewhat purposefully in her direction from across the kitchen.

  “What do you want, Katelyn?” His mom didn’t move from the door frame. For a moment, Katelyn wondered what Tim had told his mom to make her act this way.

  Katelyn didn’t shift from her spot on the small front porch. She wasn’t scared of this woman. In fact, Katelyn didn’t care for her either. If Tim had a better mother, maybe he wouldn’t have turned to drugs in the first place. And, it was her ex-husband and, later, another one of her live-in boyfriends that physically and mentally abused him. Maybe Tim wouldn’t have been violent himself if she cared more about him.

  “Tim called me,” Katelyn said with a sneer of her own. “Don’t worry, I’m not coming in.”

  Tim’s mom gave her a once-over look and turned into the house. She yelled Tim’s name down the hall. Her fake tan, low rise jeans, and strap tank top were too revealing for both a woman her age and the early spring weather. His mom turned back to Katelyn and shook her head. Then, she disappeared back into the house.

  Katelyn shuddered with nervousness, but took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. She went to one edge of the porch and leaned against a railing. She bit at her nails. Tim stepped into the door frame timidly and stopped. Right away, Katelyn was thrown off from what she expected. She thought Tim would have been worrying all day about her visit, but he looked like he had just dragged himself out of bed. His black T-shirt was wrinkled, his black shaggy hair tousled, and he wore his flip-flops he used as slippers when he woke up in the morning. His face looked pale and his eyes were puffy and red. A red flag went off in her head, but she ignored it. Katelyn wanted to believe he was sorry.

  Tim’s eyes gave his only greeting as he stuffed his hands into his baggy jeans. He just looked at her, acknowledging her presence, but nothing more.

  “Hi,” she offered softly.

  His face turned into more of a question. “Wussup?” he answered almost rudely. They’d known each other too long for her to not recognize his approach. She’d seen him like this with others he didn’t trust. He’d stay silent to set the other person on edge. Why was he acting this way? How could he turn so quickly against her?

  “You said you wanted to talk, remember?” Katelyn said, growing impatient.

  He leaned back on the door, and his eyes narrowed on her. His head twitched back to the house occasionally like he was trying to remember something he’d been doing inside. He brought his hand to his neck and rubbed. More silence. His head jerked again. Something wasn’t right. Tim still didn’t say anything.

  Katelyn didn’t want to leave, but he obviously wasn’t going to explain. Katelyn regretted coming over. Tim was still trying to hurt her. “Fine.” Katelyn pushed herself off the railing and crossed her own arms. “Just give me my stuff and this will all be over.”

  He didn’t change except to step down off the door jam onto the porch, one step closer toward Katelyn. He leaned in and his words came out in a snarl. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, you slut.”

  The last word sliced through the air as if to cut off Katelyn’s air. She felt hot tears making their way through her veins. Her throat burned and her lungs refused to take a breath. She was so foolish to think the past week could be wiped away; here she was back again being insulted by the person she trusted most. Katelyn wasn’t about to go through this again.

  Embarrassed and hurt, Katelyn turned quickly to the steps, her long hair whipping behind her. She began to run down, but her foot only reached the second step. Her head snapped back. She had only a moment to comprehend that she’d been grabbed by the hair and pulled sharply. Tim had grabbed her hair to stop her, to hurt her. The force of his pull brought her backward and she lost her one-foot hold on the stair. As she fell, her butt hit the concrete step and she felt the crack of her rib cage as it hit against the edge of the wooden porch. Her head was the last to hit, smacking back against the porch platform.

  Her vision faded like a movie ending. Ringing filled in her ears. She gasped for air, coughing as her lungs expanded in pain.

  It was an accident, she thought. It had to be. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t. Within seconds she felt his hands on her. He grabbed her shoulder, cupped her face.

  “Katelyn, Katelyn! Oh my God, I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he cried, the tone of real concern now in his voice. “I love you. You know that. I love you. I didn’t mean it. You can’t leave.”

  Katelyn’s vision started to clear and she saw him over her, saw his own eyes wide in fright at what just happened. She also saw the Tim she loved, the boy who trusted her.

  She tried to lift her head but a sharp pain shot through her back. She moaned.

  “You have to get up,” Tim said in a panicked voice now. “Come on, Katelyn. You have to be okay. Get up.”

  She felt her arm being pulled and opened her eyes again to see Tim standing to get a better hold of her. His eyes scanned the neighbor’s yards anxiously in worry.

  “Wait,” Katelyn said, feeling like she was going to get sick. “Don’t.”

  Tim let go of her arm and jumped back inside the door. He seemed to hide back in the door frame like he was scared to come out. He grabbed his arms as if holding himself back from coming out the door again. The next moment he scratched at his neck and then his arm. She heard him muttering to himself, but couldn’t understand. His voice grew in volume.

  “Get up!” he hissed from his perch. “Get up, you fat bitch.”

  His words were too much to handle at the moment. Katelyn felt a danger she hadn’t before. Tim did this. Tim did this to her.

  She tried again to lift herself and managed to get turned onto her knees, but she couldn’t push herself up yet. She looked to the neighbor’s yard, looked for help, but saw nothing but colorful tulips she’d taken joy in only minutes ago.

  “Help,” she cried. “Help me,” she aimed in the other neighbor’s direction.

  “Shut up! Shut up, you whore,” Tim threw his words at her and suddenly she felt the sharp pain of her hair being grabbed once again. She screamed as she felt hair rip out of her head. Tim held his grip and yanked her up the last step. Now, in a fury, he flung her over the door jam into the house. Katelyn’s sweatshirt caught and tore on the edge.

  Panic filled her now and she tried to get up, but Tim began to kick her. His foot landed in her stomach and she instantly vomited on her hands in front of her. Katelyn’s head pounded, the blood heating her whole face and filling her ears.

  Katelyn heard new yelling and looked up to see Tim’s mom alarmed and trying to confront Tim. “What the hell is going on?!” Tim moved back a step from Katelyn, like a child in trouble. His mom stopped halfway down the hall.

  “Help,” Katelyn cried out to her, but the woman made no move toward her.

  Hatred and anger surged through Katelyn. Pain pierced her sides as she moved, but Katelyn managed to get to her feet. “I hate you!” she yelled at Tim. She held the wall as she backed up. “I hate you!” she yelled louder and she turned to stagger out the door.

  Tim snapped out and jumped her from behind. Katelyn collapsed down onto the front porch face-first. Tim jumped on her back and pinned her. “You bitch,” he cried repeatedly as he slapped her again and again in the head. Tim’s mom screamed hysterically at Tim to stop, but he reached a rhythm.

  Katelyn couldn’t feel the hits individually any more. From beneath him, Kat
elyn struggled. She put all her strength into making it end. Finally, she was able to get a knee up and get leverage. With a heave upward, she threw him off guard and Tim fell against the porch railing in surprise. With all her strength, Katelyn raised her beaten body and struggled down the steps. She kept going when she made it to the yard and didn’t stop until she reached the end of the block. She fell to her knees on the cold sidewalk. She turned around expecting him to be in chase, but he remained on the porch of his house, his mom’s curses reaching across the neighborhood.

  Katelyn’s body hurt and she bled from several cuts. She felt dizzy and broken. The tears came freely now, but fear made her keep going. She pushed herself up. She had to get away. This just couldn’t be real, couldn’t be happening. Not to her. Not by Tim.